Stage 4 Results

1 Astana                   0:46:29
2 Garmin-Slipstream      +   00:18
3 Saxo-Bank              +   00:40
4 Liquigas               +   00:58
5 Columbia-HTC           +   00:59

— grahamwatson
  

Post Stage Analysis

Astana Wins the Stage, but not the Shirt
Cancellara keeps the Yellow Jersey after near-miss by Armstrong

Team Astana won today’s team time trial raced on technical roads around Montpellier. The team led by Alberto Contador and Lance Armstrong finished 18 seconds ahead of the crono specialists at Garmin-Slipstream and 40 seconds ahead of the Saxo Bank team of race leader Fabian Cancellara. The race lead came down to fractions of a second, today, as Cancellara and Armstrong finished the stage tied on time. On the count-back, Cancellara came out ahead, and rides another day as the leader of the general classification.

The Story

Today’s team time trial resembled Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride as teams tried to maneuver through the windy, technical course in Montpellier. Stéphane Goubert of AG2R-La Mondiale compared the team time trial to driving a big truck with limited maneuverability. Certainly, many teams would not have passed their driving tests today. Bbox-Bouygues Telecom suffered one of the more spectacular mishaps which sent four of their riders off the road and into a field. The general classification riders were not immune, and Denis Menchov of Rabobank crashed in a tight right-hand bend. The Russian finished the stage, but dropped precipitously down the standings.

Caisse d’Épargne set an early fast time, which stood until late in the day. Liquigas-Doimo, who frequently ride well in the team time trial, soon surpassed them. But the big battle of the day was among Saxo Bank, Astana, and Garmin-Slipstream. Garmin-Slipstream shed riders early in the stage, but the remaining five soon passed the best time then held by Liquigas-Doimo. Bradley Wiggins, David Zabriskie, David Millar, and Christian Vandevelde powered through the course, with Ryder Hesjdahl hanging on for dear life. Hesjdahl took his turns in the early kilometers, but by the end, could not match the tempo of his four team-mates, all specialists against the watch. It was a big ride from Garmin-Slipstream, and it looked for a time as if they might take out the stage win.

But out on course, Team Astana, also stacked with time trial specialists, was steadily knocking down the time standards set by Garmin-Slipstream. With their lead in the teams classification, Astana departed last and had the advantage of knowing the other teams’ times. The team of Alberto Contador and Lance Armstrong were chasing not only the stage win, but also the Yellow Jersey of the race leader for Armstrong. At the second time check, Armstrong was the race leader on the road by just one second.

Saxo Bank, meanwhile, was nearing the finish. Determined to defend the Yellow Jersey, Cancellara measured his efforts in the early going, so as not to leave any of his team-mates behind. His otherworldly bike handling nearly led Andy Schleck astray, as the big Swiss took the Cancellara Line through a turn, leaving only centimeters of road to spare. Schleck recovered quickly, and Saxo kept all nine of their riders until the final kilometers. In the straight, flat, finale of the stage, Cancellara did the majority of the work, including a kilometer straight on the front of the team. Saxo Bank finished 22 seconds behind Garmin-Slipstream, and the wait began for Astana to finish.

At the line, Astana finished 21 seconds up on Garmin-Slipstream to take the stage win. Alberto Contador crossed the line first for the team, while Armstrong took the all-important fifth position. The time for the team is taken when the fifth rider crossed the line. The clock showed a 40 second gap from Astana to Saxo Bank, which put Armstrong and Cancellara equal on time for the general classification. From the might-have-been file, had Bradley Wiggins made the Columbia-created split during yesterday’s stage to La Grande-Motte, he would have taken the Yellow Jersey today.

In a rare coincidence, Lance Armstrong and Fabian Cancellara were now tied in the general classification. Head-scratching ensued as the officials did a count-back to determine the race leader. According to the Tour’s rules, in the event of a tie in the general classification, the fractional seconds achieved by each rider in his individual time trial will be added to the calculation of the general classification.

In the case of this Tour, the officials returned to the stage 1 time trial in Monaco. Fabian Cancellara recorded a time of 19:32.14, while Lance Armstrong finished in 20:12:36. To calculate the time gap, the officials subtracted 14 from 36. The official time gap between Cancellara and Armstrong is now 0.22 seconds. Surely, this is one of the smallest gaps in the Yellow Jersey race ever.

After the race, Cancellara joked that he credited “the precision of Swiss timing” for his defense of the jersey. He credited his team with working hard to prepare for the time trial. “It was not a very beautiful parcours for a team time trial, but we fight as much as we can,” he said in English after the stage. Cancellara compared his team’s performance in the final kilometers to the Tour lion. My team “gave everything. They were the lion.” “Any kilometer of this race, you can not make mistakes. I tired to give everything out to defend this jersey. This is the Yellow Jersey,” Cancellara explained. By defending the race lead successfully, Fabian Cancellara will celebrate his 13th day in Yellow in his career, which surpasses the previous Swiss record held by Ferdi Kübler. “I am proud to have another day in Yellow,” he concluded. Cancellara also hinted that his Saxo Bank team may not defend the race lead tomorrow, commented that it depended on the sprinters’ teams.

In his post-race comments to the press, Armstrong claimed that he was not disappointed to miss the Yellow Jersey, though the expression on his face suggested that he was playing a bit of poker with that comment. He called the team’s performance perfect, and said he had no regrets. The American also discussed his return to racing and admitted that it was “more difficult than I expected.” “I said to myself: Shit, this is more difficult than expected,” he told the press. “Today I have both feet on the ground. I know that I will not be last. But it will not be as easy as 2005, 2004, or 2000,” he said. Addressing the question of team leadership, he said that there are two ways to determine who leads a team. It is either the “rider who is the strongest, who can win” or “the rider who had the experience, age, and confidence.” Armstrong concluded that the second could be his role. This is not the first time that the American has suggested that his team mate Alberto Contador, who has won all three of cycling's grand tours, lacks experience and is in need of guidance. For his part, Contador expressed satisfaction with the stage. “We have distanced many rivals,” he said, but offered no comment on the leadership situation.

General Classification Update

Fabian Cancellara Saxo Bank
Lance Armstrong Astana 00.00 (actually .22 seconds down)
Alberto Contador Astana :19
Andreas Klöden Astana :23
Levi Leipheimer Astana :31
Bradley Wiggins Garmin-Slipstream :38
Haimar Zubeldia Astana :51
Tony Martin Columbia-HTC :52
David Zabriskie Garmin-Slipstream 1:06
David Millar Garmin-Slipstream 1:07

Though the top ten shows the dominance of Astana clearly, it only tells part of the story. How did the other team leaders fare? The race organizers kept this stage short in the effort to minimize the time gaps, but the results suggest that they miscalculated quite badly. Certainly, some teams will need to rethink their tactics after today’s events.

Christian Vandevelde, whose Garmin-Slipstream very nearly won this stage, sits 1:06 down on Armstrong. His team-mate Bradley Wiggins is 38 seconds down, but Wiggins has not traditionally thrived in the high mountains. Roman Kreuziger and Vincenzo Nibali also had a good day out, thanks to their strong Liquigas-Doimo team. Kreuziger sits 15th at 1:31, while Nibali is 19th at 1:36. Their team-mate Franco Pellizotti, who placed third in the Giro d’Italia, improved his position with today’s stage and sits 2:25 down in the general classification. Michael Rogers, meanwhile, whose Columbia-HTC team did a strong, but not exceptional ride, sits 16th at 1:32. Rogers is better against the watch than in the mountains, so may prove unable to advance too much further in the general classification. The next crono does not come until the final week of the race.

The defense of Fabian Cancellara’s Yellow Jersey helped Andy Schleck remain well-positioned for the general classification battle. The younger Schleck brother is currently 1:41 down, and is no doubt dreaming of the mountains. Fränk Schleck, who will also enjoy the mountains, is at 2:17.

Also looking forward to the mountains stages is Carlos Sastre of Cervélo TestTeam. Sastre, who won last year’s Tour de France on the final climb to Alpe d’Huez, now sits 2:44 down in the general classification. After the stage, Sastre called the team time trial “very technical” and “very difficult,” especially because of the strong winds. The classy Spanish climber called his team’s effort “very positive,” especially in relation to the stronger and more experienced teams at Astana, Saxo Bank, and Garmin. The good news for Sastre is that the worst is now behind him. Though he still faces the final crono in Annecy during the third week, he has a number of hard mountain stages ahead. A good day on Mont Ventoux could erase his current deficit.

Cadel Evans of Silence-Lotto, meanwhile, will be considerably less optimistic after today. It was a rough day for the team, including a crash by climber Jurgen van den Broeck when he crossed wheels with a team-mate in the wind. Greg van Avermaet narrowly missed running over his van den Broeck, an impressive feat in the close quarters of a team time trial. Then Johan Vansummeren suffered a flat, which further broke the team’s rhythm. Evans has no choice but to attack now. The Australian, who has twice placed second in the Tour de France, sits 2:59 down in the general classification. Evans has often raced well from the back, when relieved of the pressure of expectations. Never one to give up, he’ll race now for every inch of road. Interviewed after the stage, the Silence Lotto sports director confirmed that the team would pursue “another tactic from now on.”

Rabobank also suffered a rough day at the races. Team leader Denis Menchov, who won the Giro d’Italia, crashed in the first corner. The Russian has not had a great start to the Tour this year, and drops further down the general classification today. Menchov, who had a less than stellar opening time trial in Monaco, now sits 3:52 down in the general classification. His team-mate, Dutch climber Robert Gesink, meanwhile, is at 3:36. Gesink will no doubt go stage-chasing when the Tour hits the mountains. If he rides well in the mountains, a top ten finish is still not out of reach for the young climber, who rides his first Tour this year.

Linus Gerdemann of Milram, who moved up in the standings yesterday, falls back down today. Niki Terpstra and Peter Wrolich both crashed during the stage. Gerdemann is now at 3:11 in the general classification.

Other General Classification riders: Kim Kirchen of Columbia-HTC @ 2:16, Vladimir Karpets of Katusha @ 2:31, Oscar Pereiro Sio of Caisse d’Épargne @ 3:03, Luis León Sánchez Gil of Caisse d’Épargne @ 3:18, Igor Anton Hernandez Euskaltel-Euskadi @ 3:48.

Other classifications: In the points classification, Mark Cavendish of Columbia-HTC remains in the lead with 70 points. Thor Hushovd of Cervélo TestTeam is second with 54, while Samuel Dumoulin of Cofidis sits third with 36. Jussi Veikkanen of Français des Jeux continues to lead the mountains classification ahead of Tony Martin of Columbia-HTC. Martin, meanwhile, wears the White Jersey of best young rider. Martin leads the two young riders from Liquigas-Doimo, Roman Kreuziger and Vincenzo Nibali. After their stage win today, Astana retain their lead in the teams classification.

Looking Ahead

Tomorrow’s stage between Cap d’Agde and Perpignan should be a day for the sprinters. Because the course follows the coast, there is again the possibility of winds, so the general classification riders will need to pay close attention to their positioning in the bunch. Two fourth category climbs enliven the proceedings about midway through the stage, but neither should cause any great distress in the field. The finish in Perpignan is technical, with several corners in the run-in. — Gavia

For more about tomorrow’s stage, please turn the page.

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Stage 4 TTT Start Order and Times (CET times; substract 6 hours for Eastern Time Zone)

The team time trial returns to the Tour de France this year for stage 4. The teams will ride 39 kilometers around Montpellier on a mostly flat course. Indeed, the course is flat enough that there are no mountain points on offer during the stage. Three time checks at 9, 19.5, and 30.7 kilometers will allow fans - and the team cars - a chance to track the teams’ progress.

The stage will be decided on real time. There will be no adjustments to the teams’ finishing times as has sometimes been the case in the past. The time on the line will determine the stage and general classification standings, and will be taken when the fifth rider finishes.

Montepellier lies just inland from the Mediterranean coast and continues the sea breeze theme of the first week of this year’s Tour de France. The stage begins in the city center at the Jardin des Plants and follows a u-shaped course into the outskirts of the city before returning to finish at the Croix de Argent. Created in 1593, the Jardin des Plants in the oldest botanical garden in France. We can expect good weather for the stage, because Montpellier has the typically warm Mediterranean climate. The Tour de France last visited Montpellier in 2007 for the start of stage 12, a sprint stage won by Tom Boonen.

Profile Details

The terrain is slightly rolling here, but nothing significant. The course stair-steps to the first time check, gaining a meager 53 meters over 9 kilometers. From kilometer 9, the course climbs gradually, and hits a maximum elevation of 143 meters at Murviel-lès-Montpellier. The second time check comes here at 19.5 kilometers near the halfway point of the time trial.

From the second time check at Murveil-lès-Montpellier, the course descends 82 meters over the next seven kilometers, which amounts to a barely perceptible change. The final time check comes with less than 9 kilometers to ride at Pignan. The course is flat as it passes through Lavérune with 7 kilometers to race. Inside the final 3 kilometers comes a roundabout to the finish in Montpellier on the avenue de Vanières.

Rider Pre-Ride Quotes:
Lance Armstrong: Just pre-rode the TTT course with the team in Montpellier. Incredibly technical. Throw out all your TTT predictions. This 1 is different..

Levi Leipheimer: We just rode the TTT course, it's a roller coaster. Narrow, twisty and rough roads! You'll see it in 1 week

Who to Watch

Garmin-Slipstream team manager Jonathan Vaughters has frequently expressed his love for the team time trial, because of its technical aspects and the requirement that the team work together in pursuit of success. The Garmin-Slipstream team lost the opening team time trial in Venezia to Columbia-High Road, after an escalating round of smack-talk between the two teams. No doubt Vaughters will want revenge for the defeat in Italy, and where better than the Tour de France to achieve it. Garmin-Slipstream will have a strong crew of cronomen at the Tour, including Olympic pursuit champion Bradley Wiggins, David Millar, American National Champion Dave Zabriskie, Christian Vandevelde, and Svein Tuft. Vandevelde’s form may be suspect, but the others are more than up to the task of a good ride on this stage.

They will face a big challenge again from Columbia-High Road, who will bring strong legs for the flat stages to support the ambitions of Mark Cavendish. Michael Rogers, a former World Champion in the time trial, Thomas Lövkvist, Mark Cavendish, and Mark Renshaw, who rides lead-out for Cavendish, return from the Giro stage-winning team. For the Tour, Columbia-High Road adds the experienced George Hincapie and Kim Kirchen who has twice finished in the top ten in the Tour’s general classification. Columbia-High Road has tended over the last two seasons to hit the first week of the grand tours hard, winning early and often. We can expect to see much the same pattern at this Tour de France with its combination of sprint stages and cronos in the first week.

Saxo Bank boasts the gold and silver medalists from last year’s Olympic games, Fabian Cancellara and Gustav Larsson. Jens Voigt, Nicki Sørensen, road captain Stuart O’Grady, and Kurt-Asle Arvesen are all big motors and well-experienced in the team time trial. The Saxo Bank team may be hindered in their quest for the stage win, though, by the presence of climbers Chris Anker Sørensen, Andy Schleck, and Fränk Schleck. Certainly, the team will not want to leave their general classification riders Andy and Fränk Schleck behind. With so many strong legs, Saxo Bank should not be underestimated, but their wider ambitions may prevent a stage win in Montpellier.

Astana has three talented cronomen in Lance Armstrong, Levi Leipheimer, and Andreas Klöden. Alberto Contador, while not a specialist against the watch, has shown well so far this season, and can hold his own in fast company. The team will be playing for the general classification here and for the stage win, and should ride a very fast time indeed. Call Astana co-favorites with Garmin-Slipstream, Columbia-High Road, and Saxo Bank. The battle among these four teams should be close.

The general classification teams like Silence-Lotto, Rabobank, and Cervélo TestTeam will have to ride well on this stage, and each team will bring a few strong flatlanders to the July party. All the same, the relatively short distance for this stage should keep the time gaps close. This team time trial will not likely decide the general classification, but it could give a contender with a strong team like Alberto Contador or Andy Schleck a nice boost in the standings before the Tour heads into the Pyrénées. — Gavia