Once again the 2014 Tour is promising us a cycling spectacle, and TV Slovenija will be there all the time.
The sport enthusiasts won't get any rest after the end of the Football World Championship, as July brings Tour de France and fights for the yellow jersey. The race of all races will start on July 5 in Leeds, and will continue until July 27. The three-week long marathon will be broadcasted by TV Slovenia as well. Tomaž Kovšca, the project leader, disclosed the preparations made by the sport editorship of TV Slovenija, who are the favourites of the race, and what are the chances for a Slovenian cyclist for a stage win, for the first time in 111 years' history of the race (the first Tour de France was organized in 1903).
TV Slovenija will broadcast Tour de France this year as well. How many stages will you broadcast for our viewers, and what else is being prepared?
For the first time TV Slovenija will broadcast the entire race, 21 stages. As always, we will somewhat expand the project, and try to make it even more interesting. We are preparing a special preliminary show, while for the MMC viewers a virtual race will be available. They will be able to address their questions through a special e-address which will be answered during the transmission of the race, and on the second free day a cycling trip will be organized with Tadej Valjavec. Some static inserts will be shown, live reports and reports from the race, and more.
The race will start in Great Britain with the stage Leeds-Harrogate. Will Mark Cavendish put on the yellow jersey on the first day of the Tour?
It is quite possible. Harrogate is his mother's birthplace, and the final 60 kilometres of the stage are rather flat. Yet Cavendish is not the only one coveting the yellow jersey, there is a number of other sprinters who will join the fight for victory. Who knows…
Especially the initial stages of the Tour will suit the sprinters. Should we expect a lot of nervousness, scuffling, falls…?
All the mentioned is characteristic for the first week of the Tour. The experienced cyclists say that you just need to live through the first week, the fight for the overall victory starts only after the first week. But the sprinters' festival holds a special charm with outstanding struggles for the best starting positions, fearless cyclists, great speed… These stages differ a lot from those in the second part of the Tour.
Obviously the organizers wish spectacular endings also in those stages with flat finishes. In the 5th stage a number of sections of the road are paved by setts. The stage finishes in Arenberg, which is famous from the Pariz-Roubaix race. What is your opinion of such unpleasant stages?
The stage with setts is not a novelty for the Tour, the cyclists are quite used to such trials. Well, both the organizers and the spectators in front of TV sets prefer such stages to laidback, boring stages where it gets interesting only in the last few kilometres when the cyclist start getting ready for the final sprint.
Simon Špilak has had a great season, and he is openly aiming for a stage win. At the Critérium du Dauphiné he won one of the stages, which is promising. What are his chances for a Tour stage win?
I am convinced as well that this year Simon will fight for victory in at least one stage. When and how would be very difficult to foretell. Perhaps in the early stages, in bad English weather, or later in the race. Simon Špilak is one of the reasons I am impatiently waiting for the Tour to start.
Which will be the royal stage?
Must it be only one (laughter)? All the Pyrenees stages, i.e. stages 14 to 18, will be royal! At first glance the most difficult should be the 17th stage with four difficult ascents, and the finish at Saint-Lary-Soulan, the next day over Tourmalet, and Hautacam in the end… There won't be any possibilities for retake exams – we can expect fierce battles.
Froome, Contador and Nibali, perhaps Valverde are considered the main favourites. And your favourites?
All the experts are convinced that we will witness a duel between Froome and Contador. I agree. This year Froome is not as extremely well prepared as last year, when nobody could get to him, therefore the duel between these two equivalent cyclists will be extremely interesting. Details will be decisive, perhaps the daily shape, or even tactical ideas of the teams.
Dauphine, which is considered a dress rehearsal for the Tour, was surprisingly won by Andrew Talansky, who stole the show from Contador and Froome. Could Talansky interfere with their plans?
Three-week races rarely finish with a great surprise. Talansky might even wear the yellow jersey for a day or two, perhaps someone else can surprise us with a great performance, but in the end I still expect a duel between Froome and Contador.
Nibali hasn't had a great season this year, and is still waiting for a victory. His trainer Paolo Slongo claims that the most dangerous rivals have already reached the top shape, and simply can't improve much, while Nibali should get in top shape only after the first week of the Tour. Do you agree?
Nibali is a top cyclist – yet slightly inferior than the two first favourites. He can get on the podium, but in my opinion he can't get to the very top, i.e. the overall victory. A lot of cyclists start the Tour in a somewhat lesser shape, and get into competitive rhythm only after the first week. But those are experienced cyclists who know the way their body responds during long races, having experienced such three-week races for several times. Nibali most certainly belongs among them, but I still doubt he could join the fight for the overall victory.
Will it be necessary to wait for the overall winner until the 20th stage, the only time trial, or is it likely the decision will be made after the 18th stage?
Tour de France is an extremely long race. Even for us accompanying the Tour, not to mention the cyclists. After 15 or 16 days on the road so many things can happen that you can't even remember if something happened this year, or the year before. It is impossible to predict anything as on such races dramatic turns are quite possible. The predictions of favourites for the race are just that: predictions, and speculations based on the present situation. Nobody can tell what will really happen.
Do you as a commentator look forward to any special stage?
I am looking forward to the project as a whole. Last year, when TV Slovenija didn't have the rights for broadcasting the Tour, in July I missed working with the colleagues, expert commentators Martin Hvastija and Tadej Valjavec, very much. Tour de France is for me the most important sport event of the year, and the most important professional event as well. We are already counting down the days to the start!
Tomaž Okorn
Translated by G. K.
