Sprinters Take the Stage

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Tactics
Sprinters Take the Stage

By REED ALBERGOTTI
June 27, 2008; Page W4

This year's Tour de France, which starts next Saturday, is like a great Broadway show without the star cast. In the wake of recent doping scandals, many of its leading men have been suspended or disinvited.

Fortunately for serious cycling fans and anyone else who might want to follow the event, Tour de France jerseys come in colors other than the yellow one worn by the overall leader.

See slideshow of some of this year's top green-jersey contenders

This year, the more interesting race could be the one for the green jersey, which is worn by the rider who performs best in the flat, fast sections of the course designated for sprinters. While the yellow jersey attracts all the attention, the sprinters are the maniacs who risk their lives in chaotic, 45-mph scrambles to the finish that often looks like a cross between horse racing and rugby.

Unlike the race for the overall title, which is nearly always decided before the final stage, the race for the green often comes down to a last few meters at the finish line in Paris. And it's been especially competitive of late: Since 2001, the sprinter's title has been decided by an average of 25 points, the smallest margin in any seven-year period in the race's history and far below the historical average of 65 points for all tours since 1959.

This year's field of sprinters is one of the most talented ever. It includes four green-jersey winners and some of the sport's most recognizable stars in Australia's Robbie McEwen, Germany's Erik Zabel and Norway's Thor Hushovd. The tour has raised to 10 the number of "flat" stages where the sprinters dominate.

Gavin Harvey, the president of Versus, which is broadcasting the tour in the U.S., says the network is beefing up its coverage of sprint stages. For the first time it plans to rig a top sprinter with a heart-rate and wattage transmitter to see just how hard he's pushing in the final meters of the race. It will also air at least seven television profiles of sprinters, the most ever, and up from four last year. And in the style of football color men, the network is starting a feature called the "Saab Turbo Sprint," where commentators will break down replays of sprints with advanced on-screen graphics. "If you're not focusing on the green jersey and making heroes out of the sprinters, you're missing a third of the race," Mr. Harvey says.

Reuters/Landov

Green Is the New Yellow: Oscar Freire of Spain (left) and Robbie McEwen of Australia do battle in France in 2006.

The green jersey was added by the tour's overlords in 1953 as a way to keep things interesting on the flat sections where time differences between the top contenders rarely occur, and where bigger, faster riders, who usually suffer in the mountains because of their weight, have a shot at victory. The race's point system awards 35 points to the winner of a sprint stage, 30 points for second, and so on. Riders can pick up extra points by winning smaller "intermediate" sprints along the way -- which helps create drama during otherwise monotonous five-hour marathons. "I've seen some of those intermediate sprints be almost as dramatic as the finish-line sprint," says Versus commentator Paul Sherwen.

Many sprinters never emerge from the mountains. Because they're built for power and not endurance, they often struggle to finish within the designated time limits. The famous Italian sprinter Mario Cipollini, who has won 12 sprint stages in his Tour career, has never actually finished the race.

What separates sprinters from other cyclists is fearlessness and an ability to maneuver through tiny openings at high speeds. Sprinters have to keep pedaling at full speed, even when they're being bumped and shoved and cut off from every direction. "It's like gladiator racing," says Jonathan Vaughters, a former teammate of Lance Armstrong who's director of the Garmin-Chipotle cycling team.

One of the perennial favorites is 36-year-old Mr. McEwen, who is looking for his fourth green jersey. He's known for his sneakiness and quick bursts to the finish line. Television commentators say they often don't notice him until he's nosing over the finish line. "You don't see him. And there he is. He's got a win," says Mr. Sherwen.

One rising star is 23-year-old British sprinter Mark Cavendish, who may pull out early to prepare for the Olympics. Mr. Zabel, 37, has won six green jerseys -- the most in history. Spain's Oscar Freire and Australians Stuart O'Grady and Baden Cooke are also contenders.

Mr. McEwen, the three-time sprint champion, says sprinters still "tend to be second-class citizens" but that their competition can be much more fun. Yellow-jersey contenders spend most of their time slogging up mountains and shaving time off of their rivals, and the race is over before the peloton even reaches Paris.

"Winning with your arms in the air on the finish line -- that's a real win," he says.

Tactics Sprinters Take the Stage

Tactics
Sprinters Take the Stage