Maillot Jaune Guillaume!

Wiggins wins Le Tour as Bill the Neo Pro earns a league high 516 points.

Tour Panache

Opening a comments thread. Still waiting for updates from our Tour corespondent, Patrick. I'll try a recap on the rest day.

Le Tour Beer Challenge

Prolouge - Greg: Cancellera, Luke: T. Martin - Greg +1
Stage 1 - Luke: Sagan, Greg: Gilbert - Even.
Stage 2 - Greg: Cav, Luke: Greipel - Greg +1
Stage 3 - Luke: Sagan, Greg: Gilbert - Even
Stage 4 - Greg: Cav, Luke: Greipel - Luke +1
Stage 5 - Luke: Greipel, Greg: Cav - Luke +2
Stage 6 - Greg: Greipel, Luke: Goss - Luke 2
Stage 7 - Luke: Valverde, Greg: Costa - Luke +2
Stage 8 - Greg: Chavanel, Luke: Valverde - Luke +2
Stage 9 - Luke: Cancellera, Greg: Wiggins - Luke +1
Stage 10 - Greg: Nibbles, Luke: Evans - Luke +1
Stage 11 - Luke: Evans, Greg: Zubeldia - Luke +1
Stage 12 - Greg: Boassen Hagen, Luke: Valverde - Luke +1
Stage 13 - Luke: Greips, Greg: Chavanel - Luke +2
Stage 14 - Greg: Voekler, Luke: Sagan - Luke +2
Stage 15- L: Greipel, G: Cav - Luke+2
Stage 16- G: Nibali, L: Evans - Luke +2
Stage 17 - L: Nibali, G: Wiggins - Luke +2
Stage 18 - G: Cavendish, L: Greipel - Luke +1
Stage 19 - L: Wiggo, G: Froome - Luke +2
Stage 20 - G: Cav, L: Greipel - Luke +1

Luke wins 1 beer!

Tour Talk

Let's get some chatter going about the Tour.

I am interested in hearing people's picks for the top ten.  Post a list.

Also, would anyone be interested in separate competition just for Le Tour.  Maybe a pick the stage winner thing like they do on TV?  Anywho.

The Broom Wagon

Blog posts have dramatically slowed with the beginning of summer break.  Normally just a diversion at work, summer blogs require a little more concerted effort.  Well, we'll keep'em coming as long as people keep reading them.
The last few weeks saw the completion of the two big Tour tune up races.  Great race's in there own right,  the Dauphine and the Tour de Suisse provided lots of high def action for our viewing pleasure.  Let's recap how our Wiskota team riders did.

Dauphine

Bill the neo pro's strategy of drafting GC riders is really starting to pay dividends.  At the time I thought his pick of Wiggins may have been a bit high.  i could not have been more wrong.  Wiggo won another stage race racking up 111 points for Bill.  If this form keeps up we may not be able to refer to Bill as the neo-pro for much longer.  Froom scored points as a high GC finisher and Tony Martin added a few with a high TT finish.  In the end Bill racked up 176 points.  The clear winner at the Dauphine.

Nipping at his heels was Team Volpe and namely, Cadel Evans who animated the race all week.  82 points from a high GC and an exciting stage win, yet the discussion was about his less than stellar TT.  Will he improve for the Tour.  Van den Broeck added points with his GC performance and Bo Haug (Bo Dogg?) even snatched a stage win.  140 points for Volpe.

Team Wiskota Dynamic saw the premier of there two new riders, Menchov and Brajkovic.  Menchov was silent without the assassin.  Brajkovic stayed in contention with a solid TT and good climbing earning the team all of their 30 points.

The Dauphine was a disapointment for both Gregario Forza and Miguelito Indurain.  Sammy Sanchez crashed early on but managed to finish the week out.  However, no points here.  Forza brought 5 riders to the race and not one managed to earn any points.  Biggest disappointment? Probably, Nibbles.  This was a forgettable race for these teams.

Suisse

Miguelito Indurain scored some much needed points at the tour de Suisse.  Frank Schleck continues to prove that he is the better Schleck attacking in the mountains and securing a 2nd place overall.  Gesink keeps improving his TT skills and his high GC finish has many, including myself, marking him as a Tour contender.  147 points for Mikey.

Gregario's recent pickup has finally started scoring points this season.  Lil Levi Leipheimer wheel sucked his way to a podium placement.  If his TT can get back to where it was he may be able to wheel suck his was back to a Tour podium.

It took three riders to for Dynamic to try to make up for the loss of Levi.  Sagan keeps kicking ass and scoring double digit points in every race he enters.  Tommy D scored a top ten finish and had a chance for a better result but apparently Frank doesn't like to work with anyone but his brother.  Valverde sacrificed a higher finish for his teammate Rui Costa's overall victory, this should be repaid at Le Tour.

Volpe welcomed new race Roche with a tenth place finish.  Unfortunatly, that is only worth 4 little points.  Cancellera came in 2nd in the TT to a suprisingly fast Peter Sagan.  12 points overall for Volpe.  Not gonna catch Dynamic with finishes like that.

A child is screaming at the library and my wife, rightly, wants to go so I will wrap up quickly.  Bill the neo-pro scored 40 with Kreuziger who was dropped on the biggest climb and then allowed to get back into the main group because riders like Levi wouldn't pull.

Great result for Rui Costa.  If I had a picture of me holding his TdF stage win trophy I would put it in now. 

Exclusive NVGP Coverage

This is a great time of year for the Wiskota Fantasy Cycling League as the Nature Valley Grand Prix rolls into town for a week of exciting, fan friendly racing.  Many top notch American cyclists will be returning to the Twin Cities area again this year.   However, the Palmares of one rider far outshines his competitors, one Fast Freddy Rodriguez.   He has donned the stars and stripes three times as US road champion, won a stage at the Giro d’Italia, rode in all three Grand Tours and won the points jersey at the Tour de Suisse.  He has recently made a comeback with Team Exergy and has shown some of that world class form in races such as this year’s Tour of California.

Fast Freddy came out guns a blazin’ this morning at the opening TT coming in a respectable 17^th only losing 31 seconds to the overall winner.  After the race Wiskota Fantasy Cycling caught up with him via cruiser bike for an exclusive 30 second interview.

Wiskota Fantasy Cycling:  Nice ride Freddy.

Freddy Rodriguez:  Yeah…it got wet.  That turn-around was tricky.

WFC: Got any stages in mind to win this week?

FR: The road races.

WFC:  Cannon Falls?

FR: Yeah

WFC: You’ve had a pretty good season so far, actually.

FR: Yeah, been pretty good.

At that point a member of his team crew rode up. 

FR: Do we have to go later for the drug testing?

Dude: No, not till tonight.

I pedaled ahead and began documenting this historic interview onto my phone when he caught back up.

WFC:  Good luck, man.

FR: Thanks

There you have it, exclusive Wiskota Fantasy Cycling coverage of the Nature Valley Grand Prix.  Look for Fast Freddy to win in Cannon Falls and for drug testing to take place after the St. Paul Crit. 

On the Rivet

Wiskota fantasy lineups:

Dauphine

Gregario Forza:  Gilbert, TVG, Nibali, Voekler

Volpe: Evans: D. Martin, Van den Broeck, Boassen Hagen,

Wiskota Dynamic: Menchov

Bill the Neo Pro: Tony Martin, Andy, Froome, Wiggins,

Miguelito Indurain: Sammy Sanchez,


Tour De Suisse

Gregario Forza:  Leipheimer, Mollema, Horner

Volpe: Boonen, Cancellera

Wiskota Dynamic: Danielson, Cunego, Sagan, Valverde,

Bill the Neo Pro: Kloden

Miguelito Indurain: Gesink, Frank, Fuglsang

From the Commish

Transfer period 2 is now close.  Bring on Le Tour!
Updated rosters are found at the bottom of the page.

This has nothing to do with the Wiskota Fantasy League, but its awesome.

Panache'

Transfer 2 week is upon us and the action is heating up. Team Gregario Forza capitalized on the draft blunders of the Commish, otherwise known as Matt Millen, and swiped up American, Levi Leipheimer, to compete in this year’s Suisse/Dauphine/Le Tour/Olympics portion of our season. It’s hard to say what Levi will be able to do but I have to say I was impressed with how he rode in California. I don’t expect Levi to repeat at Suisse but I do think he can place in the top ten in France. USA! USA! USA!

The Commish, aka Team Wiskota Dynamic, aka Billy Beane, continued his free agency moves, that bagged him a many a Giro point, by dropping Tyler Farrar and John Gadret and adding Denis Menchov and Andre Greipel, formerly of Team Wiskota Dynamic. Denis Nikolayevich Menchov, the Silent Assasin, has been around the circuit. In 2003 he was 11^th in the Tour and best young rider, 2005 he won the Vuelta, 2006 5^th in Le Tour, 2007 another Vuelta, 2008 4^th in the Tour, 2009 he won the Giro, 2010 2^nd in Le Tour, and in 2011 he placed 5^th in the Vuelta and 7^th in the Giro in a year most would consider a wash under the Geox sponsorship.  Is there a pattern here? I fear this move as The Pope has the ability to climb with the best and TT as well as any other GC contender. I just blew the Commish’s mind!

I expect the remainder of the Wiskota Fantasy Cycling League team managers are doing their homework (read the blog, hit the links). There are many Tour contenders remaining. I know I have my eye on a few. I also think the addition of the Olympics to this portion of the season may add some serious pointage; A masterful move by the scheduling committee. Who are those riders? Tony Martin, Cav, Zabriskie?

I know I have said this around every corner but this may be my favorite part of the season. The Tour build up, Suisse, and Dauphine all have the propensity to be massive/epic. Let’s take a look at the Criterium du Dauphine.  The Dauphine has been a proving ground for Le tour since 1947. Most of the great’s have won here, Poulidor, Merckx, Hinault, LeMond, Indurain, and Armstrong to name a few. Most recently Wiggins, Brakjovik (available), and Valverde have worn the yellow jersey with the red stripe. The Dauphine region of France is mountainous so expect a climber to win here. This year’s edition could entertain the likes of Tony Martin as the stage 4 time trial may be decisive. However some big climbs are left to be had in stage 6. The parcours look tough but maybe not decisive. Many Wiskota Fantasy riders and Tour contenders are here. Evans, Wiggo, Nibbles, Voekler, Sanchez, D. Martin, TVG, Schleck, Menchov, Van den Broek, and I mentioned the big German, the Mouth, Mr. Tony Martin. Other, unsigned, contenders include Vallendert, Brakjovik, Le Mevel, Peraud, Cobo, and the Reign of Terror, Rein Taaramae. Westra?

The Tour de Suisse, one of Gregario Forza’s favorites, is also used to measure one’s form before the La Grande Boucle. This race has been run since 1933 only taking 3 years off for WWII. Like the Dauphine, many of the greats have won here. Merckx, Bartoli, De Vlaeminck, Kelly, Armstrong, and Der Kaiser, Jan Ulrich all won the Tour de Suisse. Recent winners include Leipheimer, Franklin Schleck, and even Fabulous Fabian Cancellara, the great Swiss time trailer. Tour contenders and Wiskota Fantasy riders litter this tour as well with Leipheimer, Gesink, F. Schleck, Tommy D., Sagan, Valverde, Boonen, Cunego, Mollema, Cancellara, Fuglsang, Horner, and Kloden all set to take the start. The parcours of this race look awfully climby. Stage 1 features a short TT, stage two only has 2 climbs but they happen to be hors categorie and they finish on top of the second, stage 3 is lumpy, stage 4 is wicked lumpy, stage 5 has 6 category 3 climbs (massive lumpy), stage 6 is a lil’ less lumpy, stage 7 tough ass TT, stage 8 climbs a category 2 into a beyond category summit finish (epic), and stage 9 will be a celebratory finish over 2 hors categorie climbs and a category 2 summit finish (massive). That sounds like some decisive parcours!

I know that many of the favorites and current Wiskota Fantasy riders will shine in the coming weeks. However, what makes this such an awesome time during the cycling season is that there will inevitably be a new comer or 2 who will show up to be a Tour de France contender or a tour animator (Johnny Hoogerland). The Classics, Giro, and California are in the rear view now. We got the Tour, it’s buildup, the Olympics, Vuelta, Worlds and Lombardia to look forward to. I can’t wait to see what Philippe Gilbert will do.

Forza!

Chapeau

Chapeau! to the Giro di’ Italia. The race for pink did not disappoint in 2012. The race organizers wanted the race to come down to Milan and that was exactly what happened. Although the riders were accused of waiting to get the race started, I thoroughly enjoyed this race from the very start. I loved watching Taylor Phinney early on. Not a fan of Denmark, for a start to a grand tour, other than that it’s probably cool. I enjoyed the chaotic sprints; thanks to Cav and Ferrari, beautiful stages, epic climbs, the Giau, Stelvio and Giro girls. There was a lot to like about this Giro.

Chapeau! to Ryder Hesjedal. The Weight of the nation rode himself into the history books as the first Grand Tour winner for Canada. The Climbing Canuck was simply grandissimo. He proved that he truly does get stronger during a three week race. He brilliantly marked the attacks on the climbs and even attacked himself when the tactics called for it. I have always liked this guy, never thought a Grand Tour would be on his palmares, and I even cheered for him when he became a member of Team Wiskota Dynamic. Well done, eh!

Chapeau! to Joaquin Rodriguez. El Purito was unbelievable during this Giro. I thought for sure he would pop on the Stelvio but he looked as comfortable as any of the favorites. His TT skills have improved greatly this season and that should propel him to a true GC guy in races to come. If Contador wasn’t racing the Vuelta I would have said J-Rod is the favorite for the final grand tour.

Chapeau! to Thomas De Gendt. Wow! Did that just happen? The 25 year old from Belgium podiumed in only his second grand tour. Sono impressionato! When I first heard that De Gendt was riding for GC and not attacking I thought to myself, hmmm, he doesn’t stand a chance. However, he stayed close enough during the mountain stages to mount an attack on the penultimate stage up the Stelvio pass. It was the decisive move of the Giro and it worked. De Gendt is an all-rounder who is mostly known for his time trialing skills, so when he was up the pass with a gap of over 5 minutes, the favorites had to take notice. Ryder originally started the chase but soon it was evident to Scarponi that he was about to be kicked off the podium. Well, the man from Belgium named for a city in the Netherlands did hold on to enough time to scare all the GC favorites and TT’d his way to a spot on a podium. Chapeau!

Chapeau! to Tony Martin. After being hit by a car, Quickstep should really find some new roads to train on, Tony Martin has come back to do what he does best, TT. Der Panzerwagen beat all of his rivals by over 45 seconds and rode himself into the red jersey, the leader’s jersey for this tour. It was nice to see the German’s mouth wide open again, winning TT’s, and looking forward to him in Le Tour where he could finish surprisingly high.

Some others deserving of a tip of that hat but not worth writing about at this time.

Chapeau! to Andre Greipel for winning three stages at the Tour of Belgium.

Chapeau! to Michael Rogers for a TT stage win, a road stage win, and the overall in the Bayern-Rundfahrt.

Chapeau! to Alessandro Petacchi, for winning three stages during the Bayern-Rundfahrt. Can any of these guys beat Cav in July?

This week’s contra-performance goes to Italian Cycling. This is the first time since 1995 that an Italian has not been on the podium in their tour. Before the Giro it was an almost certainty that Michele Scarponi and Ivan Basso would each hold a step on this year’s podium. However, Scarps lost too much time in the Stage 1 TT and team TT and Basso looked too old. Now, it’s not like Italian cycling is in trouble, they had a number of stage wins, Nibbles was absent, and they are still second in UCI points for countries. Let’s be honest, Gregario Forza is just mad at Basso and Scarponi.

Forza