Off the Back: Five Thoughts on the Tour de France Today

Peter Sagan arose on Friday morning full of hope, tweeting: “Will today be THE DAY?” Stage 7, a 234.5-km (145.7-mile) slog from Nancy to Epernay – the

Austin Murphy | Jul 11, 2014

Off the Back: Five Thoughts on the Tour de France Today /

Peter Sagan arose on Friday morning full of hope, tweeting: “Will today be THE DAY?” Stage 7, a 234.5-km (145.7-mile) slog from Nancy to Epernay – the second-longest day of this Tour – set up especially well for the Slovak’s skill set. Sagan, aka The Terminator, is a brilliant all-around rider. He can climb, though not with the true mountain goats. He can sprint, but can’t quite hang with the pure speedsters. Today’s mainly flat stage featured a couple of Category 4 (nuisance) climbs in the final 15 kilometers – nothing dramatic, but enough to dislodge the sprinters, making Sagan the alpha down the final stretch.

It almost worked. BMC’s Greg Van Avermaet complicated matters by attacking off the final climb. Sagan marked the move, but burned valuable matches to do it. Those two were soon overtaken, forcing Sagan, already depleted, to engage in a field sprint. It almost didn’t matter. In the final seconds he pulled even with Italian rider Matteo Trentin. There was the Tour’s website trumpeting the news: “The winner is … Peter Sagan.” Then, a minute later: “Correction: the winner is Matteo Trentin.”

In a photo finish. After riding 146 miles, Sagan lost by several centimeters. Or roughly 140 characters. Today was not the day.

Five Thoughts on the Tour So Far

1. The day’s biggest loser – through no fault of his own – was BMC leader Tejay van Garderen, who was taken down in a crash near the top of the penultimate climb. His bike trashed, TVG hopped on that of his teammate Peter Velits, and began the tortuous process of trying to catch the leaders. Leapfrogging and slingshotting himself through the convoy of team cars, riding in a paceline with teammates Peter Stetina and Michael Schar, he vainly tried to catch the lead group. Not helping in the least was Van Avermaet, whose attack at the front of the race – at precisely the same moment that his team leader was fighting not to lose the Tour – could not have been more poorly timed. TGV lost a little over a minute to race leader Vincenzo Nibali, dropping from 11th in the standings to 17th. There might be a few strained moments at BMC’ dinner table tonight.

Tejay van Garderen of the U.S., center top, and Switzerland's Sebastien Reichenbach, right, crash during the seventh stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 234.5 kilometers (145.7 miles) with start in Epernay and finish in Nancy, France, Friday, July 11, 2014. :: AP Photo/Fred Mons

Compounding their misery, van Garderen lost a teammate in the same crash that took him down. John Darwin Atapuma, a Colombian climbing specialist who would’ve shepherded TGV through the high mountains, abandoned shortly after that pileup. (The day’s most courageous rider may have been BMC’s Marcus Burghardt, who trashed a shoulder in a Stage 6 crash, and was given a 50-50 chance of taking the start today. He did, finishing 142nd out of 189 riders.)

The Tour de France Through the Years

Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images

The arrival of the cycling bunch at Albi in France at the first Tour de France in 1903.

Cyclists taking their bag of provisions on the Tour de France.

La Foule des Jeunes au 'Tour de France: les voila! (The crowd of young people at the Tour de France: here they are!)

French racing cyclist Maurice Garin, winner of the first Tour de France in 1903.

Rene Pottier, a French racing cyclist in the Tour de France in 1905.

Maurice Branger/Roger Viollet/Getty Images

The start of the 1908 Tour de France in Paris on July 13, 1908.

Racing cyclist Nicolas Frantz, from Luxembourg, celebrates his Tour de France victory, in Parc des Princes, Paris, on July 15, 1928.

French cyclist Andre Leducq (left) won the Tour de France in 1932.

Belgian team racing cyclists Georges Ronsse (left), Frans Bonduel (center) and Jean Aerts (right) write letters during a rest time of the Tour de France, on July 8, 1932 in Nantes.

French racing cyclist Antonin Magne (left), winner of the 28th Tour de France is interviewed at the end of the 23rd stage Caen-Paris, on July 29, 1933.

Racing cyclist Arsene Mersch of Luxembourg changes his wheel with Josy Krauss one's after a puncture during the fourth stage of the Tour de France, on July 10, 1934.

Henri Desgrange (left), founder of the Tour de France, stands next to French rider Roger Lapebie on July, 21, 1937 in Pau, before the start of the 16th stage between Pau and Bordeaux.

Roger Pingeon, French racing cyclist and winner of the Tour de France 1967 (right), shaking hands of Eddy Merckx (left), Belgian racing cyclist.

The French cyclist Jacques Anquetil, winner of the Tour de France, upon his crossing the finishing line at the Parc des Princes on July 16, 1961.

Cyclists Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx and Felice Gimondi were the three winners of the Tour de France in 1970.

Lucien Van Impe from Belgium, wearing the red and white Polka Dot Jersey of the best climber, rides during the 64th Tour de France in July 1977.

Lucien Van Impe from Belgium waves from podium during the 64th Tour de France between June 30 and July 27, 1977. Van Impe finished third placed in the overall ranking.

Frenchman Bernard Hinault leads in front of Portuguese Joaquim Agostinho, Dutchmen Joop Zoetemelk and Hennie Kuiper (left) and Swedish Sven-Ake Nilsson during the third stage of the Tour de France between Luchon and Pau on June 30, 1979. Hinault won the stage in a sprint finish beating Belgian Rudy Pevenage and Italian Gian-Battista Barronchelli and went on to capture his second consecutive Tour de France's victory in Paris, winning seven stages overall.

Dutchman Joop Zoetemelk, wearing the leader's yellow jersey, rides uphill next to Frenchman Raymond Martin during the 17th stage of the Tour de France between Serre-Chevalier and Morzine on July 14, 1980. Zoetemelk finished 13th of the stage won by Frenchman Mariano Martinez but went on to win his first and only Tour de France in Paris.

French cyclist Laurent Fignon undergoes a medical exam before the start of the Tour de France cycling road race on June 27, 1984 in Bobigny. Fignon revealed on June 11, 2009, during the recording of a TV show that he suffers advanced stage cancer, but said that there he has no links with doping products. Fignon won the Tour de France in 1983 and 1984.

During a day-off on July 12, 1985 in Villard-de-Lans, Frenchman Bernard Hinault, the overall leader of the 72nd Tour de France, displays his four yellow jerseys won in previous years (1978, 1979, 1981, 1982). Hinault won the 1985 edition as well to tie the record set by his compatriot Jacques Anquetil and Belgian rider Eddy Merckx.

The American cyclist Greg Lemond rides in the Tour de France on July 16, 1986.

Spanish Julian Gorospe (right) leads a final breakaway from Nimes to Gap in the 73rd Tour de France, with French Jean-FranÁois Bernard (left) and French Bernard Vallet (center).

The riders reach the top of the Col du Galibier in France, between Le Bourg-d'Oisans and La Plagne, during Stage 21 of the Tour de France in July 1987.

French cyclist Stephen Roche is rescued after fainting, on July 22, 1987 at the arrival of the 21st stage of the Tour de France between Bourg d'Oisans and La Plagne.

A group of cyclists recover after a fall during the third stage of Tour de France in Francorchamps, Belgium on July 3, 1989.

American Greg Lemond celebrates on the podium wearing the yellow jersey after winning the 1990 Tour de France in Paris. It was his third in the Tour de France.

Greg LeMond sucks his thumb like a baby as he waits for the medical examinations on Friday, June 29, 1990, in Poitiers, France.

Cyclists pass through the Alsatian countryside in the 10th stage of racing between Luxembourg and Strasbourg in the 79th Tour de France in July 1992.

Spanish cycling champion Miguel Indurain (right) takes one of the final turns of the 79th Tour de France on the Champs Elysees in July 1992.

American cyclist Lance Armstrong undergoes a medical examination in Lille, northern France, in June 1994, a few days before the start of the 81st Tour de France cycling race.

Fabio Roscioli of Italy splashes himself with water during the 12th stage of the Tour de France from Isola 2000 to Marseille in July 1993. Roscioli raced ahead and alone for 112 miles before winning the stage. Miguel Indurain had no problem holding onto the lead even though he finished in the main pack, more than 20 minutes behind Roscioli.

The American flag flutters in the air in the foreground as the pack of riders pass under it on their way up the coast during stage six of the Tour de France in 1994.

Defending chamption Miguel Indurain of Spain going through medical checkups prior to the start of the Tour de France in 1995.

Four-time winner of the Tour de France Miguel Indurain of Spain takes a lung-capacity check-up in Saint-Brieuc, France prior to the start of the 1995 edition of the race.

Sunflowers frame cyclists as the pack rides by under cloudy skies during the 14th stage of the Tour de France cycling race in July 1995.

The peleton climbing La Freissinouse leaving the start at Gap on its way on the 11th stage of the Tour De France in 1996.

American George Hincapie performs during the 13 stage of the Tour de France in July 1997.

The yellow jersey German Jan Ullrich demonstrates with other cyclists at the beginning of the 12th stage of the Tour de France in Tarascon-sur-Ariege, South of France, in July 1988 to protest against the media coverage of the race focusing on doping affairs.

The winner of the 1999 Tour de France American Lance Armstrong is supported by spectators during his victory lap on the Champs-Elysees in Paris in July 1999.

The 2000 Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong is supported by spectators during his victory lap on the Champs-Elysees after the last stage of the 87th French cycling race in July 2000.

The 2002 Tour de France winner US Lance Armstrong celebrates as he makes his victory lap on the Champs-Elysees after the last stage of the 89th French cycling race in July 2002.

Yellow Jersey holder Alberto Contador of Spain and Astana passes L'Arc de Triomphe during the 21st stage of the Tour de France on July 26, 2009 in Paris, France.

Bradley Wiggins of Great Britain celebrates on a processional lap after winning the 2012 Tour de France after the twentieth and final stage from Rambouillet to the Champs-Elysees.

Britain's Chris Froome wins the 2013 Tour de France winner, making it back-to-back British winners of the cycling race.

Atapuma’s departure continues the curious pattern of climbing domestiques crashing before the race reaches the mountains. Abandoning yesterday were Team Sky’s Xabier Zandio and Jesus Fernandez of Tinkoff-Saxo, the latter leaving Alberto Contador without his most trusted lieutenant in the cols. Hernandez, significantly, is also Contador’s best friend – “a big problem,” NBC’s Phil Liggett pointed out during the horse latitudes of today’s broadcast, because the two were also roommates, leaving Contador with “no one to speak to at night, and that can be a serious problem when you want to unload your problems at the end of the day.” To the Spaniard’s list of challenges in this Tour – Nibali, Team Sky’s Richie Porte, Andrew Talansky of Garmin-Sharp – add this one: loneliness!

2. Yes, that was Talansky slamming the deck hard 400 or so meters shy of the finish line today. With the field sprint reaching full boil, the 25-year-old from Florida realized that maybe he didn’t need to be in the thick of things. As he looked right, drifting ever so slightly left, Australian Simon Gerrans swung right, just in front of him, hoping to grab a wheel and get in the mix. The Orica GreenEdge rider ran over the front wheel of Talansky, who executed a nifty tuck and roll into the barriers.

3. You gotta love Talansky, who despite his tender years marched up to the Orica team bus afterward, declaring: “I want a personal apology.” Orica sports director Julian Dean, himself a former sprinter, shook his head and replied, “You looked the wrong way.”

Gerrans, not surprisingly, was quick to forgive himself, telling Cycling Weekly, “I don’t think either of us really did too much wrong. It was just an unfortunate thing that happened under the circumstances.”

Andrew Talansky of the U.S. crashes as the pack with stage winner Italy's Matteo Trentin, foreground left, sprints towards the finish line during the seventh stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 234.5 kilometers (145.7 miles) with start in Epernay and finish in Nancy, France, Friday, July 11, 2014. — Andrew Talansky of the U.S. crashes as the pack with stage winner Italy's Matteo Trentin, foreground left, sprints towards the finish line during the seventh stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 234.5 kilometers (145.7 miles) with start in Epernay and finish in Nancy, France, Friday, July 11, 2014 :: AP Photo/Peter Dejong

Talansky came away with nothing more serious than some deep abrasions. “He’s more pissed off about how the crash happened,” Garmin-Sharp manager Jonathan Vaughters told NBC. “The first thing he said to me was, ‘I want a personal apology from Gerrans.’”

“Do you think he’ll get it?” followed up NBC’s Steve Schlanger.

“No,” replied JV, with a laugh.

4. Schlanger, btw, is having an excellent Tour, extracting from his subjects multiple nuggets of gold, including one this afternoon from BMC’s Stetina, a terrific American talent riding his first Tour de France. Riffing on the subject of the frequent crashes and almost unbearable tension in the peloton, Stetina shared that male pattern baldness runs in his family. This first week of the Tour, he feared, was accelerating the inevitable for him. “I haven’t started going bald yet,” he said, “but I’m wondering if I need a T.U.E.” – a therapeutic use exemption from Tour doctors – “for Rogaine.”

5. Despite that tumble, Talansky bumped up from 9th to 7th in the general classification, while van Garderen dropped to 17th. Expect more comprehensive upheaval on Saturday. Stage 8 comes with a delightful sting in its tail: three categorized climbs in the final 30 kilometers. Watch for Contador, who trails Nibali by 2:37, to go on the attack.

Published Jul 11, 2014

AUSTIN MURPHY