Andre Greipel of Team Lotto-Belisol opened his account at the 2012 Tour de France with a sprint victory in Rouen and Saint-Quentin. The German came off the wheel of lead-out man Greg Henderson and powered to the stage win ahead of Petacchi and Veelers in stage 4 and Goss and Cavendish in stage 5. There was a crash in the few final kilometers, but Lotto made their own luck, controlling the peloton through the final few kilometers and delivering Greipel to a winning position.
“I’m so happy today. I am so happy to have those guys on my side, such strong riders to lead me out. This is what we wanted to reach today, winning a stage,” Greipel said at the finish.
Andre Greipel rides a Ridley Noah Fast. The Fast concept of Ridley stands for Future Aero Speed Technology and contains three patented technologies.
The fork is designed so that the wind is directed away from the spokes. Less turbulence and drag is the result. The second technology is a textured surface. The texture makes sure the wind stays as close as possible to the frame, thereby reducing air resistance. The third technology is the integrated brake in the front and rear fork. This improves aerodynamics and braking power, and reduces the weight.
“The Ridley Noah Fast saves more than 20 watts compared to a normal road bike,” claims Anthony Kumpen, commercial director at Ridley. “In addition, there is a decrease in the heart rate by 4%.”
Kumpen: “I think Greipel is having his best season ever. He pushes more watts than he has ever pushed before. That’s because he is in good form, but also because of his bike: the wattage that you can produce depends on the aerodynamics of your bike and its stiffness. I think he’s one of the contenders for the green jersey deal, but maybe it will be difficult to keep it until the end. We have prepared a green Noah Fast for him, just in case!”