The Tour de France has entered its final week, and it appears that Italian Vincenzo Nibali is untouchable in the yellow leader’s jersey. He’s performed extremely well, winning three stages and showing fine form on uphill finishes. One wonders how his efforts would stand up next to anticipated rivals Chris Froome and Alberto Contador — both out after crashing badly in the first half of the race.
The excitement over this last week of racing is driven by the battle for the rest of the podium, and the fantasies of French fans hoping to see a home nation rider finish on one of the top three steps in Paris.
La Grande Boucle is the most important event in professional cycling; for some riders, the Tour can trump Olympic ambitions. Yet it has been nearly two decades since a Frenchman has finished on the podium. The last one to do so was Richard Virenque (1997), who was later implicated at the centre of the Festina scandal. He was then portrayed as a puppet with needles injected into his head on French television.
Thanks to improved efforts to halt doping in the pro peloton — including the sustained use of the biological passport — hopes are high that the French riders presently battling for the white jersey and an overall podium spot can also welcome a clean slate with fresh success for French fans.
Romain Bardet of AG2R la Mondiale and Thibaut Pinot of FDJ are in third and fourth overall, only 16 seconds apart.
Bardet has proven his strength in the mountains, but lacks experience. The pressure to this point has not appeared to overwhelm the young rider. However, if he’s still France’s best hope on the weekend he’s likely to face greater attention. With very little experience in a time trial setting, the second-last stage of the tour could be problematic. A solo affair measuring 54km in length will be crucible where Bardet could be crushed.
By comparison, Pinot is a strong time-trialist after devoting effort to refine both his posture and pace in the discipline. The 16 seconds separating the FDJ rider from the white jersey and a podium spot in Paris is inconsequential given the time that could be won or lost in the time trial.
How is it that the French cycling program has not produced a Tour de France champion since Bernard Hinault in 1985? Some have suggested that recent efforts in sport science have not matched the investments made by rival nations. Indeed, Bardet told a French publication that he purchased three powermeters — used to fine tune training — using his own funds.
Whatever the efforts, having a French rider finish on the podium would bolster a healthy enthusiasm for the sport in the host country.
The Spaniard
Alejandro Valverde has settled into second place in the general classification, but it is by no means secure. The two French riders are within striking distance. Valverde has the experience, but his fitness could be questioned after struggling on the climb into Risoul.
Canadian ties to the Tour
Svein Tuft and Christian Meier have been doing well in their roles as domestiques for the Orica-GreenEDGE team. The two have been back and forth in the standings, hovering around 130th overall. Meier is enjoying his debut at the Tour de France and presently leads the pair. Tuft is stronger in the time trial, which could make the difference in who will be the best finisher from Canada.
Another Canadian will race on the Champs Elysees in Paris. Leah Kirchmann won all three women’s titles at the Canadian Road Cycling Championships last month – road race, time trial and criterium. She’ll be participating in the one-day race known as La Course. A criterium-style event (laps over a set circuit), the race was conceived after a petition to create a full three-week women’s tour garnered more than 90,000 signatures.
Montreal-based bicycle manufacturer Argon 18 has announced that they have a three-year contract to provide a full fleet of bicycles to one of the teams riding in the current Tour de France. The team’s identity remains a secret out of contractual obligations between the team and their current bike supplier, but a name should be announced a few days after the Tour de France wraps up.
“We’ve been talking to pro teams for the last three years,” said Gervais Rioux, co-founder of Argon 18 and a former racer. “We intensified our efforts in November, and by May we had narrowed things down to two teams. We are excited for the opportunities this deal will bring.”