2012 Tour of Beijing
The 2012 Tour of Beijing was the second running of the Tour of Beijing stage race. It started on 9 October at Tiananmen Square and ended on 13 October in Beijing's Pinggu District after five stages. It was the 28th and final race of the 2012 UCI World Tour season.
| 2012 UCI World Tour, race 28 of 28 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Race details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dates | 9–13 October 2012 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stages | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Distance | 753.5 km (468.2 mi) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Winning time | 17h 16' 56"[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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← 2011 2013 → | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The race was won for the second successive year by German rider Tony Martin, riding for the Omega Pharma–Quick-Step team.[2] Martin won the second stage of the race with a solo attack 25 km (15.5 mi) from the end of the stage, and ultimately won the stage by 46 seconds from his nearest competitor. He held the overall lead of the race until its conclusion, eventually winning the race by 40 seconds from Astana rider Francesco Gavazzi,[3] who won the race's queen stage on the third day. Team Sky's Edvald Boasson Hagen completed the podium, 6 seconds behind Gavazzi and 46 down on Martin, and also won the points classification for the most consistent finisher on the stages over the race.[4]
In the race's other classifications, fourth-placed overall Dan Martin (Garmin–Sharp) won the mountains classification,[3] seventh-placed overall Rafał Majka was the winner of the young rider classification for Saxo Bank–Tinkoff Bank,[5] and Liquigas–Cannondale were the victors in the teams classification.
Schedule edit
The race again consisted of five stages; unlike the 2011 edition of the race, there was no individual time trial stage after Tony Martin maintained his race lead from his time trial win to the end of the race.[6][7] Ahead of the race, the second stage was modified following rainstorms in the region earlier in the year; the stage was originally scheduled for 134 km (83.3 mi), but was ultimately shortened to 126 km (78.3 mi).[8]
| Stage | Date | Course | Distance | Type | Winner | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 October | Tiananmen Square to Bird's Nest | 117 km (72.7 mi) | Flat Stage | Elia Viviani (ITA) | |
| 2 | 10 October | Bird's Nest to MenTouGou | 126 km (78.3 mi) | Flat Stage | Tony Martin (GER) | |
| 3 | 11 October | MenTouGou to Badaling Great Wall | 162.5 km (101.0 mi) | Mountain Stage | Francesco Gavazzi (ITA) | |
| 4 | 12 October | YanQing Gui Chuan Square to Chang Ping | 165.5 km (102.8 mi) | Mountain Stage | Marco Haller (AUT) | |
| 5 | 13 October | Chang Ping to Ping Gu | 182.5 km (113 mi) | Mountain Stage | Steve Cummings (GBR) | |
Participating teams edit
As the Tour of Beijing was a UCI World Tour event, all eighteen UCI ProTeams were invited automatically and obligated to send a squad. Originally, the race organisers awarded a wildcard place in the race to the Argos–Shimano team,[9] but they withdrew from the race following political tension between China and Japan,[10] which resulted in Japanese riders being asked to leave September's Tour of China,[11] that was held as part of the 2011–2012 UCI Asia Tour. They were ultimately replaced by the Champion System team,[12] and as such, formed the event's 19-team peloton.
The nineteen teams that competed in the race were:[13]
Stages edit
Stage 1 edit
- 9 October 2012 — Tiananmen Square to Bird's Nest, 117 km (72.7 mi)[14]
The race-opening stage was a circuit race around several of the venues that were part of the 2008 Summer Olympics, primarily between the Bird's Nest and the Water Cube.[15] After starting at Tiananmen Square and following a 23.5 km (14.6 mi) run-in,[16] the peloton had to complete twelve full laps of a circuit measuring 7.8 km (4.8 mi) in length.[17] Prior to the end of the stage on the thirteenth passage through the finish line,[18] points – along with time bonuses – were on offer at a pair of intermediate sprint points, held on the fourth and eighth passages respectively. As a result, the stage was widely expected to finish in a bunch sprint, with very little undulation throughout the circuit.[19] with a maximum of around 10 metres (33 ft) in elevation changes.
A group of five riders – Omega Pharma–Quick-Step rider Marco Bandiera, Mathieu Ladagnous of FDJ–BigMat, Adriano Malori (Lampre–ISD), Vacansoleil–DCM's Bert-Jan Lindeman as well as Craig Lewis for the Champion System team[19] – was established prior to them entering the circuit, at around the 14 km (8.7 mi) point of the stage.[16] The quintet manage to form an advantage of around two minutes, with the main field keeping the gap in check for most of the day. The breakaway swept up the bonus seconds on offer at the sprint points, with Ladagnous gaining the most as he was first across the line at both for six bonus seconds. The group were swept up on the penultimate lap, setting up the ultimate sprint for the line; Elia Viviani sprinted down the left-hand side of the road for Liquigas–Cannondale, and managed to fend off his rivals for his seventh win of 2012,[19] and assumed the lead of all three classifications on offer on the day.[20] Andrew Fenn finished second for Omega Pharma–Quick-Step, ahead of Team Sky's Edvald Boasson Hagen.[16][21]
Stage 1 Result
| General Classification after Stage 1
|
Stage 2 edit
Following flooding in Beijing in July that caused the deaths of 79 people,[22] race organisers were forced to re-route part of the stage, but maintained the stage start at the Bird's Nest and the finish in MenTouGou. Ultimately, the stage was slightly shortened from its original itinerary of 134 km (83.3 mi) to 126 km (78.3 mi), maintaining three categorised climbs during the parcours.[8] Prior to the start of the stage, it emerged that one of the race's competitors – Ag2r–La Mondiale rider Steve Houanard – had tested positive for the glycoprotein hormone erythropoietin (EPO), a performance-enhancing drug, in an out of competition doping test and was asked to leave the race after being suspended by the Union Cycliste Internationale.[23]
On the stage itself, five riders – Rabobank's Juan Manuel Gárate, David Tanner of Saxo Bank–Tinkoff Bank, Mathias Frank (BMC Racing Team), Team Katusha rider Maxim Belkov and Iván Gutiérrez for the Movistar Team[24] – instigated the breakaway around a quarter of the way through the stage, gaining a maximum advantage of over three minutes at one point.[25][26] A small group of riders bridged up to the lead group after the peloton had nearly brought them back, and they remained out front until the end.[24] Defending race winner Tony Martin (Omega Pharma–Quick-Step) attacked this lead group with 25 km (15.5 mi) remaining, on the climb of the Dong Gang Hong Tunnel,[27] and sped away to win by around 45 seconds to record his first road stage win since the 2009 Tour de Suisse.[26][28] His margin of victory allowed him to take the red leader's jersey, as well as the green jersey as points leader.
Stage 2 Result
| General Classification after Stage 2
|
Stage 3 edit
- 11 October 2012 — MenTouGou to Badaling Great Wall, 162.5 km (101.0 mi)[29]
The queen stage[30][31] of the Tour of Beijing saw the riders negotiate four categorised climbs during the stage's 162.5 km (101.0 mi) itinerary, ending in the first summit finish in the Tour's short history.[6] The final climb to the Great Wall of China in Badaling was another venue part of the 2008 Summer Olympics – as part of the Urban Road Cycling Course – and the climb itself was a short, punchy climb of around 1 km (0.62 mi) in length and at an average gradient of 6.3%.[32] Smog would also play a part in the stage's proceedings; after two previously clear days during the race, hazy conditions greeted the riders ahead of the start. Prior to the race, air quality levels were at a "severely polluted" level according to figures released by the Chinese Ministry of Environmental Protection.[33]
With Tony Martin in the overall lead for the Omega Pharma–Quick-Step team,[34] they played a prominent part at closing down attacks in the early stages, before a seven-rider breakaway was allowed to be formed, just before the quarter-way point of the stage. Best-placed of the riders was Mathieu Ladagnous of FDJ–BigMat, who had featured in the opening day's breakaway, at around three minutes behind Martin.[30] The group gained a maximum advantage of about four-and-a-half minutes before the likes of Liquigas–Cannondale and Garmin–Sharp sent riders to the front of the peloton to bring the gap down.[34] The group was eventually caught with around 9 km (5.6 mi) remaining, with several counter-attacks occurring from then on.
Sylvain Georges (Ag2r–La Mondiale) launched an attack to try to get clear,[35] but Team Sky – aiding with the pace at the front of the main group – closed him down before he could establish a sizable advantage. Defending mountains classification winner Igor Antón (Euskaltel–Euskadi) was the next rider to try but he too was thwarted before the attack could fully materialise.[35] Instead, Team Sky's all-rounder Edvald Boasson Hagen attacked with 3.5 km (2.2 mi) remaining,[36] and held a near 20-second lead into the final kilometre,[34] but was closed down in the final metres, with Astana's Francesco Gavazzi taking his first victory for the team and his first since winning a stage of the 2011 Vuelta a España. Boasson Hagen finished third on the stage as he was also beaten to the line by Garmin–Sharp rider Dan Martin; Tony Martin held on to his race lead, with a reduced advantage of 40 seconds over Gavazzi,[30] following the stage-winning time bonus – introduced for the 2012 edition[37] – for Gavazzi.[38]
Stage 3 Result
| General Classification after Stage 3
|
Stage 4 edit
- 12 October 2012 — YanQing Gui Chuan Square to Chang Ping, 165.5 km (102.8 mi)[39]
The penultimate stage of the Tour of Beijing consisted of a long loop around YanQing – making up most of the itinerary for the first half of the stage, 165.5 km (102.8 mi) in length – before the riders had to negotiate three categorised climbs (within 25 km (15.5 mi) of racing) in the Jundu Mountains,[40] in the second half of the stage. Each of the three climbs were third-category and equally measured 2.3 km (1.4 mi) in length, with average gradients for the climbs ranging from 4.2% to 5.2% respectively. From the top of the final climb – just outside Xiezishi[41] – it was all downhill for the remaining 31.5 km (19.6 mi) of the parcours into the finish in Chang Ping,[42] with the stage finishing near to the district's gymnastics stadium.[41]
A group of five riders – made up of Garmin–Sharp's Alex Howes, Team Katusha rider Timofey Kritskiy, Mitchell Docker of Orica–GreenEDGE, Alex Dowsett (Team Sky) and Jérémy Roy, riding for the FDJ–BigMat team[43] – were allowed to create a breakaway inside the opening 20 km (12.4 mi) of the stage, with none of the quintet threatening overall leader Tony Martin (Omega Pharma–Quick-Step) in the general classification. The leaders had gained an advantage of around six-and-a-half minutes towards halfway through the stage,[44] before Omega Pharma–Quick-Step along with the sprinters' teams started to cut into the advantage. Roy attacked his breakaway companions towards the summit of the final climb; he held almost three minutes over the field at the summit,[40] but he was caught with 5 km (3.1 mi) to go.[43] As a result, this eventually set up a bunch sprint that was won by Kritskiy's team-mate Marco Haller, a neo-pro, who achieved his first professional victory on the line.[45]
Stage 5 edit
The final stage of the race was also its longest stage, with an itinerary consisting of 182.5 km (113.4 mi) of racing. Two of the day's four categorised climbs were negotiated inside the first 30 km (18.6 mi),[47] with the peloton having a relatively flat ride for 100 km (62.1 mi) beyond that. Two further categorised climbs – a second-category climb to Tai Hou Village,[48] followed by the first-category ascent of Si Zuo Lou, averaging gradients of 6.7% and 5.9% respectively[46] – featured on the parcours before a long descent towards Ping Gu's Century Square,[49] and the end of the race. The race remained together for the first hour of racing, with mountains classification leader Dan Martin (Garmin–Sharp) gaining the most, claiming maximum points at each of the first two climbs.[48]
After that, a twelve-rider move got clear of the main field but the peloton failed to let them gain a substantial advantage over them; the maximum gap that the group acquired was around two minutes. The group started to break apart on the climb to Tai Hou Village, while Martin's team-mate Ryder Hesjedal made a solo move from the main field,[50] and soon joined up with the lead group; on the final climb, the group was reduced to a trio as only Hesjedal, RadioShack–Nissan rider Jan Bakelants and BMC Racing Team's Steve Cummings remained. Bakelants lost contact before the summit, and Hesjedal and Cummings remained clear of the field for the rest of the day.[51] Cummings followed Hesjedal into Ping Gu, and out-sprinted him for his second victory of the season.[52] Edvald Boasson Hagen led the main field home seventeen seconds later,[51] to confirm himself as the points classification winner and third in the general classification – down to bonus seconds – behind Astana's Francesco Gavazzi, and the repeat victor Tony Martin of Omega Pharma–Quick-Step.[53]
Stage 5 Result
| Final General Classification
|
Classification leadership table edit
| Stage | Winner | General classification | Mountains classification | Points classification | Young rider classification | Team Classification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elia Viviani | Elia Viviani | not awarded | Elia Viviani | Elia Viviani | Movistar Team |
| 2 | Tony Martin | Tony Martin | Dan Martin | Tony Martin | Rafał Majka | Astana |
| 3 | Francesco Gavazzi | Francesco Gavazzi | Liquigas–Cannondale | |||
| 4 | Marco Haller | Edvald Boasson Hagen | ||||
| 5 | Steve Cummings | |||||
| Final | Tony Martin | Dan Martin | Edvald Boasson Hagen | Rafał Majka | Liquigas–Cannondale | |
References edit
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- ^ . Omega Pharma–Quick-Step. Decolef. 13 October 2012. Archived from the original on 16 October 2012. Retrieved 13 October 2012.
- ^ a b Wynn, Nigel (13 October 2012). "Cummings takes final Tour of Beijing stage as Martin wins overall". Cycling Weekly. IPC Media Limited. Retrieved 13 October 2012.
- ^ . Team Sky. BSkyB. 13 October 2012. Archived from the original on 13 November 2012. Retrieved 13 October 2012.
- ^ . Saxo Bank–Tinkoff Bank. Riis Cycling. 13 October 2012. Archived from the original on 25 October 2012. Retrieved 13 October 2012.
- ^ a b Brown, Gregor (3 July 2012). "Tour of Beijing 2012: Tougher, no time trial". Cycling Weekly. IPC Media Limited. Retrieved 8 October 2012.
- ^ "2012 Tour of Beijing route announced". Cycling News. Future Publishing Limited. 3 July 2012. Retrieved 8 October 2012.
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- ^ . Tour of Beijing. Global Cycling Promotion. 27 August 2012. Archived from the original on 2 June 2013. Retrieved 8 October 2012.
- ^ Stokes, Shane (26 September 2012). "Political tensions between China and Japan see Argos Shimano withdraw from Tour of Beijing". VeloNation. VeloNation LLC. Retrieved 8 October 2012.
- ^ Aubrey, Jane (19 September 2012). "Japanese "expelled" from Tour of China". Cycling News. Future Publishing Limited. Retrieved 8 October 2012.
- ^ "Champion System guarantees Chinese presence in Tour of Beijing peloton". Cycling News. Future Publishing Limited. 3 October 2012. Retrieved 8 October 2012.
- ^ "Tour of Beijing 2012 start list". Cycling News. Future Publishing Limited. Retrieved 8 October 2012.
- ^ (PDF). Tour of Beijing. Global Cycling Promotion. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 October 2012. Retrieved 8 October 2012.
- ^ "World-class cyclists ride around Beijing". China Daily. China Daily Group. Xinhua News Agency. 9 October 2012. Retrieved 9 October 2012.
- ^ a b c Stokes, Shane (9 October 2012). "Viviani powers in to grab stage one and leader's jersey in Tour of Beijing". VeloNation. VeloNation LLC. Retrieved 9 October 2012.
- ^ "Viviani takes Beijing opener". Sky Sports. BSkyB. 9 October 2012. Retrieved 9 October 2012.
- ^ (PDF). Tour of Beijing. Global Cycling Promotion. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 October 2012. Retrieved 9 October 2012.
- ^ a b c Ryan, Barry (9 October 2012). "Viviani victorious". Cycling News. Future Publishing Limited. Retrieved 9 October 2012.
- ^ . Liquigas–Cannondale. Brixia Sport. 9 October 2012. Archived from the original on 26 October 2012. Retrieved 9 October 2012.
- ^ Wynn, Nigel (9 October 2012). "Viviani wins opening stage of Tour of Beijing". Cycling Weekly. IPC Media Limited. Retrieved 9 October 2012.
- ^ [The Beijing 7/21 rainstorm death toll rose to 79 people]. People's Daily (in Chinese). Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. 6 August 2012. Archived from the original on 9 November 2012. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
- ^ "French cyclist Steve Houanard banned after failing drugs test". BBC Sport. BBC. 9 October 2012. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
- ^ a b Ryan, Barry (10 October 2012). "Tony Martin wins alone". Cycling News. Future Publishing Limited. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
- ^ . Tour of Beijing. Global Cycling Promotion. 10 October 2012. Archived from the original on 2 June 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
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- ^ (PDF). Tour of Beijing. Global Cycling Promotion. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 September 2012. Retrieved 11 October 2012.
- ^ a b c Atkins, Ben (11 October 2012). "Gavazzi outsprints the favourites to take stage three on the Great Wall". VeloNation. VeloNation LLC. Retrieved 11 October 2012.
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New this year, the time bonuses will provide a fantastic fight between the sprinters and escape artists, like the guest team Champion System. Two intermediate sprints will indeed offer three, two and one seconds to the first three riders crossing the line, while the finish gives ten, six and four second bonuses, which may well decide the overall Tour winner.
- ^ . VeloNews. Competitor Group, Inc. Agence France-Presse. 11 October 2012. Archived from the original on 15 October 2012. Retrieved 11 October 2012.
- ^ (PDF). Tour of Beijing. Global Cycling Promotion. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 September 2012. Retrieved 8 October 2012.
- ^ a b Ryan, Barry (12 October 2012). "Haller takes surprise win". Cycling News. Future Publishing Limited. Retrieved 13 October 2012.
- ^ a b (PDF). Tour of Beijing. Global Cycling Promotion. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 June 2013. Retrieved 13 October 2012.
- ^ (PDF). Tour of Beijing. Global Cycling Promotion. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 September 2012. Retrieved 13 October 2012.
- ^ a b Atkins, Ben (12 October 2012). "Marco Haller takes first professional win on stage four to Chang Ping". VeloNation. VeloNation LLC. Retrieved 13 October 2012.
- ^ Walker, Lee (12 October 2012). "Haller shocks big name sprinters in Beijing". Yahoo! Eurosport. TF1 Group. Retrieved 13 October 2012.
- ^ . VeloNews. Competitor Group, Inc. Agence France-Presse. 12 October 2012. Archived from the original on 14 October 2012. Retrieved 13 October 2012.
- ^ a b (PDF). Tour of Beijing. Global Cycling Promotion. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 October 2012. Retrieved 8 October 2012.
- ^ (PDF). Tour of Beijing. Global Cycling Promotion. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 September 2012. Retrieved 13 October 2012.
- ^ a b Ryan, Barry (13 October 2012). "Tony Martin wins second consecutive Tour of Beijing". Cycling News. Future Publishing Limited. Retrieved 13 October 2012.
- ^ (PDF). Tour of Beijing. Global Cycling Promotion. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 June 2013. Retrieved 13 October 2012.
- ^ . RadioShack–Nissan. Leopard SA. 13 October 2012. Archived from the original on 16 October 2012. Retrieved 13 October 2012.
- ^ a b Stokes, Shane (13 October 2012). "Cummings beats Hesjedal to scoop final stage of Tour of Beijing, Martin wins overall". VeloNation. VeloNation LLC. Retrieved 13 October 2012.
- ^ "Steve Cummings Wins Final Stage In China". BMC Racing Team. BMC Trading. 13 October 2012. Archived from the original on 18 January 2013. Retrieved 13 October 2012.
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External links edit
- Official website