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.