2010 Tour de France
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| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Dates | 3–25 July | ||
| Stages | 20+Prologue | ||
| Distance | 3,642 km (2,263 mi) | ||
| Winning time | 91h 58' 48" (39.60 km/h/24.61 mph) | ||
| Palmarès | |||
 |
Winner |  Alberto Contador (ESP) |
(Astana) |
| Second |  Andy Schleck (LUX) |
(Team Saxo Bank) | |
| Third |  Denis Menchov (RUS) |
(Rabobank) | |
|
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 |
Points |  Alessandro Petacchi (ITA) |
(Lampre-Farnese) |
 |
Mountains |  Anthony Charteau (FRA) |
(Bbox Bouygues Telecom) |
 |
Youth | Andy Schleck (LUX) |
(Team Saxo Bank) |
| Team | Team RadioShack | ||
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The 2010 Tour de France was the 97th edition of the Tour de France cycle race, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It started on 3 July with an 8.9 km prologue time trial in Rotterdam, the first start in the Netherlands since 1996.1 The race visited three countries: the Netherlands, Belgium and France, and finished on 25 July on the Champs-Élysées in Paris .
The total length was 3,642 kilometres (2,263 mi) including 60.9 kilometres (37.8 mi) in time-trials. Following an opening prologue time trial, featured again after a two year absence, the first three stages passed through the Netherlands and Belgium on routes designed to replicate some features of the spring classic cycle races. This included seven cobblestone sectors totaling 13.2 kilometres (8.2 mi), the longest distance of cobblestones in the Tour since 1983, on stage 3.2 There were six mountain stages, three of them with mountaintop finishes, and two medium mountain stages. In the 100th anniversary year of their first inclusion on the Tour, the emphasis was on the Pyrenees, with two ascents of the Col du Tourmalet.2
The Tour was won by the 2009 victor Alberto Contador from Spain who finished 39 seconds ahead of Luxembourg's Andy Schleck.3 Schleck also won the young riders' competition for the third time running. France's Anthony Charteau won the polkadot jersey as the King of the Mountains whilst the Italian sprinter Alessandro Petacchi won the green jersey for victory in the points classification.
The official Tour presentation was held on 14 October 2009. It was the third consecutive Grand Tour to begin in the Netherlands, as the 2009 Vuelta a España began in Assen, and the 2010 Giro d'Italia in Amsterdam.4
Contents |
Teams
22 teams accepted invitations to participate in the 2010 Tour de France. 16 teams, including two which were no longer part of the UCI ProTour, were covered by a September 2008 agreement with the Union Cycliste Internationale. The 16 teams were:5
Six other teams, including the four ProTour teams not guaranteed a place, accepted their invitations:6
† indicates teams that were not part of the UCI ProTour.
Pre-race favorites
Prior to the start of the race, Contador was considered by many to be the overall race favorite.789 Among the other favorites were Andy Schleck, Cadel Evans, and Lance Armstrong. The US media, led by the US Tour broadcaster Versus, pitched the race as a showdown between Contador and Armstrong, both multi-tour champions going in. It has been since pointed out, however, that Armstrong's chances were perhaps exaggerated prior to the race; the two had already met that year in a two-day race in March at the Criterium International and Contador had finished four minutes ahead of Armstrong.10
Race overview
The 2010 Tour de France started in Rotterdam with an 8.9 km prologue won by Fabian Cancellara. Sylvain Chavanel claimed the lead from Cancellara on Stage 2, after a massive crash which involved many riders, most notably Andy Schleck, a contender for overall victory, and Alessandro Petacchi. The riders in the peloton chose to wait for the fallen riders.11 However, on the cobbles of Stage 3, Cancellara retook the overall lead as Chavanel struggled. Fränk Schleck had to retire from the race, having sustained a collarbone fracture on a crash which delayed many of the riders in the peloton, including Contador and Armstrong who were hopeful of finishing high in the general classification. A number of their rivals, including Cancellara, Andy Schleck, Cadel Evans and Thor Hushovd, were ahead of the crash and so were able to gain a time advantage. On the same stage, Tony Martin, who had been wearing the white jersey since the prologue, lost it to Geraint Thomas, and Hushovd, after winning the stage, took the lead in the points classification.
The race entered the mountains for the first time on Stage 7 and Chavanel again raced away from the field to take his second stage win and maillot jaune of the 2010 edition of the race, whilst Andy Schleck took the young riders' classification lead from Thomas. Evans took the yellow jersey from Chavanel the following day on Stage 8, and in turn lost the lead to Schleck on Stage 9 following a rest day. In Stage 11, Petacchi took the green jersey from Hushovd; Mark Cavendish won the stage, but his leadout rider, Mark Renshaw, was disqualified from the Tour after headbutting Julian Dean while leading out his teammate.12
During Stage 15, controversy arose when Contador took advantage of a mechanical problem that Andy Schleck, wearing the yellow jersey, had at a pivotal moment on the final climb. Although it is considered good sportsmanship to wait for the leader of the Tour when he has technical trouble, Contador continued and took over the yellow jersey at the end of the stage.13 Contador claimed that he did not know that Schleck had technical trouble, and that he had already launched an attack by then.14 Hours later, he apologised for the incident.15 Although he was criticised by some13 after the incident, he also found support from notable ex-riders such as Bernard Hinault, Miguel Indurain and Laurent Jalabert, who said that Schleck's chain had come off due to his own mistake.16 Andy Schleck however denied, in an interview on Eurosport before the 2010 Vuelta, that the chain drop was his fault. He said he didn't change gears or do anything else that would have caused the chain to drop. His view was that it was a mechanical failure.citation needed In this same stage, Anthony Charteau took the lead in the King of the Mountains competition from fellow Frenchman Jerome Pineau.
Stage 17 was considered the queen stage of the 2010 Tour de France. Although it was won by Andy Schleck, it didn't produce a significant change in the fight for the maillot jaune, as Contador crossed the finish line right behind him, the Spaniard having chosen not to fight for the stage win.17
Stage 19 was the second and last time trial of this Tour de France, which Cancellara, the Olympic and World Time Trial Champion, won. It was widely expected18 that Contador would increase the gap between him and Schleck during this stage, and so it happened. Among the first ten riders, the only changes which took place were Denis Menchov overtaking Samuel Sánchez for third place and Ryder Hesjedal taking the seventh place from Joaquim Rodríguez. Contador's first-place lead increased to 39 seconds and at this point he was virtually guaranteed victory.
The final stage was won by Cavendish, who became the first winner of consecutive Champs-Élysées stages. The Manx sprinter won five stages in the 2010 Tour, more than any other rider, taking his career tally to 15 stage wins.
Tour winner Contador finished safely in the peloton surrounded by his Astana teammates. The win was his third Tour de France in three consecutive entries, after having won it in 2007 and 2009. Schleck finished in second place for the second year in a row and Menchov completed the podium in third place. Schleck also won his third consecutive White jersey as the tour's best young rider – it will be his last, as he turns 26 in the weeks before the 2011 Tour. Petacchi won the Green jersey for the tour's best sprinter. His second-place finish in the final stage gave him enough points to finish above Cavendish and Hushovd. France's Charteau won the Polka dot jersey for best climber.1920
Stages
The 97th edition of the Tour consisted of nine flat stages, six mountain stages (three summit finishes), four medium mountain stages, and two individual time trials, one of them being the opening prologue in Rotterdam.2
| Stage | Date | Course | Distance | Type | Winner | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 3 July | Rotterdam (Netherlands) | 8.9 km (6 mi) |  |
Individual time trial |  Fabian Cancellara (SUI) |
| 1 | 4 July | Rotterdam to Brussels (Belgium) | 223.5 km (139 mi) |  |
Flat stage | Alessandro Petacchi (ITA) |
| 2 | 5 July | Brussels to Spa (Belgium) | 201 km (125 mi) | |
Flat stage | Sylvain Chavanel (FRA) |
| 3 | 6 July | Wanze (Belgium) to Arenberg Porte du Hainaut | 213 km (132 mi) | |
Flat stage |  Thor Hushovd (NOR) |
| 4 | 7 July | Cambrai to Reims | 153.5 km (95 mi) | |
Flat stage | Alessandro Petacchi (ITA) |
| 5 | 8 July | Épernay to Montargis | 187.5 km (117 mi) | |
Flat stage |  Mark Cavendish (GBR) |
| 6 | 9 July | Montargis to Gueugnon | 227.5 km (141 mi) | |
Flat stage | Mark Cavendish (GBR) |
| 7 | 10 July | Tournus to Station des Rousses | 165.5 km (103 mi) |  |
Medium mountain stage | Sylvain Chavanel (FRA) |
| 8 | 11 July | Station des Rousses to Morzine-Avoriaz | 189 km (117 mi) |  |
Mountain stage | Andy Schleck (LUX) |
| 12 July | Rest day (Morzine-Avoriaz) | |||||
| 9 | 13 July | Morzine-Avoriaz to Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne | 204.5 km (127 mi) | |
Mountain stage | Sandy Casar (FRA) |
| 10 | 14 July | Chambéry to Gap | 179 km (111 mi) | |
Medium mountain stage |  Sérgio Paulinho (POR) |
| 11 | 15 July | Sisteron to Bourg-lès-Valence | 184.5 km (115 mi) | |
Flat stage | Mark Cavendish (GBR) |
| 12 | 16 July | Bourg-de-Péage to Mende | 210.5 km (131 mi) | |
Flat stage | Joaquim Rodríguez (ESP) |
| 13 | 17 July | Rodez to Revel | 196 km (122 mi) | |
Flat stage |  Alexander Vinokourov (KAZ) |
| 14 | 18 July | Revel to Ax 3 Domaines | 184.5 km (115 mi) | |
Mountain stage | Christophe Riblon (FRA) |
| 15 | 19 July | Pamiers to Bagnères-de-Luchon | 187.5 km (117 mi) | |
Mountain stage | Thomas Voeckler (FRA) |
| 16 | 20 July | Bagnères-de-Luchon to Pau | 199.5 km (124 mi) | |
Mountain stage | Pierrick Fédrigo (FRA) |
| 21 July | Rest day (Pau) | |||||
| 17 | 22 July | Pau to Col du Tourmalet | 174 km (108 mi) | |
Mountain stage | Andy Schleck (LUX) |
| 18 | 23 July | Salies-de-Béarn to Bordeaux | 198 km (123 mi) | |
Flat stage | Mark Cavendish (GBR) |
| 19 | 24 July | Bordeaux to Pauillac | 52 km (32 mi) | |
Individual time trial | Fabian Cancellara (SUI) |
| 20 | 25 July | Longjumeau to Paris (Champs-Élysées) | 102.5 km (64 mi) | |
Flat stage | Mark Cavendish (GBR) |
| TOTAL | 3,642 km (2,263 mi) | |||||
Classification leadership
- Notes
- In stage 1, David Millar, who was third in the points classification, wore the green jersey, as Fabian Cancellara held the general classification as well as the points classification and Tony Martin, who was second in the points classification, was wearing the white jersey.
- In stage 3, Alessandro Petacchi wore the green jersey, as Sylvain Chavanel held the general classification as well as the points classification.
- In stages 10 through 15, Robert Gesink wore the white jersey, as Andy Schleck held the general classification as well as the youth competition.
Final standings
General classification
| Rider | Team | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alberto Contador (ESP)  |
Astana | 91h 58' 48" |
| 2 | Andy Schleck (LUX)  |
Team Saxo Bank | + 39" |
| 3 | Denis Menchov (RUS) |
Rabobank | + 2' 01" |
| 4 | Samuel Sánchez (ESP) |
Euskaltel-Euskadi | + 3′ 40" |
| 5 |  Jurgen Van Den Broeck (BEL) |
Omega Pharma-Lotto | + 6′ 54" |
| 6 |  Robert Gesink (NED) |
Rabobank | + 9′ 31" |
| 7 |  Ryder Hesjedal (CAN) |
Garmin-Transitions | + 10′ 15" |
| 8 | Joaquim Rodríguez (ESP) |
Team Katusha | + 11′ 37" |
| 9 |  Roman Kreuziger (CZE) |
Liquigas-Doimo | + 11′ 54" |
| 10 |  Chris Horner (USA)  |
Team RadioShack | + 12′ 02" |
Points classification
| Rider | Team | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alessandro Petacchi (ITA)  |
Lampre-Farnese Vini | 243 |
| 2 | Mark Cavendish (GBR) |
Team HTC-Columbia | 232 |
| 3 | Thor Hushovd (NOR) |
Cervélo TestTeam | 222 |
| 4 | José Joaquín Rojas (ESP) |
Caisse d'Epargne | 179 |
| 5 |  Robbie McEwen (AUS) |
Team Katusha | 179 |
| 6 | Edvald Boasson Hagen (NOR) |
Team Sky | 161 |
| 7 | Sébastien Turgot (FRA) |
Bbox Bouygues Telecom | 135 |
| 8 |  Gerald Ciolek (GER) |
Team Milram | 126 |
| 9 | Jurgen Roelandts (BEL) |
Omega Pharma-Lotto | 124 |
| 10 | Lloyd Mondory (FRA) |
Ag2r-La Mondiale | 119 |
King of the Mountains classification
| Rider | Team | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anthony Charteau (FRA)  |
Bbox Bouygues Telecom | 143 |
| 2 | Christophe Moreau (FRA) |
Caisse d'Epargne | 128 |
| 3 | Andy Schleck (LUX) |
Team Saxo Bank | 116 |
| 4 | Alberto Contador (ESP) |
Astana | 112 |
| 5 | Damiano Cunego (ITA) |
Lampre-Farnese Vini | 99 |
| 6 | Samuel Sánchez (ESP) |
Euskaltel-Euskadi | 96 |
| 7 | Sandy Casar (FRA) |
Française des Jeux | 93 |
| 8 | Jérôme Pineau (FRA) |
Quick Step | 92 |
| 9 | Thomas Voeckler (FRA) |
Bbox Bouygues Telecom | 82 |
| 10 | Pierrick Fédrigo (FRA) |
Bbox Bouygues Telecom | 72 |
Young Riders' classification
| Rider | Team | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andy Schleck (LUX) |
Team Saxo Bank | 91h 59′ 27" |
| 2 | Robert Gesink (NED) |
Rabobank | + 8′ 52" |
| 3 | Roman Kreuziger (CZE) |
Liquigas-Doimo | + 11′ 15" |
| 4 | Julien El Fares (FRA) |
Cofidis | + 52′ 53" |
| 5 | Cyril Gautier (FRA) |
Bbox Bouygues Telecom | + 1h 24′ 33" |
| 6 |  Jakob Fuglsang (DEN) |
Team Saxo Bank | + 1h 37′ 53" |
| 7 | Rafael Valls (ESP) |
Footon-Servetto-Fuji | + 1h 41′ 48" |
| 8 | Pierre Rolland (FRA) |
Bbox Bouygues Telecom | + 1h 46′ 03" |
| 9 | Geraint Thomas (GBR) |
Team Sky | + 1h 59′ 26" |
| 10 | José Joaquín Rojas (ESP) |
Caisse d'Epargne | + 2h 01′ 19" |
Team classification
| Pos. | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Team RadioShack |
276h 02' 03" |
| 2 | Caisse d'Epargne | + 9′ 15" |
| 3 | Rabobank | + 27′ 48" |
| 4 | Ag2r-La Mondiale | + 41′ 10" |
| 5 | Omega Pharma-Lotto | + 51′ 01" |
| 6 | Astana | + 56′ 16" |
| 7 | Quick Step | + 1h 06′ 23" |
| 8 | Euskaltel-Euskadi | + 1h 23′ 02" |
| 9 | Liquigas-Doimo | + 1h 29′ 14" |
| 10 | Bbox Bouygues Telecom | + 1h 54′ 18″ |
See also
References
- ^ "Rotterdam to host 2010 Tour start". BBC Sport. 20 November 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/cycling/7740240.stm. Retrieved 22 July 2009.
- ^ a b c "Race Review 2010 – The route". Tour de France. 2009-10-14. http://www.letour.fr/2010/TDF/COURSE/us/le_parcours.html. Retrieved 2009-10-14.
- ^ "Alberto Contador wins Tour de France as Mark Cavendish misses out on green". Guardian. 2010-07-26. http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2010/jul/25/alberto-contador-mark-cavendish-tour-de-france. Retrieved 2010-07-25.
- ^ Cycling Weekly (31 May 2009). "2010 Giro d'Italia to start in Holland". Cycling Weekly. http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/344855/2010-giro-d-italia-to-start-in-holland.html. Retrieved 6 October 2009.
- ^ "2010 Tour de France Teams". 22 October 2009. http://www.cyclingfans.com/node/554. Retrieved 28 December 2009.
- ^ "Tour de France wildcard place awarded to Team Sky". Cycling Weekly. 2010-03-30. http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/tour-de-france/448619/tour-de-france-wildcard-place-awarded-to-team-sky.html.
- ^ Macur, Juliet (1 July 2010). "Plenty of Contenders at the Tour de France". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/02/sports/02tourcapsules.html?scp=23&sq=tour%20de%20france%20preview&st=cse. Retrieved 1 August 2010.
- ^ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/othersports/article-1290850/TOUR-DE-FRANCE-2010-Favourites-win-97th-Tour--plus-British--Irish-hopefuls.html
- ^ http://www.espnstar.com/other-sports/news/detail/item460692/The-2010-Tour-de-France-favourites/
- ^ Gifford, Bill (15 July 2010). "All Downhill From Here". Slate. http://www.slate.com/id/2260464/pagenum/all/. Retrieved 1 August 2010.
- ^ Cycling-Big guns escape with minor injuries in Tour crash – Yahoo! Eurosport
- ^ Les Clarke (2010-07-15). "Cavendish takes win number three". Cycling News. Future Publishing Limited. http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/97th-tour-de-france-gt/stage-11/results. Retrieved 2010-07-15.
- ^ a b "Tour de France 2010: Stage 15 – live!". Guardian.co.uk. 2010-07-19. http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2010/jul/19/tour-de-france-2010-stage-15-live. Retrieved 2010-07-19.
- ^ "Contador: "No me he dado cuenta de lo que le ha pasado a Andy"". As.com. 2010-07-19. http://www.as.com/ciclismo/articulo/contador-he-dado-cuenta-le/dasclm/20100719dasdascic_3/Tes. Retrieved 2010-07-19.
- ^ "Alberto Contador explains his feelings about Andy Schleck and himself after Stage 15". YouTube. 2010-07-19. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdOJLuePexs. Retrieved 2010-07-19.
- ^ "La débil frontera del juego limpio". El País. 2010-07-20. http://www.elpais.com/articulo/deportes/debil/frontera/juego/limpio/elpepudep/20100720elpepudep_8/Tes. Retrieved 2010-07-20.
- ^ Tour de France – Schleck wins but Contador retains yellow – Yahoo! Eurosport
- ^ Tour de France – Cavendish bursts to win in Bordeaux – Yahoo! Eurosport
- ^ Tour de France – Cav wins, Contador makes it three – Yahoo! Eurosport
- ^ Williams, Richard (25 July 2010). "Tour de France 2010: Protocol observed for Alberto Contador's coronation". The Guardian (Guardian News and Media). http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2010/jul/25/tour-de-france-2010-alberto-contador. Retrieved 26 July 2010.
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