2014 Tour de France—Winners and Losers

Here is the 2014 TDF wrap-up.  Of the 198 riders who started, 164 finished in Paris.  Cheng Ji, the first Chinese to ride the Tour, was the lantern rouge.

Winners

• Nibali and Astana.  Nibali rode a great race and the team defended well.  It's hard to say what would have happened if Contador and Froome had been in the mix, but I think that Nibali would still have been a major player.  I am going to believe that he is clean, until I hear otherwise.  The only downside is Astana's general manager, Alexander Vinokourov.  Vino is an unrepentant doper, and there might well be some truth that he has bought several races, including a gold medal in the 2012 London Olympics.
• France.  Second and third on the podium, best young rider, best team (AG2R), three riders in the top 10, ten riders in the top 50.  Kadri won a stage as did Gallopin, who wore yellow even if it wasn't very long.
• Germany.  Kittel, Martin, and Greipel won seven stages.   Kittel is fast even if he almost gets dropped on the highway over passes.
• Tinkoff-Saxo.  In spite of losing Contador, they won three stages and the polka dot jersey.
• Cannondale.  Sagan won the points jersey even if he couldn't win a stage.
• Omega Pharma-Quick Step.  Even though Cavendish crashed out, there were stage wins for Martin and Trentin.   Tony Martin is the man.  He won the time trial and a long solo breakaway stage.  The day after his solo breakaway, he pulled the break single handedly for over two hours even if Kwiatkowski couldn't close the deal on the white jersey.
• Belkin.  Lars Boom wins on the cobbles.  Two riders in the top ten and a sponsor for 2015.  Mollema needs to learn to time trial.

Coming Up Short

• BMC.  Van Garderen moved up to fifth on shear luck.  It seemed that he was always playing catchup.  With all of its high priced talent, BMC should be doing better.
• Garmin.  Talansky crashed out.  Had it not been for  the great stage win by Navarduaskus, the team would have absolutely nothing to show for the last three weeks.  Ben King (53rd) was the top placed Garmin rider.
• Spain.  Contador crashed out, Rodriguez had the polka dot jersey but couldn't hang onto it, and Valverde faded to fourth place.  Only four riders in the top 50.
• Trek.  Zubledia finished 8th.  Cancellera couldn't win on the cobbles and dropped out to concentrate on other races.  As for the Schlecks, Frank did okay, but Andy will probably have a very difficult time getting a contract next year with any team.
• Europcar.  Rolland was burnt out after doing the Giro.  Now that France has some Tour contenders like Pinot, maybe the French will become less obsessed with Voeckler.
• Orica GreenEdge did nothing, ZERO.
• Cofidis, IAM, and Bretagne - Seche Environnement, all wildcard teams did nothing.
• Sky.  The team totally derailed after Froome crashed out.  Porte got sick, and the other riders assumed the role of pack filler.  They should have brought Wiggins and figured out how to make the team work with him on it.
• Lampre-Merida.  Costa got pneumonia and Horner didn't have the legs to crack the top 10.