Rookie Calmejane Break Win Stage 8

Frenchman Lilian Calmejane of Direct Energie soloed to victory on stage 8 to Les Rousses, mimicking his compatriot Sylvain Chavanel who did it seven years ago and winning at the age of 24 the same way he did as a neo pro at the Vuelta a España last year. It was a very eventful race with top class contenders in the different breakaways but Chris Froome managed to retain the yellow jersey ahead of grueling climbs on the way to Chambéry.

193 riders started stage 8 in Dole. As expected on a stage dedicated to attackers, many skirmishes took place from the gun. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Dimension Data), Gianluca Brambilla (Quick-Step Floors), Sylvain Chavanel (Direct Energie) and Alberto Bettiol (Cannondale-Drapac) formed the first breakaway of the day. It didn't work out but Chavanel went again, accompanied by Greg Van Avermaet (BMC) and Alexey Lutsenko (Astana). Beaten by André Greipel (Lotto-Soudal) and Michael Matthews (Sunweb), Marcel Kittel (Quick-Step Floors) increased his lead in the points classification over runner up Arnaud Démare (FDJ) who struggled badly in the first climb of the day, as well as Team Sky's Luke Rowe. Mathias Frank (AG2R-La Mondiale), Jasha Sütterlin (Movistar), Marcus Burghardt (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Cyril Lemoine (Cofidis) rode away after 50km of racing. Sütterlin was substituted by Diego Ulissi (UAE Team Emirates) in the leading quartet but it was all together again at km 70.

46 riders managed to go clear after 75km of racing. 16 of them formed a leading group with 98km to go: Jan Bakelants and Mathias Frank (AG2R-La Mondiale), Koen de Kort (Trek-Segafredo), Michael Schär and Greg Van Avermaet (BMC), Michael Valgren (Astana), Jens Keukeleire (Orica-Scott), Serge Pauwels (Dimension Data), Matteo Trentin (Quick-Step Floors), Emanuel Buchmann and Marcus Burghardt (Bora-Hansgrohe), Thomas De Gendt (Lotto-Soudal), Warren Barguil and Laurens ten Dam (Sunweb), Lilian Calmejane (Direct Energie) and Alberto Bettiol (Cannondale-Drapac). Barguil and Pauwels rode away in the col de la Joux with 92km to go. The Frenchman and the Belgian were still part of a group of seven riders who climbed the côte de Viry at the front before a regrouping. At the initiative of Van Avermaet, they went again before the top of the hill where Barguil outsprinted Bakelants and an eight-man group was formed with 48km to go: Jan Bakelants (AG2R-La Mondiale), Nicolas Roche and Greg Van Avermaet (BMC), Serge Pauwels (Dimension Data), Warren Barguil (Sunweb), Robert Gesink (LottoNL-Jumbo), Lilian Calmejane (Direct Energie) and Simon Clarke (Cannondale-Drapac).

Michael Valgren (Astana) rejoined the leading group at St-Claude with 25km to go. In the first category Montée de la Combe de Laisia les Molunes, Calmejane rode away solo as there were 17km remaining before the finish. He suffered cramps with 5km to go but managed to overcome the pain to maintain his 40 seconds advantage over lone chaser Gesink. It's his first Tour de France victory and the second for a French rider this year after Arnaud Démare on stage 4 in Vittel. Calmejane also took the polka dot jersey while Chris Froome retained the lead in the overall ranking.

Simon Yates 

“It was an extremely fast pace today. Everybody expected that. Chances for guys to really go for the break were high. There was a lot of chaos at the beginning. I'm not sure about tomorrow, it's a really tough day. It could be raining too. Many riders today were worried about tomorrow.”

Lilian Calmejane 

“I hope everyone enjoyed the show. As a team, we had decided to go on the offensive and it paid off. In the finale, I knew Gesink wasn't far behind. But I didn't give anything away. I got a bit scared when I cramped between 6 and 4km to go but I had the experience of the same thing happening at Tour de l'Ain last year and I knew what to do. What a relief when I crossed the line. It's fantastic. This is the way of racing I like. I'm a rider with a lot of panache. I don't like chasing World Tour points or a place on GC. We'll see what my future is like. I'm not the future Bernard Hinault. This is my first Tour de France. It's too early to tell what lies ahead for me. As per the polka dot jersey, there are a lot of points tomorrow, so the jersey will be on someone else's shoulder. I'll be in the unknown after spending so much energy today, maybe a bit more than the other riders, but later on in the race and in years to come, the polka dot jersey could become a goal because the points scale makes it accessible to attackers as well as pure climbers.”

18:56 

Guillaume Martin

 "For my first discovery of the mountains in the Tour, to finish third is obviously a super stage for me. It was fast, very fast all day. There were a lot of attacks. When I saw the first group, or should I say bunch, go away, I was a little frustrated not to be in it. But then we made it back. I was feeling good, I tried to anticipate the big battle and eventually they did not come back. I did not take a lot of time for the GC but I'm still glad about this stage. For the stage win, the gap was too important. For my first Tour, for the first Tour of my team, it's fantastic, we're making a great Tour debut, we're in the breakaways everyday. It's nothing but pleasure."

Marcel Kittel 

“I had only one goal today: the intermediate sprint at km 45. It's been one of the hardest sprints I contested since the beginning of the Tour but at the end of the day, it's a good day for the green jersey.”

Arnaud Demare

My two guardian angels, Mickael Delage and Ignatas Konovalovas were truly exceptional. I struggled to recuperate from the last couple of days. I didn't rebuild my stock of glycogen like I should. I'm not ill, I'm dreadful. Clearly today I was dreadful. Thanks again to my guardian angels. The way they rode today was not work, it was love. Tomorrow is another day, the gruppetto will take shape earlier."

Chris Froome: 

"Today some teams wanted the yellow jersey. I guess Pierre Latour was up for it, or Mathias Frank, so we couldn't let them go. We've had to ride at the very high tempo behind them. After the hard stage we've had, tomorrow can be a very decisive day. The incident I had in a corner was a little bit of a reminder of how quickly things can change in the Tour de France. It can the moment that end your race but Geraint Thomas is alright and I didn't fall.

#letour

Kittel Powers to Stage 6 Victory

Already winner of the first sprint of this Tour de France in Liege, Marcel Kittel repeated the feat in stage 6 to make it two in Troyes. Yet it was a very different scenario this time as the German, perfectly led-out by his team, surged in the last 150 metres to outpower green jersey holder Arnaud Demare of France (FDJ) and fellow-German Andre Greipel (Lotto-Soudal), who were battling it out near the fences and had to settle for podium places. Alexander Krirstoff (Katusha) and Nacer Bouhanni (Cofidis) finished at the foot of the podium at the end of this long hot 216-km ride from Vesoul. 

The day's break took shape from the gun when Perrig Quemeneur (Direct Energie) attacked, followed by Vegard Stake Laengen (UAE) and Frederik Backaert (Wanty-Groupe Gobert), already in the leading group on the road to Longwy. The gap quickly increased and reached four minutes after 30 km and never went over 4:15. Teams Quick Step, Lotto-Soudal and FDJ made sure that the gap never went over three minutes and kept the break under control. They even eased up a little after the feed zone in Chaumont (Km 106) for fear of bridging the gap too early. 

Quemeneur snatched one point in the 4th category cote de Langres (km 69) while Backaert sprinted for the day's bonus prize in Colombey-les-Deux-Eglises, home of general De Gaulle. Arnaud Demare outsprinted the peloton to strengthen his green jersey ahead of Michael Matthews (Sunweb) and Andre Greipel (Lotto-Soudal). On the second climb of the day, Côte de la colline Sainte-Germaine (4th cat, km 154), Quemeneur grabbed another point. France's Laurent Pichon (Fortuneo) briefly attempted to join the leading trio but gave up after 15 km. 

In the last 30 km, the tempo raised and the leading trio maintained 1:30 over the main pack. But it was a lost cause and with 13 km left, as Julien Vermote (Quick Step), Tiago Machado (Katusha) and Lars Bak (Lotto-Soudal) led the chase, the gap quickly diminished. Influential in the breakaway group, Vegard Stake Laengen was awarded the prize as the most aggressive rider of the day. The sprint was far less eventful than the previous one in Vittel even if Demare and Greipel were involved in a fierce battle near the fences. But while they were losing their momentum, Kittel produce his last gasp effort to earn his 11th stage victory on the Tour de France and challenge Demare in the race for the green jersey.

#Tdf2017

Contador Triggers Skyfall at Vuelta

La Vuelta

The Vuelta has this year, and not for the first time, surpassed the Tour de France for pure excitement. With Sunday’s stage a return to the old style cycling with the top riders battling it out mano-a-mano using their own intuition. Making the relatively short stage 119km stage o Sunday to Aramon Formigal in the Spanish Pyrenees the battle ground for those chasing this trophy in 2016. A breakaway at the start of the day triggered by Alberto Contador of Saxo-Tinkoff setting the pace for the day. The former champion anxious to make an impact on home soil after a bad fall early doors, and two similarly unlucky seasons at Le Tour. Keen to reverse a gap of three minutes separating him from the leaders of classification; Movistar’s Nairo Quintana and Chris Froome of Team Sky.

As the day unravelled Contador targeted an early downhill section and executed a plan to devastating effect testing the wherewithal of all those around him. A plan that also suited Quintana who on Saturday had tried – halfheartedly - it has to be said – to shake off the Froome powerhouse and extend his 54 second margin. Knowing the English cyclist is always keen to win a stage at a grand tour event and achieving that on Stage 11 at Pena Cabarga. But also beating Quintana in the process as both engaged in battle in the first weekend. A week later though Froome had dropped three minutes and thirty-seven seconds as the Contador - Quintana breakaway reshaped the general classification. With an unusual sight - it has to be said - of seeing Team Sky in such disarray. So no doubt there was much restless sleep into Monday morning when the true damage may look irreversible.

It was stage which left bizarrely left Froome isolated in a chasing group with only teammate David Lopez for company after his team were stuck in the peloton - tired from yesterday’s exertions perhaps. Any reduction in time loss made better thanks to Orica-Bike Exchange riders - who did him some favours - followed by an Astana trio and then BMC Racing. Without them Froome was marooned and helpless without the usual team Sky reinforcements surrounding him. Rarely ever seen so critical have they become to the Wiggins and Froome victories over the years in France during the summer. Chris Froome never without Richie Porte the year of his first win. Or last year with Geraint Thomas everywhere.

On the steep climb in Northern Navarra all the cyclists were exposed to the real physics of nature and the breakaway saw three of them still racing for the finish line together on the narrowest sections with a kilometre to go. Then as Contador got burned off, Quintana kept the pace to the top with Gianluca Brambilla of Etixx-Quick-Step in his slipstream fighting to grab the stage. An exhausted Contador fourth having consumed much energy driving the initial breakaway and knowing he would struggle for the last sector if there were a handful of riders still left in contention. A result though which leaves him in fourth, by seconds, and now within reach of a possible third place podium. A fight he must take on with Colombian Esteban Chabes. The red Jersey now out of reach for another year. But even a third place seemingly impossible a week ago with his injured legs after a fall.

Nairo Quintana looks back to his best, something which eluded him in France during July. His strength contrasting with a lost looking Froome who almost seemed human such was the exhaustion – and frustration – etched on his face. For that reason, the stage was a classic and the riders wearing their courage, instinct and heart on their sleeves. A segment which left little need for race directors and radio chats as the leaders fought the conditions and heat to the maximum. An excitement that Team Sky have strangled from many of the Tour de France stages many of which have become almost chess like. With race strategy run too much from the car seat rather than the bike saddle. Cyclists bombarded with instructions rather the old way where you raced as you felt and invented your own stage tactics with ore cunning. 

As the Tour at times is monotonous La Vuelta is the opposite and with Team Sky perhaps less focused the race has opened up/ With all the Spanish cyclists also desperate to win stages and catch the eye. Indeed, at different points on Sunday TV viewers saw the strength of Alejandro Valverde, energy of Dani Navarro, and diligence of Jonathan Castroviejo. All of which makes for a vastly more exciting stages and now made even more so by the result of Stage 15 in Northern Spain. Aided by stunning scenery and the abnormal heatwave which saw the riders battling 37C on Sunday. But few will be taking anything for granted going into the 158 km Stage 16 on Monday that heads down to the east coast for the week before arriving in Madrid.

Last Sunday Froome spoke to no media straight after the stage and will no doubt do his talking on the bike over the coming days. Perhaps after Tuesday’s rest day and ahead of the time trial as the Vuelta makes it way down from the mountains of Aragon and down to a flat stage finish on Monday, after a one point 3rd category climb – the long downhill descent to Vinaroz offering a chance for escapees to make their mark. All the leader’s intent on recovery from yesterday when some rest might be the order of the day. Contador and Quintana happy with their efforts having rearranged the leaderboard more favourably. With Quintana now in sight of a Vuelta title unless Team Sky can reverse matters

Team Sky principal Dave Brailsford also spoke with ITV Sport after the stage, explaining that Movistar and Tinkoff had played their cards to perfection and reaped the benefits.

"Sometimes you have to take your hat off to people and just say, 'well done,'" Brailsford added. "That was a great move and it paid off for Nairo and Alberto.

"We just have to sit down and look at it and keep on going. Sometimes in sport you take a punch in the face, turn around sit yourself down and say right, there six days of racing left, we're still in the same position as we were this morning and we'll just keep on going," added Brailsford.

La Vuelta - General Classification


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We Must Learn from Demoitie Death - Bugno

The president of the Professional Cyclists Association, Gianni Bugno, has demanded that lessons are learned following the death of the Belgian cyclist Antoine Demoitié, who was hit by a motorbike after a fall during the Gent-Wevelgem cycling classic on Sunday.

The 25-year-old rider was taken to the University Hospital of Lille after the accident during a section of the race in Northern France but his team, Wanty-Gobert, confirmed Demoitié’s death on Sunday night.

Bugno said: “About the terrible accident that caused the death of the rider Antoine Demoitié during the Gent-Wevelgem race, the CPA and all the riders demand to shed immediate light on the accident and the circumstances that have caused it as well as on any of the responsible involved parties.

“At this time of sadness and sorrow for the death of Antoine we do not want to make controversy, but we have so much frustration inside. We have always stated that the safety of the riders must be in first place in the discussions of the cycling stakeholders and at the last CCP meeting we specifically asked to communicate the strategies to improve security during the races.

“I do not want to accuse anyone but I want to make everyone reflect on the responsibility we have to ensure that a very high level of attention, awareness and control over safety standards during each race is maintained.”

A team statement on Twitter read: “Thanks for your overwhelming support. The team is touched by all the messages. We will bounce back and #RideForAntoine.”

The two-times Tour de France winner Chris Froome paid tribute to Demoitié on social media, saying: “So sad to hear of the passing of Antoine Demoitié. Condolences to his friends and family.”

Mark Cavendish said on Twitter: “Such tragic news. RIP Antoine Demoitié. My thoughts and condolences are with your family, friends and teammates.”

#AntoineDemoitieRIP

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Froome Wins Herald Sun Tour

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Chris Froome has won the Herald Sun Tour in Australia after overhauling fellow Briton and Team Sky team-mate Peter Kennaugh on the final stage.

Two-time Tour de France winner Froome was 13 seconds behind Kennaugh at the end of the third stage, but finished 29 seconds in front of his compatriot.

Froome produced a solo push on the 121.8-km fourth stage on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria to win.

Kennaugh ended the final stage in seventh but was second overall.

"It's an amazing feeling," said Froome, who won the King of the Mountains jersey.

"I put in a lot of hard yards this winter, which obviously hasn't been easy with a new family starting and everything back home. A massive thank you to my family for giving me the support I need to do this job."

He added: "Kennaugh had a good day but he also gave me the all-clear from behind. Massive thanks to Pete for doing that."

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Froome Warned UCI on Mechanical Doping

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Chris Froome has claimed he warned cycling authorities about possible mechanical doping in the sport.

After decades of struggling to combat illegal drug use, cycling’s image suffered a fresh blow on Sunday when stewards at the world cyclo-cross championships found an electric motor in Belgian teenager Femke Van den Driessche’s bike.

Den Driessche has maintained her innocence since the discovery, but Froome said he had heard whispers about mechanical doping before and shared them with the International Cycling Union (UCI). 

“It’s a concern that I’ve had, something I’ve brought up with the UCI independent commission when I sat down with them and said, ‘listen, from my point of view there are these rumours, it would be my advice that the UCI implements controls and measure to start checking bikes more regularly’,” said the two-times winner of the Tour de France.

The UCI has promised to step up testing for motorised doping, which Froome has welcomed. “I think they are taking the threat seriously and hopefully this will mean that they only increase the number of checks that they do on the world tour level,” the 30-year-old said ahead of taking part in the Herald Sun Tour, which starts in Victoria, Australia, on Wednesday.

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