Lance Armstrong falters, Ryder Hesjedal Flies with Icarus

Monday July 12, 2010
Tour de France – Week one wrap-up

Tour de France Stage 8 Profile

Lance Armstrong crashed just before the first category 1 climb yesterday.

He and team RadioShack were able to rally and bring their ‘protected one’ back to the peloton just as it started up the grueling 14.3 km, 7.6 degree Col de la Ramaz climb. Likely due to the effort of catching and then having to attack the mountain right after Armstrong fell off the main group almost immediately.

Half way up the second category 1 climb, the Morzine-Avoriaz (a 7.7 degree 13.6 km brute) with Armstrong still trying to catch the main group, he again hits the pavement.

We’ve learned over the years not to count Lance Armstrong out; he is, after all, only 13:26 back – in 39th place. I will continue to update his progress along with the other leaders.

Tour de France Stage 8 Finish

Canadian Ryder Hesjedal, has become a main focus here in this blog’s coverage of the 2010 Tour de France. Hesjedal had another great race yesterday in which, although he hit a wall, was able to keep his head and make a tactical adjustment. Half way up the second great climb of the day, the Morzine-Avoriaz he fell off the main group. Instead of trying to catch it again after a failed attempt, he began to ride tempo, ride against himself rather than the peers he had been using as guide posts over the entire stage. Ryder Hesjedal finished the stage 14th, in the 5th group, 1:14 behind the yellow jersey – slipping slightly in the overall, down 3 spots to 6th place.

Yesterday I made this chart (updated, and I will continue to update it), which shows, quite well I think, how Ryder Hesjedal is doing stage by stage on certain terrains, who his peers are, and how he’s doing overall.

Ryder Hesjeal’s Tour de France, Stage by Stage

Stage	Stage Finish	Time behind stage winner	Rank	Standing Overall	Terrain
Prologue	37th	+ 00′ 46″	18th best time	18th	flat
Stage 1	121st	+ 00′ 00″	1st group	36th	flat
Stage 2	48th	+ 03′ 56″	2nd group	27th	three category 3 & 4 hills
Stage 3	4th	+ 00′ 00″	1st group	4th	cobblestones, one category 4 hill
Stage 4	96th	+ 00′ 00″	1st group	4th	flat, one category 4 hill
Stage 5	90th	+ 00′ 00″	1st group	4th	flat, two category 4 hills
Stage 6	109th	+ 00′ 03″	2nd group	4th	long, flat, four category 4 hills
Stage 7	8th	+ 01′ 47″	5th group	3rd	mountain stage: one category 4, two category 3 and three category 2 climbs
Stage 8	14th	+ 01′ 14″	5th group	6th	high mountain: two category 4, one category 3, and two category 1 climbs

Daedalus and Icarus (ca. 1869) by Frederick, Lord Leighton

As expected, the riders that were riding in the main group all day yesterday, including Ryder Hesjedal, (see “Canadian Ryder Hesjedal Riding with the Big Boys in Stage 8, Tour de France“), came out on top after all was said and done – at the Morzine-Avoriaz’s summit finish line – quite nearer the sun.

Daedalus and Icarus (ca. 1869) by Frederick, Lord Leighton.

See Wikipedia article: Icarus

Tour de France: Overall Standings after Stage 8.