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04-Sep-2011: Tom Boonen was involved today in a group pile up before the Alto del Cordal. Boonen finished the race regardless, but he suffered a serious contusion to his left hand due to the fall. The Quick-Step rider was taken to the General Hospital in Gijon (Spain) for further tests, that evidenced a fracture to his left scaphoid. 

As a consequence of his hand fracture, Boonen won't be on the start line for the 16th stage of the Vuelta on Wednesday, September 6.

"I was twentieth in the group when in the span of a moment I found myself on the ground, due to a sudden movement of the peloton. I immediately understood that my problem was serious, but I wanted to finish the race and then evaluate what to do together with the team's medical staff. I didn't even manage to hold the handlebar, I had a lot of trouble getting to the finish line. It's a really tough moment for me. I was doing really well in the past few days and, as we're getting closer to the World Championship, it was perfect. The entire scenario changed in a moment. I am very disappointed."

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BMC Racing Team's Karsten Kroon overshot a turn on a high speed descent Saturday and crashed into a heavily wooded area 30 meters below, breaking his left forearm and ending his Vuelta a España.

Crash Unseen
Kroon had been riding in an 18-man breakaway when the mishap happened just after the group crested the summit of the Puerto de la Ventana, 111 kilometers into the 175.8 km race. BMC Racing Team Directeur Sportif John Lelangue, who was following the breakaway but several cars back in the caravan, said no one saw Kroon and two others go off the narrow road. "We understand it happened in a curve, a left one, which was looking dangerous," Lelangue said. "In fact, I informed (BMC Racing Team Assistant Director) Rik Verbrugghe it was dangerous. So I remember well passing there. There was nothing on the ground – no bike, no bottles and no spectators. So no one could inform us that something had happened."

Second Mishap This Year
Kroon said he doesn't remember much about the crash because he lost consciousness. "I remember two guys who more or less attacked on the descent," Kroon said. "They both crashed and I think I came around the turn and they were there, or somebody was there. I don't remember." Kroon's injuries are limited to his fractured left forearm, BMC Racing Team Doctor Giovanni Ruffini said. Earlier this season, Kroon broke his left collarbone in a crash at the Tour of Flanders. Rein Taaramae (Cofidis-Le Credit En Ligne) soloed to win Saturday's stage while Ivan Santaromita was the BMC Racing Team's first finisher (65th, 20:23 back). Overall, Bradley Wiggins (Sky Pro Cycling) kept the lead.

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PONFERRADA, Spain (Reuters) -- Switzerland's Michael Albasini won the 13th stage of the Tour of Spain from Sarria to Ponferrada on Friday while Britain's Bradley Wiggins retained the overall lead for a third day.

Second behind the HTC-Highroad rider in the small bunch sprint that decided the 158.2 km mountainous stage was Italy's Eros Capecchi, with Spain's Dani Moreno in third.

Albasini was part of a 27 man breakaway that took off in the first hour of racing. Wiggins finished in the main pack around one minute 30 behind.

The Tour of Spain finishes on Sept. 11 in Madrid.

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Stage 11 – Verin to Estacion de Montana Manzaneda, 167km

 

RESULTS

1. David Moncoutie – Cofidis     (4hours 38mins 00secs)

2. Benat Intxausti – Movistar        (+1:18)

3. Luis Leon Sanchez – Rabobank    (+1:18)

 

13. Bradley Wiggins – Team Sky    (+3:08)

34. Chris Froome - Team Sky          (+3:35)

 

Bradley Wiggins put in a powerful performance on the final climb to move into the race lead with Chris Froome holding on to second place overall to ensure a British 1-2 for Team Sky at the top of the standings after stage 11. David Moncoutie took the stage victory on the day with a well-timed attack on the mountaintop finish.

 

Bradley Wiggins, Team Sky Rider:

 

“I'm absolutely delighted to be in red and cannot thank my team-mates enough - they looked out for me and Froomey right the way through the stage and did a fantastic job.

 

“It was chilly out there on that final climb but I felt comfortable right the way to the finish. When Rodriguez attacked there was no point in trying to follow him and as always, I just kept a steady pace and worked my way to the top. To have Team Sky one and two on the podium is about as good as it gets really.

 

“Froomey rode tremendously well, as he seems to be doing every stage at the moment, and it was a really nice touch that he rode straight over to me and congratulated me at the end there.

“From now on, as it was today, it’s going to be all about defending this jersey and trying to hold on to it for as long as possible. It's been a tough old race so far but hopefully things will be a little easier tomorrow and I can keep myself out of trouble.”

 

Steven de Jongh, Team Sky Sports Director:

 

“It was a really good day today for the team. They dropped (Jakob) Fuglsang there at the end and have some seconds now on him for GC. Brad is up there and I must say it was a really impressive ride today from the team.

 

“They took control when the group was away and they kept the time gaps controllable so it was a really impressive ride from the guys.

 

“Hat’s off to Chris.  He was in the lead but nothing changed with the position of Brad of course. He is our leader and he still was after the time trial. Chris was 100-per-cent happy with that and he did an amazing ride. Bradley will thank him for that I’m sure.

 

“It was a good stage to take control. It was a hard stage but there were a lot of small and twisty roads so it was better to ride at the front rather than sitting in the back that’s for sure. But the team rode great I’m really happy.”

 

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Team Sky has announced its team for next month’s Tour of Britain, starting on 11 September in Peebles, Scotland.

 

Geraint Thomas and Ben Swift, both members of Team Sky’s successful 2011 Tour de France squad, will be joined by fellow British riders Peter Kennaugh and Alex Dowsett.  The experienced Australian duo, Michael Rogers and Mathew Hayman, will round out the six-man team. 

 

Dave Brailsford, Team Sky Principal, commented:

 

“This is a strong and exciting team for the Tour of Britain.  After a hugely successful season on the roads of Europe and beyond, it is really exciting to be racing in front of our home fans and we will be looking to repay the great support they have given the team all year.”

“The squad features a great mix of young and experienced riders that will be well equipped to deal with the race’s challenges. Team Sky was created to give British talent a chance at the elite end of racing and in Geraint, Ben, Alex and Peter we have four of this country’s most exciting professionals. They have shown all season with their results that they can ride and compete with the world’s best cyclists.  Alongside them will be the hugely experienced Michael Rogers and Mathew Hayman – riders who have performed at Grand Tour level on numerous occasions. We have a really exciting team and can’t wait for 11 September.”

Geraint Thomas, Team Sky rider, commented:

 

“The Tour of Britain is a great race and this will be my sixth appearance. It is always exciting to ride in front of our home fans. The support we have had on the road all year has been amazing and has played a big part in the success we have achieved as a team. We can’t wait to put on a good show for them. It’s going to be a great week of racing.”

 

Ben Swift, Team Sky rider, commented:

 

”I am looking forward to racing my home Tour again particularly as it is where I secured my first professional win in 2009. There will be some tough opposition this year with a number of star riders appearing, but we have a really exciting team with a real depth to it. The team is riding well and full of confidence and we can’t wait to get going.”

You can follow the team throughout the Tour of Britain at 

www.TeamSky.com

 

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Team Profiles

Alex Dowsett

 

The introduction of a time trial into this year's route plays right into the hands of Alex Dowsett. An already impressive neo-pro season hit new heights when he claimed his first victory on the final stage of the Tour du Poitou-Charentes in France last week and the 22-year-old will look to continue his fine run of form in his home race.

 

Mathew Hayman

 

A member of last year's Tour of Britain squad, Mathew Hayman returns to the UK once again to deliver his own unique brand of punishment to the peloton. A powerful and experienced rider, the Australian will marshal the team out on the road and will be called into action to close down breakaways and add firepower to lead-outs.

 

Peter Kennaugh

 

The 22-year-old Manxman enjoyed a great first season as a professional with Team Sky last year and has gone from strength-to-strength in 2011. Kennaugh earned himself a place on the podium at the Route du Sud and also claimed a top-five finish in the Tour of Poland earlier this month. His all-round ability will be a huge asset to the team.

 

Michael Rogers

 

Michael is one of the most successful and well-respected riders in the peloton.  With three World Championship titles to his name, the 31-year-old will be looking to impress in the time trial, whilst also helping lead the team on the road.

 

Ben Swift

 

The young sprinter returns to the Tour of Britain for the first time since his stage-winning appearance in 2009. Then riding for Katusha, Swift won stage seven into Yeovil, his first victory as a professional. The 23-year-old has seen his career take off in the last two years, racking up seven wins in Team Sky colours and will no doubt be hungry for more on home roads.

 

Geraint Thomas

 

Having ridden in the last five editions of the race, Geraint Thomas' career has grown exponentially and seen him develop into one of the most accomplished all-rounders in the peloton. With a stage race victory already under his belt this season at Bayern-Rundfahrt, the 2010 British National Champion will hope to fight for top honours at his home race.

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STAGE RESULT

1. Tony Martin  - HTC–Highroad (55m 54s)

2. Chris Froome  - Team Sky (+59s)

3. Bradley Wiggins - Team Sky (+1m22s)

 

OVERALL STANDINGS

1. Chris Froome - Team Sky (38h 09m 13s)

2. Jakob Fuglsang - Leopard Trek (+12s)

3. Bradley Wiggins - Team Sky (+20s)

 

Team Sky's Chris Froome produced the time trial performance of his life to take the leader's red jersey at the Vuelta a Espana.

 

The Kenyan-born Briton finished second on the stage behind Tony Martin (HTC-Highroad) in the 47 kilometres time trial around Salamanca and it was good enough to see him vault up from 14th to top of the overall standings.

 

He leads by 12 seconds from Jakob Fuglsang (Leopard-Trek), with Team Sky team-mate Bradley Wiggins third on the day and up to third overall, 20 seconds behind Froome.

 

Chris Froome, Team Sky Rider:

 

"It’s not really sunk in yet, it’s still a bit unreal. I didn’t expect to do that today. I thought maybe I’d try and stay in contention or at least be up there close to Bradley but never expected this.

 

"I'm over the moon, I think I just had a fantastic day and somehow I've ended up in the leader's jersey - it's a dream come true.

 

"I think it was the updates from Sports Director Marcus Ljungqvist on the radio which kept me going. To be honest I felt pretty rough out there; I was hurting from yesterday’s effort and just felt like I wasn’t really going that fast.

 

"What really helped was Marcus in the team car edging me on, saying ‘you’re doing great’, ‘you’ve got a really good time’, ‘just keep going like you are’ and so on. It was fantastic to have that information and encouragement – at least I knew I wasn’t doing too badly!

 

On the race as a whole, Froome added: "It’s gone really well, we’ve just been trying to limit Brad’s losses every day and try and keep him in contention until the time trial.

 

"It went especially well yesterday on stage nine which was also a bit of a surprise because we hadn’t planned to try and make a difference like that. We went into the stage just trying to keep as close to other GC guys as possible but when we got into the crosswinds up on the mountain with about 4k to go we were in the perfect position to put the hammer down and really go. We just did it naturally and it worked out.

 

"The other riders have been doing a brilliant job looking after us until the final and the staff have been really, really supportive. It’s been great - the environment and atmosphere in the team is just fantastic."

 

Steven de Jongh, Team Sky Sports Director:

 

"It was a really good performance from Froomey of course and also Bradley.

 

"Apart from Tony Martin they put time on absolutely everyone else, including all the other GC contenders, so we’re really happy with the result.

 

"It was a big surprise that Froomey beat Bradley but I’d say he did the time trial of his life today.

 

"We must also not forget that Bradley broke his collarbone at the Tour de France and had an operation so it’s amazing to be performing at this level so soon afterwards. He's been great throughout the race and it was another tremendous effort from him today."

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SIERRA DE BEJAR, Spain — Irish rider Daniel Martin won the ninth stage of the Spanish Vuelta on Sunday, while Dutchman Bauke Mollema took the overall leader’s jersey from Joaquin Rodriguez by just 1 second.

Martin edged past Mollema to finish the 114-mile mountain course from Villacastin to Sierra de Bejar in 4 hours, 52 minutes, 14 seconds.

The brutal final climb to the finish line tightened the overall standings with Mollema 1 second ahead of Rodriguez and 9 seconds in front of defending champion Vicenzo Nibali.

Monday’s 10th stage is a 29-mile time trial in the medieval city of Salamanca

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Stage eight – Talavera de le Reina to San Lorenzo de El Escorial, 177.3km

 

RESULTS

1. Joaquim Rodriguez – Katusha  (4hours 49mins 01secs)

2. Michele Scarponi – Lampre      (+9s)

3. Bauke Mollema – Rabobank     (+9s)

 

19. Bradley Wiggins – Team Sky  (+20)

20. Chris Froome - Team Sky        (+20)

 

Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome both stayed right in the mix at the Vuelta a Espana as Joaquim Rodríguez (Katusha) made light of a brutal final climb to win stage eight and move into the overall lead.

 

Rodriguez looked the man to beat before the 177.3 kilometres stage from Talavera de le Reina to San Lorenzo de El Escorial which featured four categorised climbs as well as a short but steep ascent to the finish line which included gradients of up to 28%.

 

And it was inside that final kilometre that the Spaniard, set up by his hard-working Katusha team, made his move. He surged past Michele Scarponi (Lampre) and never looked like being caught, eventually crossing the line nine seconds ahead of Scarponi and Bauke Mollema (Rabobank).

 

Steven de Jongh, Team Sky Sports Director:

 

"Brad looks good and Chris does too but the whole team did well today to help them. It was really steep at the end there and on those narrow streets it's even more of a challenge.

 

"Brad was also behind what was almost a crash involving Carlos Sastre who went off the road and then came back on just in front of him. Brad lost a few metres but he did really well to work his way back into position and then he and Chris were able to deal with that last climb.

 

"Unfortunately Morris [Possoni] crashed twice but he kept on going and did a good job for the other boys which was good to see.

 

"And CJ [Sutton] had a better day after not feeling so good for a few days so that looks hopeful. Let’s hope he can get through tomorrow and then he’s got a time trial and a rest day which just gives him a bit of space to recover more fully."

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His arms wrapped around two team-mates as they guided him towards an ambulance, Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Cervélo) was unable to put any weight on his left foot or hip after crashing at the end ofFriday's stage six in the Vuelta a Espana.

One of the first riders to crash when he and Poland's Michal Golas (Vancansoleil) collided together at high speed, Farrar was able to finish - but at least five minutes after Marcel Kittel (Skil-Shimano) had taken his 13th win of the season - and even then the American was only pedalling with his right leg.

He briefly entered the team bus before two Garmin-Cervelo riders guided him to a waiting ambulance, limping heavily and the back half of his jersey ripped to shreds.

Farrar was far from the only rider affected by the crash, and was almost certainly the one of the worst, although a large number of top contenders were also caught up in the Vuelta's first big crash this year.

Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas) had a big scrape on his upper thigh, Michele Scarponi (Lampre) banged his left ankle so badly he shouted when a race doctor attempted to touch it, Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Omega-Pharma Lotto) had cuts on one elbow and one knee, whilst Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha) hit the deck but said he was shaken up but ok.

Although all riders involved crossed the line and were credited with the same time, there were unconfirmed reports that Golas had a broken collarbone. The Polish rider was also bleeding heavily above one eyebrow and also attended hospital for a check-up.

Sky said their riders were all ok, although Ian Stannard braked so hard to avoid crashing his rear wheel blew.

Whatever the damage, none of it was welcome as the Vuelta heads back into the mountains yet again, with two second category climbs and a first category on Saturday's 177.3 kilometre stage across the sierras west of Madrid.

Although the climbs are far enough from the finish that most of the frontrunners should stay together, the finale - a short and steep uphill finish in San Lorenzo de el Escorial - is another story.

Apparently, although not quite as hard, it is very similar to the tough uphill finish in Valdepeñas de Jaen on stage five and could see the same sort of time differences, too.

Whilst Kittel's victory is a major breakthrough for the young German in his maiden Grand Tour - only Philippe Gilbert (Omega-Pharma-Lotto) has more wins this season, which says it all - it remains to be seen if Farrar's injuries are so severe they affect his chances in the World Championships, where he was due to be one of the favourites.

Either way, the crash cast a big shadow over one of the very few bunch sprint finishes of the 2011 Tour of Spain.

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TALAVERA DE LA REINA, Spain (Reuters) - Up-and-coming German sprinter Marcel Kittel's first victory in a Grand Tour was overshadowed by a mass pileup in the final kilometre of the Tour of Spain's 182.9-km seventh stage on Friday.

Italians Vincenzo Nibali, last year's race winner, and Michele Scarponi, Spain's Joaquim Rodriguez and Belgian Juergen Van Den Broeck fell in a crash caused when American Tyler Farrar collided with fellow sprinter Michal Golas of Poland.

One of the worst affected was 2011 Tour de France stage winner Farrar. He was unable to put any weight on his left foot and pedalled with one leg as he crossed the line.

He then clutched his left hip and needed to be held up by two Garmin-Cervelo team mates as he limped to a waiting ambulance.

Most of the riders involved suffered minor injuries but Scarponi shouted in pain when doctors attempted to touch his left ankle while Nibali had a nasty scrape on his left thigh.

Overall leader Sylvain Chavanel of France and 22nd-placed Briton Bradley Wiggins were two overall contenders not affected by the crash which took place so close to the line all those involved were awarded the same time.

Skil-Shimano rider Kittel said he was too far ahead in the bunch to even hear the crash as he powered to his 13th victory of the season, ahead of Slovakian Peter Sagan and Spain's Oscar Freire.

"I only found out about the crash when I crossed the line," first-year professional Kittel, 23, told reporters.