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Colophon
Coordination
Totenmetontwerpen &
Vacansoleil-DCM Pro
Cycling Team
Editing
Evert de Rooij, Martijn
Boot & Frank Kwanten
Photography
Kristof Ramon & Cor Vos
Translations
Unitranslations
Lay-out
Tot en met ontwerpen
in cooperation with
Drukkerij Stunnenberg
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Drukkerij Stunnenberg
Contact
www.vacansoleildcm.com
@vacansoleildcm
2012 le reToUr dU SoleilAter a remarkable debut in 2011 once again the
Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team is setting o,
with great enthusiasm, to the Tour de France. Hav-
ing contributed in 2011 to the attractiveness o the
Tour, this year the main objective is a stage win.
We strive or this objective with preservation o the
exible team in a setting in which everybody will
have the opportunity or sel-development. We
have every aith that we can add some colour to the
Tour whilst ully competing or prizes as we have
already demonstrated many times in 2012.
With the team and partners we have also already
looked ahead to the Tour by means o 23 remark-
able stories. You will fnd these stories in this
guide, providing an insight into the past, the pre-
sent, the uture and/or behind the scenes!
We would like to wish you a very sunny summer
and Tour!
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luw Wst
Height: 185 cmWeight: 74 kgDate o birth:11-09-1982Pro rider since:2009Favourite race:3-Days de Panne-KoksijdeCycling specialty:Time trials, ridingin echelonsHome town:Molenend (Ned)Did you know:Lieuwe Westralives in Spainand Friesland.
raCing againST The CloCkThis year the Tour has a lot o time trial kilo-
metres. The start is at Lige where the 2012
Tour will set o with a prologue o 6.4 km. This
is ollowed on 9th o July by a lat time trial
o 41.5 km and on the penultimate day, those
who love racing against the clock can once
again revel in a 53.5 kilometres long trial be-
tween Bonneval and Chartres. Lieuwe Westra
is not bothered: the more solitary kilometres,
the better, says this rider rom Friesland. A
prologue is not really my thing. It takes me
longer to warm up properly. In such a short
time trial you have to be ocused rom the
beginning, whereas in a longer time trial you
have more time to ind your rhythm. You o-
ten see sprinters inishing in a top ranking in
a prologue, whereas in the longer time trials
the specialists and some classiication riders
rise to the top. Climbers are oten less good
time-trialists, however, and although I have
improved mysel as a climber this year, this
ortunately has not had a negative eect on my
time trial.
30 Junel (B)
, mp
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2Stage
Wut ps
Height: 183 cmWeight: 65 kgDate o birth:01-10-1987Pro rider since:2009Favourite race:Tour de FranceCycling specialty:ClimbingHome town:Blitterswijck (Ned)Did you know:Wout Poels hasbeen riding orthe cycling teamso Daan Luijkxsince 2006.
in The BaCk garden oFWoUT poelSThe start o the 2nd Tour stage is taking place
a stones throw away rom Maastricht, the
training area or Vacansoleil-DCM riders rom
Limburg, such as Rob Ruijgh and Wout Poels.
However, the rider rom Blitterswijck, who
will leave as one o the leaders o Vacansoleil-
DCM rom Lige, eels he doesnt quite know
the road like the back o his hand. When I
train here nowadays, I oten do that together
with Reinier Honig. He knows every twist and
turn. The only thing Im doing is riding along.
We also oten go to the Arden nes and we then
do, amongst others, the Redoute, but that is
not included in this years Tour. I do know
the Citadel o Namur, but with the Tour com-
ing up, I havent explored that speciically.In the past I used to train here with my older
brother Norbert Poels and my current team
mate Wouter Mol. Mol lived in an old convent
with students and low rent. So or all the years
I go down south I have people to train with and
places to stay.
02 JulyVs > Tu
, m
a Tin oF CoCa Cola For FaBianLige has a beautiul Tour history. This city by the river
Maas received the Grande Boucle or the frst time in 1948
and has been the fnish 7 times since. One o those occasions
was in 1980, when Hilaire Van der Schueren (64), team leader at Vacansoleil-
DCM, made his debut as a sports director. He doesnt have too many memories
any more rom that specifc fnish in Lige. However, he does remember that
amous stage in 1995, when Indurain and Bruyneel dropped all other riders.
At Novell, we had a ast guy, Abdoesjaprov, but no matter how much we were
giving it we didnt seem to get any closer to those two. Incredible! In 2004 in
Lige there also was a Grand Dpart and the prologue was won by Fabian Can-
cellara. During the GP Gippingen, last month, he was riding next to my car or
a tin o coca cola. And then he said: do you remember that I did this in 2004 as
well? I then actually won the yellow jersey in Lige a couple o weeks later! Im
hoping to repeat that, Hilaire. Great story, dont you think?
1Stage
01 Julyl > S
198 m
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3
The doUBle aTTaCkO course there is no need to introduce Jean-Paul van
Poppel (49), team leader at Vacansoleil-DCM since 2011,
but we will do it anyway. Popeye, a nickname he received
rom the ormer Tour boss Jacques Goddet, used to be one o the most suc-
cessul Dutch sprinters, and in all the three large tours he won a total o 22
stages in the mass sprint. He obtained 9 stage wins in the Tour de France,
one less than the illustrious trio o Raas, Knetemann and Zoetemelk. In 1987
he won the green jersey and a year later he even won 4 stages. That is, to this
day, the highest number that has ever been won by a Dutch rider in one Tour.
In 1994 van Poppel, at the end o the 2nd stage in Boulogne-sur-Mer, which
this year is where the 3rd stage ends, obtained his last victory in the Tour
with a double attack, or which he was so amous. But what was that double
attack? I was able to attack on ull speed, then wait or someone who came
next to me and then ully go or it again. Simple comme bonjour!
Stage03 Julyocs > BuSuM
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Mc Mct
Height: 174 cmWeight: 68 kgDate o birth:11-02-1984Pro rider since:2005Favourite race:Belgian ClassicsCycling specialty:All-rounderHome town:Campodarsego (Ita)Did you know:Marco Marcato willmarry this all.
hoT For dUMe!He had his debut as a proessional in 2007
and last year he had his irst victory: Marco
Marcato (28) rom San Don di Piave, close to
Venice. The charmi ng Italia n has been ridin g
or Vacansoleil-DCM since 2009 and in the
beginning this was a culture shock. It was
as i I had ended up in a totally new world! I
had always cycled in Italian teams and didnt
speak a word o English. In the beginning I
used to carry around such a small dictionary
in order to learn, whenever I could ind some
time, some new words and technical terms. O
course the Dutch speaking riders immediately
taught me how to curse, such as hot or dume
and words such as kiken; I never learned how
to write these. But despite the language bar-
rier I always elt at home at Vacansoleil-DCM.
It is like a big amily and there is respect or
the riders. Ogni traserta viene atta con il
sorriso sulle labbra: each time when we go
out together we have such a laugh. Yes, those
Dutch people: in the beginning they keep their
distance, but when they like you they are the
best o riends.
Stage04 Julyabbv > ru
, m4
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505 Julyru > StQut
, m
BaTTering raMFor JpBetween 1987 and 1990
Michel Cornelisse and Jean-
Paul van Poppel were riding in the same team;
the frst year with the SuperConex team o Jan
Raas and then with the Panasonic team o Pe-
ter Post. Cornelisse was the battering ram in
the wheel o JP, who, thanks to that, was able
to sprint to quite a ew ower bouquets. We
never did the Tour together. Jan Raas elt I was
too young and our stay with Post unortunately
didnt become a success story, remembers
Cornelisse. In those tours that we did ride to-
gether van Poppel was the gentleman-sprinter
who raced straight to the fnishing line, where-
as I was blocking the pass to his rivals like a lu-
natic wavering in his wheel. There was a lot o
cursing going on when I was around, because I
wasnt araid o anybody. The most dangero us
guys or me were Bontempi and Arras. Why I
didnt win any mass sprints mysel? When I
was supposed to sprint or the win mysel, I
started thinking. I then became nervous and
started making mistakes. A good lead-out man
is not automatically a good sprinter.
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15
fostering growth
People are capable o delivering monumental perormances,
this is especially so in cycling. Did you ever cross the Alps
or Pyrenees by bike? Such eorts strain the human body to
the limit and are impossible without thorough preparation.
Growing to the top, both literally and fguratively!
WithDCM your garden will also reach its peak! www.dcm-info.com
ProCycling Team
6
dCM enSUreSgroWThFor DCM the Tour is a very
important platorm, says
Tom De Ceuster, CEO o
the company that produces
organic ertilizers. We are
already well-known in our
home market, the Benelux
countries, but France, where
we already have ive estab-
lishments, is an upcoming
market or DCM. For example, you can ind DCM in Paris, Toulouse and
Macon. Because the Tour has a very international appearance, we simul-
taneously hope to be able to take a share o the market in other coun-
tries. The act that, in addition, DCM also has a warm beating heart o r
the cycling sport is demonstrated through the annual sponsoring o the
Belgian under-23s DCM-GB -Vorselaar team. That team has alreadyproduced many talents such as Thomas De Gendt, Barry Markus and
Michel Kreder, says De Ce uster, ull o pride. O course DCM also runs
consumer campaigns during the Tour. For example, via the purchase o
vario us DCM produ cts yo u can accrue point s, with which y ou ca n even -
tually win a tailor-made Bianchi racing bicycle. And it would be great i
our sprinter Feillu could grab the victory in his home town o Brive-la-
Gaillarde (or another one o our riders o course), because the next day
us Belgians are celebrating a national holiday, concludes De Ceuster.
Stage06 Julyey > Mtz
, m
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707 JulyTmb > l pcds Bs Fs m
one gear BaCkAter a we ek o s printi ng w ith st rong men and
danger or the more rivolous climbers, as o
stage 7 the peloton takes on a dierent ap-
pearance.
Accor ding to Vacansol eil-D CM train er Marc
Lamberts there are serious adjustments or
a riders body when a road starts to ascend:
During the climbing the heart beat will rise
considerably. This is partially caused by a
more intense usage o the muscles, such as the
arms, muscle use rom a dierent angle and
less cooling down or the body. In order to
use your muscles in dierent ways, according
to research, it is best to alternate sitting and
standing during a long climb. The comort o
just ollow ing in the bunch also count s less
because o the battle against gravity, and more
power on the pedals is needed. Finally, the
high intensity and limited cooling down also
increase the chance o dehydration.
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CONTROLLEDfor
SPORTERS
ProCycling Team
8
dirk Van SChalen& The inTernalhUMan BeingWhat do rider s eat durin g a
Tour? And do they eat di-
erently beore a short stage
than beore a long stage?
In principle there isnt that
much dierence, says Dirk
van Schale n, who is takin g
care o the internal human
being during the giant tours
with Vacansoleil-DCM. He has a proessional kitchen at his disposal in
a truck and long working days o 17 hours are no exception. It starts at
six thirty in the morning and ater a long stage I close the door o the
van behin d me at about eleve n oclock at night . Bu t what about those
meals, Dirk? In the event o a short stage the start is slightly later and
they can have breakast a bit later in the morning. They then eat rice orpasta, pancakes with jam, accompanied by a smoothie. In the event o a
heavier stage they simply eat a bit mor e, that is the only dierence. And
beore a time trial they only eat rice, because that is much easier to di-
gest. In the evenings they g et a piece o ish or chicken and ate r a heavy
stage beesteak. And guys who dont eat red meat during a tour which
is more diicult to digest get three eggs in the evening. Bon appetit!
Stage08 JulyBft > ptuy
, m
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rm Fu
Height: 174 cmWeight: 62 kgDate o birth:16-04-1984Pro rider since:2007Favourite race:Paris- ToursCycling specialty:SprintingHome town:Ferrire (Fra)Did you know:Romain Feillu livesin a mobile home inFrejus or a big parto the year.
one daY in YelloWFor Romain Feillu (28) the 2008 Tour will al-
ways remain special. Ater he had his debut
a year earlier in the Grande Boucle, he man-
aged to take the yellow jersey in his 2nd Tour
in Nantes. That happened ater the 3rd stage,
in which a quartet o riders had taken to their
heels immediately ater the start in Saint-
Malo. Samuel Dumoulin rode to the stage win
and although Feillu only came 3rd, he was
smiling rom ear to ear in his yellow jersey
on the podium. I was only 24 years old and I
had the yellow, which is o course a dream or
a sprinter! I knew in advance that I could only
enjoy it or 24 hours, because in the time trial
in Cholet I never stood a chance. I draped that
yellow jersey over a chair that night so that
it was the irst thing I saw the next morning
when I opened my eyes, says the small man
rom Chteaudun, who came 2nd behind Tyler
Farrar in the 3rd stage o the 2011 Tour.
Stage09 JulyactSs > Bs
, m9
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Stage
Jy h
Height: 179 cmWeight: 70 kgDate o birth:13-05-1983Pro rider since:2009Favourite race:Giro dItaliaCycling specialty:Hard one dayraces, to help outteammatesHome town:Yerseke (Ned)Did you know:Johnny Hoogerlandhas sheep in hisgarden.
The BlaCk hole BringS relieFJohnny Hoogerland lives in the Zeeland coun-
tryside with his girlriend, two sheep and a
dog. The rider really manages to relax here:
In 2011 I was away rom home or more than
275 days, with among other things the Giro,
the Tour and the weeks that I stayed at my per-
manent address in Spain. That is a lot o time
and is part o the lie o a proessional cyclist.
However, o course I preer to be at home with
my girlriend and the animals. I very much en-
joy the home situat ion, the surro undin gs and
my home, which we moved into last year. That
is the place where I can completely relax. Cy-
cling is my passion and I want to continue or
many years as a rider but I wont be bothered
by that black hole when I stop. Less travelling
and being home more is something that I willcertainly enjoy. That wont be a black hole but
a relie.
10 Julyrst y
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1011 JulyMc > BSuVs, m
heaVieST CliMB in TheToUr de WoUTToday is the ascension o the Grand Colom-
bier which, with a height o 1,531 metres, is
the hardest climb o the day. It is the highest
mountain in the department o Ain and as such
annually one o the highlights o the Tour de
lAin. Wout Poels knows it as no other, because
2 years ago he won the Tour de lAin stage over
the Colombier and in 2011 he was the 5th to
reach the top. In 2010 the Tour de LAin was
part o the Tour de Wout with the climb as the
most diicult obstacle. The Tour de Wout was
ridden in August o 2010 when Poels had more
than 20 race days in 1 month. This is a very
special stage or me. In May I explored the
10th stage with the team and rode it again. It
is a beautiul climb. From Culoz you maintain
a view o the valley or a long time, be cause the
irst 6 kilometres are without shelter. So when
it is warm weather, you do eel it. It starts with
6 hairpin bends and then it slightly lattens
beore then rising to a maximum 14%. It is a
true cal-biter with a beautiul view rom the
top, but I dont suppose I will be able to enjoy
that very much.
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11
FVuc
Height: 183 cmWeight: 75 kgDate o birth:04-09-1978Pro rider since:2004Favourite race:Hard circuit races,stage racesCycling specialty:Riding on acontinuously speedHome town:Werchter (Bel)Did you know:Frederik Veuchelendid his rst GiantTour at the ageo 32.
no ChaT SeSSionIn a giant tour you will ind riders who are in
the saddle or days on end, or many hours.
During a stage there oten seems to be time or
a chat. Frederik Veuchelen sees this around
him: I mysel dont chat a lot during the tour.
I am ocused on me, my task and the race. I
make sure that I eat and drink suiciently,
I keep an eye on how our team is doing and I
am working on what is yet to come. Around me
there usually are guys who are airly vocal. Rob
Ruijgh, or example, makes a lot o noise and
I oten need to laugh about Wout Poels with
his dry and outspoken sense o humour. The
craziest things come out o his mouth. Now in
my ourth year in the team I know that Dutch
people are more direct and I can appreciate
that more and more and can also assess howserious something is. But those guys know
that when the tour really becomes dangerous
or heavy or when we are entering the deciding
part, they stop talking and there is an enor-
mous ocus.
Stage12 Julyabtv > l Tussu ls Sybs m
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12
FranCe = CYCling-holidaY CoUnTrYFrance has something to o-
er or everyone both in the
feld o holidays and in the
feld o cycling, says Karin
Beks o Vacansoleil. The
landscapes are so diverse that
both the recreational and the
sporting cyclist will get eve-
rything they could wish or.
When you are looking or the
recreational aspect, then you can opt to camp along the river Loire; or
the racing cyclists there are the Alps and the Pyrenees and those who
like mountain biking can, or example, go to the Ardche. Vacansoleil is
o course catering or that as much as possible. Our camp sites in France
are a great base or cycling-holidaymakers. You can go there with your
own tent or caravan, but Vacansoleil also provides completely urnishedmobile homes and bungalow tents or those cycling holidaymakers who
would preer this service. Then you only have to bring along your bicycle
and your cycling gear! There are also camp sites where you can hire bicy-
cles, or children as well as adults, and where they can provide you with
route maps. On our website and under the heading o Theme holidays,
you can fnd all the inormation you want regarding our cycling destina-
tions, plus a map with all the camp sites which are in the close vicinity o
the route o the Tour. Handy isnt it?
Stage13 JulySt.J.dMu > aydvzu m
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forP
erformance
VredesteinTWT
@VredesteinTWT
One range fits all
w w w . v r e d e s t e i n . c o m
Vredestein has a top-quality line of race and cyclo-cross tyres for every level.
Professionals like riding on them during training and in races, and tour riders
find them to their advantage as well.
Vredestein race and cyclo-cross tyres are always in the lead when it comes to
grip in all weather conditions, low rolling resistance, puncture protection
and durability.
13
WaTer & iCe CUBeSEva Luijkx yes, the wie o
manager Daan Luijkx - is one
o the physiotherapists or
the team. Since 2005 she has
been working with the team,
which back then debuted in
the peloton under the name
o Fondas Imabo-Doorisol.
Having worked during the
Vuelta in 2009 and the Tour
in 2011 Eva Luijkx will be do-
ing her third giant tour in 2012. For someone in her proession there is
a lot o work to be done during a Tour, especially ater about 2 weeks o
cycling through France. Last year it was very busy right rom the start,
because there were a lot o alls in the irst week. Ater 2 weeks there
are usually a lot o neck and back complaints. We always get the riders
to recuperate in the team bus with the Game Ready appliance. That iswrapped around their legs and illed with water and ice cubes. We have
three o those and it accelerates the recovery. During a Tour you can see
a noticeable dierence between guys who have already had experience
with giant tours and those who dont. And it also makes a lot o dier-
ence how a rider started the Tour.
Stage14 JulySt.puTsCtu >l C a m
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Stage
14
rb ruj
Height: 175 cmWeight: 64 kgDate o birth:12-11-1986Pro rider since:2009Favourite race:Amstel Gold Race,Tour de FranceCycling specialty:Climbing, generalclassicationsHome town:Valkenburg aande Geul (Ned)Did you know:Rob Ruijgh knowshow to greet peoplein fuent Italian.
FUll Speed To Foix!Last year Rob Ruijgh inished 21st as best
classiied Dutchman in his irst Tour. It is
thereore understandable that this man rom
Limburg will set o or la douce France with
the necessary ambition. In order to be well
prepared, with some o his teammates, he has
explored various mountain rides in the Tour
in advance. He has marked out the 14th stage
rom Limoux to Foix, the irst stage in the Pyr-
enees. It is a hazardous stage with narrow
roads, both uphill and in the descents. The
start up to the Port de Lers is rather narrow
and you need to be in the ront o the peloton
early on in the climb otherwise it is very di-
icult to overtake. That mountain is very steep
at the beginning. It then goes up gradually and
halway it slightly lattens. The descent is di-
icult too and almost directly ater that starts
the climb up the Mur de Peguere, also very
steep and with sections o 18%! From the top it
is still 40 kilometres to the inish, so you have
to set out with a small group.
15 Julylmu > F
m
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1516 JulySmt > pu
, m
FaUSTo Coppi rUleSIn the Tour o 1952 Fausto Coppi (32) was at
his peak. On his biancoceleste Bianchi racing
bike he rode his competitors into the ground.
In that Tour it was the irst time they com-
peted or the combative rider prize (good
or 100,000 rancs), but the campionissimo
imposed his iron will on the peloton. That
was the irst year with an uphill inish. That
happened in the 10th, 11th and 21st stage and
you can already guess who arrived at the top
irst: Coppi! The leading man o the Squadra
Azzu rra st uck ou t above the re st to su ch an e x-
tent ater 12 stages he had a lead o 24 min-
utes on number 2, Alex Close that the Tour
bosses doubled the prize money or the num-
bers 2 and 3 to promote competition. The
18th stage led to Pau and Coppi ended up irst
on all mountains. In the descent he allowed
others to overtake him again but then gained
his 4th stage win in the sprint. In Paris Coppi
almost had hal an hour lead on the Belgian
Stan Ockers.
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~
ZeelandS roeMLast year the headlines o all the papers and websites read: Vacansoleil-
DCM brings back the Zeeland mussels in the Tour. And indeed, on the sec-
ond resting day in Orange there they were again, the Moules Frites, with
catering provided by Zeelands Roem. Piet Gommers, o Roem van Yerseke,
remembers very well that his company also took care o the mussel par-
ties o the TVM in the nineties. During the Vacansoleil-DCM mussel party
Gommers produced a photo showing a very young Johnny Hoogerland,
dressed in a ye llow cycling shirt printed with the name Roem van Yerseke.
In those days we were a sponsor or the riders o ZRTC Theo Middelkamp
and because Johnny was a member o that club, he was riding with such a
shirt. That is why it is extra nice that he is now participating in the Tour
de France with Vacansoleil-DCM. Riders, journalists and Tour-managers
shared a table in sun-flled Orange. Mussels are fne as nutrition. They
contain little at and are thereore great or riders. And or journalists,
says a smiling Piet Gommers.
Stage17 Julypu
gustv elss
Height: 194 cmWeight: 77 kgDate o birth: 20-09-1980Pro rider since:2003Favourite race:World Champion-
ships individualtime trailCycling specialty:Time trailsHome town:Monaco (Mon)Did you know:Gustav Larssonwas second at theOlympic time trialin Beijing 2008.
Wut M
Height: 195 cmWeight: 83 kgDate o birth:17-04-1982Pro rider since:2009Favourite race:Paris-Roubaix
Cycling specialty:All-rounder inwindy eventsHome town:Heerhugowaard(Ned)Did you know:For 4 years WouterMol lived in an oldconvent with ourother guys.
ky vhumm
Height: 176 cmWeight: 68 kgDate o birth:30-09-1982Pro rider since:2003Favourite race:Scheldeprijs
Cycling specialty:SprintingHome town:Huissen (Ned)Did you know:Kenny was a teammate o JohnnyHoogerland twelveyears ago.
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17Stage
Mtj kz
Height: 193 cmWeight: 72 kgDate o birth:25-03-1988Pro rider since:2011Favourite race:Liege-Bastogne-LiegeCycling specialty:Time trialsHome town:Muntendam (Ned)Did you know:Martijn Keizer was2 time nationalchampion timetrial in the mensUnder-23 category.
MarTiJn keiZer: eSCapeSMartijn Keizer (24) rom Muntendam ound
his orm as a tour rider in May at the Giro.
He won the intermediate sprint classiica-
tion and came 2nd in the classiication o the
most escape-kilometres behind Olivier Kai-
sen. Beore the tour Keizer had intended to
opt or the attack in 3 stages, but that in the
end turned out to be 6 stages. Is there a secret
or a great escape? I you really want to be
there in a stage, then you will succeed 8 out o
10 times. It speaks or itsel that the orm and
your condition have to be ine, but with a bit
o luck you can enorce something like that, in
my experience. O course you have to maintain
your ocus and concentration or 3 weeks in a
row and in the last week that is not always that
easy. But i you are doing it with a certain ob-jective , like in the Giro with t hose t wo cla ssii-
cations, then you will be able to keep it up. In
Milan I was awarded or it with a place on the
winners podium. I am now secretly hoping or
a selection in the Vuelta, because I would love
to repeat that trick there.
19 JulyBsluc >pyus, m
16
rf Vs F
Height: 179 cmWeight: 64 kgDate o birth:25-06-1987Pro rider since:2009Favourite race:Tour de FranceCycling speciality:ClimbingHome town:Cocentaina (Esp)Did you know:Valls was the lastrider to join theteam in 2012.
CloSe MY eYeS and ThinkaBoUT The ToUrEarly March Raael Valls had a hard crash
while in the ront group at Murcia. Valls broke
some ribs and missed two months o the sea-
son. During his recovery he ocused on the
Tour: Since I did the Tour in the summer o
2010 my sportive lie changed. In 2010 I be-
came second in the 7th stage towards Station
des Rousses. Getting so close to a stage win
made me realize that the Tour is everything or
a rider. In the past months I had a lot o pain
and diiculty breathing while recovering. But
every time I started thinking about the Tour
and it gave me the motivation and strength or
a quick recovery. I would just close my eyes,
think about the mountains, the Spanish ans in
our Pyrenees and the pain was gone. O courseit is not easy to compete with the be st riders in
the Tour and it can be very nervous with cross-
wind and crashes but I will try to improve the
2010 result. Venga venga!
Stage18 Julypu > Bsluc
m
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41
18
Tms gt
Height: 179 cmWeight: 67 kgDate o birth:06-11-1986Pro rider since:2009Favourite race:Liege-Bastogne-LiegeCycling speciality:BreakawaysHome town:Semmerzake (Bel)Did you know:Thomas De Gendtpreers to race withnumber 103.
Final Weekend oFFerSopporTUniTieSThis year, Thomas De Gendt ended third in
the Tour o Italy and had his breakthrough as
a tour rider with an excellent inal weekend.
The 25-year old rider won the queen stage to
the Stelvio. In 2011 he also caught the eye in
the last days o the Tour with a sixth place on
Alpe dHu ez and a our th place in the time
trial. His secret? It seems as i my body does
not get any worse during a giant tour. In addi -
tion to that there is a mental aspect, because
3 weeks o racing is not something you do just
or pleasure and many are desperate or in-
ishing the race. They want to inish with as
little as possible waste o energy. Not me, i I
havent won a stage yet or havent been able to
show something then that is in act motivat-
ing or me to give it my all. With some guts
and the right moral attitude there are a lot
o opportunities; you can see it as a ootball
match where more space is opening up in the
last 5 minutes.
Stage20 JulyBc > Bvlg
, m
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21/23
43
1921 JulyBv > Cts
, m
Working againST The CloCkUs mechanics try to do most o the work on the
evening prior to a time trial, says Geert Van de
Meulebroecke. We check all the wheels, tubes
and the bicycles, because the earlier you can get
to the start the next day, the better. There we
look or a good spot or the truck and then we
get the bicycles ready to go. We place the bicycle
rollers below a cover so that the riders can get a
warm-up ride. Whilst they explore the track, we
prepare the reserve bicycles: an extra time-trial
bike and a normal tour bike. When they come
back we discuss what needs to be changed. This
is usually about the gears but also about the
wheels. One wants a closed wheel, another one
with three spokes. We do what they ask and in
the meantime the bicycles still need to go to be
checked by the race jury. During the time trial I
am in the back o the car. Aterwards everything
is loaded into the truck and we then go to the car
park at the hotel to dismantle and clean every-
thing again. The road bicycles, or the ollowing
day, have to be ready or the next day, so that
doubles the amount o work. With a bit o luck
we manage to sit down or dinner around ten in
the evening.
Etappe
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45
20
ks BcmsHeight: 180 cmWeight: 75 kgDate o birth:13-02-1987Pro rider since:2010Favourite race:Tour o FlandersCycling speciality:SprintingHome town:Schilde (Bel)Did you know:Kris Boeckmanswas the Europeanchampion in themens Under-23category in 2009.
a daY WiThoUT The ToUriS a loST daYKris Boeckmans (25) practiced gym and bas-
ketball when he was a youngster, but because
his parents were active in various cycling clubs
he couldnt avoid it in the end: Kris started cy-
cling as well. When he was 9 years old he partic-
ipated in a cycling tour o no less than 150 kilo-
metres! Two years later he was ascinated as
he watched the notorious Tour o 1998, which
was won by Pantani. Since that Tour I have
been a an o Tom Steels. He won three stages,
amongst which is the most beautiul one: the
one with the cobble stones on the Champs-
Elyses in Paris! I will never orget that. Ater
that I was in ront o the television every day o
July, every year. Whether I was on a holiday or
not, I had to see it! The worst or me were therest days. Those were days lost, with no Tour on
television Back then Armstrong was the guy
to beat or the yellow, but in the sprints there
were other important names, rom Cipollini
and Steels, Petacchi-Boonen-McEwen to Cav-
endish. And the great thing is: now I might be
part o it mysel with the cobble-stones in Paris
to look orward to in July!
Stage22 July
rbut> ps Cmsyss
m
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