The biggest Cycling Gala, Tour de France 2012 kicks off Part 1

The biggest Cycling Gala, Tour de France  2012 kicks off  Part 1

The 2012 version of the Tour de France is scheduled from June 30 to July 22 and all the big cycling teams across the globe are lining up for the biggest cycling circus of the year.

2011 winner of the race Cadel Evans is in peak form and is in great shape to defend his title for the coming event.

Three time podium finisher and winner of the Tour de France 2010, Andy Schleck will miss the race because of an injury he sustained at the Criterium du Dauphine.

Andy’s brother, Frank Schleck will be the main General Classifications contender for his side and it will be the first time in five years that the two brothers are not riding the Tour side by side.

Frank finished third during the most recent version of the race and he is also a strong podium contender this year.

The Luxembourg cyclist has already tested his form at the Giro d’Italia and he was looking good for an overall victory but had to withdraw from the race because of a crash.

Alberto Contador is another big absentee at the race since his disqualification by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The two-time general classifications winner was found guilty for using performance enhancing drugs in 2010 and has been suspended for a period of two years.

The jury also disqualified him from all the previous two year wins including a first place finish at the Tour de France 2010.

Absence of Andy and Contador will definitely open a door or two for many young and inexperienced cyclists.

However, former Grand Tour winners that will make the tour more interesting and more competitive include the Giro d’Italia 2009 and the Vuelta a Espana 2005 and 2007 winner Denis Menchov.

Alejandro Valverde (Vuelta a Espana 2009), Vincenzo Nibali (Vuelta a Espana 2010), Juan Jose Cobo (Vuelta a Espana 2011) and Ryder Hesjedal (Giro d’Italia 2012) are all the big guns for the 2012 version of the Tour de France.

2012 Tour de France, Pre-Race Favourite:

Bradley Wiggins is said to be the most favourite candidate to secure an overall victory at the contest considering his prime form during the first half of the 2012 season.

It will be the 11^th Grand Tour appearance for the British cyclist and his sixth at the Tour de France.

Wiggins’s best Tour performance came during 2009 where he managed to secure the fourth overall spot after the final general classifications.

He finished 6 minutes and 1 second behind the race leader, Alberto Contador with Andy Schleck and Lance Armstrong at the second and the third positions respectively.

Bradley currently holds the third overall position at the UCI Elite Men World Tour rankings with 335 UCI points in his back pocket.

Joaquim Rodriguez of Team Katusha is leading the category with 404 points with Tom Boonen at the second spot.

The 32-year-old is not feeling any pressure as the Tour de France start date is approaching.

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Posted by Ahmed Babar on Jun 30 2012. Filed under Sports, World. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.