BMC Racing Team are having a great Tour de France. Cadel Evans moved up three places in the IG Markets Pro Cycling Index overnight to 12th place. They have now won three out of the five IG Markets Rider of the Days awards.
Rupert Guinness of the Sydney Morning Herald explains why George Hincapie rather than stage victor Mark Cavendish was rider of the day:
"The rider of the day is not always the winner. As admirable as Mark Cavendish's win was, after a stage that saw so many crashes involve so many of the overall contenders, one rider who deserves today's award is American George Hincapie for his work to steer the protection of his BMC leader Cadel Evans safely through all the mayhem.
With Marcus Burghardt and Manuel Quinziato, Hincapie rode like the seasoned trojan he is to make sure they all kept Evans up near the front as much as possible while crashes took down the likes of Alberto Contador, Robert Gesink, Bradley Wiggins and Levi Leipheimer to name a few. Hincapie is riding in his 16th Tour, an equal record for starts with Dutchman Joop Zoetemel, but he is riding with the zest and enthusiasm of a rookie.
However, it was in days like today that his vast experience and streetwise read of a race - in particular the hazards - that his value really counts."
Judge: Rupert Guinness (Sydney Morning Herald)
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IG Markets Pro Cycling Index Stats of the day:
Tom Boonen has only reached Paris twice, in 2004 and 2007
Hard worker – Mark Cavendish may be criticised for not getting up hills but in our top 200 he is 3rd in total kilometres raced
Mark Cavendish has won stage 5 of the Tour de France in 2011, 2010 and 2008.
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