Working and working away plays havoc with a keen cyclist’s ability to watch the most difficult and arduous event in the sporting calendar, the Tour de France.
Snatching what I could I decided record the GC results stage by stage. OK, so it’s not exactly the most exciting thing a cyclist could do but many record their training metrics as a way of charting improvement (no? just me then).
I was interested to see what the emerging data would say about the RadioShack team and riders.
As for the team we all know what the result – No. 1 is the best position for any team to be in; and an exemplary position for a team headed by Lance Armstrong in his last Tour de France.
The data on the riders told a more varied story.
Consistency:
The most consistent Team RadioShack rider was Andreas Klöden, he started the GC in 17th position and ended the Tour in 14th. Klöden’s consistency was based on the mean of all his stage by stage results and the calculated deviation across those results; his was the lowest deviation.
Improved:
The rider with the greatest improvement in his performance was Sergio Paulinho. Dipping to a GC low of 169 he ended in 46th position. And he won a stage (and what a win it was – fortunately I tuned in just in time to see that). The improvement was assessed by calculating the GC high-low range; Paulinho had the greatest range, 89.
Crucial support:
Gregory Rast and Dmitriy Muravyev played vital and team supporting domestique roles. Statistically they had the lowest mean GC positions (at 126 and 172 respectively) but as we all saw they rode with, for and next to team mates in the peloton and unlike many others they stayed with the team through all 20 stages. Low in the standings does not mean weak in performance.
We have to give regard to Chris Horner who finished 10th in the GC, moving ahead of Levi Leipheimer, 13th in the latter stages of the Tour. And Yaroslav Popovych and Janez Brajkovic were loyal lieutenants to Lance in particular; Brajkovic pushing The Boss’s pace and Popovych waiting and bringing his man back to the peloton.
As for Lance what can be said that hasn’t already been expressed? After so many accidents it is a testament to his fortitude that he kept on riding and riding and riding. Finishing 23rd in the GC, his position is nought compared to his position is the sport.
This was a good Tour for Team RadioShack. All the riders finished; three finished in the GC top 20 – and only RadioShack managed this feat – and the Team was number one.
And I for one enjoyed seeing the flying ® in the peloton. Chapeau RadioShack!
By Julian Winn, staff writer
Great Job Mr Horner!!. Placing 10th in the toughest tour I can remember. And Congrats to all you guys for blowing away everyone else in the Team Comp.
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The Tream prize should carry as much weight as green and pokadot jersey.
I watched much of the racr and what i could not watched i followed along the map graphic provided by a web site (HTC and Tour de France 2010)
Even Armstrong persona could not develop a team after his misfortunes. The expecred new leader, Levi, was not prepaired for the task, Horner was but by that time it was too late to give support.
Plan B should have been ready to go at stage 4. But you can only do that with a team and not a set of individual riders. It was with shear will that they managed to win a team title and place 4 in the top 25. That is not a bad 3 weeks work
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I completely agree with Julian.
To be first as a team after this very hard 3 weeks was only extremely great. Do you remember last year? Best team was: yes, Astana. Where they were this time?
2007 Discovery Channel won the team classification (without Lance)
2005 Discovery Channel was 2nd in the team classification.
2004 US Postal Team was 2nd in the team classification.
2002 US Postal Team was 2nd in the team classification.
I think in the last years the team was an important goal for Lance too, not only to be the first and win the Tour de France.
Even if we knew that it would be very difficult to win for the 8 time the Tour de France for Lance, we are very proud that the won the title as the best team this year. Great performance, great job, congratulation.
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i don’t know why there is so much discussion about Lance crashing so much and that this was the main reason that he had a bad Tour. Fact is that crashes are common in bike races, especially the first week of TdF; all Tours in recent years have been plagued by bad crashes in the early stages, its even expected.
Lances crashes were not severe in that he did not break or fracture or sprain anything. Yes he got banged up, that crash in the round-about was at high speed and nasty but you get up and continue to race from something like that as long as you didn’t break a bone. That’s all in the day of a professional bike racer.
It was not the crashes or bad luck that did Lance in this Tour, it was simply his fitness, conditioning and age finally catching up with him. He just did not have what was needed to struggle thru the adversity and challenges that this race throws to all Tour contendors. No way should people believe that all 7 of Lance’s prior Tours were absent of crashes and adversity, bullshit!
So not excuses OK? Lance was a great champion on the bike, he is one of the greats, but lets make no excuses and call this Tour performance like it is.
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I totally disagree with “cesarjo” comments! its exactly the reason why Lance didnt do as well in the standings. He would have finished 3rd! The Cobs was the first and when you get caught behind a crash on the Cobs and also get a blowout its so hard to catch up when they are pushing the pace from the front. I mean look what happen to Andy when his chain came off, lost so much time with just a little distance to go. maybe you never crashed before but it takes a lot out of you, its not only about breaking bones. Riding in that condition hurts big time. So if it wasnt for those crashes he was in or behind and the blowout on the cobs it would have been totally different. I thought Lance had great strength and conditioning! Where the crashs take place is the killer and sometimes you just cant recover even if your not hurt…you prob dont even ride with such stupid comments.
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@Mike, actually Lance lost 2:08 to Andy Schleck on the cobble stage 3, but Contador lost 1:13, so the race for GC was pretty much still together after that stage (not ideal but nothing too serious).
Lances’ crash @ roundabout in stage 8 was a nasty one (I’ve seen the video) but he had time to chase back and had made contact with the group at the foot one of the final climbs. Yes it was here that Lance cracked and I will concede that with the effort made to chase, he was spent when the pace up the climb increased. Here’s my point, these are circumstances that team leaders face and when a rider is at his best I’ve seen pros limit their loses. Horner was with Lance on that final climb, but could not help Lance that day… Lance could not do what was needed to limit the time loss and come fight another day. I guarentee that in his best years the result would have been vry different. Lance was not in best form this Tour and i think the way he rode in susequent stages showed that too.
Your point about riding with pain and after crashing is valid, but pros cyclists have shown time and time again that they can suffer and we’ve all seen racers race hard with broken bones and simular severe injuries when the motivation is there.
(And btw Mike, i’ve spent considerable time in the saddle competitively)
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