Simple Racing, Super Results

As I set out to write these updates on the AG2R team in the Tour de France I never imagined that I would be writing about the Yellow Jersey. The Tour this year was interesting, yes it had Lance Armstrong in it, and there was the drama between Armstrong and Contador. That so called feud lasted for the better part of two weeks and in between that time Nocentini appeared. AG2R was a team with not a lot of results this year and many thought they would not be able to defend the Yellow Jersey amongst the power house teams. As the days went by, and Nocentini kept yellow, the team gained confidence and they brought their own power to the front of the peloton. Each rider had a different objective and each rider stepped up at different times to do their job in order keep the team in the headlines.

During this time I was able to step up to the riders and talk with them about their day and mostly about the G5 bike. When they saw me they knew they were about to get hit with questions about the bike and not the race. For some of them it was difficult to explain the difference between last years bike and the new G5. They would demonstrate with their hands or repeat the same words two or three times. If there were five different ways to mention that the bike was stiff they would figure out a way to do it. Really, after three weeks of talking with the riders the main benefit they treasured the most was the stiffness of the new G5. The riders didn’t want any of their efforts to go to waste, when they stepped on the pedals they wanted the bike to move forward. According to the riders the newly designed BH accomplished this in the front end, the bottom bracket, and the rear triangle - that pretty much covered the entire bike.

Simplicity can be a rider’s friend and in this case it works because the riders get what they want without realizing all the added benefits. The carbon dropouts, the cut out down tube, the tapered head tube, the BB 30 bottom bracket, and replaceable derailleur hanger are items the professionals don’t really notice. As a consumer these are all important features for safety, repair, and ease of use. The Tour riders demand a very stiff bike that would climb well and sprint well. This is a challenge for any bike manufacturer because of the balance to stay laterally rigid while decreasing the weight. The AG2R mechanics pointed out the new tube shapes throughout the G5 allow these contradictory qualities of lightness and stiffness to coexist.

As the G5 was a new introduction to the Tour so was the fact to have a mountain top finish the day before Paris. The organizers wanted a final showdown on the Ventoux and they designed a course that actually delivered that. It may not have been suspenseful to see who would have the lead, Contador had that wrapped up, but there were many that wanted that 3rd spot on the podium. The Ventoux lived up to its reputation with howling winds and enormous crowds. The mountain was packed with fans and many of them had camped there for over five days to make sure they had a good viewing spot. Contador was at ease on the mountain as was Andy Schleck. Each had their own objective and it wasn’t to win the stage, I feel this was a mistake. Venotoux is not just any mountain, it carries a prestige that no other mountain has except for Alp’D Huez. Contador and Schleck allowed the break to stay away, for no apparent reason, instead of trying to put one of their names as the victor. This will come back to haunt them. The chance was now and as Lance Armstrong knows it doesn’t return very easily.

Over the three weeks AG2R ranked up there with one of the most successful teams of the Tour. As the riders raced back and forth on the final day in Paris it was easy to reflect back on the results of some of the Tour teams. Rabobank saved themselves with the Ventoux win but for teams such as Milram, Quick Step, and Cofidis they will have some head scratching to do about their lack of results at the Tour de France. On the other hand there is Colombia, Astana, Saxo Bank, AG2R, and Cervelo who rode a race that made a big difference. For some teams there was a lot of buildup coming to the Tour with predictions, troubles, and expectations. For AG2R their simple plan was to ride hard, be present in the race, and simply race. Their results may have surprised many but they won over many fans because of their style of racing. Now AG2R, the team and the sponsor, can’t wait for next year.

G5 Chainstay Detail

The Hardest Day

The Yellow Jersey has changed teams but that doesn’t mean that AG2R has rested because of their previous accomplishments. Yesterdays stage, that contained two enormous climbs, saw Goubert and Roche vying for the win. It was an incredible ride by both these riders and at the finish it was a drag race of seconds between the winner and the top five places. Roche really has been one of the surprises of this Tour de France. Roche is a young rider that has proven he has the nose for finding the breaks and the legs to put himself in them. He has a great combination of climbing and sprinting skills which makes him dangerous in any move. This is why the new BH G5 really suits his riding style. The combination of being one of the lightest bikes on the market combined with superb stiffness has given the AG2R riders a big boost of confidence. The Tour is hard enough on its own without worrying about equipment. The AG2R riders train hard, race hard, and are fortunate enough to partner with BH to help them deliver great results.

At the start line for Stage 17 I saw Goubert getting prepared for the race and I walked over to Nocentini and congratulated him for the excellent ride all last week. Usually after someone loses a jersey they disappear off the radar and no one bothers them. I took this opportunity to see how he was doing and surprisingly he seemed fresh and still ready to race. He also confirmed that the G5 was working great and he liked it best in the mountains. Nocentini had hoped to make the break on Stage 17 and he was certain that it would go on the first climb.

Todays stage, perhaps the hardest stage of the Tour, blew up right away. At the start a large break took off immediately and as is customary AG2R had two riders present again in the front group. There are teams in this race that barely have had one rider represented in the break and many usually miss the whole move. AG2R has been incredibly attentive every day and on stage 17 they put Roche and Arrieta into the front group. The five big climbs were a big test for the riders. I noticed many of the riders using lightweight carbon wheels to help with their acceleration on the up hills. The carbon wheels also work very well with the new larger head tube on the bike. This combination of sturdiness delivers comfort in the form of feeling secure and confident into the fast turns. After every one of these grueling climbs the riders bombed the descents. It’s a very finite line between pushing a bike to the limit and pushing it too far to cause a crash. The G5 somehow broadens that line with a very responsive front end and the integrated seat post allows a more stable feeling to maneuver the bike threw hard turns.

In the race the gap grew but when the front group hit the final climbs it was not a matter of tactics to stay in the front but a matter of having the climbing legs to challenge for the finish. The leaders with their climbing speed, on the last two climbs, flew up the hills as they tried to sort out the overall classification. Contador rode superbly until some questionable attacks at the top of the last climb. Here Contador attacked and dropped his teammate Kloden. This sent Kloden spiraling backward and losing his third place overall. Many say this was a tactical mistake but I believe Contador does not trust anyone on his team and attacked to further himself from Kloden. Kloden is a good climber, a better time trialist and the further from Contador the more relaxed Contador will feel.

At the end of the day Pellizotti wrapped up the KOM jersey from any challengers and the stage also saw the Green Jersey become protected. Now with four days left in the race both Pellizotti and Hushovd have a large enough lead that no one can touch them. Contador has yellow, the Schlek’s sit in second and third overall, and Lance is fighting to keep a spot on the podium.

Back to Normal

He arrived exhausted and sweaty. Salt stained his jersey and his sunken eyes told the story of the climb. The ascent up to Verbier was fast, brutal and hard for Nocentini. The Yellow Jersey had been on his shoulders for 8 days and the fatigue I saw at the top of the climb was not only from one simple 8km climb but from the hundreds of kilometers ridden before in defense of a title that many were determined to take. At the top of the Verbier climb the team souigneer, Sabeno, sat ready and waiting with everything needed for the riders. He had bags full of drinks, food, warm clothing, and directions on how the riders could find the hotel at the bottom of the climb. Sabeno wasn’t nervous and he wasn’t sad that the yellow had been taken away by the incredible ride of Alberto Contador. Sabeno knows cycling and he knows that the team had dug deep this past week and has had a very successful Tour despite a week left of racing. Any results now would just be icing on the cake.

At the finish I watched Nocentini unzip his Yellow Jersey and take it off. It was almost like it was his everyday AG2R jersey and not the symbol of success that 180 riders dream of having. The Yellow Jersey was stuffed in a bag that day retired from his shoulders. Just after the arrival of Nocentini the rest of the AG2R riders came pouring in. The altitude made the wind cool but you wouldn’t have known that by seeing the riders soaked in perspiration crossing the finish. One by one the riders received their warm clothing and took a bottle to drink before they headed down the hill to their hotel. There were no signs of fault and no signals of failure on the day. The team was realistic and knew this would be the end to their reign. Perhaps some were happy to see the extra work load of riding on the front disappear and some would miss the power that comes with defending the lead.

This next week will be tough for the AG2R riders. The effort they spent to defend the jersey could come back and haunt their legs in this brutal final week of the Tour. There is a big difference between sitting in the peloton and riding on the front of the peloton. The AG2R team had to use a lot of muscle and dig into their reserves to keep the yellow jersey for eight days. The energy used last week is energy that won’t be present to help them get through the next few mountain days. The team will have to change its focus and goals for this final week and quite frankly it just might be about making it to Paris.
-Frankie

Yelling for Yellow

With the G5 bikes all lined up outside the bus AG2R was ready to defend the yellow jersey another day. Even without the riders standing outside the crowd had gathered to observe and watch the workings of the yellow jersey team. Nocentini sat inside sticking his numbers onto his jersey, Stephane Goubert rubbed his legs trying to remove the fatigue from yesterdays cold and wet stage. The others stock piled their jerseys with food and drinks to get ready for another work day. The profile for stage 14 was easier then stage 13, but with tomorrow being the uphill finish to Verbier, this could be the last night in yellow for AG2R.

The stage started fast as usual but this time it wasn’t just AG2R that controlled the race, they had help from the sprinter teams. Stage 14 is the last chance for the sprinters until the final day in Paris. There are sprint teams that have not had the result they wanted and there are sprinters who want another chance at beating Cavendish. The other factor that benefited AG2R was the green jersey competition which has heated up between Cavendish and Hushovd. This took some of the pressure off AG2R and put it square on the shoulders of those that wanted a field sprint.
At the start of the Tour AG2R didn’t know what position they would be in. They built a team that was well rounded and focused on the overall, what they didn’t realize was that Nocentini would be the man in yellow.

Two of Nocentini’s strongest workers are Efimkin and Dessel. Coming into the Tour Efimkin and Dessel were to be the leaders of the team but now have led the team, and the peloton, in their strength and experience on the road. They have been using the G5 in the mountains and despite this being the fourth mountain day in the Tour Dessel continues to be impressed. “I like the way the bike feels when I’m out of the saddle. It drives forward fast . There is a big difference in stiffness from last year.” The new G5 increased the stiffness to meet the riders demands but they also made the seat stays flatter to be more compliant. Efimkin echoed the feelings of comfort, “The bike rides nice. I can do five hours and it doesn’t feel bad. The legs can be bad but that’s not because of the bike.”

Either way for AG2R the day would work out well for them. They have two good sprinters with Nicholas Roche and Lloyd Mondory. Both of these riders have consistently been up there in the top 8 during the bunch gallops. There is also Riblon, Arrieta, and Dupont who have faithfully been by the side of the yellow jersey during these last seven days.

The break escaped early towards the finish in Bresancon and included in the front group of ten was the fast man Roche. With one rider in the break this took the pressure off the team to ride and that responsibility then fell onto Astana. The problem was Hincapie was a threat and a danger to AG2R so at the end of the day the team had a hard chase to keep Hincapie from taking the jersey. A combination of AG2R riding flat out, Garmin deciding to ride just at the end for no apparent reason except to prevent Hincapie from having yellow, and Colombia’s insistence to lead out Cavendish for the sprint led to the five seconds that Hincapie fell short of taking the jersey. The riders are upset, the managers are upset, the directors are upset and all at each other. One team who is not upset and rode a perfect race to keep yellow for one more day was AG2R.

Vive La France

It’s shaping up to be a very successful Tour for French cycling. Through 12 stages, we’ve had three French winners (Thomas Voeckler, Brice Feillu and Pierrick Fedrigo) and a French team (AG2R) successfully defending the yellow jersey for six stages. Recent years have marked a long, dry spell for Frenchmen in the country’s most-watched sporting event. Can you name the last Frenchmen to don the yellow jersey? It was Brice’s brother, Romain, who wore it for one stage in 2008. To find another Frenchman in yellow, you have to go back to 2006 with current AG2R team member Cyril Dessel.

But so far in 2009, the French with their three stage wins are ahead of the pace they’ve set this decade for Tour de France success. Besides Richard Virenque’s KOM victories, the French don’t have much to show for this decade. Between 2002 and 2008, the French won a grand total of 15 stages, or about two per year. Their high point was 2004, when they were led by the likes of Nazon, Virenque and Moncoutie to four stage wins.

But this Tour has given hope to the French. We are through the Pyrenees, after stage 12, five of the top seven KOM contenders are all French. Two of the top eight in the white jersey competition are French (Feillu and Pierre Roland) and AG2R is second in the team classification. AG2R has led the Tour with Nocentini, since the first stage in the Pyrenees. As we get ready to head to the Alps Nocentini will struggle to keep the yellow jersey but by the end of the Tour AG2R could be the team that carried the yellow jersey for the most days during the race.

On Stage 11 and 12 the team had to work a great amount to keep yellow. They were determined to keep the lead of the race and in order to do so the team had to ride on the front for many kilometers. Stage 12 proved more difficult for AG2R, after averaging over 47km/hr for the first two hours, the break finally went away. As the break increased their gap, the small roads continued to twist and swerve with blustery winds. This discouraged the sprinter teams from riding to help AG2R and by the end of the day the team had put in a huge effort from the start of the race to the end of the race to keep yellow. Stage 13 to Colmar was a climbing day and proved more difficult for the team. After tired legs from two days of pulling they were no match to the attacks that came on the large climbs. Immediately a break went with three riders but the images of suffering in the rain were present throughout the peloton. Nocentini sat comfortably with Astana as the tempo they set seemed to neutralize the rest of the G.C. riders. For AG2R this strategy worked in their favor because it gained them another day on the podium in yellow at the finish.

Clearly the large crowds coming out to support AG2R are proof of this country’s enduring love for cycling. So far this year, French Tour riders are repaying that love with success. Because everyone loves to get behind a champion the French have been cheering the loudest for their favorite yellow jersey wearer.

More G5 Details

A Team of Weapons

On stage 10 AG2R continued to deliver the yellow jersey to the finish line safely. During the last few days it’s been a combination of climbers, domestiques, sprinters, and workers all joining forces to form a shuttle service for Roberto Nocentini. In a way Nocentini has had the easiest job of all, he has only had to hit the wind a few times. A part of Nocentini’s weapons that are at his disposal is the new G5. It’s a bike that seems to defy a specific category because it excels in every discipline that a rider demands of it.

I spoke with Nicholas Roche at the start of stage 10 and he told me what it was like for him to work for the yellow jersey. “It was an amazing feeling on the bike riding tempo on the Tourmalet and pacing the yellow jersey with Contador and Armstrong sitting in the bunch. After the race I went to find Nocentini to thank him because it is something that I will never forget.” Each day Nocentini has yellow is a day each member on the team will forever cherish. Wearing or protecting the yellow jersey is something that only a few have ever had the chance to do. It creates bonds that are difficult to break and AG2R has shown they are a strong force to deal with.

As Nocentini rode to the start today he was relaxed and satisfied with his effort through the mountains. Although he was one of the last to arrive to the start line he still had plenty of time to talk and wave to the fans. I cornered him to ask about the last couple stages, “The mountains were hard but the team really helped me a lot.” I pressed him on how the bike has been performing for him despite its color not matching his yellow jersey. “The bike has been great and especially through the corners. Many bikes can be stiff but the G5 seems to fly through the corners and I feel safe with it.” Nicholas Rooche added, “The feeling of the bike out of the saddle is very responsive, especially with the nice wheels. In Barcelona, when there were a lot of crashes, I took a lot of risks to do the sprint and there was no problem with any of the steering. I loved it.”

Stage 10 was not only Bastille Day but all the talk was about the lack or radios. In the end the removal of the radios presented no problems today. There were many rumors about what was going to happen today at the start but in the end the French attacked on Bastille Day, as expected, and the peloton chased them. Not rocket science. For AG2R this was a day they didn’t have to ride to protect the yellow jersey so this allowed the other riders, on AG2R, to have some freedom to get a result at the finish. The Cavendish TGV train was at full speed and it was battle for the other sprinters to hop on board. Add to the fact that the race book which described the final finishing straight as dead flat and dead straight was completely wrong. The fight is on for the Green Jersey between Cavendish and Hushovd but not far behind is the consistent sprinting that Lloyd Mondory has put in. Finishing 6th on Stage 10, Mondory continues to place well in the large bunch gallops.

With a double work program each day, protecting the yellow jersey and keeping fresh for the bunch finish, AG2R is working overtime. With a team of specialists they should feel good about their stockpile of athletes and their ability to keep yellow for many more days.
-Frankie

The Best Seat In The House

Sitting at the front of over 40 cars in the Tour de France is the AG2R car. Every team here at the Tour have two vehicles in the race, a first directors car and a second directors car. It’s often that during the Tour some teams never see the front group or the back of the peloton. If you’re unlucky enough to drive the 2nd team car then your chances of seeing the race are pretty slim considering you’re 30 cars back. But think of the view of your car number one, the first car in the order, the first car to respond to any problems, and the best view of all the action. This is exactly where Vincent Lavenu, the director of AG2R, sits on stage 9.

Nocentini was still in yellow and today with two big climbs, including the torturous Tourmalet, the team had 160km to defend if they wanted it at the end of the race also. The team rode superbly with their climbers of Goubert and Efimkin. These two riders, with Nocentini on their wheels, set a tempo just quick enough to ward off any attacks. With almost opposite styles these two riders were in charge for many kilometers of the race. On their new G5’s Goubert’s climbing style is more in the saddle with a larger gear to keep his speed up. A look at Efimkin showed that he liked to alternate in the saddle with out of the saddle spurts while keeping a quick pedal rhythm. In either case it’s the broader bottom bracket and larger seat tube and down tube that create a strong platform for the riders power transfer. Their quick pace up and over the Tourmalet was rewarded when on the run into the finish other teams started to take up the chase thinking about the stage win.

For Nocentini this was his second full day in yellow and as he rode to the start this morning he had to maneuver his way to the front. On the team car, waiting in line for the race to start, sat a full stack of BH G5 bikes all ready to be ridden at a moments notice. Most of the riders will have three to four BH bikes at their disposal in case of problems out on the road. They will have their race bike, the spare bike, the replacement bike that is kept in the truck, and their TT bike. All of these 100% carbon bikes have a stock geometry that allow the consumers at home to get the exact same high end bikes as the professionals. The G5 delivers a 100% improvement in stiffness of the bottom bracket while keeping comfort with their unique seat stay design. Stage 9 took the riders almost 5 hours going over two big mountains and if you continue to add the hours together that they spend in the saddle then comfort will quickly move up your list of requirements.

At the end of the day AG2R kept yellow and this sets them up nicely for the next four to five days. Nocentini will be happy to keep the yellow handlebar tape that sets his bike apart from the rest. AG2R have ridden a great race up to this point and surprisingly it seems to be a battle of glory between the French teams. Tomorrow’s rest day will be appreciated by many and the following four days will then return to the sprinters for their chance at victory.

Yellow In the Mountains

The start this morning was swarming with people and many of them with a hope of catching a glimpse of the yellow jersey before stage 8 started. As is customary all the jersey wearers lined up on the start line and front and center was AG2R’s Rinaldo Nocentini. With the yellow jersey Nocentini was quite the opposite of what has been a common theme of hiding in the team bus until the last possible moment. Nocentini was excited and outside the bus speaking with the press and enjoying the moment that earned on stage 7.

With three big climbs on Stage 8 he would have to work hard to keep yellow. The race started straight uphill out of Andorra with the cat 1 climb Port d’Envalira followed by the steep Col de Port, another Cat 1 Col d’Agnles and then a 44 km run into the finish of downhill and flats. So far the newly introduced G5 bike has been performing flawlessly. Today the bike along with the help of some strong legs put AG2R’s Efimkin in the break for another possible win for the team. The break formed over the first climb but the problem was that Cadel Evans was there. He was too dangerous for the other riders to keep in the break and they knew that if Evans remained with them then their time in front was limited.

Eventually Evans fell back and the group with Efimkin was allowed to have a short leash to reach the finish line. While Efimkin was patrolling the front the yellow jersey hung tough in the main bunch. Nocentini found himself in trouble a couple of times but his teammates were able to pace him back to the leaders. At the end of the day Efimkin finished 4th, Riblon placed 2nd in the group sprint to finish 6th, and Nocentini kept yellow for another golden day.

Nocentini In Yellow!

As the Tour starts to head north the race not only changes course direction but it also changes the focus of the riders. The first week has been a battle for the strong and powerful with the coastal winds and the different time trials. Now we have three days of mountains but it’s the first mountain day on stage 7 that everyone is paying close attention to. Stage 7, to the summit finish in Andorra Arcalis, is the first test for the climbers and the only mountain top finish for the climbers. Stage 8 and Stage 9 have big climbs but each of these all contain long down hills to the finish after the last summit.

The capabilities of AG2R’s new BH G5 will be put to the test. A true performance gauge of a bike is one that can satisfy the power hunger sprinters or roulers (workers) while keeping the weight light enough to satisfy the climbers. Stephane Goubert, the oldest rider on the team, feels like he has some of the best equipment to compete with the others. “The oversized tubes really make a difference, the bottom bracket is very solid and this provides a good rhythm when climbing.” Goubert on Stage 7 put in a tough days work and the team’s solid performance in the TTT paid off in yellow for AG2R.

A small group escaped from the bunch and built up a lead of almost twelve minutes. In it were two riders from AG2R, Nocentini and Riblon. Nocentini rode smart and knew what was on the line, he needed 3’ 13” to take the lead and he was the best placed rider in the front group. As Cancellera couldn’t follow the pace with the main bunch of climbers, on the last climb, the break looked more and more to succeed. Nocentini knew the Armstrong group was coming quick but at the finish it was Nocentini who would become the new leader of the Tour de France.

As much as climbing the big mountains fast is important descending them means the riders go even faster. “The descents of the Tour de France are very fast but they have lots of turns. The handling of the bike is important and the new G5 really makes me feel comfortable,” Nocentini commented. On the descent the ability for the bike to carve turns and handle hard braking relies a lot on the front fork. The G5 uses an all carbon fork made by Edge composites. It delivers a sturdy safe feeling under hard braking which allows the riders to keep control and set up their turns in the best possible manner. Many times a rider can be a great climber and horrible on the descent, there is nothing worse than watching someone make if in the front group going uphill but then lose time going downhill. With Nocentini’s experience, and his comfort level with the G5, he showed he doesn’t have problems with either discipline. This paid off handsomely with a well planned attack to make the break and an even stronger performance to hold off the charging peloton to the top of the climb to take yellow. At the finish the brightest jersey of the day was on the brightest smile of the day and they both belonged to Rinaldo Nocentini.

Making A Mark

With the temperatures soaring, the first few Tour stages have included the added stress of extreme heat to the already difficult racing. For many rider’s it’s been thoughts of just making it to the finish, for others its thoughts of making a mark on the race.

On stage one the brown and blue diamond uniform of AG2R cut its way to the front with Cyril Dessel. Away in a break for most of the day, Dessel set up the move with his new G5 on the first climb of the day. The new frame weighs in at 810g and this lightweight platform is great for the acceleration needed to respond to the moves on the climb. It was on the first climb up the Turbie, out of Monaco, where Dessel made his move.

The G5’s stiffness comes, in part, from the cable channels underneath the down tube. Instead of running along the outside of the underside of the down tube they are tucked in to the new carved out channel. This provides a cleaner look and increases the stiffness. “The bike is much more rigid, I can really feel the difference in the rear triangle and the front,” stated Dessel.

Dessel finished 102nd on the stage but it’s his aggression on the stage that sent a message to the peloton that AG2R was ready for the Tour de France. In the chaotic final sprint, that included a crash about 500m from the line, Nicholas Roche maneuvered into 8th place on the day while Lloyd Mondory finished in 10th. “The new G5 is so much more rigid, for me who likes to sprint this is a big plus. The bike is very rapid and very good,” stated Mondory. Mondory only cares about one thing and that is performance, “I’m not concerned with comfort, I want a strong and stiff bike that can take my power. The new G5 delivers that.”

To bring the rigidity up to par to what the sprinters want the G5 changed their head tube to taper from 1 1/8 inch to 1 ½ inch. This made a big difference for the riders. As Nocentini put it, “When I pull on the bars hard the front part doesn’t move. I feel like I have more punch and the bike is lighter which helps a lot.” The riders do notice the large size diameter of the tubes which helps the aggressiveness of the bike.

The next real test the AG2R riders had to pass was the very curvy and windy 39km TTT. The team rode in formation and stayed off the ground which is much better than what many of the other teams could accomplish. This TTT course was anything but typical with narrow roads, lots of turns and a cross wind that could knock most of us off the wheels in front of us. Finishing in 9th place the team was only 26 seconds from sixth place. It was a strong showing by the French team and immediately after the finish Stephane Goubert was pulled aside to go live with French television for a long interview about their strong performance. The winners on the day were team Astana with arguably 4 of the worlds best time trialists on their squad.

Now the race continues westward along the coast where the winds will continue to whip their fury on the peloton. The peloton made a mistake on stage 3 by relaxing to much and this time they will have to pay close attention that the splits don’t occur again. Luckily for AG2R they are one of the stronger teams here and their intentions will not be to just sit in and survive.
-Frankie

Some more details on the G5

Here are some teaser CAD drawings of the G5, showing a little more info than what we have put out so far. Stay tuned for more during the next 2 weeks.

The last time the Tour started with a time trial, instead of a prologue or road race stage, was in 2005 when David Zabriskie won the opening TT. The Tour’s opening TT was a 15km challenging road route that combines climbing skills, descending skills, and a lot of anaerobic power. This suits well for many of the riders on AG2R as none are really prologue specialists but all are aggressive road riders with a combination of great climbing and descending skills.

Despite the technical course, and the long uphill, the AG2R riders took the decision to race on their Aero BH time trial bikes. The geometry of the BH time trial bikes provide road like handling while keeping the aerodynamic advantages necessary for this specific event. Nicolas Roche started off with the old time trial bike back in April and stated that he didn’t have any problems. “Last year’s model was pretty good already but the new one is a step better.” This step becoming better took place partly because of the UCI rules and their enforcement of the 3:1 ratio for tubes and parts. In speaking with one of the mechanics he explained, “The bike has some design changes and it’s mostly in the rear triangle and the down tube. In order to comply with UCI the down tube had to be changed so BH decided to make everything better.” BH also redesigned the rear triangle giving a bigger cut out in the seat tube for the rear wheel to sit closer to the seat tube. These design changes resulted in a stiffer rear triangle for a greater transfer of power to the wheels.

Even with the tough uphill section of the TT the aerodynamic advantages of the TT bike were beneficial to the riders. “You have to use a bit of strength with the TT bike and the TT wheels, they are a bit heavier. Altogether with the flat piece, and my good position on the bike, this will count a lot to going faster,” commented Roche. Nicholas started 112th in the time trial stage and perhaps had a bit tougher ride then some of the later riders. The bright sun and humidity made it tough for the early riders and it wasn’t until late in the start order when the heat started to dissipate. The high heat and humidity causes a lot of excess stress on the athletes including elevated heart rates.

Riding his first Tour de France stage Nicholas Roche finished in 43rd place only 1’ 27” down on the winner Fabian Cancellera. It was a good ride by the Irish national road champion and he looks forward to the next stages. The next chance the riders will be able to test the BH Aero TT bike will be during the Stage 4 TTT. This event will have all nine riders working cohesively as one unit flying down the road inches from each other wheels. It’s a race of strength and speed and as Roche put it, “The main thing is that the new bike is stiffer and faster.” How fast they go will not only be up to Nicholas Roche but up to the entire team.

The Day Before The Tour, An Inside Look At AG2R and BH

The months leading up to the Tour de France have vanished quickly. On Saturday July 4th the Tour will launch its 96th run from the Principality of Monaco to the finish in Paris twenty-one days later. On the start line will be 20 of the world’s best cycling teams looking to leave their imprint on this year’s race. It will be a race of athletes and their equipment, against the mountains, coastal winds, weather, and the clock.

If last year is any indication of success then Pro Tour team AG2R should have confidence leading into the start in Monaco. With two stage wins in the 2008 Tour de France AG2R have built a team to continue to build on that success. Cyril Dessel and Vladimir Efimikn, both stage winners from the 08 Tour, have returned to the squad to lead their team. Adding support in the mountains are past Vuelta stage winner Jose Arrieta and the experienced Stephane Goubert. Last year on the critical mountain stage to Alp d’ Huez, when Carlos Sastre escaped for the win, Goubert was the rider that set tempo to prevent Sastre from taking even more time.

Also joining the squad is the current Irish National Road Champion Nicolas Roche who will participate in his first Tour de France. Lloyd Montgomery, Rinaldo Nocentini, Hubert Dupont, and Christoph Riblon will fill in the remainder of the spots. Riblon was never on a tentative list for the AG2R Tour de France roster but his good form at the right time secured the last and final TDF spot.

In 2008 the riders secured two TDF stage wins riding their BH G4 bicycles. The riders applauded the strength, handling and responsiveness of the G4. For BH the team’s success only fueled their desire to continue to build high end bikes using the latest advantageous technology available. This has led to the introduction of the BH G5, at the Tour de France, which wipes away the old standard of excellence. The new G5 is lighter, stiffer, compliant, and more responsive than any other BH model ever made. It’s almost a list of contradictory terms but the G5 manages to take these separate positive characteristics and combine them into one desirable racing machine. Prototypes hit the rider’s bottoms just before the Dauphine with Jose Arrieta receiving the first one. After an ample number of training and racing days were completed Jose was supposed to return the bike for analysis and possible modifications. A small wrench in BH’s plans was the fact that Jose loved the bike so much that he didn’t want to return the G5 but insisted on using it for the rest of the races leading up the TDF.

The changes to the bike are prominent, precise, and calculated. You can pull up the brochure and read about the increased stiffness of the bottom bracket, the larger head tube size, and carbon drop outs to understand the numbers. What I set out to do over the next few weeks is to explain the feeling the AG2R riders get from the BH G5 under the highest, intense, racing possible. It will be a look into the team, their expectations, tribulations and adventures on the new G5 from Monaco to Paris.