CHAVANEL AT THE TOUR
Sylvain Chavanel was touted as a possible Tour yellow jersey contender early in his career, but while he was a time triallist of undoubted class, winning six national titles, his climbing wasn’t good enough to really break through. He made his debut in 2001, when the highlight was fourth place in a break in Lavaur. In 2003, he was third in Morzine, then was the last survivor of the early break on the Luz Ardiden stage, which was eventually won by Lance Armstrong.
His irst stage win came in 2008, from an escape on the third-last day of the race, and he achieved his highest GC position, 19th (later changed to 18th following Lance Armstrong’s disquali ication), the following year. In 2010, he was one of the men of the race – he wore the yellow jersey following the infamous ‘rider strike’ of Spa on stage two, when a truce was called after several crashes on a slippery descent, with Chavanel up the road in a break. He then won on the summit inish of Station des Rousses, taking the yellow jersey again, a week later. He’s ridden every Tour since.