Thursday, March 28, 2024

Le Tour de France 2016 – Stage 2; Saint-Lô – Cherbourg-en-Cotentin. Heartbreak for Stuyven as Sagan Takes Control

-

HomeRaceRace ReviewsLe Tour de France 2016 - Stage 2; Saint-Lô - Cherbourg-en-Cotentin. Heartbreak...

Mont-Saint-MichelPeter Sagan is a breath of fresh air, the accent, the sense of humour, the hair, the bike handling, the speed, the versatility – third behind Cav and Kittel then beating Alaphilippe and Valverde.

There’s no one more deserving than Sagan of the maillot jaune – with all mention of the ‘curse of the rainbow jersey’ forgotten.

The first two stages haven’t been the most riveting viewing, the odd crash along the way the only thing to enliven proceedings before two brilliant finales – Sunday’s more so than Saturday’s.

But the Slovak world champion had some harsh words for his fellow pros after the stage, here’s what he told ‘Peloton’ magazine:

Sagan pulled no punches and said there was a lack of self-policing in the peloton compared to when he first started racing in the professional ranks six years ago.

“It’s like everybody is riding (as if they) lose the brain. There are stupid crashes in the group, it’s very dangerous. When it’s wet nobody brakes — for sure you’re going to crash. It’s not logical.

“In the group, before there was respect. When someone did something stupid, everybody throws their (water) bottle on him or beats him with (tyre) pumps.

“But now cycling has lost this. When I came in cycling in 2010, it was a little bit different.”

Sagan
Peter and Oleg make an interesting partnership. Photo©ASO

The four-time winner of the Tour’s green points jersey complained that too many teams and riders were trying to get involved in bunch sprints at the end of stages.

“There’s no respect in the group. People don’t care about others, they (just) want to stay in the (sprint) train behind their guys.

“In the last 50km there are seven trains in front — all the teams have one!

“They don’t care about the riders. Then, in front, there are a lot of guys don’t know how to (ride) a bike — it’s like that.

“Today I’m in yellow but maybe tomorrow I will go home (after crashing out), this is the Tour de France.”

What’s required is a nouveau Bernard Hinault in the peloton – NO ONE messed with The Badger.

Sagan
Peter Sagan wins ahead of Julian Alaphilippe. Photo©Lionel Bonaventure/AFP/Getty Images

‘Man of the Match’ after the amazing Sagan would have to be Trek’s Jasper Stuyven; away all the day only to be caught in the last kilometre – a heart breaker.

But he did walk away with that nice polka dot jersey and there’s only one fourth cat. climb on Monday so he can’t lose the jersey there; Stage Four has but one fourth cat. too so he should be safe until Stage Five which is seriously lumpy with a fourth, three third and two second cat. ascents – ouch!

Stuyven first shows on the radar as Belgian novice time trial champion in 2007, winning the Belgian novice’s road title one year later and by 2009 was world junior road race champion – beating 2016 Primavera winner, Arnaud Demare (F des J & France) and 2015 Austrian road race champion, Katusha’s Marco Haller.

Sagan
Jasper Stuyven took control of the Mountains Classification. Photo©ASO

In 2010 came the junior Paris-Roubaix and he made the podium again in the junior Worlds, bronze behind France’s Olivier Le Gac and Aussie Jay McCarthy – Britain’s Joshua Edmondson was fourth that day.

In 2011 he was third in the U23 Paris-Roubaix before heading to the US for 2012 to ride for Axel Merckx’s team – as did Aex Dowsett several years previously – winning a stage in the Cascade Classic in the US that year and the overall in the tough Volta ao Alentejo in Portugal in 2013.

It was no surprise given Merckx’s association with Trek that Stuyven signed for the Trek World Tour team for season 2014, riding the Vuelta as a neo-pro.

He must have learned well from the experience because he came back to win a Vuelta stage last year, despite breaking his hand in a crash during the stage.

This year he burst on to the stage with a solo Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne win after finishing top ten the day before in Het Nieuwsblad.

He’s the real deal.

Sagan
Alberto Contador has had a difficult two days. Photo©Luca Bettini

On the flip side of the coin it was sad to see long term friend of VeloVeritas, Denmark’s star of road and track, Michael Mørkøv come down hard on stage one; Vik reckoned that would be that and he’d have to quit – but those Russian hard men at Katusha aren’t big into sympathy and cuddles and sure enough Michael was on the start line for Stage Two.

He suffered through it but succumbed inside the last 40 K on those lumpy, grippy Norman roads to finish with another of our chums, Kiwi Shane Archbold (Bora) @ 13:39 – only Archbold’s team mate, Ireland’s Sam Bennett was behind them @ 16:23.

Sagan
Michael’s heavily strapped injuries are making things difficult. Photo©Michael Mørkøv

Bennett too went down in a Stage One crash and required stitches – we wish all three riders ‘bon chance’ for Stage Three.

Stage Three is for the fastmen; Robbie McEwen reckons it’ll be Etixx QuickStep’s German flyer Kittel – who with Bob Jungels has the best hair in the peloton – and we know better than to argue with Robbie !

A demain.

[vsw id=”b5ZgDoQ__XY” source=”youtube” width=”615″ height=”430″ autoplay=”no”]

Sagan
Peter Sagan and Chris Froome compare jerseys before the start. Photo©Luca Bettini
Ed Hood
Ed Hood
Ed's been involved in cycling for over 50 years. In that time he's been a successful time triallist, a team manager and a sponsor of several teams and clubs. He's also a respected and successful coach and during the winter months was often working in the cabins at the Six Days for some of the world's top riders. Ed remains a massive fan of the sport and couples his extensive contacts with an inexhaustible enthusiasm for the minutiae and the history of our sport. In February 2023 however, our dear friend and beloved colleague Ed suffered a devastating stroke and faces an uncertain future; Ed has lost his ability to speak, to read, and has lost movement on the right side of his body. He's working with speech and physical therapists on rehabilitation, but all strokes are different and each patient responds differently, so unfortunately recovery is one day at a time. Ed ran his own business installing windows, and will probably not be able to work again. Please consider joining us to make a contribution to Ed's GoFundMe page to help stabilise and secure his future.

Related Articles

Commonwealth Games 2014 – Mountain Bike, Elite Men. Anton Cooper the Strongest

Despite being one of the youngest riders in the field, 19 year old New Zealander Anton Cooper proved to be the strongest and the savviest by surprising the two riders still with him heading towards the finish with a sudden and sharp acceleration off the front of the string to go clear with just a few hundred uphill metres remaining. Teammate Samuel Gaze (himself only 18 years old) reacted quickly to pass Daniel McConnell (Australia) to take second place just three seconds behind Cooper.

Le Tour de France 2016 – Les Chiffres (the Numbers)

I know, I said I’d penned my last Tour piece for the year but I was in the area, there was a parking space and I thought; ‘I’ll have a quick look’ – and to my joy there it was, Monday’s L’Équipe in pride of place outside the International Newsagents. A sad 40 minutes in the City Cafe ensued as I distilled les chiffres (that’s numbers) you need to make you the font of all knowledge on the club run.

Le Tour de France 2009, Stage 4: Montpellier > Montpellier, 39km TTT

The team time trial here in Montpellier, it’s beautiful; speed, strength, skill, trust, unity, honour — everything that makes pro bike racing special.

Scottish Vets Road Race Championship 2008

John Kermode did what VeloVeritas expected him to, at sunny but windy Alford on Sunday afternoon and successfully defended his Scottish Vets Road Race Championship; as the football commentators say; 'it was déja vu all over again' as he beat the same man he did 12 months ago in the same race, on the same course-Dooley's Graeme McGarrity.

At Random

Niels Fredborg – Danish Track Legend

With the Copenhagen six day about to start we thought we’d best have a word with one of Denmark’s track legends; former World and Olympic kilometre champion, Niels Fredborg. A man who was knocking out 1:4 kilometres some 40 years ago...

Dave Akam – “With Gis I was chucked straight into two Grand Tours!”

Dave Akam is best remembered as the first man to crack the 30 mph barrier for a 10 mile time trial, recording 19:50 on the Portsmouth Road in 1980 in the colours of the Gemini BC. But there’s a wee bit more to the man than that, like wins in the British Pursuit Championship, the amateur Trofeo Baracchi in Italy; French chrono classics the Grand Prix de France and Chrono de Herbiers, not to mention the prestigious GP Timmermans time trial in the Netherlands and a shed load of road wins in France and The Netherlands.

Scott Auld – “if you are a good bike rider you can do well in Belgium”

When friends of VeloVeritas Dave and Vik – both devotees of Belgian palmarès websites tell me there’s a young British guy I should be speaking to then I take notice! Scott Auld is the man, with an ever-growing list of podium finishes in the Flatlands. We caught up with him recently...

British Time Trial Championships 2013 – So Near Yet So Far

Some folks say that last is the worst place to finish in a bike race, others say second place is the heart-breaker. For me it would be fourth place - so near to a medal but so far. And fourth spot was where our boy Douglas Dewey finished in the British Time Trial Championships 2013 at Stewarton on Thursday night.