The teams of the Tour de France finished the British leg of the 2014 event on the Mall in London Monday, in front of Buckingham Palace. The three stages leading into London have been generally flat when compared to the stages to come in the Alps and Pyrenees.
However, even small hills approached at speed can blow apart a peloton, as evidenced by Sunday’s stage. It was peppered with short and steep climbs and fast technical descents. The first three days of the Tour de France has shown the power of the sprinters in the peloton.
STOCK UP: Marcel Kittel (Giant Shimano)
Kittel has proven he’s the strongest sprinter in the early days of the Tour de France. Already a strong rival to Mark Cavendish, Kittel took the yellow jersey by winning the sprint on the opening day of the tour.
Kittel snapped up a stage victory in London, his second in three days. Peter Sagan (Cannondale) tried to ride in Kittel’s slipstream, but never found a chance to cut out and around the German.
“In the last 500m the biggest fight was already over,” said Kittel, speaking about having to stay in the front of the peloton over the wet and slippery closing kilometres of the final stage. “On the finish line, it was amazing. It was one of the best finish lines I’ve ever seen in a sprint.”
Tuesday’s Stage 4, the first in mainland Europe, is likely to be a sprinter’s stage, so Kittel could go three for four.
STOCK UP: Vincenzo Nibali (Astana)
Winning the second stage of the 2014 Tour de France put the Sicilian rider into the yellow jersey and illustrated he is a force to be reckoned with in the biggest race of the cycling calendar. Nibali has reminded many that the Tour de France isn’t only a battle between Chris Froome and Alberto Contador.
Taking the yellow jersey so early in the race makes maintaining the lead very challenging. Nibali will have to contend with being the biggest target in the peloton. His best strategy may be to give up the leader’s jersey and the associated pressure, and aim to retake it later in the tour. However, retaining the lead means his team car will lead the convoy, and be closer in case of a problem.
If he can finish the Tour in yellow, Nibali would join the rarefied air of road cyclists who have captured the grand tour triple crown — winning the Giro d’Italia in 2013 and Vuelta Espana in 2010. Only five cyclists have achieved that feat in the past, including Belgian Eddy Merckx and Frenchman Bernard Hinault (with whom Nibali shares a birthday).
STOCK DOWN: Mark Cavendish (Omega Pharma – Quick Step)
The opening day of the 2014 Tour de France was supposed to be something of a homecoming for sprinter Cavendish. The Manx rider was among those expected to battle in a final dash to the finish line, in his mother’s hometown.
However, Cavendish crashed within sight of the finish line after “trying to find a gap that wasn’t really there.” Cavendish leaned over onto Simon Gerrans of Orica-GreenEDGE before the two crashed to the ground. Despite getting up after a few minutes and in obvious pain, Cavendish rode carefully across the finish line.
Cavendish later revealed that he had dislocated his collarbone in the crash and had to withdraw from the Tour de France – the first time he has left the race early owing to injury.
STOCK UP: Christian Meier (Orica-GreenEDGE)
The Canadian is making his Tour de France debut after being added to the roster on Friday. Meier joins the Orica Tour team after being called up to take the spot of injured Michael Matthews.
Meier serves as a domestique with the Australian team, and is savouring his chance to take part in the most storied road cycling race in the world. Active on twitter, Meier is known for posting #photoaday images to share his experience.
Meier is the second Canadian to ride for Orica at the Tour de France. Teammate Svein Tuft rode his first Tour de France last year, and has returned to the team for the 2014 edition.
STOCK UP: Jan Barta (Netapp-Endura)
Barta took the combativity award after leading Stage 3 nearly from start to finish, only spending the first and last kilometres with the peloton. What role he plays in the rest of the tour is unknown. Monday’s ride is likely to remain his highlight of the 2014 Tour.
UP NEXT:
The first three stages of the Tour de France showcased spectacular British countryside and fans, as well as Kittel’s power and Nibali’s opening salvo. Only two seconds separate Froome (Sky) and Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo) from Nibali. Sagan retained the green jersey, and also leads the young rider classification.
As riders fly to France, the support crews will travel through the tunnel under the English channel. Froome will likely enjoy the comfort of a flight, thinking back to last month’s time trial through the Chunnel — a first in cycling.