2009 Tour de France – Stage 13 News, Notes and Quotes

July 17th, 2009 by Ron Callahan 2,873 views No Comment

Today:

We had reported yesterday that Levi Leipheimer would race today, but apparently he woke up on Friday morning in considerable pain. X-rays revealed that the wrist was broken, and he dropped out of the race. He had surgery this afternoon, but it is not known how long he will need to recover.
Leipheimer will return to the United States as soon as possible to begin his recovery. Leipheimer was disappointed to not be able to take today. “My wrist hurts a lot but it doesn’t compare to the pain of watching the Tour leave me behind and not be able to ride the Tour with my teammates,” Leipheimer said Friday evening. “We’ve had a big battle so far and we’re the favourites and I wanted to be part of that.
Astana manager Johan Bruyneel says that the loss of Leipheimer affects the team’s tactics and that the weakness will encourage other teams to attack.
Perhaps to relieve the peloton of the notion that Astana had been weakened, Lance Armstrong and Alberto Contador rode strongly together at the front over the Category 1 Col du Platzerwasel and looked perfectly comfortable with the uphill effort.
Milram’s Peter Wrolich dropped out before the start of today’s stage with gastrointestinal problems. He was particularly important for the team as he typically serves as a lead out man for sprinter Gerald Ciolek.
Rinaldo Nocentini took his eighth yellow jersey today, besting Marco Pantani’s Italian record of seven days in yellow during the 1998 Tour. Of course, Pantani won that year, something that few are betting that Nocentini is capable of.
Many expected Nocentini to fade in the mountains today, but he was able to hang with the peloton for the entire race and maintain his position in the G.C.
Nocentini told Eurosport, “The yellow jersey will not change my life. When I go back to Italy, I will always be the same person. I’ve a nice house and a nice car, I am not going to change anything.” He added, “My wife will stay with me until I will no longer have the yellow jersey, and she is like me, she smiles all day.”
Nocentini now thinks that Sunday will be his last day in yellow.
Nicki Sörensen’s Saxo Bank teammates are saying that it could not have happened to a nicer guy. “If one person deserves this, it is Nicki,” said an emotional Jens Voigt. “…He always does perfectly what it is dedicated. These men are entitled to (some glory).”
Former Gerolsteiner manager Hans-Michael Holczer is viewing the doping tests in this year’s race with skepticism. He says that it is not a good sign that after a week of the race, there have been no doping cases. He cited L’Equipe’s story just before the start of the race that there were 4 to 7 riders expected to be named as dopers.
Lance Armstrong is fed up with the scrutiny about Astana’s supposed misconduct during doping controls. “Enough is enough. We are monitored constantly, more than any others,” he said Friday morning from Vittel. “We have a biological passport. We are tested more than anyone else and we have no positive case. ” Pierre Bordry, the head of the AFLD, and Roselyne Bachelot, France’s Minister of Health and Sport have both weighed in on the incidents of last Saturday.
Heinrich Haussler enjoyed the rainy and cold conditions today. “Today was perfect,” he said. “I only live about 30km from here so you could say it’s my training area and also this weather, I love the rain and the cold. At the beginning it was difficult because there are a lot of good riders in the group and the peloton behind were chasing the whole time. They didn’t let us go so I just tried to split it up a bit because there were too many good hill climbers there. I knew as the day would go on I would get stronger and the others would get weaker because I just love this type of weather and it’s really good for me.”
Lance Armstrong said that today was the coldest weather that he had ever experienced in the Tour de France.
Police have launched an investigation after two riders suffered light injuries when hit by shots fired from an airgun on the 13th stage of the Tour de France on Friday. New Zealander Julian Dean of Garmin-Slipstream and Spaniard Oscar Freire of Rabobank were hit with pellets near the 165km mark of the 200km stage in the hilly Vosges region.
Thor Hushovd took the green jersey back from Mark Cavendish today after the Manx Missle fell behind. Hushovd had been 10 points behind Cavendish, but came across 5th to grab 15 points.
Franco Pellizotti (Liquigas) took over the polka-dot jersey for best climber at the end of the 13th stage. The Italian is now three points ahead of Egoi Martinez (Euskaltel) for the mountains classification.

Tomorrow:

Saturday’s stage from Colmar to Besancon offers the second to last chance for sprinters to make their make before the race enters the Alps. The stage has just 2 Category 3 climbs and will offer a flat finish.

The rest of the world:

Columbia-HTC has signed 19 year old Australian talent Leigh Howard to a two year contract starting in 2010. He has track and road experience and is already slated for Australia’s 2012 Olympic team.
Skil-Shimano has extended the contracts of six riders during the Tour de France. Frenchman Thierry Hupond and Dutchman Albert Timmer extended their contracts with two more years, until December 2011. The Dutch riders Kenny van Hummel, Piet Rooijakkers, and Koen de Kort stay for at least one more year (until December 2010). German Simon Geschke and the Skil-Shimano team agreed upon a contract for 2010 and a mutual option right to extend until the end of 2011.
The former French champion Christophe Moreau will wear the colors of the Caisse d’Epargne team next year.