Effort proves ultimately fruitless, but shows that no stage is without its opportunities for Grand Tour hopefuls
Ahead of Thursday's Stage 11, Saxo Bank team manager, Bjarne Riis, had expressed hope that his team would get an easier day en route to Bourg-les-Valence through the work of the sprinters' teams. Riis's wishes were granted, and his hard working Danish team enjoyed a day in the wheels. However, inside 20 kilometers to go on the stage, the team came to the fore in hopes of exploiting a crucial turn into crosswinds.
After the stage, former Amstel Gold and Tour de France winner, Riis admitted that, "It was completely planned. We tried to create a separation at the time, but the weather gods cheated us a bit."
The effect was immediate, and the field stretched, and stretched, and began to split. Some of Alberto Contador's teammates were jettisoned off the back, but Contador himself was well shepherded by two-time Liege-Bastogne-Liege winner, Alexandre Vinokourov.
The goals were twofold for the Saxo Bank team: to protect the lead of Andy Schleck and perhaps put a general classification hope into difficulty.
"We knew that the route at that point turned, then suddenly we could be exposed to a strong crosswind. [By going hard] we would both guard against any negative consequences for Andy Schleck, and see if we could perhaps create a little havoc in the field."
After spending his second day in Yellow, Andy Schleck commented about the attempt: "Everytime we drive to the front of the peloton, it creates panic in the entire field. For me, it is important to be at the front of the peloton when there is a crosswind, therefore, with 15 km remaining, I asked my team to ride."
The effort was quick and furious, but it soon became apparent that the wind was not nearly strong enough to cause any decisive splits, and then a next turn followed, which eliminated the weak crosswind entirely.
"It never caused any significant impact though, because the wind had already subsided by the time the riders reached the turn. We could have managed to surprise some rivals, but the wind was simply not enough."
Tour de France overall hopeful, Andy Schleck, does not admit that the team was trying to wreak havoc, however: "It was not to split the peloton, but rather to get a good position heading into the dangerous finale."
No matter how mundane the stages from here until Paris may be, the Saxo Bank effort to split the field on today's easy jaunt across the Drome goes to show that no day is free of the possibility of a general classification showdown.