Tour de France
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T H U R S D AY
J U LY 4 , 2 0 0 2
2002 TOUR DE FRANCE
Winning the Tour a team effort By Drew Sottardi and Rick Tuma
The 2002 Tour de France begins Saturday in Luxembourg. It ends three weeks later in Paris after 20 stages and more than 2,000 miles.
Members of the U.S. Postal Service team lead Lance Armstrong to his third straight yellow jersey in last year’s Tour de France.
A cyclist needs speed, strength and an unbelievable amount of stamina to win the Tour de France. He also needs the help of his eight riding partners, elite racers who sacrifice personal glory for the good of the team.
U.S. Postal Service
The race route
TEAM LEADER
July 11
5 July 12 6
F 20
4 July 10
1 July 8
2
July 9
Team leader: The top cyclist on the team, he’s the one best suited to sprint to victory after riding more than 100 miles in a day. Flat-landers: Ride out front for the flat parts of a stage; their job is to get the leader to the mountains ahead of the competition.
6
S P O RT S
All-arounders: Not as strong as the leader, but still steady in the flat areas, powerful in the mountains and fast in time trials. Climbers: Once the team reaches the mountain, these riders take over and help guide the leader to the summit.
FLAT-LANDERS
FINISH July 28 Paris
July 14
George Hincapie Greenville, S.C. Age: 29
Sprinters: Capable of speeds in excess of 40 m.p.h., but not a factor in the final standings of the three-week event.
5
4
Typical lineups
10
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
SECTION 4
MW
1
2
3
How a team sets its roster depends on its goal for the race. Yellow jersey Teams trying to claim the overall title have to be well-rounded. 3 flat-landers 3 climbers 2 all-arounders 1 leader
Stage finish/ start Rest day Course Transport
0
1
Avg. speed: 19.4 m.p.h.
8.4
If a team isn’t strong enough to win the Tour, it may focus on taking an early flat stage. 6 flat-landers 2 all-arounders 1 leader
Lodeve July 19 July 18 11
12
USPS
Icon Sportsphoto by Franck Faugere
1 12:16
2 BONUS SPRINT
14 July 21
Pro since: 1996
Mt. Ventoux
USPS
13 July 20
12:38
1:27
1:55
2:30
3:01
Viatcheslav Ekimov Russia Age: 36
FINISH (6,271 ft.)
3 3:41
USPS
Base of mountain: 951 feet
4:09
Pro since: 1990
23.6
IN THE PACK
Avg. speed: 25.3 m.p.h.
32.9
2
53.6
Avg. speed: 25.3 m.p.h.
BONUS SPRINTS
FEED ZONE
WIND
LEAD RID ER GOES TO BACK OF THE
65.4
Avg. speed: 26.1 m.p.h.
LINE
Riding order:
Riding order:
At the start the team leader stays behind his teammates as the group rides near the front of the peloton, the main pack of cyclists. This allows him to draft other riders and steer clear of accidents.
All stages, except for the time trials, have at least one sprinting area where riders compete for points and time bonuses. Teams going for the yellow jersey, however, rarely waste energy here.
Paving the way: By blocking the wind, the lead cyclists cut the other riders’ workloads by about 30 percent. Riders will draft one another throughout the race.
Getting into position: About a mile before the sprint, teams begin pulling away from the peloton. Flat-landers take turns out front until the final 200 meters, when the sprinter goes for the finish.
Cyclists begin a stage with two water bottles and enough food to last about three hours. Just before the halfway point, riders grab food and drinks from support staff in a designated area. On long stages, pairs of riders drop back to the team cars and pick up water for the others, lugging eight or nine bottles each to give to the group.
80.6
3
Avg. speed: 25.2 m.p.h.
93.6
Avg. speed: 25.6 m.p.h.
AT THE MOUNTAIN
Avg. speed: 25.9 m.p.h.
5:10
110.7
4
122.8
Avg. speed: 14.0 m.p.h.
2001 Tour: Finished 82nd overall Victor Hugo Peña Columbia Age: 27 Pro since: 1994
USPS Avg. speed: 25.4 m.p.h.
2001 Tour: Did not ride
ALL-AROUNDERS
During the 14-mile ascent, riders gain more than 1 mile of altitude. A similar ride in Chicago would start at sea level in Evanston and end in the Loop at a height equal to three-and-a-half Sears Towers. 2 BONUS SPRINT
2001 Tour: Did not ride Pavel Padrnos Czech Republic Age: 31
July 22
Putting the climb into perspective
Green jersey Teams gunning for the sprinting crown are loaded with speed. 4 flat-landers 2 sprinters 2 all-arounders 1 leader Trying to win one stage
Pro since: 1999
4
Note: Vertical scale of stage profile is exaggerated to show change in elevation.
Avg. speed: 26.1 m.p.h.
17 July 25
July 23 15
DETAIL AREA BELOW
Team time trial stage
START (607 ft.)
11:41
July 16
2001 Tour: Finished 71st overall Benoît Joachim Luxembourg Age: 26
July 24 16
July 17 10
Individual time trial stage
(Time, average speed based on official Tour estimates)
11:15 a.m.
18
Stage finish
Miles ridden
First climb: 1,896 feet
July 26 July 27 19
Stage start
Frankie Andreu, a nine-time Tour finisher and former teammate of defending champion Lance Armstrong, discusses how a team would take on Mt. Ventoux, one of the most famous climbs in all of cycling. “Mt. Ventoux is the most difficult climb there is,” Andreu says. “It just keeps going and going and going.” Except for an early climb, the stage winds over mostly flat land for more than 120 miles before reaching the base of the mountain. 0
USPS
FRANCE
# Stage
How a mountain stage is won
Time of day (local)
2001 Tour: Finished 1st overall
Pro since: 1994
BR EA K IN G D OW N ST A G E 14
KEY:
Pro since: 1992
USPS
25 MILES
Riders’ roles
Lance Armstrong Austin, Texas Age: 30
July 7
S 3
July 13 7
8 July 15 9
START July 6 Luxembourg
2001 Tour: Finished 79th overall
CLIMBERS Roberto Heras Spain Age: 28
137.0
NEAR THE PEAK
Pro since: 1995
USPS
2001 Tour: Finished 15th overall Floyd Landis San Diego Age: 26 Pro since: 1999
USPS
José Luis Rubiera Spain Age: 29
Riding order: Riding order: Flat-landers and all-arounders give up their lead positions and return to the main pack. Climbers, who had been hanging back to conserve energy, now ride out front. Pulling away: By setting a fast tempo, the climbers pace the leader up the mountain. Each climber rides out front as hard as he can for a few miles. When he tires, the next man takes over.
The leader stays with a teammate until the final three or four miles, when he breaks away and goes for the summit. At that point, Andreu says, “it’s team leader against team leader. Mano a mano.” Maximizing power: During steep climbs, riders stand up and rock from side to side as they pedal. This provides more power, but it is more tiring.
2001 Tour: Did not ride
Pro since: 1994
USPS
2001 Tour: Finished 38th overall
Sources: Frankie Andreu, U.S. Postal Service Pro Cycling Team, LeTour.com, “Sports: The Complete Visual Reference”
T H U R S D AY
J U LY 4 , 2 0 0 2
2002 TOUR DE FRANCE
Winning the Tour a team effort By Drew Sottardi and Rick Tuma
The 2002 Tour de France begins Saturday in Luxembourg. It ends three weeks later in Paris after 20 stages and more than 2,000 miles.
Members of the U.S. Postal Service team lead Lance Armstrong to his third straight yellow jersey in last year’s Tour de France.
A cyclist needs speed, strength and an unbelievable amount of stamina to win the Tour de France. He also needs the help of his eight riding partners, elite racers who sacrifice personal glory for the good of the team.
U.S. Postal Service
The race route
TEAM LEADER
July 11
5 July 12 6
F 20
4 July 10
1 July 8
2
July 9
Team leader: The top cyclist on the team, he’s the one best suited to sprint to victory after riding more than 100 miles in a day. Flat-landers: Ride out front for the flat parts of a stage; their job is to get the leader to the mountains ahead of the competition.
6
S P O RT S
All-arounders: Not as strong as the leader, but still steady in the flat areas, powerful in the mountains and fast in time trials. Climbers: Once the team reaches the mountain, these riders take over and help guide the leader to the summit.
FLAT-LANDERS
FINISH July 28 Paris
July 14
George Hincapie Greenville, S.C. Age: 29
Sprinters: Capable of speeds in excess of 40 m.p.h., but not a factor in the final standings of the three-week event.
5
4
Typical lineups
10
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
SECTION 4
MW
1
2
3
How a team sets its roster depends on its goal for the race. Yellow jersey Teams trying to claim the overall title have to be well-rounded. 3 flat-landers 3 climbers 2 all-arounders 1 leader
Stage finish/ start Rest day Course Transport
0
1
Avg. speed: 19.4 m.p.h.
8.4
If a team isn’t strong enough to win the Tour, it may focus on taking an early flat stage. 6 flat-landers 2 all-arounders 1 leader
Lodeve July 19 July 18 11
12
USPS
Icon Sportsphoto by Franck Faugere
1 12:16
2 BONUS SPRINT
14 July 21
Pro since: 1996
Mt. Ventoux
USPS
13 July 20
12:38
1:27
1:55
2:30
3:01
Viatcheslav Ekimov Russia Age: 36
FINISH (6,271 ft.)
3 3:41
USPS
Base of mountain: 951 feet
4:09
Pro since: 1990
23.6
IN THE PACK
Avg. speed: 25.3 m.p.h.
32.9
2
53.6
Avg. speed: 25.3 m.p.h.
BONUS SPRINTS
FEED ZONE
WIND
LEAD RID ER GOES TO BACK OF THE
65.4
Avg. speed: 26.1 m.p.h.
LINE
Riding order:
Riding order:
At the start the team leader stays behind his teammates as the group rides near the front of the peloton, the main pack of cyclists. This allows him to draft other riders and steer clear of accidents.
All stages, except for the time trials, have at least one sprinting area where riders compete for points and time bonuses. Teams going for the yellow jersey, however, rarely waste energy here.
Paving the way: By blocking the wind, the lead cyclists cut the other riders’ workloads by about 30 percent. Riders will draft one another throughout the race.
Getting into position: About a mile before the sprint, teams begin pulling away from the peloton. Flat-landers take turns out front until the final 200 meters, when the sprinter goes for the finish.
Cyclists begin a stage with two water bottles and enough food to last about three hours. Just before the halfway point, riders grab food and drinks from support staff in a designated area. On long stages, pairs of riders drop back to the team cars and pick up water for the others, lugging eight or nine bottles each to give to the group.
80.6
3
Avg. speed: 25.2 m.p.h.
93.6
Avg. speed: 25.6 m.p.h.
AT THE MOUNTAIN
Avg. speed: 25.9 m.p.h.
5:10
110.7
4
122.8
Avg. speed: 14.0 m.p.h.
2001 Tour: Finished 82nd overall Victor Hugo Peña Columbia Age: 27 Pro since: 1994
USPS Avg. speed: 25.4 m.p.h.
2001 Tour: Did not ride
ALL-AROUNDERS
During the 14-mile ascent, riders gain more than 1 mile of altitude. A similar ride in Chicago would start at sea level in Evanston and end in the Loop at a height equal to three-and-a-half Sears Towers. 2 BONUS SPRINT
2001 Tour: Did not ride Pavel Padrnos Czech Republic Age: 31
July 22
Putting the climb into perspective
Green jersey Teams gunning for the sprinting crown are loaded with speed. 4 flat-landers 2 sprinters 2 all-arounders 1 leader Trying to win one stage
Pro since: 1999
4
Note: Vertical scale of stage profile is exaggerated to show change in elevation.
Avg. speed: 26.1 m.p.h.
17 July 25
July 23 15
DETAIL AREA BELOW
Team time trial stage
START (607 ft.)
11:41
July 16
2001 Tour: Finished 71st overall Benoît Joachim Luxembourg Age: 26
July 24 16
July 17 10
Individual time trial stage
(Time, average speed based on official Tour estimates)
11:15 a.m.
18
Stage finish
Miles ridden
First climb: 1,896 feet
July 26 July 27 19
Stage start
Frankie Andreu, a nine-time Tour finisher and former teammate of defending champion Lance Armstrong, discusses how a team would take on Mt. Ventoux, one of the most famous climbs in all of cycling. “Mt. Ventoux is the most difficult climb there is,” Andreu says. “It just keeps going and going and going.” Except for an early climb, the stage winds over mostly flat land for more than 120 miles before reaching the base of the mountain. 0
USPS
FRANCE
# Stage
How a mountain stage is won
Time of day (local)
2001 Tour: Finished 1st overall
Pro since: 1994
BR EA K IN G D OW N ST A G E 14
KEY:
Pro since: 1992
USPS
25 MILES
Riders’ roles
Lance Armstrong Austin, Texas Age: 30
July 7
S 3
July 13 7
8 July 15 9
START July 6 Luxembourg
2001 Tour: Finished 79th overall
CLIMBERS Roberto Heras Spain Age: 28
137.0
NEAR THE PEAK
Pro since: 1995
USPS
2001 Tour: Finished 15th overall Floyd Landis San Diego Age: 26 Pro since: 1999
USPS
José Luis Rubiera Spain Age: 29
Riding order: Riding order: Flat-landers and all-arounders give up their lead positions and return to the main pack. Climbers, who had been hanging back to conserve energy, now ride out front. Pulling away: By setting a fast tempo, the climbers pace the leader up the mountain. Each climber rides out front as hard as he can for a few miles. When he tires, the next man takes over.
The leader stays with a teammate until the final three or four miles, when he breaks away and goes for the summit. At that point, Andreu says, “it’s team leader against team leader. Mano a mano.” Maximizing power: During steep climbs, riders stand up and rock from side to side as they pedal. This provides more power, but it is more tiring.
2001 Tour: Did not ride
Pro since: 1994
USPS
2001 Tour: Finished 38th overall
Sources: Frankie Andreu, U.S. Postal Service Pro Cycling Team, LeTour.com, “Sports: The Complete Visual Reference”
