TOULOUSE, France — One week into the 95th Tour de France and two things are clear: One, the Tour still isn’t clean; two, Team Garmin- Chipotle has shown it belongs.
The fact the two aren’t connected is good news for the Boulder team trying to show the world you can win cycling while clean. Carlos Beltran, the aging Spanish veteran with Liquigas (Italy), tested positive for EPO on the first stage last Sunday, and French police led him away Friday night after raiding his hotel room.
Garmin-Chipotle, one of three teams in the Tour doing weekly drug testing, just hasn’t won yet. It entered the Tour hoping to win a stage or wear the yellow jersey for a day, and neither has occurred. However, after Saturday’s 103.5-mile stage from Figeac to this gateway to the high Pyrenees, Garmin-Chipotle is fourth and seventh individually.
Will Frischkorn finished second in Stage 3 Monday and, until Friday’s mountainous stage from Brioude to Aurillac, Garmin-Chipotle led the team classification. It now stands 14th out of 20 as the rookie team’s lack of depth is beginning to show. That was somewhat expected.
“I think we’re coming real close to our blue-sky ideal goals,” team director Jonathan Vaughters said. “We’re exceeding everyone’s expectations, that’s for sure.”
Christian Vande Velde, a reliable engine for other teams’ stars, such as Lance Armstrong, is stepping to the forefront in the biggest race in the world. He’s fourth, 44 seconds behind Kim Kirchen of Luxembourg and Team Columbia (U.S.) and :38 behind race favorite Cadel Evans of Australia and Silence-Lotto (Belgium).
Garmin-Chipotle’s David Millar stands seventh, 1:14 behind Kirchen, but the high mountains of the Pyrenees begin today and that’s not Millar’s strength.
“Our focus is on Vande Velde,” Vaughters said. “He’s our point man starting (today).”
Vande Velde, 32, has been in many breaks, has looked strong in the foothills and has shown no signs of fading. If he has good form over the next three days in the Pyrenees, which will break out the overall contenders, he may be a man to watch.
“Christian’s doing great,” Vaughters said. “Hopefully, he’ll be in the top five all the way to Paris.”
Said Vande Velde: “I’ve never really felt so strong. I’ve never focused so much on the Tour before because I was always working for someone else and had a different role. When I was riding with Lance, I didn’t know how to prepare myself correctly.”
Things haven’t all gone right for Garmin-Chipotle. Magnus Backstedt didn’t meet the time minimum Friday and got cut from the Tour; Trent Lowe’s subpar climbing dropped Garmin-Chipotle in team standings.
At a glance
A brief look at Saturday’s eighth stage:
Stage: A 107.2-mile, mostly flat ride from Figeac to Toulouse, the final part of which took place in heavy rain.
Next stage: Today will begin to sort the potential winners from the rest of the field as the Tour hits the big mountains for the first time. The 139.2-mile ninth stage through the Pyrenees from Toulouse to Bagneres-de-Bigorre includes two Category 1 climbs.
Staff & wire reports
