2010 Tour de France Recap
It's the end of yet another EPIC cycling stage race. The 2010 Tour de France had it's usual share of drama, disappointment and delight; the latter, unfortunately, not for any of the riders I was rooting for. Not a single German stage win, and yet another second place for darling Andy Schleck.
The Drama of it All
It's been an interesting Tour, and beside the tradition of watching it for years with my dad, I like it for the stories and the drama. In years past it was doping and expulsions; or Germany's highest hope for an overall winner in Jan Ullrich - who never won, because Armstrong always beat him. Last year, it was Armstrong's teammate Contador winning the race - even though he was supposed to ride for Lance. And then everyone's favorite rider Jens Voigt's God-awful crash down a mountain - sparks flying off the bike, him dragging his face on the concrete for a 100 yards. He was unconscious and all bloody and had to be airlifted...we thought he was dead. He has five kids, and he's just such an awesome guy. That's when my dad called - so, yes, we do still watch the race "together" - live, worlds apart.
This year, more drama you can't script. Lots of nasty crashes. A fist-fight between two riders after the finish of one stage, one swinging his front wheel at the other - and they just got a fine. Then the disqualification of one of my favorite lead-out men, Mark Renshaw for a head-butt, trying to keep Julian Dean from running him into the fence - much too harsh a punishment if you ask me. Mark Cavendish, the world's best sprinter, sobbing uncontrollably on the podium after he won his first of five stages. Sheep running across the road into the pack. And of course, the battle for the Yellow Jersey.
The Tour of What Could Have Been
With his brother and close friend Frank out with a broken collarbone, it was hard for Andy to win the Tour this year. The image of Frank curled up by the side of road will forever be with me. Jens Voigt, now 38 years old, had yet another terrible crash when his front wheel exploded on a descent. Of course, the warrior Jens is, he kept on riding on a bike two sizes too small with toe cages (would someone donate new bikes to the neutral service??), saying no the 'broom wagon.' But with his cracked ribs, he was of little help to Andy in the Pyrenees. In all, 170 of 197 riders reached Paris after three weeks, but I for one will always wonder what could have been. In one of his last interviews it was clear just how much Andy had missed the presence of his older brother, but beside that, this is clearly a team sport, and Andy's team of SaxoBank was seriously weakened.
The Matter of 39 Seconds
Two stage wins, yet another white jersey, yet another 2nd place - a successful tour for Andy Schleck? He wanted more. He wanted yellow - and I think the rest of the world did, too. Especially after the controversy up the Port de Bales. In a stroke of bad luck, Andy's chain slipped just as he attacked Contador - he says he was not shifting, so it was due to a rock hitting the chain or a bump in the road. And in a classless move (yes, I'm going there), Contador runs up the road and leaves him behind.
Let me digress and remind everyone of the gentleman's code of honor in the Tour de France - perhaps introduced by the legend Lance Armstrong himself: one does not take advantage of one's adversary's misfortune. Lance waited for Ullrich when he crashed in 2002, and Ullrich returned the favor in 2003. Race or not, as Paul Sherwin said: Everyone has to live with their own conscience. Well, the boos when Contador pulled on his yellow jersey that day said it all. Schleck: belly full of anger, watching his jersey go...never to see it again this year.
And the irony: after all the back and forth of time lost and gained between the two, Contador won the Tour by just 39 seconds - the exact amount of time he gained on Andy's chain slip. Now he gets to live with that, and probably doesn't care. But Andy was stronger this year than last - and with Frank back next year, I cannot wait to see what they can do!
So, another one in the books. Broken bones, blood, questionable rulings, dogs and sheep hindering the riders, laughter and lots of grown men's tears of joy! One bitter taste in my mouth: UCI forcing Lance's team RadioShack to take off their special jerseys commemorating 28 million cancer survivors. What a heartless bunch of idiots. But thank you for the extra TV coverage.
Let's see what next year has in store. You think it can't get any wilder than all this? You just wait...it always does!
The Drama of it All
It's been an interesting Tour, and beside the tradition of watching it for years with my dad, I like it for the stories and the drama. In years past it was doping and expulsions; or Germany's highest hope for an overall winner in Jan Ullrich - who never won, because Armstrong always beat him. Last year, it was Armstrong's teammate Contador winning the race - even though he was supposed to ride for Lance. And then everyone's favorite rider Jens Voigt's God-awful crash down a mountain - sparks flying off the bike, him dragging his face on the concrete for a 100 yards. He was unconscious and all bloody and had to be airlifted...we thought he was dead. He has five kids, and he's just such an awesome guy. That's when my dad called - so, yes, we do still watch the race "together" - live, worlds apart.
This year, more drama you can't script. Lots of nasty crashes. A fist-fight between two riders after the finish of one stage, one swinging his front wheel at the other - and they just got a fine. Then the disqualification of one of my favorite lead-out men, Mark Renshaw for a head-butt, trying to keep Julian Dean from running him into the fence - much too harsh a punishment if you ask me. Mark Cavendish, the world's best sprinter, sobbing uncontrollably on the podium after he won his first of five stages. Sheep running across the road into the pack. And of course, the battle for the Yellow Jersey.
The Tour of What Could Have Been
With his brother and close friend Frank out with a broken collarbone, it was hard for Andy to win the Tour this year. The image of Frank curled up by the side of road will forever be with me. Jens Voigt, now 38 years old, had yet another terrible crash when his front wheel exploded on a descent. Of course, the warrior Jens is, he kept on riding on a bike two sizes too small with toe cages (would someone donate new bikes to the neutral service??), saying no the 'broom wagon.' But with his cracked ribs, he was of little help to Andy in the Pyrenees. In all, 170 of 197 riders reached Paris after three weeks, but I for one will always wonder what could have been. In one of his last interviews it was clear just how much Andy had missed the presence of his older brother, but beside that, this is clearly a team sport, and Andy's team of SaxoBank was seriously weakened.
The Matter of 39 Seconds
Two stage wins, yet another white jersey, yet another 2nd place - a successful tour for Andy Schleck? He wanted more. He wanted yellow - and I think the rest of the world did, too. Especially after the controversy up the Port de Bales. In a stroke of bad luck, Andy's chain slipped just as he attacked Contador - he says he was not shifting, so it was due to a rock hitting the chain or a bump in the road. And in a classless move (yes, I'm going there), Contador runs up the road and leaves him behind.
Let me digress and remind everyone of the gentleman's code of honor in the Tour de France - perhaps introduced by the legend Lance Armstrong himself: one does not take advantage of one's adversary's misfortune. Lance waited for Ullrich when he crashed in 2002, and Ullrich returned the favor in 2003. Race or not, as Paul Sherwin said: Everyone has to live with their own conscience. Well, the boos when Contador pulled on his yellow jersey that day said it all. Schleck: belly full of anger, watching his jersey go...never to see it again this year.
And the irony: after all the back and forth of time lost and gained between the two, Contador won the Tour by just 39 seconds - the exact amount of time he gained on Andy's chain slip. Now he gets to live with that, and probably doesn't care. But Andy was stronger this year than last - and with Frank back next year, I cannot wait to see what they can do!
So, another one in the books. Broken bones, blood, questionable rulings, dogs and sheep hindering the riders, laughter and lots of grown men's tears of joy! One bitter taste in my mouth: UCI forcing Lance's team RadioShack to take off their special jerseys commemorating 28 million cancer survivors. What a heartless bunch of idiots. But thank you for the extra TV coverage.
Let's see what next year has in store. You think it can't get any wilder than all this? You just wait...it always does!
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