Awards and citations:


1997: Le Prix du Champagne Lanson Noble Cuvée Award for investigations into Champagne for the Millennium investment scams

2001: Le Prix Champagne Lanson Ivory Award for investdrinks.org

2011: Vindic d'Or MMXI – 'Meilleur blog anti-1855'

2011: Robert M. Parker, Jnr: ‘This blogger...’:

2012: Born Digital Wine Awards: No Pay No Jay – best investigative wine story

2012: International Wine Challenge – Personality of the Year Award




Sunday 17 July 2011

2011 Tour de France: 14th stage marred by timidity + preview of 15th to Montpellier


The Schleck brothers have three days in the Alps to save their Tour. If they can't break the stalemate then their ambitions will be swept away in the Grenoble Time Trial by Ivan Basso and Cadel Evans. To ensure victory for either Andy or Frank they need to put in at least two minutes to their principal rivals. Not forgetting that Thomas Voeckler still leads the race by 1.49 from Frank Schleck. I'll happily admit that I undersestimated Voeckler's ability when I thought he would lose the Yellow Jersey yesterday. He raced as a champion – sadly the others, especially the Schlecks, didn't.

The Schlecks had their team ride at the front for the last 60k of the race. For all of their efforts they had a gain of just two seconds by Andy Schleck. If, an unlikely event, I was in the Schlecks' Leopard-Trek team, I would want to know why I had been asked to expend all that energy when they weren't prepared to put in a full bloodied attack on the climb to Plateau de Beille. The two brothers seem far too cautious and timid – afraid to really go for it. Contador had difficulty responding to an early tentative attack by Andy Schleck but they failed to press their advantage, so Alberto remains in contention.

The Schlecks claim it will be different in the Alps. Maybe? But it is also possible that Contador will have recovered some form, will attack and put some time into his rivals. After the way Voeckler responded to all the moves on the final climb, one can't discount him anymore although he is traditionally not a strong time trialist.

Today's stage from Limoux to Monpellier (192.5K) ought to be one for the sprinters, so logically another win for Mark Cavendish providing he has recovered from yesterday's bad day. If not Cav this time, then I'd go for Rojas. There is just one short 4th category climb just to the west of Saint-Chinian, otherwise it is pretty flat. The sprinters will surely want to catch any breakaway before the end as this will be their last chance before the finish in Paris.

The course passes around the south of Carcassonne, so not really possible to highlight Domaine O'Vineyards, which is to the north of Caracassonne but I will include a photo of Ryan O'Connell, one of Languedoc's leading wine producer bloggers.

Ryan O'Connell@the 2010 European Wine Bloggers' Conference in Vienna 

4 comments:

winey brett said...

I love the segue (not two wheel segway) to Ryan, the great Carcassonne blogger!

Jim's Loire said...

I agree Brett I did rather overcook it on the corner...!

Ryan O'Vineyards said...

haha, it's because I'm such a renowned cyclist!! ;D

Jim's Loire said...

Ryan – the Polka Dot Jersey perhaps?

I reckon your vineyard signs went missing as someone wanted to direct the Tour past O'Vineyards!