MTB Tour de France
Added by Ian 03 July 2009
The Tour de France starts on Saturday 4th July. Probably not important to us hardcore MTB’ers, but funnily enough there’s a few mountain bikers lining up at the start tomorrow.
Many of the riders use MTB or CycloCross as out-of-season training, but only a handful were actually successful. Miguel Martinez was the most prominent at the time, 2000 World Champ and Olympic Gold medallist moved to the road in 2001, Lance himself had some good results, Floyd Landis won the tour in 2006, but started racing the NORBA’s up to 1999, Michael Rasmusson is was pulled out of the 2007 Tour while in the Yellow Jersey, but was World Champ in 1999. His doping ban ends the day after the end of the Tour. Sadly none of these riders are racing this year. However there are two stand out MTB’ers who are:
Ryder Hesjedal is racing for the Garmin-Slipstream team, and will be helping Christian Vande Velde in his pursuit of General Classification contention. Ryder had a part in the Free riding film Chainsmoke2, where he single-handedly made XC look almost as cool as Freeride. 2nd in the 2001 U/23 World Champs, 2nd again in the 2003 World Champs, and NORBA Champ that same year, he switched to the tar to help Armstrong in the 2005 Tour. His career is now focused around the Tour.
One of the favourites this year is Australian Cadel Evans. Second overall the last 2 years, he is aiming to capture the Yellow Jersey he has spent so much time in, but not yet finished in. 1995 Junior Worlds Bronze, 9th at the Atlanta Olympics 1996, Silver in the U/23 Worlds in 1997 and 1999, World Cup overall winner in 1998 and 1999, and 7th at the 2000 Olympics, he is the most successful MTB’er on the road. Will he do the Fat Tyre crowd proud by beating the roadies at their own game?
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