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ALL TOUR BLOG
ALL TOUR BLOG
It was another exciting day. There were two major crashes. And three broken collar bones. Yup, three. This is not a sport for wusses.
The first crash took out two long short contenders, Dekker and the American Rodriguez. A crying shame. The second, much larger crash happened when Valverde fell and wiped out a lot of the guys behind him in the peloton. Valverde was wearing the white jersey. Class, who remembers from yesterdays lesson the significance of the white jersey? It's a drag because he was a favorite to win the whole race...The Whole Race.
Stu O'Grady, the cute Aussie, was also involved in the second crash. He finished a long way behind the pack today. I hope he's not hurt. The race will not be as much fun without him.
And who won today? Why Matthias Kessler! He was the dude who made a beak yesterday and then was caught by the pack within 50 meters of the finish line. Today he made his break and was able to keep it all the way across the line.
But this race is not about the day to day stage winners. This is a race of pure endurance. There is nothing else like it in the world of sports.
23 days of heat (99 degrees today), rain, wind and bad roads. The guy who wins will be the one who is able to conserve his energy. He may never wear the yellow jersey. He just needs to finish each and every stage near the front of the pack. This man knows that Stage 3 means nothing if you are burned out by Stage 15. The winner plays the long game. They are riding the circuit of France counter-clockwise this year. Which means that the Alps do not happen until the end of the race. The man who is going to take home the prize will still have the stamina and will to ride the big mountains after almost two weeks in the saddle.
My favorite? Why George Hincapie, of course. Not because he is an American, but because he has been Lance's go-to guy for years. And it is his turn. And because as Bob Roll of OLN says so eloquently, George is about "hard work, being nice and never surrendering." I like that.
I am also routing for Thor Hushovd, the big Norse. My step-dad was born and raised in Norway so I have a soft spot for the country. One of my other favorites is Robbie Mcewen, the Australian. He's a sprinter and I think he will fold in the mountains. Boonen is also looking strong.
It's a crap shoot this year. The field is wide open. Isn't it grand?
On a personal note, the kids are due home in a few hours. My State of Silence will end. I am ready....I think.
6 comments:
Ahi.. i don't get to watch the tour because we have no cable. Anyway.
i love Stuart O'Grady. I tell my husband that he is my boyfriend. My husband raced in australia with Stuart's older brother. Mr. T. says they are both really great guys. It is important to me that people are nice.
I am not a big fan of Jaun Ullrich (sp). He seems kinda cocky and stupid. i mean what kind of player blows his chance at winning the greatest race in the world by driving drunk into his teams storage shed and having ectasy in your pocket. I mean... come on... do some thinking.
Anyway... Hincapie is my pick. I also like Robbie McEwen. My husband is hoping for him.
Interesting I hope you got to enjoy your silence.
first off YES i read your last post that you would be posting the ...bike thing?
but to open your page and see "broken bones" i just about had a heart attack thinking one of the kids got hurt!
eek...
Rob Mcewen should do well in the sprints, but I'm not sure how he'll do overall, as you say. Hopefully Stu O'Grady can recover. Can you tell I'm biased!!! (Go Aussies!)
I like your coverage better than OLN. Think I'll just watch the race from here. I'll put $5 on your pick, to win.
Hope you enjoyed your quiet time! My niece is here, which adds another chief to my chief heavy tribe.
Holy cow, you sure know your T'dF! Your commentary is so interesting I now have to "break away" and watch some of it. As if I don't already have enough to do - thanks.
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