Tag Archives: Tour de France

NYC Velo Tours: Days 5&6, 2012 French Alps

For the third week of September, NYC Velo (under the “NYC Velo Tours” banner) led a group of intrepid cyclists on a tour of the Southern French Alps.  A photographic review of Days 1 & 2 was posted in November and a review of Days 3 & 4 was posted in December, while the photos below document Days 5 & 6.  The ride on Day 5 started and ended in the town of Briancon, consisting of a loop that climbed the Col d’Izoard and followed the rivers Le Guil and La Durance.  On Day 6, the last day in the saddle for this trip, the crew ascended the highest paved road in Europe, the Col de la Bonnette, before a long descent along (the river) La Tinee and a final 9k climb up to Valdeblore.

The gear supplied by Search and State (the S1-J Riding Jacket) and Grimpeur Bros Coffee (the Greenbelt and River Road Peaberry roasts) once again proved to be up to the task of protecting and caffeinating the crew.

The trip consisted of 6 (usually) long and (usually) difficult days in mountains (total riding elevation gain was just shy of 73,000 feet), but the food, drink, camaraderie, and warm welcome by all of our new French friends made the pain and fatigue disappear.  NYC Velo has plans for similar trips in 2013, stay tuned!

If you’d like to learn more about this trip, or any of the upcoming adventures, stop by the shop or drop us an email at: Andrew@nycvelo.com.

The proper way to start the day in Briancon, Day 5

Evidence of Briancon's Industrial Past, Day 5

Weather pushed the day's ride to post-lunch (Briancon Pizza), Day 5

Host Housing in Briancon, a centuries-old tannery, Day 5

Les Tanneries, Renovated, Day 5

Tools of the trade, Les Tanneries, Day 5

Barn, Briancon, France, Day 5

Bike Lane: Col d'Izoard, Day 5

Ian, at the summit of the Col d'Izoard, Day 5

Descending down the south side of the Col d'Izoard, Day 5

Route D902, above Le Guil, Day 5

Post-ride calorie replenishment, Day 5

Frommage, Day 5

French Barn, Briancon, Day 6

Ascending the Col de Vars, Day 6

Lunchtime fuel stop, Jausiers, Day 6

A mellow start to the Col de la Bonnette, Day 6

Looking back towards Jausiers, on the lower slopes of the Col de la Bonnette, Day 6

Climbing the Col de la Bonnette, Day 6

The Col de la Bonnette, the highest paved road in Europe, Day 6

Barn, Col de la Bonnette, Day 6

Barn, another view, on the Col de la Bonnette, Day 6

Above the treeline, Col de la Bonnette, Day 6

Thin air on the Col de la Bonnette, with much more to come, Day 6

Another switchback, Col de la Bonnette, Day 6

Even the sheep are dangerous above 2000m, Day 6

Heed the warnings! Day 6

Ian and Jack, trying the friendly approach, avoiding a furry stampede, Day 6

Ian, navigating a switchback 3k from the summitt of the Col de la Bonnette, Day 6

(Young) Ian & Jack, negotiating the finish to the top of the Col de la Bonnette, Day 6

Ian takes the front, weather moves in as the summit approaches, Day 6

After cresting the summit of the Col de la Bonnette in freezing rain, the team takes refuge in a warm oasis in Saint-Etienne-de-Tinee, Day 6

That's one way to warm up, too bad the team still had 40k to go, Day 6

Instead of vodka, coffee did the job at Lou Ben Manja, Day 6

Looking down the Vallee de la Tinee before the start of the final climb, Day 6

The bikes of Fr2012, at rest

The team tackles the final climb up to Valdeblore, Day 6

The final climb, 9k of this...

Young Ian, nearing the finish, Day 6

The view, looking west, from the hotel in Valdeblore, Day 6

The narrow streets of Valdeblore, Day 6

A bench in Valdeblore, perfect for a rest after 6 days of riding

The final meal of the trip, Provencial Pizza in Valdeblore, Day 6

NYC Velo Tours: Days 3&4, 2012 French Alps

For the third week of September, NYC Velo (under the “NYC Velo Tours” banner) led a group of intrepid cyclists on a tour of the Southern French Alps.  A photographic review of Days 1 & 2 was posted here last month and the final 2 days will be posted after the new year, while the photos below document days 3 & 4.  The ride on Day 3 started and ended in the town of Valbonnais and topped the Col d’Ornon and the famed Alpe d’Huez, finishing with a stretch at sunset along the Grand Lac de Laffrey.  On Day 4, the crew tackled the Col du Glandon/Col de la Croix de Fer, the Col du Mollard, the Col du Telegraph and the Col du Galibier, ending up with over 18,000 feet of elevation gained for the day.

If you’d like to learn more about this trip, or any of the upcoming adventures, stop by the shop or drop us an email at: Andrew@nycvelo.com.

Pre-ride Laundry in Valbonnais, Day 3

Grimpeur Bros Coffee & Croissants, Valbonnais

Gearing up for Day 3, Valbonnais

Day 3 Navigation in Entraigues

Le Maison du Le Perier, Day 3

The Slopes of the Col d'Ornon, Day 3

The Slopes of the Col d'Ornon, Day 3

Ian & Ian, Climbing the Alpe d'Huez, Switchback #13, Day 3

Roundabout, Marking One of the Final Turns on the Alpe d'Huez, Day 3

Young Ian, Calmly Enjoying the Fruits of His Labor at the top of the Alpe d'Huez, Day 3

Route D211B between the Alpe d'Huez and Allemond, Day 3

Climbing Route Monfalcon Between Saint-Barthelemy-de-Sechiliene and Laffrey, Day 3

Le Grand Serre, Day 3

Taking Advantage of the Remaining Sunlight in Fugieres, Day 3

Alpine Architecture at Sunset, Day 3

Riding Towards Le Chauvet, Day 3

Ian, Chasing Daylight, Day 3

Troy & Ian, Apres Ride, Valbonnais, Day 3

Le Diner @ Le Chardon Bleu, Valbonnais, Day 3

The Team, Strategizing Over Sidewalk Morning Coffee, Valbonnais, Day 4

Pacelining Up the Slopes of the Col de la Croix de Fer, Day 4

Ian, Facing le Barrage de Grand-Maison, Day 4

Andrew & Ian Climbing Route D526 to the Col de la Croix de Fer, Day 4

High Alpine Sheep on the Col de la Croix de Fer, Day 4

Looking Back Down to the Col du Glandon from the Col de la Croix de Fer, Day 4

View of the Slopes of the Col de la Croix de Fer, Day 4

The Lac de Grand Maison, near the summit of the Col du Glandon, Day 4

The Col de la Croix de Fer, AKA the "Pass of the Iron Cross", Day 4

The High Alps, Near the Summit of the Col de la Croix de Fer, Day 4

Lunchtime at the top of the Col de la Croix de Fer, Day 4

A Well-Equipped Barn near Albiez-Montrond on the Descent from the Col de la Croix de Fer, Day 4

Ian on the Slopes of the Col du Galibier, Day 4

The View From the Col de la Croix de Fer, Looking South, Day 4

Jack, Racing Towards the Setting Sun on the Col du Galibier, Day 4

The Goal of a Very Long Day (18,000 ft of elevation gain) at Last, Day 4

Troy, Stringing-out the Crew on the Run Up to the Top of the Col de la Croix de Fer, Day 4

The Romanche River Valley, From Route D211B, Day 3

Ian, at the End of a Long Day 3

Alps, coffee, Grimpeur Bros Coffee, Road Biking, Search and State, shop rides, Tour de France, Tours, Trips

NYC Velo Tours: Days 1&2, 2012 French Alps

For the third week of September, NYC Velo (under the “NYC Velo Tours” banner) led a group of intrepid cyclists on a tour of the Southern French Alps.  The priorities of the trip were as follows: ride, eat, drink, sleep.  Setting that list to repeat 6 times yielded a week full of climbing (total elevation gain of 72,631 feet), descending, sun, scenery, and warm French hospitality.  Along the way, we thoroughly tested our legs and our gear (see the recent BOTW feature), including the Search and State S1-J Riding Jacket, a variety of Grimpeur Bros Coffees, Skratch Labs Exercise Hydration (USADA-legal we’re told), and Endura compression gear, reviews to follow.

The trip is best seen in photos, which are broken up into 3 News posts (Days 1&2, Days 3&4, and Days 5&6), with little more than captions to accompany the images.  If you’d like to learn more about this trip, or any of the upcoming adventures, stop by the shop or drop us an email at: Andrew@nycvelo.com.

Musette bags from Chris McNally, illustrator

AFter a red-eye flight, the riding starts s-l-o-w

Switchbacks on the Col de Braus

Arrivee #1

Snapping photos before the descent to Sospel

Yan, post-red-eye, pre-cafe creme, Sospel

....and the cafe creme

Le Grande Patron

"Gruppo Compacto" on the climb to Moulinet

The team working on its "Cafe Stance"

The largest vehicle available to rent in all of France

Dinner is calling!

The green lights mean "Pizza!" in Puget-Theniers

The French do a mean Pizza

Wine-fueled Swatch photo bomb

The start of Day 2 in Die

The climb out of Die, Day 2

Captain Jack atop the Col de Rousset

Looking back at the Col de Rousset

Troy, pensive, reflecting on the HC Col de Rousset

Southward, from the Col de Rousset, Day 2's first Challenge

The Vercors

Lunch in Saint-Martin-en-Vercors, Day 2

This Diversion added another 6k climb to Day 2

The view towards Grenoble from the Route du Vercors

The source of our Night 2 happiness, in La Mure

Yan, laughing at his food. Maybe it's the wine.

Night 2 protein, on its way!

Dinner Greens in La Mure

Is there a better way to celebrate a birthday?

Typical end of day scene

Le Quatorze-Juillet dans Le Massif Central

For the second year in a row, I (Tom, NYC Velo Team) had the honor of riding for four days with a dozen French cyclists in a sort of tour that makes me could be more common in the United States.

Gearing Up for Day 1

Of course La France has its infrastructural advantages for cyclists: towns that are closer together, affordable and well run owner-operator restaurants and hotels in those towns, fierce regional pride in locally grown food and wine, and impeccably maintained, low-traffic’d roads (Hey, the 60%+ of GDP coming from the government has to go somewhere), and a density of mountainous terrain high enough to put together a different point-to-point or circuit route every 4-6 years.

Locals, who were friendlier than they look

Another Local, delighted to be at the market and in our picture

However, it’s not just a question of infrastructure — it turns out that the French attitude towards cycling and life in general makes a big difference.  At the risk of sounding cheesy, the French may also have a different understanding of companionship and why they ride.  Accommodations along the route are always nice but rarely prestigious, and rooms are often shared by 3-4 people.  In fact, everything for 16 hours a day is shared by 3-4 people: cans of Coke and Figalou (the tastier French version of Fig Newtons) on the road, lunch tables, waits for the train, beers after a quick shower, walks after dinner, and of course plenty of time on the bike.

The boys, relaxing in style with the customary post-ride brew

This makes the whole trip — including round-trip train fare from Paris and 3 meals-per-day —  lighten the wallet the same as one “luxury” dinner in New York City.

The Massif, the oldest and poorest mountain range in France offered plenty of haunting, misty views of seemingly unending deserted alpine farmland.

The ride, always 4 days long and surrounding the 14th of July (or Bastille Day, as it’s known to Americans) started about 15 years ago, among friends who all worked for L’Oreal.  While the base of the group is the same and many of the same guys show up every year, over the years new participants have been added.

One of the newest additions (besides me) is Kurt Dienel who readers may remember as our host in the Hauts Alpes in September 2010.   He asked me join the 2011 edition of the tour after having been himself invited by Gilles, one of his co-workers at l’Oreal.

You may also remember Yves — our host in the Bas Alpes in November 2011.  While a longtime member of the team, he was absent this year due to an unavoidable conflict with a family vacation.  However, his brother Yann and his father Jean were able to make it.  Jean now drives one of the two support vehicles along with Robert, the father of Steph, the chef / patron of the group who flawlessly organizes the trip each year.  Both Robert and Jean no longer cycle at this level and have taken their retirement, and may be the two most kind-spirited people in the world … or just reasonably typical French dad’s who get a kick out of hanging out with their sons for 4 days in the mountains.  The rest of the group included two Francois’, two Hervé’s, another Yann, another Tom, Christian aka Kiki, Maxime, and Arnaud.

Yann Guivarch suits up a the top of a Col.

The 2012 edition — the route is different each year and focuses on a particularly mountainous region of the country — was entitled ‘Traversée du Massif Central’ and was another extraordinarily organized, incredibly fun time.

One of the many vistas: this one near the summit of a 5-mile, 3k ft climb near Les Vignes

Most of the descents were on relatively straight roads, however some, along the gorges of the Tarn river were necessarily much more windy. Look closely in the center to see some of the boys headed downhill fast

At just over 300 miles in length and 32,000 feet of elevation gain (see Strava rides Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4), it’s an impressive effort for a bunch of guys who generally ride only once a week.  There is no questioning their love for the bike, while at the same time, many put in a maximum of 3,000 miles a year and still maintain a level of fitness that lets them crank out a trip impossible for casual cyclists.  I’m betting that their secret is a combination of commitment to overall fitness and a sporting lifestyle (while cycling is important to them, most, if not everyone else swims, skis, kitesurfs, windsurfs, runs, etc.) as well as a regularity of training that I have a hard time achieving, especially during the wintertime.

Francois, Yann (M), Tom (H), and Kiki take the opportunity to discuss whether we are headed the right way

To be honest, on first view, I was initially a bit skeptical about the route.  You don’t hear many people in France talk about the Massif Central, which happen to be some of the oldest mountains in France, if not all of Europe: they were created 500 million (!) years ago.  The principle reason that Massif is oft-ignored is that the area is sparsely populated and one of the poorer regions of the country.  Beyond the volcanos, the winters are cold, agriculture is much harder here than elsewhere, and the climbs here are shorter (and often steeper) than the longer, slower rising climbs in the more popular Alpine region.  Somewhat to the contrary, these shorter climbs often contain longer sections of steepness (we saw 10% average gradient for greater than 5k on more than one occasion.)

Some of the danger men: Maxime, Hervé (G), and François (V) are about to tuck into line and put the hammer down

Throughout the day, the bunch naturally divides into smaller groups, which are sometimes based on pace, but more often based on who you want to talk to or ride next to.  In fact, on the subject of pace, there is a certain appreciation of the guys who are in better shape during a particular year, and increasing the pace is never frowned upon unless it would explode the full group at a time when everyone was riding together. Here, competition is a far second to ‘passer des bons moments ensemble‘ and creating great memories.  In other words, having a good time.  Even if that good time means pushing the tempo sufficiently to put everyone that you’re currently riding with, including yourself, in the hurt bucket on a 3-5 mile climb with an average gradient of 10%.  This may sound crazy to some readers, but the goal isn’t necessarily to make it to the top of the climb first, it’s to suffer, together.

François (L) and Yann (G) looking good as usual

However, suffering does not come without it’s immediate rewards: as usual, ‘on a bien bouffé’ (we ate well). Lunchtime is usually a two hour affair with entrée (appetizer) plat (main course), dessert, and coffee,  and no day is complete without a 3-4 course dinner, that would make anyone who ever thought, just for a second, of becoming a vegetarian, cringe.  This year, local delicacies included pink trout, beef and sausage from the Salers (the sausage is made with Salers veal so it’s extra lean), St. Nectaire and Cantal cheese, and the incomparable  inimitable, ubiquitous Aligot: a richer than rich combination of potatoes, cheese, and more butter than I previously thought possible for a cyclist to consume at lunch (or dinner, for that matter) and get back on a bike.

In France, theres always some sort of food or wine to taste. And motorpacing.

As a peace offering and a thank you for my inclusion on this year’s roster, I presented each rider with a NYC special edition cycling cap aka casquette.  The picture below is everyone on the crew sporting their new lids before we rolled out on le quatorze juillet.  It turned out that the gift was more practical than imagined as the temperature hovered between 40-60 degrees every day and also included a not-insignificant amount of precipitation.  All that rain is a distant memory now — my primary recollections being great moments, outstanding food, and of course, suffering with my friends.

Arnaud, Hervé (J), Steph, Christian, Hervé (G), Yann (M), François (V), François (L), Tom (H), Yann (G), Max, Me (Tom) decked out in (mainly tricolore) NYC Velo Cycling Caps on the 14th

The Rootin’ Tootin Rest Day Wrangler

Thrills, Triumphs, Defeats, Skullduggery, and Politics.

While little has changed in the overall battle, the landscape of the race provided many memorable stories. After all, following only the GC competition in the Tour de France is like going to the county fair just to try the taffy.

Throughout the first 2 weeks of the race, there has been a lot of attention paid to the Team Sky camp as their stated goal to put a Briton on the top podium spot in Paris comes closer to fruition. To the casual observer, the team effort of Sky and the consistency of leader Bradley Wiggins

could be the feel-good hit of the summer, but the drama unfolds as one digs deeper. The sacrifice of sprinter Mark Cavendish

has going beyond selfless, as his chances for stage wins were regularly dashed by his duties of protecting the lead of Wiggins. Seen picking up bottles from the team car, this current World Champion has absolutely put his 2012 Points Jersey aspirations on hold. With Cavendish too tired from leader defense on stage 13, Wiggins chose to lead out Sky’s young Norwegian sprinter, Edvald Boasson Hagen,

in an ill-fated attempt at a stage win. In addition to Wiggins’ generosity as Boasson Hagen’s lead-out man, he showed his magnanimous side in stage 14, as he slowed the race to wait for those affected by punctures caused by tacks maliciously thrown on the road by spectators. Tensions rose within the team as super-domestique Chris Froom

has been lauded for being what many perceive as a more capable Tour finisher. Froom, lacking the diplomacy of Cavendish, has gone on record as saying he could win the Tour, but not with Sky.

Despite Team Garmin-Sharp’s

early race setbacks, the 2011 race’s best ranked team has gone on the offensive, with Garmin riders in many of the early breakaways. One break resulted in a stage win for David Millar

in Annonay Davézieux. Millar took the opportunity to remember late British racer Tom Simpson, who died in the Tour on the same day in 1967.

Garmin’s crash ravaged sprinter, Tyler Farrar

seems to be healing up and looking rejuvenated, though currently exerting a stranglehold on the Lanterne Rouge (the last-placed rider on General Classification). Expect him to give everything he’s got to win on the last day in Paris.

Flamboyant boy-wonder Peter Sagan has now clinched the Green Jersey in this year’s sprint points classification.

This significant triumph for the young Tour de France first timer came highly contested by second place rival Matt Goss of team Orica GreenEdge.

Goss’ pursuit of the Green Jersey turned devious, when a desperate sprint for the finish line, and a bucket of points towards the Green Jersey competition, on stage 12 saw him throwing elbows at Sagan mid-sprint.  The aggression was all for naught, as race officials relegated Goss to last place for the day, and awarded the points to Sagan.

Tejay Van Garderen continues to hold onto the White Jersey of the Tour’s Best Young Rider classification,

but it’s been complicated. His true potential unknown, Van Garderen has been in the role of defending team BMC leader, Cadel Evans.

Evans tragically lost time on stage 11, when he cracked on the last climb of the day. With Van Garderen assisting, Evans at times could barely keep pace with the young domestique. Van Garderen sacrificed time in his White Jersey lead to stay with Evans, but his status as a martyr came into question by stage 14. Cadel Evans was the hardest hit of the GC favorites on stage 14’s “Tack Attack”,

resulting in three punctures for the Australian, but the real danger to his podium aspirations came with his inability to get a new wheel. Standing on the side of the road, Evans struggled for several minutes holding his bike, as the team car was too far back. While Van Garderen heard the call to assist Evans on his radio, he claimed to have thought there were more teammates in arrears, and continued on with his leader stranded. The race was later neutralized, allowing Evans’ team BMC to pace him back to the front of the race, with no additional loss of time. Whether or not Van Garderen raced on to preserve his lead or if he truly thought his assistance was not required will be unknown, but rest assured that he received a vicious Australian finger-wagging back in the team bus that night.

The finale of stage 10 took heart-racing action to all new low speeds. After veteran and all-around-nice-guy Jens Voigt

bridged the gap to lead breakaway group containing veteran Thomas Voeckler,

the battle of the old men began. The pair picked off the remnants of the break, and closed in on the line in a hard fought and fatigued sprint that caused commentator Phil Liggett

to quote, “With all due respect… this is the slowest sprint finish I have ever seen”. Thomas Voeckler won the stage, but was too exhausted at the line to do the chicken dance…

With the race up to it’s ears in Basque fans as it rolls into the Pyrenees,

rivals to Wiggins’ dominance will have their last chance to win on the summits of Euskadi. 

Expect more trials and tribulations as the Tour de France enters the final week before the dramatic conclusion on Sunday along the Champs-Élysées, in Paris.

NYC Velo / Tour de France LIMITED EDITION cycling caps

In honor of the 99th Tour de France we are proud to introduce the NYC Velo / Tour de France Limited Edition cycling cap!
Manufactured by Pace Sportswear in California, NYC Velo’s Design Department (with some help from ProCycling ephemera expert Mike Spriggs) was able to get these into the shop, just in time for the prologue.
These caps are now available in-store and on our website, get one before they’re gone!

Tour de France Rest Day Wrap Up

The first week of racing in the legendary Tour de France does little to show who ultimately will win, but definitively determines who will not. The 2012 installment of Le Grande Boucle is no exception, with high tension and a nervous peloton resulting in broken bones and a lot of tattered lycra. Not immune to the first week’s tragedies were NYC Velo’s Riders to Watch, Robert Gesink and Ryder Hesjedal. While Gesink lost time after being caught out behind the copious pile-ups (nearly ½ hour overall), Hesjedal and much of his Garmin-Sharp squad are the worse for wear.

Nearly the entire team was involved in nasty crashes, the injuries of which forced not only Hesjedal to abandon the race, but also several teammates.

The universally predicted General Classification battle between Bradley Wiggins and Cadel Evans has begun to take shape, as their respective teams, Sky and BMC, successfully shepherded them through the malay unscathed. The top ten for the GC riders changed little from end of the Prologue until the stage 7 climb of La Planche des Belles Filles, whose monstrous intensity tore the main field to sheds. The category 1 climb of La Planche des Belle Filles featured gradients of over 20% and few could hang on with the leaders. The battle on this climb foreshadows the sparring match to come in the Alps between Wiggins and Evans, yet also highlighted some impressive rides from Vincenzo Nibali and Wiggins’ teammate, Stage 7 winner Chris Froome.

With the leaders positioned for Stage 9’s individual time trial, the “race of truth” against the clock, further cemented the top ten before the race heads to the mountains. In an exemplary show of dominance by Team Sky, the superb time trial performances of Froom and Wiggins put both on the podium for the day. Wiggins won the stage and continued in first place in the General Classification, now leading second placed Evans by one minute and thirty-five seconds. While many peloton pundits seem ready to call the overall win for Wiggins, a more realistic view of what lay ahead comes from Wiggins himself, “It ain’t over until the fat lady sings, and she ain’t even in the building yet”. This typifies the truth in this grandest of Tours, (in the immortal and more articulate words of commentator Phil Liggett) that it is indeed a long road to Paris.

With the tragedies of the 2012 edition of the Tour de France, come it’s triumphs as well, so let’s check in with two of NYC Velos, Riders to Watch: 

Tejay Van Garderen

This young rider’s, many consider to be the future of American Cycling, consistent riding has him in the Best Young Rider’s white jersey. Van Garderen is clearly benefiting from the tutelage of BMC teammates like veteran racer George Hincapie and defending TdF champion Cadel Evans, with a fourth place in the Stage 9 individual time trial. Direction comes in succinct packages, as Van Garderen relates a team discussion going into the day’s stage, “I had to promise Cadel I wouldn’t crash…” Stellar advice from one who would know.

Peter Sagan

There was much anticipation of this young “awkwardly triumphant finish line saluting” prodigy, and he has yet to disappoint. In the early stages of this year’s Tour Sagan has delighted us with his three stage wins, while further perplexing us with his gleeful on-bike victory dances.  With such whimsical renditions from a Forrest Gump inspired “running man” routine to a stylized chicken dance, we are all left to scratch our heads at just what is going through Sagan’s. Peter Sagan’s exuberance received much scorn from the media, but not all are so cynical, “…he’s 22 [years old], he has plenty of time to grow old and dignified,” says Garmin-Sharp’s David Millar. Some in the peloton even see it as a source of inspiration, like this heartwarming quote from veteran teammate Ivan Basso, “with the beautiful crazy of Sagan & co, I discover a younger Ivan.” Like it or not, this year’s current Points Classification leader’s career has begun, and with his powerful bursts of energy and a rambunctious boy-next-door like charm, you’d halfway expect to see him marauding about the peloton with a homemade slingshot hanging out of his green sprinter’s jersey pocket.

With ten days left to race, there are sure to be ever more surprises.

Tour de France road bike SALE

For those looking for a new road bike this summer, the entirety of NYC Velo’s in-stock selection of Felt road bikes will be on sale (15% off!) for the duration of the 2012 Tour de France.  It’s a great time for a great deal on a new ride.  As always, drop us a line for more information or to take a test ride.

NYC Velo Service Manager Bill’s take on the 2012 Tour de France

Anxious? Turning yellow? It may be jaundice, but more likely it’s Tour Fever. Whether you are a devoted fanatic or someone looking to see what all the fuss is about, NYC Velo’s guide to the 2012 Tour de France will help shed some light on this mysterious time of year when all cycling enthusiasts’ eyes look across the Atlantic. While the great Giro d’Italia may champion itself as “The Greatest Show on Earth”, the Tour de France requires no such introduction. World renown, the Tour stands as the epitome of professional bicycle racing. On June 30th, the Tour begins in Liege, Belgium in what I would describe as “The Greatest Drama on Earth”.

As with any proper drama, one needs to know the characters. In this post-Lance era, many new faces have come to the forefront of the elite level of the sport. We’ll begin with the unexpected non-starters, Alberto Contador and Andy Schleck. These two fellas are some of the fiercest rivals in recent history, with Schleck gruesomely unable to better Contador. While it may not be exactly newnews, Alberto Contador’s suspension for traces of banned substance Clenbuterol in his system seemed like it would never come into fruition. A ruling by Court of Arbitration for Sport on the 6th of February, 2012 finally established Contador’s exclusion from this year’s Tour, as well as the relinquishment of his 2010 Yellow Jersey (ceremoniously but un-enthusiastically accepted by Schleck). In a reversal of 2010, where Andy Schleck was left to battle in the mountains without his big brother and super-domestique Frank Schleck, this year Frank will start sans frère. Andy Schleck’s 2012 season was rocky to say the least, with critiques of his lackluster pre-Tour form made moot by a crash in the final time trial of the Criterium du Dauphine, which fractured his pelvis. With two of the Peloton’s biggest personalities absent from the tour, it rewards to dig deeper into the potential possibilities.

Two riders who have shown excellent form this season, and with it the resulting press, are Bradley Wiggins and last year’s Tour champion Cadel Evans. Despite Evans being bested by Wiggins in the Criterium du Dauphine, the results of that test of each other’s tour preparation show that this year’s Tour will be hotly contested all the way to Paris. Evans is supported fully for his General Classification victory by his honed and refined BMC squad including seasoned veteran George Hincapie. In addition to historically leading nine of his teammates to Tour overall victories, “Big George” Hincapie will start this year’s tour a record breaking 17th time. Conversely, Bradley Wiggins will start the Tour with his team Sky splitting support between Wiggins’ GC aspirations and Mark Cavendish’s Green Jersey desires. Despite divided team goals, Wiggins has meticulously trained all winter with one goal in mind, to be the first Briton to win the Tour de France.

The absence of Andy Schleck has sent his already tumultuous team, RadioShack-Nissan, into a scramble. RadioShack-Nissan is a merger of powerhouse teams, Team Radioshack and Leopard-Trek. Team RadioShack’s lineage includes Astana, Discovery, and U.S. Postal, all boasting years of Tour victories. Leopard-Trek was a Luxembourg outfit, built around the Schleck brothers, that enjoyed the fruits of strong team tactics that were forged by their previous incarnations as Team Saxo-Bank and CSC. The merger of these teams elicited considerable conflict as former rivals became teammates. One notable exclusion was American rider Chris Horner, who ultimately was left off the roster by team manager Johan Bruyneel because Horner competed neither in this year’s Criterium du Dauphine or Tour de Suisse. The outrage of Horner’s snub and the sudden shortage of one Schleck led Bruyneel to change his mind. Not helping the situation further is Bruyneel’s implication in yet another Lance Armstrong doping inquiry and conflict between the Schlecks and other riders.  Without a defined leader, the GC favorite for this team of grand tour veterans will be anyone’s guess.

Riders to watch:
Alexandre Vinokourov
We cannot discount the efforts of Kazakh rider Alexandre Vinokourov, who despite his claim that 2011 would be his last Tour before retirement, abandoned the race after breaking his leg. Slated to go into a managerial role for his team Astana after retirement, 2012 will be his “do-over”, and who can blame any rider for wanting to make their last Tour de France something for all to remember?

Robert Gesink
In a 2011 season capped off with injury and tragedy, Dutchman Gesink showed that he was back and true to form in this year’s Amgen Tour of California. Riding a skillfully executed race, on the final stage up Mt. Baldy he secured an impressive stage win as well as the overall victory. Showing his ability as a tactician in the ATOC surely indicates he has a few tricks up his sleeve for this year’s Tour.

Mark Cavendish
The brash sprinter from the Isle of Man has demonstrated an impressive transformation in maturity from his early days. Wearing the stripes as this year’s World Champion, Cavendish has done the jersey proud. Although missing out on the Points Classification in this year’s Giro d’Italia by one point, he gave it his all to the last stage’s individual time trial. Cavendish goes into the Tour with his eyes on the green sprinter’s jersey while facing stiff competition from former lead-out man Mark Renshaw (among many others). The real reason to watch the “Manx Missile”, is to see if he will honor the World Champion’s jersey by not abandoning the Tour in preparation for the Olympics…

Johnny Hoogerland
Largely remembered as the rider catapulted into a barbed wire fence in stage 9 of last year’s tour, Dutchman Johnny Hoogerland finished said stage in tattered bloody lycra to clinch the King of the Mountains classification. Heavily bandaged, Hoogerland finished the 2011 Tour de France in the Polka Dot jersey, winning the climber’s competition. Hoogerland returns this year with intent to win the KOM classification again, and as history has shown, there is little adversity that can stand in his way.

Ryder Hesjedal and the Garmin-Sharp squad
History was made in this year’s Giro d’Italia as Ryder Hesjedal became the first Canadian to win a Grand Tour. Early in the race, the Italian media made no mention of Hesjedal or his team, Garmin-Sharp. By the end, much ink on pink paper was spent to laud the achievements of Hesjedal and his rogue American team. The product of Slipstream Sports, the Garmin-Sharp squad further a philosophy of clean, drug free riding being the primary  goal, winning being second. Since 2007, Slipstream has put this philosophy into practice, and the last few years have seen it bear fruit, winning Paris-Roubaix, the overall team competition at the Tour de France, and now Hesjedal’s Giro win. Although the Giro/Tour double is a tall order for Hesjedal (Contador couldn’t do it), expect Garmin-Sharp and Hesjedal to try and uphold their new winning tradition.

Peter Sagan
The awkwardly triumphant finish line salutes of 22 year old Slovak Peter Sagan have been much published in 2012, with his excellent showing in the Tour of Oman, Amgen Tour of California and Tour de Suisse. Sagan shows some incredible promise as he goes up against Mark Cavendish as his heir apparent in the sprint competition.

Tejay Van Garderen
Showing some young Andy Schleck-like tenacity in the 2011 USA Pro Cycling Challenge, winning best young rider and 3rd place overall, Tejay Van Garderen also impressed with a 4th place showing in this year’s Amgen Tour of California. Along with his BMC teammate Taylor Phinney, Van Garderen is well on his way to being the future of American professional cycling, and it will pay to observe his progression.

The best way to see how this year’s Tour shakes out is to stop by the shop for replays of the days’ stage or check out our 2012 Tour Saturdays.

Tour de France Saturdays

Watch the 2012 TdF with NYC Velo at 3 different downtown locations!! Coffee, food, LIVE streaming race action!!