As I sit here watching the Tour de France while resting comfortably in my armchair, I find myself ruminating on the risks of the modern professional Cyclist. Even from my perch of steel and cowhide, I find myself recoiling in fear as traffic islands are navigated at speed, shoulders and bumped on wobbly bikes, and the boney elbows of GC contenders are thrown about amongst the meat-covered arm-sausages of the spinteurs.
I hold my breath and pray silently to something I have yet to understand – possibly the ridiculous little chihuahua with a human allergy who sleeps soundly nearby – that the riders run the gauntlet safely. (How can a dog be so little and still be a dog? Does not compute.)
I generally sleep through the first week of the Tour; there are only so many Chateaux and rolling green fields that I can watch as the peloton mechanically reels in the doomed breakaway in the final kilometers. But this year has seen its fair share of excitement, including back-to-back sprint finishes so close that the riders themselves weren’t sure who had won. Not to mention that I love it when the riders are on their knees coming across the line; nothing like a little visible effort to make me feel good about sitting there sipping my espresso while nursing my morning stroopwafel.
Some highlights from this week include the following, in no particular order.
- Peter Sagan’s Stage 2 post-stage interview:
Interviewer: How did you win the stage today?
Sagan: Well, I came around the guy in front and then there were no more guys to come around, so I won.
Interviewer: This is the first time you’ll have worn the Yellow Jersey, how does that feel?
Sagan: Well, I like this jersey I have with the stripes. But yellow is also nice. - Oleg Tinkoff’s finish line dance after Sagan’s same Stage 2 victory. The jovial fellow is a bit of a loose cannon, but what his celebration lacked in tact it made up for in raw rooskie enthusiasm.
- Bryan Coquard’s Stage 4 sprint was the first time I found myself being amazed that a bicycle could survive such savagery; I’ve seen bicycles get driven into garage doors that seemed to be having a more peaceful experience than his was. If he had gone in a straight line, he’d have won by a bike length. “A” for effort. Imagine how fast he’ll go when he upgrades from racing in his brother’s sneakers to real cycling shoes.
- Greg van Avermaet taking a beautiful solo stage win and riding into Yellow with a V minute lead. Then extending it to almost VII minutes over the first mountains of the Tour. I don’t think he’s going to win the Tour, but he’s definitely not reading from the same script everyone else has and people should be raising their eyebrows for sure. It was also very nice to see him still working for his team leader Teejay; it isn’t every day you see the Maillot Jaune working in the team rotation.
- The only thing more bizarre than the time the Orica team bus broke the finish line on Stage 1 of the 2013 Tour was having the ride kite come tumbling down over the peloton in today’s Stage 7. Did anyone else see Oleg lurking nearby with a shiv?*
* Thanks to @pmcqueen for letting me shamelessly steal his joke.
frankThe founder of Velominati and curator of The Rules, Frank was born in the Dutch colonies of Minnesota. His boundless physical talents are carefully canceled out by his equally boundless enthusiasm for drinking. Coffee, beer, wine, if it’s in a container, he will enjoy it, a lot of it. He currently lives in Seattle. He loves riding in the rain and scheduling visits with the Man with the Hammer just to be reminded of the privilege it is to feel completely depleted. He holds down a technology job the description of which no-one really understands and his interests outside of Cycling and drinking are Cycling and drinking.
As devoted aesthete, the only thing more important to him than riding a bike well is looking good doing it.
Frank is co-author along with the other Keepers of the Cog of the popular book, The Rules, The Way of the Cycling Disciple and also writes a monthly column for the magazine, Cyclist. He is also currently working on the first follow-up to The Rules, tentatively entitled The Hardmen.
Email him directly at rouleur@velominati.com.
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I coulda swore I saw the same thing: Valverde had bridged up to the group and it wasn't that he'd dropped back. Valverde and Quintana were riding together when Martin, Froome and Porte had some digs. Valverde had to bridge back up. Maybe I have it wrong but that's what I saw too like @RobSandy.
After yesterday it would look like Movistar is racing for 2nd.
Maybe you guys and I are talking about different parts of the race - I was talking about the early part of the stage when he went with the big break and dropped back, but you're right he was definitely swinging on and off the back of the Quintana group later in the race (penultimate climb?) then got back on when the pace slowed and things came back together before being dropped with Aru etc. near the end of the stage.
@Oli
I've figured it out - Valverde did get dropped from the GC group towards the end (last climb when it was pouring with rain). But I noticed another Movistar jersey with the GC group as they crossed the line and assumed it was Valverde - but it wasn't, it was Herrada.
Maybe Valverde was saving his ammunition or maybe he's just not in as good a shape as he was last year - but Movistar's main weapon last year was Quintana and Valverde both being in contention for GC and attacking as a one-two. With Valverde a minute down on GC that's not going to be quite so effective (I mean, it didn't work last year but they gave it a go!).
I've been getting a bit jaded on the TdF in recent years (especially when it seem to be the only bike race that triathletes watch), but I have to admit that this year has been incredible. Some more highlights for me:
1. Sky has never had much (or any) panache. Froome's win on Stage 8 was pure panache and was incredible (and horrifying) to watch. (And I say this knowing that the spider monkey is just godawful to watch on most days.)
2. Hail stones, attacks, and serious Rule #9 conditions on Stage 9 all day (heat and then pouring rain), and TommyD pulling off the win.
3. Peter Sagan hanging with the breakaway group and finishing with the main group on Stage 9 in the Pyrenees.
4. Oleg Tinkoff (thanks @frank for that clip- I missed it, and that was pure gold) on the NBCSN interview where he said, "Is this a U.S. TV show? Hello U.S. you have to come in and take care of the sport because these Europeans are worthless!” (http://www.nbcsports.com/video/oleg-tinkov-peter-sagan-future-owner)
5. Dimension Data (Cav, Cummings) with the cycling caps on the podium and during interviews.
Vive le Tour!
@RobSandy
I'm with ya both on this… we were talking different parts of race and yea, it was Herrada that finished nearer to Nairo than Valverde.
Anyways, best that Movistar can say is that Nairo stuck to Froome's wheel and I'm not impressed by that after what happened Saturday.
Let's see what happens Thursday. That stage sure seems to be to me the one that fits the scenario of the yellow jersey putting his stamp on the race.
Cheers all
Don't forget Sagan was only sprinting for 3rd on stage 2. He only found out later that the 2 guys had been reeled in. Alaphillipe was killing himself and Sagan was only giving it 80%
Do yourself a favor and check out Tarzgan's interview from today (Tuesday). Pretty damn funny ending.
Also, not sure how to explain it, but Greg vanA seems to be wearing less clothing/gear than other racers. He's just seems more aerodynamic and sleek.
Someone needs to tell Michael Matthews to quit putting highlights in his hair. That's bad, very bad.
@Ron
And not wearing that hipser-style wide, flat brim cap would be a good idea too. Funnily enough, speaking of caps, I saw pix of Froome on the rest day - wearing a proper cap. Yet on most other occasions he wears a "baseball-style" cap. What's up with that?
@Ron
Link? Not sure which interview in which site you are referencing?
@The Grande Fondue
He didn't finish the stage. His DS told him to get off the bike. Not even his daily steak could help him there.