Indonesian Digital News Archive

Did you think this year's Tour de France was a bit boring? Was Bradley Wiggin's win lacking in drama? If you, like so many others, felt that way than hold on to your hats. If rumors are to be believed Tour organizers are about to shake things up.

According to Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws, they have received numerous anonymous reports from within the Amaury Sport Organization, which plans Le Tour each year, that course planners are actually considering ending the race on the slopes of Alp d'Huez, perhaps the most well-known and legendary of all the mountains in the race. If true, it would be the first time that the race didn't end on the streets of Paris, with the rider in the Yellow Jersey essentially taking a ceremonial lap along the Champs Elysees.

The 2013 edition of the race will mark the 100th running of the Tour, so of course fans of the race expect there to be some surprises to celebrate that milestone. The course itself will be revealed in full on October 24, although we already know that the first three stages will be held in Corsica, followed by a team time trial in Nice. What else is in store for the riders remains to be seen.

Alp d'Huez is known for punishing even the best climbers the sport of cycling has to offer. It features 21 switchbacks, spread out over 13.8 km (8.5 miles) with an average grade of 7.9%. Each of those hairpin turns has been named for the riders who win the stage over the years, which only adds to the legend hat the slope brings to the Tour when ever it is included on the course.

So, is there any chance that the race could end on this massive mountaintop? I'd say there is always a chance, but personally I'd be quite surprised. The Tour is steeped in tradition and one of the most well respected of those traditions is the final ride on the Champs Elysees on the final day. Pitting the riders against one another on a final grueling climb would certainly add a new element to the competition however, as even large time gaps can be eliminated on Alp d'Huez. It would make for a very different strategy to say the least. If I were a betting man, I'd say the ride still ends in Paris, but perhaps the Saturday before the finishing stage is held on Alp d'Huez. That would still be quite impactful on the race and introduce a new level of drama.

I guess we'll find out more on October 24.

The more things change in the world of adventure racing, the more they stay the same. A decade ago a team called Seagate, led by Kiwi captain Nathan Fa'avae, dominated the sport, earning multiple world championships. With a premature retirement behind Fa'avae and a new Team Seagate are back at the top of the rankings, winning the 2012 AR World Championship at the Raid in France last week.

Fa'avae was joined by teammates Chris Forne, Sophie Hart and Trevor Voyce in claiming victory on a course that featured some of the most rugged and beautiful backcountry in all of Europe. The course featured high altitude treks, plenty of climbing, challenging mountain biking and good paddling sections. It all made for a fantastic experience for the new champs and the other teams involved.

Seagate managed to complete the course in a total time of 125 hours, 40 minutes. For those new to the sport of adventure racing, that means the competed for more than five days straight, taking only brief rests here and their. They managed to outlast defending champs Thule Adventure Team, who claimed second place with a time of 129 hours, 17 minutes. Team Silva claimed third place with a total time of 130 hours, 8 minutes. Many of the other teams were still coming across the finish line over the weekend, several days behind the winners.

That'll wrap up another great season for the AR World Series. There are still a few good races to come this year, but already teams are starting to look forward to competing in 2013, when the world championship will be held in Costa Rica.

Congratulations to the new champs and to everyone who competed in this great event.

The Adventure Racing World Championships are set to get underway tomorrow in France, where 65 of the top teams, representing 30 countries, will take to the starting line for this expedition length race. Over the next eight days, those teams will battle it out on a tough 520km (323 mile) course designed to test their endurance and skill and push these endurance athletes to their absolute limits.

This year's ARWC is being hosted by the Raid In France and features a course that runs through the L'Argentiére-la-Bessé region of the Alps. The route includes more than 20,000 meters (65,616 ft) of total climbing, with more than half of the race taking place above 2000 meters (6561 ft). The coed teams of four will be put to the test as they trek, mountain bike, paddle and navigate their way across one of the more spectacular landscapes in all of Europe.

Today the teams will have a final briefing and run a short prologue ahead of the official start of the race tomorrow at 6AM local time. They'll then have up to eight days to complete the entire course, although the faster teams such as the defending champs Team Thule and the Kiwi squad of Seagate, are expected to finish in around five days.

Once the event gets underway the race will have a live leaderboard and GPS tracking of the teams. As of this writing neither of those are active just yet. When they do go online you'll be able to follow the action at www.live.raidinfrance.com.

Good luck to all of the teams and especially so to my friends who are competing this week. Race hard, be safe and have fun!

This past weekend the North Face Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc took place in the Alps. Over the past decade, the race has earned itself a reputation for being one of the toughest competitions on the planet as runners attempt to circumnavigate around Mont Blanc, passing through France, Italy and Switzerland in the process. The route, which features more than 9600 m (31,496 ft) of climbing, is typically 168km (104 miles) in length, but this year, bad weather caused last minute changes which dropped those distances dramatically. That didn't necessarily make it a much easier race to run however.

On Friday, when the race was scheduled to get underway, UTMB organizers announced that due to wet conditions and cold temperatures they had elected to alter the course. The new route would stay completely within France and was cut down to just 103km (64 miles) and 5790 meters (19,000 ft) of climbing. That didn't seem to dampen the spirits of many of the runners however as thousands of them hit the trail to test their skills. A little more than ten and a half hours later, the first competitor was crossing the finish line.

French runner Francois D'Haene claimed first place in the men's division finishing more than a half-hour in front of second place runner Jonas Buud. American Michael Foote claimed third, finishing at 11 hours, 19 minutes even. On the women's side of the bracket, Brit ultra-legend Lizzy Hawker took first place once again, earning her a record fifth UTMB title. She was an hour and five minutes ahead of second place finisher Francesca Canepa, with third place going to Emma Roca with a time of 13 hours, 23 minutes, 37 seconds. Hawker also managed to finish 16th overall, marking the first time ever that a woman finished in the top 20.

Congratulations to the winners and all the runners of the race. It's a shame the weather reared its guly head once again, but the event still went off well and the top finishers remain tremendous athletes.

One of the toughest endurance races on the planet will take place this weekend with the start of the North Face Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc, which officially gets underway on Friday. The course begins and ends in Chamonix, France and crosses into Switzerland, as it covers 168km (104 miles), of tough mountain terrain, completely circumnavigating around Mont Blanc in the process. Oh, and it also happens to feature 9600 meters (31,496 ft) of ascent too.

This year, for the first time ever, the event will be broadcast live on the web. Considering the coverage kicks off tomorrow and runs for 84 hours straight, that's an impressive feat of endurance as well. The live broadcasts start Thursday, August 30 at 06:00 local time and will continue with 15-minute news briefs through Sunday, September 2.

At the start of the event, more than 6000 runners from 73 countries will take the line. How many of them actually finish remains to be seen. This is one of the largest and most difficult tests of endurance on the planet and isn't for the faint of heart. We'll probably get to witness some of the suffering first hand on these live broadcasts over the next few days.

Good luck to all the runners!



The North Face® Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc® by UltraTrailMontBlanc

The 2012 Tour de France came to and end over the weekend, much to the dismay of cycling fans everywhere. We now begin the very long wait until next year's race, which should be quite the celebration considering it'll be the 100th Tour.

As expected, Bradley Wiggins rode into Paris in the Yellow Jersey and claimed his first Tour win. His dominance in the individual time trials, and the dominance of Team Sky out on the road made this year's race a bit less dramatic than prior years, but it was a great win for an excellent cyclists. He was joined on the podium by teammate Chris Froome and Italian rider Vincenzo Nibali, who finished second and third respectively.

All of the other jerseys were wrapped up heading into Paris as well. Peter Sagan dominated the Green Jersey competition as the race's top sprinter, finishing 141 points ahead of his nearest rival. Thomas Voeckler earned the Polka Dot Jersey of the King of the Mountains which was much deserved following his performance in the Pyrenees, and American Tejay Van Garderen won the White Jersey as the Tour's best rider under the age of 25. Team Radioshack took home the top honors in the team competition as well.

For me, the best part of this year's Tour was seeing all of the great young talent start to emerge. Van Garderen finished fifth overall and looks like he could be a real contender down the line. He's just 23 years of age but looks to be the next great American rider. Froome is 27 and rode very strong throughout the three weeks. His second place finish definitely served notice that he'll be a force to contend with in the future as well.

But these two GC contenders weren't the only impressive young riders. Sagan looked fantastic throughout the race and seems to have the skills to become a possible contender as well. He is currently focused on sprinting but could easily develop into an all-around threat should he decide to go that route.  This was his first Tour ever and he is just 22 years of age.

The French have a lot to look forward to as well as they appear to have a lot of young talent which could possibly deliver a long awaited win for them too. 25-year old Pierre Roland finished 8th in the GC and picked up a stage win. He looks like a strong rider for the future as does Thibaut Pinot who flashed his speed on more than one occasion. Pinot, who is just 22 years old, finished tenth overall.

These young riders are definitely the faces of the future and I expect at least one or two of them will win the Tour or most certainly be in contention. The future of the race looks like a good one and I think the changing of the guard could come sooner than expected.

Only 342 more days until the Tour de France 2013. Vive Le Tour!

Coming off the final big mountain stages and heading into the individual time trial tomorrow, today's Stage 18 of the Tour de France was not expected to provide much in the way of fireworks. It was an opportunity for the sprinters to take center stage once again and it provided a chance for someone to capture a stage victory, but in the grad scheme of things it would have zero impact on the General Classification.

The 215km (133.58 mile) route ran from Blagnac to Brive-la-Gaillarde along a road that featured a few rolling hills but no significant climbs. That allowed for an early break away to escape the peloton but that break couldn't survive and the main group of riders swept them up just as everyone approached the finish line.

Team Sky used the day to show why they are once again the strongest team in the race by providing a perfect lead out for sprinter, World Champion Mark Cavendish. Cavendish has been relegated to water bottle duty for much of the Tour, providing support for the efforts to get Sky captain Bradley Wiggins to Paris in the Yellow Jersey. But today was the day for his mates to pay him back for his patience and perseverance by setting him up for the stage win on the final stretch run of the day. Even Wiggins helped with the lead out, which propelled Cav to the win just ahead of Matthew Goss and Peter Sagan.

It has been a relatively quiet Tour for Cavendish, who has won numerous stage wins over the past few years. Today's victory was just his second of the race, although he has been fairly open about saving his strength for the Olympics. Still, todays burst of speed near the finish line was a thing of beauty and served notice to the other riders in the field. He's the World Champion until further notice and the odds on favorite heading into the London Games. He may not be done in this year's Tour either, as he'll certainly be in the mix on Sunday in the wild sprint on the Champs Elysees, a stage that Cav has won on three occasions in the past.



There as absolutely no change in the overall standings in any other way today. Wiggins still holds the Yellow Jersey and his 2:05" lead over teammate Chris Froome should be unassailable in tomorrow's time trial. Vincenzo Nibali is in third, 2:41" back and while he is a great rider, he'll never catch Wiggins in the ITT, barring some strange mechanical breakdown or crash. That means that Wiggins will triumphantly ride into Paris on Sunday with the Maillot Jaune on his shoulders as the first ever British Tour winner.

Likewise, the Green and Polka Dot Jersey's are sewn up as well. Peter Sagan is the top sprinter in the 2012 Tour and has looked very impressive in his first outing. French rider Thomas Voeckler is the King of the Mountains, which should make the home crowds very happy when he climbs on to the podium on Sunday. Tejay Van Garderen seems to be a lock for the White Jersey as the Tour's best young rider. His closest competition is Thibaut Pinot, who sits 3:16" behind the American. Pinot isn't likely to close that gap on the time trial either.

As mentioned several times already, tomorrow's stage is a 52km (32.31 mile) individual time trial from Bonneval to Chartres. That's a fairly long route for these riders to tackle in solo fashion, particularly at the end of a three week long race. Pacing and bike handling will come into play, but there is zero reason to believe that Wiggins will somehow lose his lead out on the road. The question will be where everyone else behind him ends up in the standings.

Personally, I tend to love the individual time trial on the final stage before Paris. But the drama is gone from this one and Wiggins is clearly the winner. I'll watch tomorrow just to marvel at the individual performances and ogle the time trial bikes, which are beautiful machines to behold. It is veritable bike porn for fans of the sport.

Sunday's final stage is 130km (80.77 miles) in length and stretches from Rambouillet to Paris. It is simply a ceremonial victory lap for the race leaders, who enjoy champaign and a relaxing ride along the way. The sprinters will get themselves to the front for the wild scene on the Champs Elysees which simply has to be seen to be believed.

And with that, the 2012 Tour will come to an end and we'll start counting the days until next year, when we'll hope to see a revitalized Cadel Evans, a healthy Andy Schleck and focused Alberto Contador return to the field.

It was a misty, foggy day in the Pyrenees, where the cyclists in the 2012 Tour de France were battling it out on the final mountain stage of this year's event. Heading into the day we knew that if anyone was going to challenge Bradley Wiggins for the Yellow Jersey they would have to attack today and that knowledge added a bit of intrigue to the race, which has been decidedly without drama this year.

As it turns out, there were actually three ongoing battles today. In addition to the fight for the Maillot Jaune, there were several racers hoping for a stage win and there was unfinished business between Thomas Voeckler and Fredrik Kessiakoff in the battle for the Polka Dot Jersey.

In the end, Stage 17 lived up to the hype as Wiggins' Team Sky put an exclamation point behind their victory. The race leader and his chief lieutenant Chris Froome pulled away from the challengers on the final climb, gaining time on everyone including Italian rider Vincenzo Nibali who is currently in third. As Wiggins and Froome appraoched the summit of that final climb they looked especially dominant as all the other contenders fell away. Froome appeared to be the strong of the two, but like a good teammate, he stayed close to his leader and escorted him safely all the way to the finish line.

Despite those fantastic efforts by Froome and Wiggins, the duo finished second and third behind Alejandro Valverde of Team Movistar. Valverde was part of an early break away that saw a number of riders battling for King of the Mountain points, but the Spaniard was the only rider to survive that break and finished the 144km (89.47 miles) stage 18 seconds ahead of the pursuit.



Throughout the stage Kessiakoff and Voeckler jousted one another for King of the Mountain points, with the Frenchman staying just ahead of his rival throughout the day. That allowed Voeckler to extend his points lead to 11, keeping him in the Polka Dot Jersey for another day and most likely sewing up that competition for this year. There are a few minor climbs tomorrow, but Kessiakoff isn't likely to be able to accumulate enough of those points to reclaim the jersey.

Today was a day for the sprinters to simply survive and get over the big climbs, so as a result Peter Sagan remains 102 points ahead of André Greipel in the battle for Green Jersey. There are sprint points up for grabs tomorrow and of course on the Champs Elysees on Sunday, but that gap should be impossible for Greipel to close. Sagan, provided he stays safe on the road, should ride into Paris with the Green Jersey already won.

American Tejay Van Garderen gave up some time to Thibaut Pinot on the final climb today but still keeps the the White Jersey as the Tour's best young rider. Riding for Team BMC, Van Garderen has been tasked with watching after Cadel Evans throughout the race, but now that Evans has tumbled in the rankings, and has no hope of winning, Tejay has been freed up to pursue his own race. As a result, he managed to climb into fifth place in the rankings while Evans now sits in sixth place nearly a minute and a half behind his teammate.

For his part, Evans has struggled most of the Tour and never seemed to have the legs he needed to hang with Wiggins, Froome or Nibali. Yesterday he lost time on the final big climb and it was later released that he had picked up a virus right before he started the ride. We're told that he was better today, but he still couldn't hang onto the wheel of the top riders. Clearly he was still struggling to regain his strength and I can't imagine how tough it must have been to take on those tough climbs while sick.

With the mountains now behind us the Tour now returns to the rolling plains tomorrow with a 215km (133.58 mile) ride from Blagnac to Brive-la-Gaillarde. The route is far from flat but it doesn't feature the punishing climbs we've seen the past few days, which will give the sprinters an opportunity to stretch their legs once again. It should be a wide open day and look for a break away with a few riders looking to get one last shot at glory before the race ends this weekend.

Personally I have to say that the 2012 Tour has been a bit underwhelming. Wiggins and Sky have been so dominant from the start that there hasn't been a lot of drama. The other contenders haven't been able to compete with such a strong team and only Froome has appeared to be a challenger to Wiggins. It'll be interesting to see how the team dynamics evolve following the season as it seems that Froome has his own designs on wearing the Yellow Jersey one day.

Barring any strange accidents out on the road, we already know this year's winner and we have for nearly two weeks.

Following yesterday's rest day, the riders in the 2012 Tour de France returned to the road today knowing that it would be a difficult stage. But thanks to a doping scandal, GC leader Bradley Wiggins had one less challenger to his Yellow Jersey to worry about.

The big news yesterday was that Frank Schleck of Team Radioshack-Nissan tested positive for Xipamide, a banned diuretic that can sometimes be used as a masking agent for other performance enhancing drugs. The positive test has forced the rider from Luxembourg to pull out of the race, although he is obviously denying any use of the substance. Schleck, who finished third in the Tour last year, has already called for a test of his "B" sample and says that if it comes up positive as well, he'll file a formal complaint on the grounds that he was poisoned. The contention would be that someone slipped the Xipamide into a water bottle or some other food in order to implicate the rider. This wouldn't be unheard of, as in the past cyclists would actually take water bottles from fans along side the road, although that practice has obviously been stopped due to fear of someone slipping something into the drink.

The testing on the B sample should be very telling and we'll have to wait to see how the results turn out. But I've heard from other sources that testing positive for Xipamide is seen as a bit of an amateur mistake and that anyone who is truly doping would probably not be using the substance. That said, it is banned by the World Anti-Doping Code and any amount of it in the system should be seen as suspect in the same way that Alberto Contador's positive test for very small amounts of clenbuterol in the 2010 race.

It has been a relatively quiet year for failed tests and doping allegations and that is a good thing. I believe the sport is getting tougher on the use of performance enhancing drugs, but there will still be a few who will try to use them no matter the circumstances. We'll just have to wait to see how this one plays out.

As for today's stage, it was indeed a punishing ride in the Pyrenees. The route took the peloton from Pau to Bagnéres-de-Luchon along a very mountainous route that included two Beyond Category and two Category 1 climbs. One of those was the dreaded Tourmalet, which is always a monster for the riders, but because it fell in the middle of the route it had less impact that in the past. All told, the entire stage was 197km (122.4 miles) in length that ended on a fast downhill descent to the finish line.



Those kinds of finishes always seem to take the drama out of the race as the big contenders have a difficult time attacking or escaping. Such was the case today, although we did see last year's champion, Cadel Evans, lose ground to the leaders, falling from 4th to 7th overall, some 8:06" off the pace. The top of the leader board remained the same however with Wiggins staying in Yellow, his teammate Chris Froome in second and Vincenzo Nibali in third. For his part, Nibali did attempt to gain ground on the men in front of him, but they were both strong enough to keep pace on the final climb.

The day belonged to the French once again as the scrappy Thomas Voeckler took another stage win. Voeckler was part of an early break away that included the likes of Chris Anker Sorensen, Alexander Vinokurov, Jens Voight and Daniel Martin. But by the slopes of the final climb of the day, Voeckler was riding alone and held on to the solo stage victory. His amazing efforts in the mountains also earned him the Polka Dot Jersey of the top climber, putting him just 4 points ahead of Fredrik Kessiakoff heading into the final mountain stage tomorrow. We'll have to wait to see if Voeckler has any strength left in his legs to earn more climbing points on another tough stage.

Today was definitely not a day for the sprinters, but Peter Sagan still managed to pick up some points early on to help build a massive cushion between him and André Greipel in the battle for the Green Jersey. Sagan, riding in his first Tour, now has a 102 point lead over Greipel and seems a lock to arrive in Paris with the Green Jersey. Similarly, Tejay Van Garderen looked very strong once again today and actually picked up time on his closest rival for the White Jersey which goes to the best rider under the age of 25. It would take a major change in the standings for Van Garderen to not go home with that honor this year as well.

As mentioned, tomorrow is another big mountain stage this time covering 144km (89.47 miles) between Bagnéres-de-Luchon and Peyragudes. The peloton will face another set of tough climbs, including a Cat. 2, two Cat. 1's and a Beyond Category. Unlike today however, we'll have a mountain top finish that could potentially give someone a chance to attack the Yellow Jersey. Wiggins looked very strong today however, even out pacing Froome at times. It's going to take a herculean effort to wrest the Maillot Jaune from his shoulder.

Looking ahead, Friday will be another mostly flat stage for the sprinters to enjoy and Saturday will bring the final individual time trial. As usual, Sunday will be the ceremonial ride into Paris for the Yellow Jersey, although the sprinters will still battle for points on the Champs Elysee.

Today's stage of the Tour de France marked the start of another week of racing in cycling's premiere event, but it was also the calm before the storm as well. After a strange weekend of riding, that included bold breaks, fast sprints and tacks left on the road to flatten tires, the 160km (99.41 mile) Stage 15 was an opportunity for riders muddled in the pack to attempt to steal glory, which is exactly what opportunistic French rider did.

Running across the scenic French countryside from Samatan to Pau, the stage was considered flat although it undulated enough to include a couple of Category 4 and a single Category 3 climb. Those would be merely speed bumps however, particularly with what looms ahead later in the week. An early six-man breakaway took off from the peloton and didn't look back, with the riders working together to stay away. They built a healthy lead and were able to ride it all the way to the finish line, where French rider Fedrigo Pierrick took the victory just ahead of American Christian Vande Velde. The always game Thomas Voeckler took third a full 12 second behind the leaders and the remaining three riders, Nicki Sorensen, Dries Devenyns and Samuel Dumoudlin all trickled in a bit further back.

The main group in the peloton was about 12 minutes behind and included Tour leader Bradley Wiggins who hasn't seen his position atop the leader board jeopardized in any way the past few days. This teammate Chris Froome remains in second and Italian rider Nibali Vincenzo is in third. Vincenzo seems to be the only real threat to Wiggins as we move into the Pyrenees.

Peter Sagan maintained his lead in the Green Jersey competition with a 64 point lead over André Greipel. Sagan is going to be very tough to overtake at this point although there are still points to be gained, particularly if Greipel can manage to win another stage. That seems unlikely considering the road ahead however. Fredrik Kessiakoff is also still in the lead for the Polka Dot Jersey of the King of the Mountains competition. He has an 11 point lead over Pierre Rolland heading into the next mountain stages. This one will be decided in the next few days as well. Finally, Tejay Van Garderen continues to maintain a 1:54" lead over Thibaut Pinot for the White Jersey, which is awarded to the Tour's best rider under the age of 25.



I haven't mentioned the team competition very much this year and I feel that this is a category that often gets overlooked in the Tour as we get so focused on the individual performances. Team Radioshack-Nissan has been the best overall team in the first two weeks of the Tour and they hold a 12:38" lead over Team Sky, who have been more concerned with protecting the Yellow Jersey. Sky has looked absolutely dominating at times, but their tactics and strategies are obviously quite different.

Tomorrow brings the second, and final, rest day of this year's race, giving the riders an opportunity to rest before heading into the high mountains on Wednesday. Stage 16 will be a grueling 197km (122.4 mile) affair that features four big climbs, including two Cat 1 and two Beyond Category monsters. One of those is the legendary Tormalet, a mountain that has broken the spirit of many riders over the years. Unfortunately this year it comes in the middle of the stage and not the end, where it can really do some damage. Still, expect the peloton to be absolutely shredded on the slopes of this epic climb. Stage 16 ends with a downhill finish, which will give the leaders a chance to limit any potential losses and taking away some of the drama. Stage 17, which comes on Thursday, will again feature some big climbs and will include an uphill finish that could potentially have an impact on the standings.

The two days following tomorrow's rest day will likely determine the podium in Paris next weekend. There is still a long individual time trial to come on Saturday, but the mountains offer the biggest threat to Wiggins' title and the biggest opportunity for his challengers. Provided he doesn't crack on the slopes of the Pyrenees however, it is looking like the U.K. will have it's first Tour winner soon. And even if he does falter, Chris Froome seems strong and poised to pick up the mantle and carry the Union Jack and Team Sky to victory.

We'll know in a few days time just who will head to Paris in Yellow.

It was a good day for British cycling on the roads of France. Not only did Bradley Wiggins stay in the Yellow Jersey, and seems destined to all the way to Paris, but they also nabbed a stage win today when David Miller of Garmin-Sharp held off  Jean-Christophe Peraud and Egoi Martinez following a long breakaway. To add icing on the cake, Wiggins' teammate Chris Froome, who grew up in Kenya but is riding under the British flag, is in second place over all and possibly riding better than anyone else in the race. Good day for the Brits indeed!

Today's stage was a 220km (136.69 mile) ride from Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne to Annonay Davézieux. It began with two big Category 1 climbs early on, but soon flattened out and became much easier. That let some of the sprinters remind fan that they're still in the race and the rider who remain in contention for the Green Jersey stretched their legs some where they could. After the two grueling stages from Wednesday and Thursday, this was a relatively tame day in the race, and while we saw a bit of jousting, there wasn't really any major changes to the standings.

As mentioned, Wiggins still rides in Yellow and his mate Chris Froome is in second 2:05" back. In third place is Vincenzo Nibali an additional 18 seconds down. Nibali seems to be the only real threat to Wiggins at this point, and while he has attacked in the mountain stages, he's been unable to shake the lanky Brit and his unflappable Sky Team.

In the battle for the Green Jersey, Peter Sagan extended his lead over Matthew Goss and looks tough to catch at this point. Goss was given a penalty by race officials for "irregular racing" that ended up costing him points. The ruling came after the Australian rider cut in front of Sagan as they both sprinted to the line. It was an abrupt move and it was difficult to tell if it was intentional, but as a result Goss was sent tot he back of the pack he was riding in and gave up the sprint points to his rival.



Fredrik Kessiakoff maintained his lead in the Polka Dot Jersey as well but with some big climbs coming up in the Pyrenees he is far from safe. Even though this was a tough week in the Alps, there are some really grueling rides to come and the King of the Mountains competition is still wide open. Finally, Tejay Van Garderen continues riding in the White Jersey for the best rider under the age of 25. He is just one of several young riders who have looked very impressive this year. We are seeing the future of cycling begin to mature on the roads of France.

Tomorrow will be a day for the sprinters with a mostly flat and fast stage. It'll be a 215km (133.58 mile) ride from Saint-Paul-Trois-Chateaux to Le Cap d'Agde that has a few rolling hills and an intermediate sprint, but otherwise will have little impact on the standings. Sunday takes us back into the high mountains however with 192km (119.29 mile) route from Limoux to Foix. That ride includes a Category 2 and two big Category 1 climbs, with a downhill finish. If anyone is going to make a move on Wiggins, it won't be until then.

The Pyrenees are looming next week, but at the moment Wiggins and the Sky Train look pretty tough to crack. It could be one of the least exciting finishes to the Tour in awhile, but at least the other jerseys are keeping things interesting.

Sad news from France today where we've learned that an avalanche on Mont Blanc, perhaps the most well known and iconic European peak, has left nine climbers dead and four missing. It is believed that a climber accidentally started the snow and ice slide while attempting to scale the mountain.

The 4810 meters (15,781 ft) mountain is a popular one with outdoor athletes across Europe. Not only is it a fantastic climb, but it also offers great skiing, mountain biking, hiking and more. Those activities have made Mont Blanc a top destination all year round and thousands attempt to climb it on any given year.

Today's accident resulted in the death of three climbers from the U.K., three from Germany, two from Spain and one from Switzerland. They were caught up in the avalanche high on the mountain when a large sheet of snow broke off from the peak and slammed down the mountain. A number of climbers were able to react quickly enough to get out of the way, but others weren't so lucky. Two climbers were pulled out of the snow by rescue squads, but the SAR operations were hampered by the possibility of further avalanches in the area.

Conditions on the mountain have been particularly unstable thanks to an unusual amount of spring snows and early summer storms as well. Heavy snows and high winds have reportedly creating some massive, yet unsteady, overhangs that hang above some of the more popular summit routes and authorities have been warning climbers about these conditions for some time.

The search for the four missing climbers was called off due to darkness and poor snow conditions. The rescue teams hope to resume the search tomorrow. They believe that there is a chance that the remaining climbers are alive, but they must proceed with caution.

Condolences to the friends and family of those whose lives were lost in this tragic accident.

It was suppose to be the toughest stage of the 2012 Tour de France yet and it most certainly lived up to that billing. Stage 11 was a 140km (86.98 mile) ride through the high mountains of the Alps that featured two Beyond Category climbs followed by a Cat 2 and a Cat 1 that rolled to the finish line. Even the downhill portions were fast, technical and dangerous. Everything a GC contender, not to mention a fan of the race, could ask for.

The real question of the day was whether or not defending champion Cadel Evans could find a way to attack Tour leader Bradley Wiggins and pull back some time on the Yellow Jersey. If Evans had a hope of winning the race, it seemed that he had to make a move today. Part way through the stage he did attempt to pull away on the second big climb, using teammate Tejay Van Garderen as a pacemaker. But the Australian seemed to lack any kick in his legs and even struggled to keep pace with Van Garderen as the American tried to pull Cadel with him to the summit, where presumably Evans would have attacked on the descent. Both were swept back into the peloton before they even came close to pulling that off however.

The day would go from bad to worse for Cadel, who would end up getting dropped on the final climb of the day and give up even more time to Wiggins. In fact, Evans went from being a possible repeat champion to a rider who could now finish off the podium altogether. The final Category 1 climb of the day that led to the mountaintop finish was his undoing and he saw Wiggin's Sky teammate Chris Froome and Vincenzo Nibali of Liquigas-Cannondale move up to second and third place respectively.

Team Sky has been rolling along like an unstoppable force, guiding Wiggins safely through these challenging stages and ensuring that he always has assistance when he need it to help defend the Maillot Jaune. Their performance is has reminded many of the old U.S. Postal team that carried Lance Armstrong to victory on several occasions in years past. They are dominant, strong and totally in command of the race at this stage. In fact, it seems increasingly unlikely that anyone will be able to catch Wiggins. Provided he stays healthy and avoids any surprise accidents, I believe we already know who our 2012 Tour winner will be.

The winner of today's stage was French rider Pierre Rolland of Team Europcar. He pulled away on the final climb to make a solo finish that was inspiring to watch, finishing 55 seconds in front of Thibaut Pinot and Froome.

With Wiggins clearly in command of the Yellow Jersey, it is the competition for the other jersey's that could prove most interesting in the days ahead. Peter Sagan remains in Green and has had few opportunities to earn points in the past few days. Fredrik Kessiakoff of Astana now holds the Polka Dot Jersey of the King of the Mountains and Van Garderen has solidified his place as the best young rider in the Tour, holding on to the White Jersey.

Tomorrow's Stage 12 will move into the medium mountains once again and will seem like a respite after today's grueling climbs. It is a 220km (136.69 mile) ride from Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne to Annonay Davézieux that begins with two tough Category 1 climbs and then drops off dramatically for the latter stages of the day. A Cat 3 climb near the end will seem like a mole hill to the peloton and the sprinters will get a chance to show everyone that they're still hanging around. I wouldn't expect the GC to change much at all, but the Green Jersey may be back in play, particularly as they head into another flat stage on Saturday.

The Tour de France riders returned to the road today following the first rest day of this year's race. They knew the route would be a tough one as they ventured into the high mountains for the first time. The 194km (120.5 mile) Stage 10 ran from Macon to Bellegarde-sur-Valserine and featured three difficult climbs, including one Beyond Category. It was a day of exciting moves and aggressive riding that ultimately led to a French victory that is sure to make the home crowd very happy.

Early in the stage a group of very talented riders made a breakaway from the peloton in an attempt to grab Tour glory. Amongst them were the likes of Luis-Leon Sanchez, Jens Voight, Dries Devenyns and the immensely popular Thomas Voeckler. The tough climbs broke what was originally a 25-man group into smaller factions with five or six riders surviving over the course of the day. They all rode hard and took turns challenging each other, but in the end it was Voight, who valiantly rode himself back into contention for the stage win after getting dropped on the big climb, Michele Scarponi and Voeckler who battled to win the day. The Frenchman Voeckler, who has had a tough Tour thus far, managed to have just enough gas left in the tank to claim the stage win, three seconds in front of Scarponi and seven in front of a fading Voigt.

Voeckler's win will definitely have French fans celebrating tonight. Last year Voeckler made a surprise move mid-way through the race to claim the Maillot Jaune and then gamely held on to it in the early mountain stages. He's not the kind of rider that can win the race overall, but his tough riding and refusal to give up are certainly admirable. He's been nursing some injuries this year which have kept him at the back of the pack, so it was great to see him earn the victory today.

The stage win wasn't the only thing he gained today. His tough riding also earned him the Polka Dot Jersey as the leader of the King of the Mountains competition. He'll now try to defend that title in the mountain stages to come.

Bradley Wiggins kept the Yellow Jersey firmly on his back, not allowing his rivals to gain any real time on him. Vincenzo Nibali of Liquigas-Cannondale attempted a breakaway at one point in an effort to close the gap on the leader, but he was eventually reeled back in by the surging peloton. Peter Sagan kept the Green Jersey as the top sprinter in the race despite losing an intermediate sprint to Matthew Goss and Tejay Van Garderen still holds the White Jersey as the best young rider in the race.

Tomorrow will definitely be a day to watch. It is the toughest day so far and possibly the toughest day overall in this year's Tour. Stage 11 is 140km (86.9 miles) in length and runs from Albertville to La Toussuire-Les Sybelles. That is a relatively short stage for the Tour, but this one features four massive climbs including two Beyond Category mountains and a Cat 1 up-hill finish. If any of the GC contenders have a hope of earning time on Wiggins, they'll have to be aggressive tomorrow and test his legs on this big mountains.

It's going to be a tough ride that will leave everyone in pain. Stage 11 will take no prisoners.

Despite the fact that the 2012 Tour de France is well over a week old now, the real race didn't actually begin until this past weekend. That's when the riders arrived in the mountains for the first time and we truly separated the wheat from the chaff at last.

On Saturday the riders face a tough uphill finish that shredded the peloton and left on the true contenders to fight it out at the front of the race. The stage victory went to Team Sky's Chris Froome, but most importantly his teammate Bradley Wiggins finally took the Maillot Jaune off the back of Fabian Cancellara after a spirited duel with Cadel Evans on the stage's Category 1 final climb. At the end of the Wiggins held a 10 second lead over Evans, while other possible contenders, such as Nibali Vincenzo of Liquigas-Cannondale and Denis Menchov of Katusha lurked behind.

Sunday's stage was another medium mountain stage that was designed for the climbers. It featured seven categorized climbs, but unlike the previous day it had a downhill finish. That meant that the overall GC standings didn't change much at all, although a young French rider by the name of Thibaut Pinot survived a late breakaway to claim the win and give the host country something to cheer about.

That set the stage for today's big individual time trial which ran for 38km (23.61 miles) from Arc-et-Senans to Besancon. This was the day that would determine who would control the race heading into the Alps later this week and it would give us a clear indication of who had the best form going into the rest day tomorrow.



The stage provided plenty of excitement to say the least. About midway through the day Cancellara through down a scorching time that was a minute and a half faster than anyone else at that point and it seemed like he was a lock to win the day. But Froome and Wiggins had other things in mind, and both bested Spartacus at his own game to claim the top two spots in the TT. For Wiggins it was his first ever Tour stage win and it had the added benefit of increasing his ten second lead over Evans, who put in a game performance as well, but just couldn't keep pace with his British rival. At the end of the day, Wiggins not only remained in Yellow but extended his lead to 1:53. With his great ride, Froome is now in third place, 2:07 back, while Nibali (2:23) and Menchov (3:02) round out the top five.

The other jerseys have been contested the past few days as well with Peter Sagan hanging on to the Green Jersey as the top sprinter and Fredrik Kessiankoff of Team Astana wearing the Polka Dots as the current King of the Mountain. American Tejay Van Garderen of BMC managed to reclaim the White Jersey today as the best young rider in the Tour. He had dropped it on Saturday in the first mountain stage, but rode a great time trial today to earn it back.

As mentioned above, tomorrow is the first rest day of the 2012 Tour and it comes at a good time. The past few days in particular have been very tough on the riders, many of whom are hoping to recover from some first-week crashes as well. Sprinter Tyler Farrar of Garmin-Sharp for example was involved in four crashes in the first six days, leaving him beaten and battered thus far and out of contention of any of the sprints. If he can get healthy, I'm sure he'd still like to try to win a stage or two this year.

Wednesday's Stage 10 will be the first foray into the high mountains as the course enters the Alps at last. The route will run 194km (120.5 miles) from Macon to Bellegarde-sur-Valserine three big climbs, including an uncategorized slog up the Grand Colombier Pass right in the final third of the ride. The stage also features a downhill finish and has some very technical descents to test the riders bike handling skills.

As we gear up for the mountains the question is, is the race already over? Wiggins is riding incredibly well and is a good climber himself. Evans maybe a bit better in that area, but he'll have to get aggressive if he's going to eat into that 1:53" lead. There is still plenty of time of course and lots of mountain stages to come, including two hill-top finishes, but the Australian certainly has his work cut out for him if he hopes to repeat his win from last year.

One thing is for certain, it'll definitely be fun to watch. I can't wait for Wednesday to get here!

Typically you don't expect contenders for the Tour de France to lose time and fall out of contention on a flat stage designed to let the sprinters run wild. But thats exactly what happened today thanks to an untimely crash that sent three riders home and completely dashed the hopes of several men who had dreams of arriving in Paris with the Yellow Jersey on their back.

Stage 6 was a 210km (130.4 mile) ride that was expected to be the calm before the storm, as tomorrow the riders face the first big climbs of the year. For most of the day it seemed to be business as usual, but late in the race, 26km (16 miles) from the finish, a major crash took place near the front of the peloton, sending cyclists to the pavement and blocking traffic for several minutes. A number of dazed riders called for help from their team car as they sought to replace broken bikes and flat tires and the entire scene was chaos and carnage.

Several of the top riders, including Fabian Cancellara, Cadel Evans and Bradley Wiggins managed to avoid the crash altogether and as a result they're still in the hunt for a Tour victory. But a number of big names were either injured or delayed by the incident and in some cases it has almost certainly taken them completely out of contention. Those riders include Frank Schleck, who now sits 2:43 off the lead, Robert Gesink who is 4:13 back and Giro winner Ryder Hesjedal who dropped 13:38 behind the Yellow Jersey.

Many of the top sprinters were caught up in the crash as well and while it had little impact on their performance, it did keep several of them out of the rush for the stage win. That included Mark Cevendish, who has had little luck so far, and Tyler Farrar who was nursing injuries from a crash yesterday. That left guys like Mathew Goss, Peter Sagan and André Greipel to battle it out at the end, and while Greipel had one the last two stages, it was Sagan who blasted by for the win – his third of the race already.



That win gave Sagan some big points in the Green Jersey competition and as a result he retains the lead heading into the mountains. Cancellara kept the Yellow Jersey, at least for one more day and Michael Morkov still wears the Polka Dots of the King of the Mountain. He'll be tested tomorrow on two Category 3 climbs and a Category 1 as well. The White Jersey as the Tour's best young rider stays with Tejay Van Garderen, who now has a nine second lead over Sagan, who is surging in this competition as well. Who performs best in the mountains will go a long way towards determining who will wear that jersey moving forward.

As mentioned, tomorrow's Stage 7 brings the first real climbs of the year. It is a 199km (123.6 mile) ride from Tomblaine to La Planche des Belles Files. The day will begin with a flat start but will gradually begin to go up from there. The Category 3 climbs will test a few of the riders legs and the drops on the other side will be technically challenging as well, but the big Category 1 climb that ends the day will be where the GC contenders will show their mettle and likely take the Yellow Jersey off the back of Cancellara at last.

If you haven't been watching the Tour too much yet this year, tomorrow will probably be the first dramatic day. Sunday will be even more challenging with seven separate climbs ranging from Cat 1 to Cat 4.  The medium mountains are always fun, but it is the big mountains that come later where the real drama begins. We're still a bit of a ways off from that however, so for now we'll have to see who takes command of the race.

If I were to guess the outcome of the weekend, I wouldn't be surprised to see Wiggins don the Yellow Jersey. With only a few seconds separating them, Cadel will be more than happy to let him take the lead and force Team Sky to defend the Jersey in the days ahead. But perhaps Brad isn't ready to claim it either, which opens the door for someone else to claim Tour glory. It should be very interesting.

The past two days on the 2012 Tour de France have been tailor made for the sprinters and while they managed to put on a display of speed and power, it may have been the untimely crashes that have had the biggest impact on the outcome.

Both Stage 4 yesterday and Stage 5 today were mostly flat and uneventful. In both cases early breakaways attempted to steal glory for a few daring riders, and in both cases those breakaways were reeled back in not far from the finish. Today's breakaway for example, managed to stay away for the entire day, covering some 197km (122.4 miles) only to be swept up in the last 150 meters before the end. The two stages also featured major crashes involving some of the top riders within 3km of finish line as well.

But the similarities don't end there. Stage 4 and 5 both ended with furious sprints to the line, with German rider André Greipel of Team Lotto-Belisol claiming the victory. Those two strong wins show that Greipel, with help of his teammates, can hang with the top sprinters in the fieldas he managed to beat the likes of Matthew Goss, Mark Cavendish and Alessandro Petacchi in the past two days.

Those stage wins have been good ones but they've had no impact on the overall standings of the race. Fabian Cancellara remains in Yellow and is likely to stay there until Saturday's first mountain stage. The true General Classification challengers are all lurking close by on the leader board, including Bradley Wiggins, Sylvain Chavanel, Cadel Evans, and Ryder Hesjedal.

Petar Sagan rides in the Green Jersey as the top sprinter at the moment, but he was involved in a late crash today that has allowed a few other riders to close the gap in points. Michael Morkov holds on to the Polka Dot Jersey as the King of the Mountain, but the past few days have offered few opportunities to earn any points in that competition. Tejay Van Garderen still wears the White Jersey for the Tour's best young rider with a one second lead over Edvald Boasson Hagen.

Tomorrow's Stage 6 covers 210km (130.4 miles) between Épernay and Metz. It will once again be a mostly flat stage although it will offer a few more climbs than what we've seen over the past few days. The riders, and in particular the sprinters, should enjoy it while they can, as Friday and Saturday will bring the first big climbs of the year and a probably shakedown at the top of the leader board.

In my first 2012 Tour de France report yesterday I wrote that the riders know they can't win the race in the first week, but they sure as hell can lose it. That theory was put to the test today as the teams took on a 197km (122.4 mile) course that started out flat and ended with a series of tough hills and sharp turns. As a result, Stage 3, which ran from Orchies to Boulogne-sur-Mer, was marred with crashes, mishaps and injuries that sent a few riders home, but fortunately didn't effect any of the big GC contenders.

The challenging climbs at the end of the race, combined with the regular crashes, did result in the peloton being ripped apart once again today. When the pace picked up near the end of the stage, the hills started to take their toll on the riders as well, splitting them into a number of smaller groups. Several of leading riders made attempts at breaking away and claiming the win, including French rider Sylvain Chavanel, who gave it a go on the final climb, but in the end he was reeled back in by a surging peloton. On the final push it was young upstart Peter Sagan of Team Liquigas-Cannondale who beat out his rivals at the line to claim his second stage win of the year in impressive fashion.

As mentioned, the stage had little impact on the overall standings in the General Classification. Fabian Cancellara still leads the race by seven seconds over Bradley Wiggins and Chavanel. Last year's winner Cadel Evans is holding down the 8th spot overall and is in a perfect position for this point of the race. Other possible contenders like Denis Menchov and Ryder Hesjedal are lurking as well.

With no change at the top, Cancellara of stays in Yellow of course. The Green Jersey of the sprinters belongs to Sagan outright now. He actually had claimed it yesterday, when I posted in error that Cancellara had given it to him on loan. At this point the King of the Mountain competition is in the hands of Michael Morkov of Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank. He'll definitely stay in the Polk Dot Jersey for a few more days, as the next few stages don't feature many climbing points. American Tejay Van Garderen also stays in the White Jersey today as the Tour's best young rider under 25.

Tomorrow's Stage 4 runs between Abbeville and Rouen and covers 214km (133 miles). The profile for the ride is mostly flat with a few minor climbs that will likely have zero impact on the race. Look for one of the fast sprinters to take the day tomorrow as it seems tailor made for a showdown at the end.

As most of you no doubt know by now, the Tour de France got underway this past weekend with a Prologue on Saturday and the first two stages yesterday and today. In true Tour fashion, early on there are moment of fireworks between the riders, but there is also a lot of time spent simply holding positions and trying to stay out of trouble. As other, more wiser, Tour observers have said in the past, you can't win the Tour de France in the first week, but you can sure as hell lose it.

With that in mind, the riders took to the streets of Liège, Belgium to ride a short 6.4km (4 mile) Prologue that would determine the standings in the race for the first stage yesterday. That Prologue was won by Fabian Cancellara who has made it a habit of grabbing the Yellow Jersey at the beginning of the Tour over the past few years. Cancellara is an individual time trial specialist who is tough to be on a  one-on-one basis out on the road, but he is no contender for the title in Paris. Still, he will defend that jersey to the best of his ability and will likely hold on to it for at least this week.

Yesterday the riders hit the road for the first time on a 198km (123 mile) ride from Liège to Seraing. The course featured a few rolling hills, which gave the climbers a chance to strut their stuff, while the sprinters had just one opportunity to earn points towards the green jersey. The route featured a tough uphill finish helped to separate the peloton into groups, but none of the GC contenders really struggled or gave up any time. At the end of the day it was talented young rider Peter Sagan of Team Liquigas-Cannondale that pulled of the stage win, with Cancellara close behind.



Today's Stage 2 was much flatter, which allowed the sprinters to take center stage. It ran from Visé to Tournai and covered 207km (128.6 miles) across the Belgian countryside. Because it was so flat, it allowed the top sprinters in the world to go head to head with one another in the final few kilometers and once again it was no surprise that Sky Pro Cycling's Mark Cavendish came out on top. Cavendish has been one of the best sprinters in the world over the past few years and has won his share of Tour stages as well. He was fallowed by André Greipel and Matthew Harley Gross, who finished in second and third.

So as of now, the overall standings have Cancellara in Yellow, just seven seconds ahead of Bradley Wiggins, also of Sky Pro Cycling, and Sylvain Chavanel of Omega Pharma Quickstep. Other GC contenders are lurking in the pack, with Denis Menchov in 6th place overall, defending champ Cadel Evans in 8th and Ryder Hesjedal in 10th. Of course, there is three weeks of racing to go, so those standing will be scrambled a few times before we start to get a clear picture of who will be battling it out in the mountains.

Cancellara also leads in sprint points at the moment, which means he also owns the Green Jersey. He's allowed Peter Sagan to wear it out on the road while he is in Yellow however, and by the time he drops the Yellow Jersey, someone else is likely to already have claimed the Green. There haven't been a lot of climbing points to give out just yet, but Michael Morkov of Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank wears the Polk Dot Jersey of the King of the Mountains at the moment, while American Tejay Van Garderen of BMC Racing holds the White Jersey for the best rider under 25. Van Garderen is also in the 4th overal position of the GC as well.

Tomorrow's stage will enter France for the first time and will cover 197km (122.4 miles) between Orchies and Boulogne-sur-Mer. The profile starts out flat and easy but builds into some rolling hills late in the stage and will once again feature an uphill finish. That means that the sprinters won't be dueling it out at the end so watch for Cancellara to be up near the front, as he was on Sunday, in an attempt o build a cushion for himself in the days ahead. The stage has some potential for a strong climber to survive a breakaway, but whether or not anyone can actually do it remains to be seen.

Personally, I like the course so far this year. They're mixing things up in the early going to ensure it isn't just the sprinters who get to have some fun. That makes these early stages a bit more interesting and it means the GC riders will have to pay attention at all times or risk giving up precious time.

As we all wait patiently for the start of Le Tour tomorrow, we can prepare ourselves by watching the video below which is a nice preview of this year's course. It'll give you an idea of what to expect in the next few days and the three weeks ahead, and when to use those sick days to call into work on those crucial mountain stages. Can't wait!