Stage 8 - The Alps........

Station des Rousses - Morzine-Avoriaz 189km

Here we are. After a tumultuous first week the 2010 Tour de France arrives at the first real mountains, the Alps.  Stage 8 takes us to Morzine, a ski resort village near the Swiss border.  These are not the hardest climbs in the tour, they are only category 1 climbs and while no rider will win the tour here, a rider might lose it here. 

The two category 1 climbs are:
Col de la Ramaz - 14.3 km at an average gradient of 6.8 %
Morzine-Avoriaz - 13.6 km climb at 6.1 %

Sylvain Chavanel has said that he will try and defend his Yellow Jersey here, honourable but highly unlikely.  The breakaway should be caught on the final climb and you will see all the GC contenders and better climbers in the finale.  Cadel Evans is the prime candidate to be in Yellow after this stage. he is 30 seconds ahead of Schleck and 1min and 1 second ahead of Alberto Contador.  If it is not Evans, then possibly Schleck or an escapee. Contador might be winning this stage - but i do not think he wants the yellow jersey - yet.  Last year on the stage 7 summit finish at Arcalis, the main peleton was busy catching up to a breakaway group on the mountain finish, Evans was well in arrears and attempted to attack a few times but was easily marked.  If you recall the stage 1st year pro Bryce Felliu won, however it was Contador who created the headlines - with just 2km to go and the GC riders all together Contador said Au Revoir (or its spanish equivalent) and simply danced away from the other contenders.  By attacking late in the stage he was able to put time into the likes of Schleck, Armstrong and Evans (who was well behind) but the timing ensured that he delivered the Yellow Jersey to Rinaldo Nocentini - by a mere 6 seconds. Astana did not have to defend the jersey against Saxo Bank, Nocentini and his team were left with that task for 8 days before Contator took what was his. 

I see a similar situation here, whether a break gets away or not, the main group will be together on the final climb and Contador will look to get back 40 or 50 seconds.  In the space of 2km last year he took 21 seconds from Evans, Armstrong and the Schlecks, tonight i think he might be looking for under a minute - just enough to leave Evans in Yellow - or a lucky escapee like Nocentini last year. If Schleck goes with him, it might be that Andy Schleck finds his way to the Malliot Jaune and Saxo Bank have another big week ahead of them. That would suit Contador as well.

Stage 7 review - Chavanel takes back Yellow.

 

Sylvain Chavanel won his second stage of this year's Tour de France took over the yellow jersey, just as he also did in Spa at the end of stage 2. His win in Spa might have been a little hollow with the race neutralised behind him following the crash-marred descent of the Stockeu, but here there was only acclaim and admiration after a gutsy and perfectly-timed and executed counterattack. Stage 7 was classified as a "medium mountain" stage and it performed exactly to expectations. An early breakaway containing Chavanels team mate Pineau (KOM leader) got away to a handy 7 or 8 minute lead and Pineau helped him self to maximum points on each of the climbs.


It was the the fourth hill of the day - and the first Cat. 2 climb of this year's Tour that began to inflict the damage. The first two in the general classification, Cancellara & Thomas began to suffer as the main group split in two, Cunego (Lampre) bridged across to a counterattack that included Thomas Voeckler and Cyril Gautier (Bbox Bouygues Telecom), Matthew Lloyd (Omega Pharma-Lotto) and Mathieu Perget (Caisse d'Epargne). Back in the peloton Chavanel sensed that the Cunego had made the right decision and he set off in pursuit, bridging the gap in no time at all.
On the approach to the final climb Chavanel made another key decision, this time that Cunego's group wasn't going fast enough. And so he launched himself again and recorded a glorious stage win, the third of his career and retook the yellow jersey that he lost on the cobbles courtesy of two punctures.



Stage 7 Results

#	Rider Name (Country) Team	Result
1	Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Quick Step	4:22:52
2	Rafael Valls Ferri (Spa) Footon-Servetto	0:00:57
3	Juan Manuel Gárate Cepa (Spa) Rabobank	0:01:27
4	Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom	0:01:40
5	Mathieu Perget (Fra) Caisse d'Epargne
6	Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Spa) Omega Pharma-Lotto
7	Pierrick Fedrigo (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom	0:01:47
8	Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin - Transitions
9	Ruben Plaza Molina (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne
10	Eros Capecchi (Ita) Footon-Servetto

A slight chage at the top of the GC.
Cancellara and Thomas lose time and drop from the top 10, Chavanel back int he lead and Cadel Evans in second as the best placed of the GC contenders.

General classification after stage 7

#	Rider Name (Country) Team	Result
1	Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Quick Step	33:01:23
2	Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team	0:01:25
3	Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin - Transitions	0:01:32
4	Andy Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank	0:01:55
5	Alexander Vinokourov (Kaz) Astana	0:02:17
6	Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana	0:02:26
7	Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto	0:02:28
8	Nicolas Roche (Irl) AG2R La Mondiale
9	Johan Van Summeren (Bel) Garmin - Transitions	0:02:33
10	Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank	0:02:35

Stage 7 Preview

 

 

Stage 7: Tournus - Station des Rousses 165.5km

 

This will get everyone's climbing legs warmed nicely. Rather than go for a full-on mountain stage, Tour boss Prudhomme has opted for something slightly gentler but potentially unpredictable.
There are six climbs, which get progressively harder as the stage progresses. The favourites shouldn't get into trouble with all being cat 2 & 3 and not overly long, but this is ideal ambush country, look for a breakaway or late attack on the Lamoura to succeed. Guys with stong one day form who can climb a bit as well as sprint (there is 4km from the last summit to the line).  Cunego, Voeckler, Roche, Boassen Hagen even Vinokourov or Pineau.

Stage 6 review - 2 in a row for Cavendish.

We witnessed the 'real' Cavendish over the final 200m of the Stage 5 run into Montargis and the Manxman brought his trademark sprint again to stage 6. Another brilliant dose of team work from HTC-Columbia throughout the day's 227.5km stage and a perfect lead out were the base for Cav to unleash like no one else can and hold a commanding winning margin of two bike lengths.  Farrar & Petacchi filled the minor placings.
Hard to see him winning the Green Jersey from here, but hard to see the other sprinters beating him either.

Stage 5 review - Cavs Back!

Mark Cavendish answered his critics in the best possible way, by blowing everyone away on Stage 5 of Le Tour.  Questions had been asked by everyone this year, even me, one of his biggest fans was wondering what was wrong after a dismal performance on Stage 4.  But back to his best, he gave no one else a chance with a blistering turn of speed after a perfect lead out.  It was Cav of Old.

and who would dare bet against him now on flat stages?