5 Ronde Van Vlaanderen – Fabian Cancellara vs the World. The World won, but not behind any expected person. Because Sylvain Chavanel was ahead in the breakway, his QuickStep teammate Tom Boonen didn't have to do any work. Amazingly, Boonen attacked and Cancellara not only answered but dropped Boonen, bridging up to the solo Chavanel. It was an amazing display from the overwhelming favorite Cancellara. With all of the energy output though and Chavanel no longer working because he was working for teammate Boonen, Cancellara burned all his energy and he and Chavanel were caught. From there, it was a frantic ride with attacks coming from all over from a select group. Philippe Gilbert had a go at it (about the only time he had a go and failed all season). Cancellara tried to go again but was marked fairly easily by everyone. Ultimately, Nick Nuyens from Cancellara's former Saxo Bank team won the race and many were left to wonder. For Cancellara, he obviously attacked too early, goaded into an attack by Boonen. For Boonen, he broke the field and created the select group, but he caused his teammate up the road to be reeled in earlier than expected and earlier than necessary. As for Chavanel, he had to work for Boonen, but he seemed to have the legs to stay with Cancellara where nobody else had in 2010. Had he not had to sit in behind Cancellara and wait for Boonen, could he have won heads up in a sprint? Lots of questions to go along with a surprise winner on the final year of the current course (not that anyone knew how radically the course would be changing at the time).
4 Paris-Roubaix – The other major cobbled classic, Paris-Roubaix was also expected to be the domain of Cancellara, defending champion for the second straight week (Paris-Roubaix is just a week after De Ronde). Unfortunately for him, he was done in by Garmin-Cervelo successfully executing the tactic that Boonen blew up the week before. Johann van Summeren was in the lead group while Cancellara and Garmin leader Thor Hushovd dueled in the second group. Hushovd didn't make the same mistake as Boonen did though and Cancellara's gigantic attack to reel the front group in wasn't enough as he had no help from Hushovd with his teammate up the road winning the race. It was Van Summeren's only significant result of the season. No podiums, no wins, nothing other than the 'Hell of the North'.
3 Giro d'Italia Stage 15 – Ultimately inconsequential in the overall race at the Giro d'Italia, this day was easily the best day of racing at the tragedy marred Giro. Over the Cima Coppi and claiming the King of the Mountains competition all at the same time was Stefano Garzelli, giving himself a nice retirement gift in his final Giro. His ride also kept Alberto Contador from a jersey sweep. The stage was won by Mikel Nieve, who was in the group with Garzelli before being dropped on the Passo Giau climb. After that point, Nieve remained in a kind of no man's land, ahead of the splintering breakaway but well behind Garzelli until Garzelli started to fade. Nieve eventually made it back and passed Garzelli on the final climb to Val di Fassa. Garzelli finished second on the stage and Contador finished 3rd, having clawed back nearly 9 minutes of a gap that at one point was over 10 minutes and had Nieve as the GC leader on the road. In addition to front group, Vincenzo Nibali put in a ferocious attack on a descent, but he was reeled in by the rest of the group and later dropped. It was an unjust day in an unjust season for Nibali. This was the day that cost him 2nd place, basically because he attacked. He later would fail to produce much in the Vuelta a Espana, just like everyone else who rode the Giro.
2 Tour de France Stage 18 – The climb to Col du Galibier was expected to be supremely important. It ended up being decisive. Andy Schleck's attack from well away from the final climb went unanswered. At one point, he was over four minutes ahead. In the group behind, there was no organization or ability to work together (except for a possible alliance between Spaniard Sammy Sanchez and Alberto Contador). With the lack of organization, eventual race leader Cadel Evans took it upon himself. He rode a long time trial regained two of the lost minutes from Schleck, leaving himself in range of catching Schleck either the next day on Alpe d'Huez or on the time trial the final day (or real racing). Additionally, Thomas Voeckler shockingly retained his yellow jersey for one final day, managing to only get dropped by Evans at the very end. That was much better than the fate of Contador, who cracked along with his ally Sanchez under the pressure from Evans.
1 Tour de France Stage 19 – The next day brought the iconic Alpe d'Huez climb along with ascending the Galibier from a different side. It was also a shorter stage, opening up some different tactics. Not long after the breakaway formed, Contador attacked. He later said that he knew the race was done, he felt like he had the legs, and he basically attacked that early for the fun of it. Evans, Schleck and Voeckler has no idea this was the case though and marked the attack. Evans would have a mechanical issue and Voeckler would get dropped, but this stage was far from over. At that point, Evans went back into the same grinding mode he was in the day before and brought the field back together himself at the foot of Alpe d'Huez. From there, Contador attacked again, but was eventually caught, passed and dropped by Voeckler's young French teammate Pierre Rolland, confirming a new French star and giving that country some hope in a sport where it has struggled for some time.
