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July 25, Stage 20: Montélimar - Mont Ventoux 167km
July 25, Stage 20: Montélimar - Mont Ventoux 167km
Placing: 30
Weight: 64kg (141 lbs)
Average Watts: 236w
Normalized Power: 296w
Average heart rate: 146
Mean Max 5-mins: 434w (Highest of the Tour)
Mean Max 20-mins: 398w (Highest of the Tour)
Kilojoules: 4456kj
TSS: 332* (Third highest of the Tour)
*based on a threshold power of 380w Stage 20’s epic stage was dreamed up by the Tour de France race director Christian Prudhomme. He wanted the ultimate showdown between the top general classification riders the day before the race ended on the streets of Paris. It seems Monsieur Prudhomme almost got his wish, but Alberto Contador would not allow any weakness to be exploited as he defended his four-plus minute advantage on second place rider Andy Schleck. Contador rode with pure dominance and could follow any attack thrown at him by either of the Schlecks. Just behind the nullified podium battle, Team Saxo Bank’s Frank Schleck did however move one spot higher to fifth place as Astana’s Andreas Kloden dropped to sixth. Mont Ventoux: The Highest Five and Twenty-Minute Values of the Tour! Chris Anker Sorensen proved his worth on the Mont Ventoux to his teammates Frank and Andy Schleck. Yet again, as with so many of the mountain stages, Chris Anker’s duty was to set the pace at the base of the final climb in order to reduce the number of riders in the front group for Frank and Andy Schleck. The tactic usually ends with a small group of about six riders, two of which are the Schleck Brothers, Lance Armstrong, Alberto Contador, Andreas Kloden and Bradley Wiggins. The first 17 minutes of Mont Ventoux is where Chris Anker rode all-out as a loyal teammate. Chris was present at the front of the yellow jersey group up to the point at which Andy Schleck made his first attack. Chris averaged 404w for the time he worked on the front, which resulted in an average heart rate of 181 beats per minute. He then rode to the finish for another 48 minutes at an average of 345w and 179 heart rate. The amazing part about Mont Ventoux is that it produced the highest mean max 5-minutes (434w) and mean max 20-minutes (398w) of the entire Tour de France for Chris Anker. This shows a lot of promise for this young Tour de France rookie.
Team Saxo Bank Rider Diary
Team Saxo Bank Rider Diary Each day a Team Saxo Bank rider will give his take on the stages, the challenges he is facing and what he is going through together with the team.
Team Saxo Bank Videos of the Day
Team Saxo Bank Videos of the Day Pictures and videos of Saxo Bank riders.
Team Saxo Bank Morning Call
Team Saxo Bank Morning CallWith the daily "Morning Call" one of Team Saxo Bank's managers will share some thoughts on the upcoming stage, the challenges and a bit on how it will be approached tactically.
