Stage 8 News
The men behind Cadel AFTER a week that pitted riders in the Tour de France against wind, rain and obstacles that led to race-threatening crashes, Cadel Evans was as grateful that he had survived as he was for the eight teammates who have protected him. Heading into yesterday's 218-kilometre seventh stage from Le Mans to Chateauroux, Evans (BMC) was still placed second overall, one second behind Norwegian world champion Thor Hushovd (Garmin-Cervelo). Facing him was his next great chance to take the leader's yellow jersey - tonight's 189-kilometre eighth stage from Aigurande to Super-Besse Sancy. http://www.theage.com.au/sport/cycling/the-men-behind-cadel-20110708-1h73f.html Evans may be in yellow when tour heads uphill SIMON Gerrans is racing the Tour de France to try to help Briton Bradley Wiggins finish as high as possible. But Gerrans believes that Wiggins's Australian rival, Cadel Evans, could ''inherit'' the race leader's yellow jersey on the finishing climb to Super-Besse Sancy tonight. If Evans takes the lead - most likely from Norwegian Thor Hushovd (Garmin-Cervelo), who had a one-second lead over Evans heading into last night's seventh stage - there was every chance he would lead the tour into the Pyrenees next Thursday. http://www.theage.com.au/sport/cycling/evans-may-be-in-yellow-when-tour-heads-uphill-20110708-1h6x6.html Hushovd's lead under threat in Stage 8 Thor Hushovd's yellow jersey is in jeopardy in Saturday's 189-km eighth stage of the Tour de France to Super-Besse when the peloton encounter the first mountains in this edition. The finale in the Massif Central ski resort is by no means the most gruelling ascent this year but it will be merciless to poor climbers, especially as it comes shortly after a category two hill; the Croix St Robert. "Obviously, it is too hard for me to keep the yellow jersey and we are not going to defend it. It's up to the other teams to control the race. I'm just going to enjoy my sixth day in yellow," said Hushovd, who has held the Tour lead since the second stage in Les Essarts. http://www.supersport.com/cycling/tour-de-france/news/110709/Hushovds_lead_under_threat_in_Stage_8 Tour rivals relieved to reach mountains No American will stand on the winner's podium when the Tour de France ends July 24th in Paris. That much is clear after a disastrous end to the first week of racing left the United States' two brightest hopes for a high finish in the overall standings in tatters and one American team's coach ruing this as his worst Tour ever as a team manager. The 98th running of the world's greatest cycling race enters its mountainous second week with the top placed American Tom Danielson, a 34-year-old from Colorado riding in his first ever Tour, in 25th place, almost 2 minutes behind the leader even before the real hostilities begin. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hon69b1T2CdftNG9M6QsHu3N0-GA?docId=519953b94d5c44fcaeb5380eed7ad61c Mountains Mark Stage 8; Thor Hushovd Still Wears Maillot Jaune The 2011 Tour De France begins on Saturday morning with the start of a tough two-day stretch through medium mountains before a rest day on Monday. Stage 8 on Saturday takes the cyclists from Aigurande to Super-Besse Sancy, a 189 km (117 mi) course. The riders will be in the heart of France before entering tougher mountains on Sunday. http://denver.sbnation.com/2011/7/9/2266785/tour-de-france-2011-route-stage-8-mountain-climb Leipheimer hits out at crash-happy Tour stages American Levi Leipheimer and Ryder Hesjedal of Canada were given a painful reminder Friday of what it takes to survive, never mind win the Tour de France. But after a tough week of crash-marred racing which has taken a toll on many seasoned professionals, Leipheimer and Hesjedal at least got to finish the stage. Team Sky's Bradley Wiggins, a fourth place finisher for Garmin in 2009, became the first from among the yellow jersey contenders to crash out of the race when he broke his collarbone in a spill around 43km from the finish. Leipheimer and Hesjedal were caught up in the same crash, making it two in two days for the American -- who eventually hobbled home over three minutes off the pace in a big group containing Hesjedal. http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gIXlNN_jQ6ahgxP2Yw4VItNfCvyw?docId=CNG.b25e50471bf7cd80f49ff0b9169e31d7.d71 Horner will not start Tour de France stage on Saturday Christopher Horner will not be at the start of the Tour de France's eighth stage Saturday, after suffering a concussion the previous day. RadioShack team manager Johan Bruyneel announced the abandon Saturday morning. http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/horner-will-not-start-tour-de-france-stage-on-saturday Crash-hit US rider Horner out of Tour Amercian Chris Horner is out of the Tour de France after fracturing his nose and suffering heavy brusing in a crash on the seventh stage, his RadioShack team said Saturday. Horner, 39, crashed 35km from the finish line of Friday's 218km stage, which he finished in last place at 12min 41sec behind stage winner Mark Cavendish. http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5i_HdBVPW_ZYT5f_kgdSAHsffX22A?docId=CNG.6c4645ce2c3aff875cec6a3515475b82.1f1
Cycling-Kloeden is last hope for unlucky Radioshack team Team Radioshack began the Tour de France with four leaders but after just seven days of hectic racing, German veteran Andreas Kloeden is their only realistic hope for a podium finish. Slovenian Janez Brajkovic, the 2010 Criterium du Dauphine winner, quit on Wednesday with a broken collarbone and a concussion following a crash and on Friday Americans Levi Leipheimer and Chris Horner also suffered blows, the latter breaking his nose and suffering concussion. http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/08072011/2/cycling-kloeden-hope-unlucky-radioshack-team.html Tour de France enters the mountains for first time Overall leader Thor Hushovd led the other riders out Saturday in the eighth stage of the Tour de France as the race entered the mountains for the first time. Hushovd is not a renowned climber and could lose his yellow jersey, with defending champion Alberto Contador, Andy Schleck and Cadel Evans not far behind the Norwegian. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/more-sports/cycling/Tour-de-France-enters-the-mountains-for-first-time/articleshow/9162752.cms Mountain stages await weary riders After seven days of narrow, sinewy roads and sometimes fierce rain, Alberto Contador and Andy Schleck await a change of scenery. They made it through the crash-marred first week of the Tour de France relatively unscathed. Although the hills in today’s eighth stage are far less daunting than later climbs in the Pyrenees and Alps, they will be a welcome sight. “It will be a relief after several nervous and dangerous stages,’’ Schleck said. http://www.boston.com/sports/other_sports/cycling/articles/2011/07/09/mountain_stages_await_weary_riders/ Wiggins out of Tour de France The Tour de France is over for Team Sky's captain Bradley Wiggins. A crash with 35km to go in the race's seventh stage left the British champion with a fractured left collarbone. At the time of his accident, Wiggins had been lying in sixth place, just 10 seconds off the yellow jersey of race leader Thor Hushovd. http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/wiggins-out-of-tour-de-france Boonen abandons Tour de France after head injury Belgian star Tom Boonen (Quick Step) abandoned the Tour de France on Friday. About 90km into stage 7 from Le Mans to Châteauroux, he stepped off his bike. After crashing on his head during stage 5, it seems clear after the fact that he suffered a concussion. http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/boonen-abandons-tour-de-france-after-head-injury Gilbert tips "wounded" Contador for Super-Besse victory With a Court of Arbitration verdict on his Clenbuterol case still pending, Contador was jeered by the crowds at the teams presentation in the Vendée before the Tour, and his troubles were compounded when he was caught behind a crash and lost time on stage one. Contador fought back with a late dig on the Mûr-de-Bretagne on stage 4, and Gilbert predicts more of the same from the “wounded†Spaniard on the Tour’s first day in the Massif Central. http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/gilbert-tips-wounded-contador-for-super-besse-victory Leopard Trek weigh up options ahead of Super-Besse test Stage 8 offers the first real look at the GC contenders for the Tour, with a finishing climb that is predicted to split up the majority of the peloton. With Fränk Schleck 4 seconds down, and brother Andy and Jakob Fuglsang a further 8 seconds back, Leopard Trek head into the stage with more options than any of their rivals. http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/leopard-trek-weigh-up-options-ahead-of-super-besse-test
