So i havn't posted in a while but what an amazing Tour we had! Team Sky salvaged it from looking like they were going to have another uneventful trip round France, to being one of the most successful and exciting teams in the whole race. Edvald Boassen-Hagen's two stage wins helped this. He triumphed in a tricky sprint finish and then rode a superb breakaway ride, leaving his companions in his wake on the final climb and descending to victory.
The tour also saw heart in mouth or 'guts or glory' attacks from the likes of Andy Schleck. After a decisively average first week he was not in a dominant position to take the win, like he should have been with Alberto Contador underperforming massively. He rode himself back into the hot seat with an early attack and a solo 50km ride including the Col du Galibier. He did miss out on the yellow jersey that stage however to argueably the man of the tour Thomas Voeckler. Yes he lost it on the brutal Alpe D'Huez the next day but he, not a climber, had managed to ride through the Pyrenees and all but one climb of the Alpes holding that coveted yellow jersey by right.
Of course the eventual winner was Cadel Evans who defended and dragged all his rivals along for most of the three weeks and clinched victory in a blitzing time trial round Grenoble. He had looked like pulling this off all season long with wins in very difficult races that he had handpicked to give him the perfect tour preparation. Something of a Lance-esque approach perhaps? The team had been improved for him and the focus was entirely on the month of July. Sounds like Bruyneel's method is still working.
With minutes to the opening TTT of the Vuelta á Espania lets look at who's in contention now.
Vincenzo Nibali - He proved himself as a serious leader in winning last years race and then took 3rd in the Giro earlier this year for the second year running. Could he steal it again? He is an increddible descender and if the chance comes to take time out of people going downhill this is the man that will do it.
Igor Anton - Not if this man has anything to do with it. He was in the leaders red jersey until a crash took him out of the race last year. Not as strong a time trialist as Nibali put potentially a better climber although that is only marginal. What he does have is a kick going uphill that Nibali doesnt have. With a similar style to Alberto Contador he is one to watch out for.
Denis Menchov - The 2009 Giro and 2005/2007 Vuelta winner had a great 2010 with a podium place in the tour with Rabobank, however he moved to Geox for 2011 and has not looked like the same man. A strong climber but not as strong as the other he had a gruelling Giro and with Carlos Sastre there to play off Geox could be very dangerous of both riders perform better in Spain than in Italy where Menchov and Sastre came 8th and 30th respectively.
Then there are the tour crashers who are lucky enough to have a second chance.
Jurgen Van Den Broeck - He looked strong in the Dauphiné earlier but the question is has he managed to find the same sort of strength and form after recovering from his crash?
Bradley Wiggins - He was in such a good postion to do somehting in this years tour after winning the Dauphiné and looking so so dominant in time trials. He has said he is in similar feeling strength-wise to before the tour, maybe even better, but he lacks race fitness after not being in a single peloton since the tour. Brad holidays in Spain however and will no doubt have been riding the climbs as part of his recovery process. He is also by far the strongest time trialist of all the favourites so lets see what he can do!
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