The wheat pulled away from the chaff Thursday in the Tour de France, when the real racing finally started and separation sank some hopes.
Sure, England’s Mark Cavendish amazed cycling fans in the French countryside Wednesday when he sprinted through a flat course to dominate the 11th stage, saying, “My most dangerous point is my acceleration.”
But on Thursday, the whole dynamic changed when the mountain stages started and the sprinting stopped.
It’s a predictable turning point in the Tour every year. Suddenly the standings shift.
And for cycling fans, this weekend’s mountain racing should provide a key preview for next month’s Pro Cycling Challenge in hill-heavy Colorado.
Boulder’s Tom Danielson on Thursday jumped into the top 10 after navigating the 131.1-mile 12th stage to the Pyrenees from Cugnaux in 7 hours, 1 minute, 18 seconds. His 11th-place stage finish put him at ninth overall, trailing the leader Thomas Voeckler of France.
“It was definitely a big test for me because the first 11 days, 12 days — I don’t even know what day we’re on — were different to what I’m used to, a lot of high-speed riding, a lot of physical riding, a lot of crashes, a lot of stress, a lot of rain,” the 33-year-old Danielson told Velo News on Thursday.
“So to be up there with the best guys on the climb today was really nice.”
Andy Schleck and Frank Schleck of Luxembourg and Australia’s Cadel Evans trail in the top five, with three- time winner Alberto Contador of Spain struggling in seventh.
There are seven mountain stages in this year’s Tour de France. In Colorado next month, four of the six stages will ride through the mountains, plus a prologue time trial up the hills from Colorado Springs and a final stage from Golden to Denver.
That leaves Danielson — who once raced for Fort Lewis College and is competing in his first Tour de France — with a clear advantage this week in the French mountains and next month in the Rockies.
“I don’t know any of the climbs here,” Danielson said, “but I think that the climbs coming up are a lot harder. And I think that’s where people are going to lose a lot of time and have really bad days.”
For prognosticators looking to pick a dark horse, Danielson may only move up. The Garmin-Cervelo rider is the top American in the Tour, eight spots ahead of Radio Shack’s Levi Leipheim- er. The only other Americans in the top 50 are Garmin-Cervelo’s Christian Vande Velde at 34th and BMC’s George Hincapie at 49th.
“Tommy is going great, so we’re going to work for him now,” Vande Velde said in Velo News of his teammate. “Tommy is our best bet now. . . . We will all support him now.”
STAY ON THE COUCH
Battle for soccer hearts.
ESPN has a lot invested in the women’s World Cup in Germany. Late to the soccer party, the network has raced in recent years to corral international audiences with its coverage of the game.
That’s the corporate backdrop to Sunday’s championship game between the United States and Japan. At the forefront is some still-spotty coverage. But Ian Darke, the play- by-play veteran, and the always professional Bob Ley on pre- and postgame duties, add appropriate weight to the coverage.
Sunday’s game should be a battle. Against Japan, the U.S. won’t be able to use its fitness to the same advantage as in previous games. See the action at 12:45 p.m. on ESPN.
GET OFF THE COUCH
Pell-mell on wheels.
You can race Saturday’s Moonlight Classic bike ride around Denver if you want, but the racing will be more like cruising and nobody is keeping your time.
So it’s best to just peddle along and enjoy the 10-mile, noncompetitive night ride through downtown. Or rather, ride as far as you can in the time allowed. The route, closed and protected from traffic, will go in and out of some of historic Denver’s neighborhoods and blocks.
It benefits Seniors Inc., to help older citizens with their independence. The family wave starts at 10:30 p.m.; the “Gonzo” wave goes at 11:30 p.m. See for info.
WHAT WE’D LIKE TO SEE
This calls for a hat.
It’s Derby day in Aurora on Sunday, when some of the best quarter horses and thoroughbreds in the Rocky Mountain region race for some of the biggest purses of the year.
The centerpiece at Arapahoe Park will be the estimated $100,000 Rocky Mountain Futurity for quarter horses, with five states represented in the 10-horse field. Colorado’s Wave Good Bye Baby, jockeyed by Alejandro Luna, will ride from the inside.
Also on the docket: The $55,000 Rocky Mountain Derby for quarter horses and the $40,000 Colorado Derby, racing 1 1/16 miles.
The Derby may have Colorado in the title, but it will be filled with Kentucky 3-year-olds — six of the nine entries are from the Bluegrass State. Colorado’s Class Favorite and Wally Van will bookend the field from the start.
