The moment of truth, can the Schlecks hold off Evan’s? The drag from Vizille to Saint-Martin D’Uriage has an elevation gain of 307 meters and is over a distance of 12.5 kilometers. That give a road  gradient of 2.45% . I don’t think that will do the Schleks and favours. With Evan’s good power output and timetrialing ability he should have no problem in putting 90 to 120 seconds into the Schleck brothers Below is the top ten for this years Dauphine TT, identical to this TT and note where Evans and the company around him.  

 

1  MARTIN, Tony (HTC-HIGHROAD)                                       55′ 27″
2  WIGGINS, Bradley (SKY)                                                     + 00′ 11″
3  BOASSON HAGEN, Edvald (SKY)                                     + 00′ 43″
4  ZABRISKIE, David (GARMIN-CERVELO)                         + 00′ 58″
5  BRAJKOVIC, Janez (RADIOSHACK)                                  + 01′ 17″
6  EVANS, Cadel (BMC RACING)                                       + 01′ 20″
7  THOMAS, Geraint (SKY)                                                      + 01′ 36″
8  RIBLON, Christophe (AG2R LA MONDIALE)                  + 01′ 37″
9  TAARAMAE, Rein (COFIDIS, LE CREDIT EN LIGNE)   + 01′ 56″
10 FARIA DA COSTA, Rui Alberto (MOVISTAR)                + 02′ 00″

 

 

Andy is not an admirer of the TT: 

 

“Beating Contador is not easy, but I tried everything,” he said. “I am happy, and I’ll come back next year to win,”

That was his comment after last years TDF. I think he can now say that he has beaten Contador but he will have to replace Contadors name in the statement with Evans’s unfortunately.

 

Look below at the people around Schleck in last years Tour de France final TT and note the positions 33 to 48

 

33 Alexander Vinokourov (Kaz) Astana 0:05:32  
34 Dimitri Champion (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:05:38  
35 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana 0:05:43  
36 Dries Devenyns (Bel) Quick Step    
37 Carlos Barredo Llamazales (Spa) Quick Step 0:05:48  
38 Jurgen Van De Walle (Bel) Quick Step 0:05:50  
39 Amaël Moinard (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne 0:05:51  
40 Samuel Sánchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi    
41 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Team Radioshack 0:05:59  
42 Brent Bookwalter (USA) BMC Racing Team 0:06:01  
43 Arkaitz Duran Daroca (Spa) Footon-Servetto 0:06:13  
44 Andy Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank 0:06:14  
45 Daniel Oss (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo 0:06:20  
46 Andriy Grivko (Ukr) Astana 0:06:26  
47 Imanol Erviti Ollo (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne 0:06:29  
48 Carlos Sastre (Spa) Cervelo Test Team 0:06:30 

 

This was last years top Ten in the same TT  at the TDF and if you look at who is in it and look at where Evans finished in the Dauphine TT it makes for a rather close finale. Note the time differences

 

1 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team Saxo Bank                           01:00:56
2 Tony Martin (Ger) Team HTC – Columbia                             0:00:17  
3 Bert Grabsch (Ger) Team HTC – Columbia                             0:01:48  
4 Ignatas Konovalovas (Ltu) Cervelo Test Team                      0:02:34  
5 David Zabriskie (USA) Garmin – Transitions                         0:03:00  
6 Koos Moerenhout (Ned) Rabobank                                             0:03:03  
7 Vasili Kiryienka (Blr) Caisse d’Epargne                                   0:03:10  
8 Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Rabobank                                          0:03:21  
9 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Sky Professional Cycling Team     0:03:33  
10 Geraint Thomas (GBr) Sky Professional Cycling Team    0:03:38

 

 

Evans lost 1′ 20″ to Tony Martin in the Dauphine and Schleck lost 6′ 00″ to Martin in last years Tour! The time differences relative to other rides like Zabriske, Wiggin and Thomas all generate the same conclusion.

Evans will  be chasing Frank Schleck on the road and Frank will be chasing his brother Andy who will be the last rider off at 16:18. First rider starts at 10:30.Bon Apetite!