Tour de France (st. 15)

Portuguese on the break during the opening phase of stage 16 of the Tour de France, won by Fédrigo (FDJ). Rest day for Movistar Team on Tuesday, when riders will meet disabled rider Diego Ballesteros

Movistar Team contested relentlessly the most difficult break so far in the 2012 Tour de France in the route prior to the second rest day, 158 kilometers from Samatan to Pau, from which the fist 65 were covered in barely an hour and a half under the pace imposed by a break including Rui Costa. Together with four other riders, the Portuguese allrounder from the telephone squad never got more than half a minute over a furious bunch, with Valverde and Karpets doing their best to protect his team-mate. The day’s defintiive move, with six cyclists including late attackers Vande Velde (GRS) and stage winner Fédrigo (FDJ), came almost 12 minutes over the bunch. The Grande Boucle will stay tomorrow in Pau before covering the Pirenaic duo on Wednesday (Bagnères-de-Luchon) and Thursday (Peyragudes).

Blues to support Diego Ballesteros tomorrow
In the morning of the second rest day in the 2012 Tour de France, the Movistar Team riders will make a short training ride in the eve of the Pirenaic duo awaiting for them on Wednesday and Thursday. The riders from the Blue squad will receive the visit by Diego Ballesteros, a handicapped rider who started last July 4th his challenge “Un sueño olímpico, Madrid. Pedalea por vencer la discapacidad” (“An Olympic Dream, Madrid. Pedal to Beat Disability”), covering 1,800 kilometers from Madrid to London in order to promote Madrid’s 2020 Olympic bid and support disabled people to chase their dreams. Ballesteros will make a stop into his route to meet the telephone squad’s riders, who will roll for some kilometers at the start of Diego’s stage thirteen in his adventure, having previously been rewarded the Retto Prize to Overcoming by Alejandro Valverde and Juanjo Cobo. Before the event, the riders will talk to the media wanting to attend before the training ride at the Movistar Team vehicles.