Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Le Tour de France 2012

Spartacus wins the prologue! Fabian Cancellara (Swi) RadioShack-Nissan



Le Tour de France 2012

Prologue: Liège - individual time trial 6km

Cancellara wins 2012 Tour de France prologue in Liège

By Daniel Benson, Cyclingnews.com
Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland corners a roundabout on his way to win the prologue of the Tour de France cycling race, an individual time trial over 6,4 kilometers (4 miles) with start and finish in Liege, Belgium, Saturday June 30 2012 (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)


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This article was originally published on Cyclingnews.com
There was something almost inevitable about it: the scene was perfect, the timing essential, and the man in form. Eight years after his first prologue win in Liege in the Tour de France, ‘Monsieur PrologueFabian Cancellara rolled back the years to claim his fifth Tour de France prologue, with a comprehensive win in the Belgian city on Saturday.
The RadioShack-Nissan rider turned out a time of 7:13 over the 6.4km course. Not even a determined Bradley Wiggins (Sky) finishing second, 7 seconds down, or world time trial champion Tony Martin (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) could come close, although the German will feel aggrieved after he set the fastest time at the first time check but suffered a mechanical and was forced to change bikes.
Defending champion Cadel Evans (BMC) finished in 13th place, nine seconds down on Cancellara, with Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas) and Denis Menchov (Katusha), Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Sharp) impressing with solid performances. French time trial champion Sylvain Chavanel had led for a large portion of the afternoon, nervously awaiting the time trial specialists at the line, but he was demoted, first by Wiggins, and then by Cancellara, to third.
But after all the talk of Wiggins and Evans in the build-up to the race, the day belonged to Cancellara. In the last twelve months, the Swiss rider has found himself on the receiving end of a number of high level losses, with Tony Martin usurping his long-standing crown as the best time triallist in the world, and two campaigns in the Classics without a win. “I thought about my wife, the baby that’s coming, about team that’s given me help, and I’m proud of having done the work I should have done,” Cancellara said at the finish. “This victory is even more special than the other ones I’ve had in the Tour de France., Yes, I’m proud, which is important, and I’m also confident about the rest of the Tour.”

Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland, wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey, mimics rocking a baby as he holds the stuffed lion trophy after winning the prologue of the Tour de France cycling race, an individual time trial over 6,4 kilometers (4 miles) with start and finish in Liege, Belgium
There were murmurs that Cancellara was no longer the powerhouse he used to be, his legs slowing as younger riders developed, and despite uncertainty within his team surrounding missed wages and in-fighting, the experience and most importantly the power were there for all to see in Liège.
“I’m looking forward and not looking back. I’m here on the Tour de France not thinking about the past. The last time the Tour was here, in 2004, I beat Lance [Armstrong] by 1.6 seconds and took the jersey, but that was eight years ago. We have to focus on now because if we let [USADA’s decision to manager Johan Bruyneel with doping] crack us, I wouldn’t be able to perform on the road like I did today. It’s up to Lance and Johan to sort out. One year I was in Bjarne Riis’s team, and he stayed away from the Tour to leave us in peace, so I’ve experienced this before. Johan is just leaving us to get on with the job in peace.”
Liège loosens the Tour tension
The pro peloton had descended on Liège on Wednesday, settling into a pattern of reconnaissance and press conferences. By Friday, as the final pre-race press noise died down, it was clear that the peloton were ready to race. The tension was clear in Liège on Saturday morning with riders testing themselves over the prologue course. Wind variants were considered, final adjustments made to bikes and in the end it was Tom Veellers (Argos-Shimano) who set the ball rolling. The Tour had finally started.
A number of early pacesetters came and went until Brett Lancaster posted the first serious time of the day with a time of 7:24. The GreenEdge rider was edged out by Sky’s Edvald Boasson Hagen but it wasn’t long before Chavanel was on the road.
The Frenchman has improved greatly against the clock in the last twelve months – something he has put down to overcoming a longstanding back problem – and had already won the time trial in De Panne this spring. Along the Liège course he married power with precision, dancing through the few corners in the tricolore of France.
It looked like an unlikely winner could be crowned when he crossed the line in 7:20 and when Philippe Gilbert, David Millar and Andreas Klöden all failed topple the Omega Pharma-QuickStep rider, France dreamed of their first opening day win since Jacky Durand in 1994.


PROLOGUE RESULTS

1 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) RadioShack-Nissan 0:07:13
2 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Sky Procycling 0:00:07
3 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Omega Pharma-QuickStep
4 Tejay van Garderen (USA) BMC Racing Team 0:00:10
5 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Sky Procycling 0:00:11
6 Brett Lancaster (Aus) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team
7 Patrick Gretsch (Ger) Argos - Shimano 0:00:12
8 Denis Menchov (Rus) Katusha Team 0:00:13
9 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) BMC Racing Team
10 Andriy Grivko (Ukr) Astana Pro Team 0:00:15
11 Christopher Froome (GBr) Sky Procycling 0:00:16
12 Peter Velits (Svk) Omega Pharma-QuickStep 0:00:17
13 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team
14 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:00:18
15 Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin - Sharp
16 David Millar (GBr) Garmin - Sharp
17 Stephen Cummings (GBr) BMC Racing Team
18 Jens Voigt (Ger) RadioShack-Nissan 0:00:19
19 Andreas Klöden (Ger) RadioShack-Nissan
20 Nick Nuyens (Bel) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank 0:00:20
21 Michael Albasini (Swi) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team
22 George Hincapie (USA) BMC Racing Team
23 Greg Henderson (NZl) Lotto Belisol Team
24 Lieuwe Westra (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
25 Marcel Kittel (Ger) Argos - Shimano 0:00:21
26 Ruben Plaza Molina (Spa) Movistar Team
27 Christian Knees (Ger) Sky Procycling
28 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
29 Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat
30 Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin - Sharp
31 Maxime Monfort (Bel) RadioShack-Nissan 0:00:22
32 Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Astana Pro Team
33 Kristijan Koren (Slo) Liquigas-Cannondale
34 Daryl Impey (RSA) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team
35 Christian Vande Velde (USA) Garmin - Sharp
36 Richie Porte (Aus) Sky Procycling
37 Rein Taaramae (Est) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne
38 Jérémy Roy (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat
39 Sebastian Langeveld (Ned) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team
40 Mikel Astarloza Chaurreau (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 0:00:23
41 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Sky Procycling
42 Jean-Christophe Peraud (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
43 André Greipel (Ger) Lotto Belisol Team
44 Stuart O'Grady (Aus) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team
45 Tony Martin (Ger) Omega Pharma-QuickStep
46 Marco Marcato (Ita) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
47 Vladimir Gusev (Rus) Katusha Team 0:00:24
48 Thibaut Pinot (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat
49 Gustav Larsson (Swe) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
50 Haimar Zubeldia Agirre (Spa) RadioShack-Nissan
51 Michael Morkov (Den) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank
52 Wout Poels (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
53 Peter Sagan (Svk) Liquigas-Cannondale
54 Sergio Miguel Moreira Paulinho (Por) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank
55 Daniel Martin (Irl) Garmin - Sharp
56 Nicolas Roche (Irl) AG2R La Mondiale 0:00:25
57 Vasili Kiryienka (Blr) Movistar Team
58 Cyril Lemoine (Fra) Saur - Sojasun
59 Rui Alberto Faria Da Costa (Por) Movistar Team
60 Pieter Weening (Ned) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team
61 Michael Rogers (Aus) Sky Procycling
62 Jerome Coppel (Fra) Saur - Sojasun
63 Kanstantsin Sivtsov (Blr) Sky Procycling
64 Bram Tankink (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
65 Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:00:26
66 Alexandr Vinokourov (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
67 José Ivan Gutierrez Palacios (Spa) Movistar Team
68 Alessandro Vanotti (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
69 David Zabriskie (USA) Garmin - Sharp
70 Bert Grabsch (Ger) Omega Pharma-QuickStep
71 Fredrik Kessiakoff (Swe) Astana Pro Team
72 Koen De Kort (Ned) Argos - Shimano 0:00:27
73 Anthony Roux (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat
74 Luis Leon Sanchez Gil (Spa) Rabobank Cycling Team
75 Blel Kadri (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:00:28
76 Daniel Oss (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
77 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team
78 Danilo Hondo (Ger) Lampre - ISD
79 Adam Hansen (Aus) Lotto Belisol Team
80 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Omega Pharma-QuickStep
81 Manuel Quinziato (Ita) BMC Racing Team
82 Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Lotto Belisol Team
83 Tony Gallopin (Fra) RadioShack-Nissan 0:00:29
84 Simon Gerrans (Aus) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team
85 Christophe Riblon (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
86 Dries Devenyns (Bel) Omega Pharma-QuickStep
87 Matthew Harley Goss (Aus) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team
88 Sandy Casar (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat
89 Michael Schär (Swi) BMC Racing Team
90 Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
91 Johan Vansummeren (Bel) Garmin - Sharp 0:00:30
92 Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
93 Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
94 Amaël Moinard (Fra) BMC Racing Team
95 Maarten Wynants (Bel) Rabobank Cycling Team
96 Jan Ghyselinck (Bel) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 0:00:31
97 Maxime Bouet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
98 Vladimir Karpets (Rus) Movistar Team
99 Jérôme Pineau (Fra) Omega Pharma-QuickStep
100 Thomas Danielson (USA) Garmin - Sharp
101 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Sky Procycling 0:00:32
102 Maxim Iglinskiy (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
103 Rob Ruijgh (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
104 Imanol Erviti Ollo (Spa) Movistar Team 0:00:33
105 Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Movistar Team
106 Robert Hunter (RSA) Garmin - Sharp
107 Gorka Izagirre Insausti (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi
108 Nicki Sörensen (Den) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank
109 Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Team Europcar
110 Tom Veelers (Ned) Argos - Shimano 0:00:34
111 Albert Timmer (Ned) Argos - Shimano
112 Juan José Haedo (Arg) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank
113 Christopher Horner (USA) RadioShack-Nissan
114 Sylvester Szmyd (Pol) Liquigas-Cannondale
115 Arthur Vichot (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat
116 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Movistar Team 0:00:35
117 Pablo Urtasun Perez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi
118 Laurens Ten Dam (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
119 Eduard Vorganov (Rus) Katusha Team
120 Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa) Katusha Team 0:00:36
121 Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) RadioShack-Nissan
122 Christophe Kern (Fra) Team Europcar
123 Jimmy Engoulvent (Fra) Saur - Sojasun
124 Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Lampre - ISD
125 Dmitriy Fofonov (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
126 Martin Velits (Svk) Omega Pharma-QuickStep
127 Lars Ytting Bak (Den) Lotto Belisol Team 0:00:37
128 Dominik Nerz (Ger) Liquigas-Cannondale
129 Michele Scarponi (Ita) Lampre - ISD
130 Kevin De Weert (Bel) Omega Pharma-QuickStep
131 Yann Huguet (Fra) Argos - Shimano
132 Jonathan Cantwell (Aus) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank
133 Luca Paolini (Ita) Katusha Team 0:00:38
134 Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) Team Europcar
135 Borut Bozic (Slo) Astana Pro Team
136 Frank Schleck (Lux) RadioShack-Nissan
137 Sébastien Minard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
138 Chris Anker Sörensen (Den) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank
139 David Moncoutie (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 0:00:39
140 Kris Boeckmans (Bel) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
141 Andrey Kashechkin (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
142 Baden Cooke (Aus) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team
143 Johannes Fröhlinger (Ger) Argos - Shimano 0:00:40
144 Karsten Kroon (Ned) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank
145 Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi
146 Anthony Delaplace (Fra) Saur - Sojasun
147 Jelle Vanendert (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team
148 Fabrice Jeandesboz (Fra) Saur - Sojasun 0:00:41
149 Jorge Azanza Soto (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi
150 Brice Feillu (Fra) Saur - Sojasun
151 Yury Trofimov (Rus) Katusha Team 0:00:42
152 Robert Kiserlovski (Cro) Astana Pro Team
153 Joan Horrach Rippoll (Spa) Katusha Team
154 Aliaksandr Kuchynski (Blr) Katusha Team
155 Francis De Greef (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team
156 Federico Canuti (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:00:43
157 Pierrick Fedrigo (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat
158 Kenny Robert Van Hummel (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
159 Mark Renshaw (Aus) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:00:44
160 Hubert Dupont (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
161 Juan Jose Cobo Acebo (Spa) Movistar Team
162 Rafael Valls Ferri (Spa) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
163 Yohann Gene (Fra) Team Europcar
164 Julien Fouchard (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne
165 Matthieu Sprick (Fra) Argos - Shimano 0:00:45
166 Pierre Rolland (Fra) Team Europcar
167 Sébastien Hinault (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
168 Giovanni Bernaudeau (Fra) Team Europcar
169 Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team
170 Simone Stortoni (Ita) Lampre - ISD
171 Samuel Dumoulin (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 0:00:46
172 Julien Simon (Fra) Saur - Sojasun
173 Davide Malacarne (Ita) Team Europcar
174 Cyril Gautier (Fra) Team Europcar
175 Rémy Di Gregorio (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 0:00:47
176 Johnny Hoogerland (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
177 Nicolas Edet (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne
178 Romain Zingle (Bel) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 0:00:48
179 Marcus Burghardt (Ger) BMC Racing Team 0:00:49
180 Yauheni Hutarovich (Blr) FDJ-Big Mat
181 Cédric Pineau (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat 0:00:50
182 Yuriy Krivtsov (Fra) Lampre - ISD
183 Egoi Martinez De Esteban (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi
184 Guillaume Levarlet (Fra) Saur - Sojasun 0:00:51
185 Grega Bole (Slo) Lampre - ISD 0:00:52
186 Amets Txurruka (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi
187 Marco Marzano (Ita) Lampre - ISD
188 Giampaolo Caruso (Ita) Katusha Team 0:00:55
189 Vincent Jerome (Fra) Team Europcar 0:00:57
190 Luis Angel Mate Mardones (Spa) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne
191 Gorka Verdugo Marcotegui (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 0:01:01
192 Jean Marc Marino (Fra) Saur - Sojasun
193 Davide Vigano (Ita) Lampre - ISD 0:01:02
194 Ruben Perez Moreno (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi
195 Anders Lund (Den) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank 0:01:03
196 Matthew Lloyd (Aus) Lampre - ISD 0:01:05
197 Mikael Cherel (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:01:06
198 Roy Curvers (Ned) Argos - Shimano

Source: http://ninjashoes.net/forum/showthread.php?78734-Le-Tour-de-France-2012&goto=newpost

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