14 DAY TRIAL // I head into the second rest day of Le Tour de France with mixed feelings: I did put up a solid fight when I could but I did not managed to close down the gap to the current leaders, Valverde, Contador and Froome.
If about one week ago I was still thinking about winning the overall race, I now know that that objective is out of my reach and that I need to take a good look at what I can do and design a strategy for a new aim.
This is an anniversary edition of the race and that means the organizers at ASO have sought to bring out the best that France can offer in terms of both scenery and climbs.
And the third week will have a stage, the 18th, that will include two ascents up the legendary L’Alpe d’Huez, the best-known mountain ever included in the race.
This is a fearsome mountain, 13.8 kilometers long and a close to 8 percent incline, but numbers fail to tell the full story.
There are 21 hairpin bends on L’Alpe d’Huez and the changes in rhythm they introduce can sap the strength of even the most powerful cyclist.
There are also huge crowds lining the route and they can also influence the race by creating small human tunnels through which players need to advance because even the police cannot hold back the fans.
Andy Schleck is famous for a long-range mountain attack in 2011 and I might use him in a similar manner during the 18th stage, as long as he has the form.
If not, I will try to get Kloden well positioned so that he can beat the General Classification contenders and take the win on L’Alpe d’Huez.
We’ll see whether my new plans are any better than those for the second week of racing.