Black eyes and yellow jersey go together like wine and pasta.
Three days in, and it’s already been a brutal opening week of the Tour. I’ve never heard of the Tour neutralizing part of the stage unless a Schleck was involved, but I was relieved to understand that the reason for the neutralization had more to do with how many doctors were available for the second crash than it did with the riders’ safety. That’s a load off; for a second there I thought the sport was going soggy on us.
Fabian broke his back for the second time this season, which makes me wonder what his plans are for the rest of the year. Appenzeller and blackouts seems like a good place to start; I don’t think he needs any more memories. Nibbles and Quintannaroo missed the split on Stage 2 and lost over a minute. Froome humped a lightbulb like a maniac up the Mur de Huy to take some more time on everyone but J-Rod. My Merckx, Chris can make a bike go batshit fast but fuck me if he doesn’t make it look absolutely horrendous. If everyone looked like him, I don’t believe I’d ever have gotten into the sport.
All this is to say that the opening week of the Tour de France sets it apart from every other Grand Tour; the large field, the level of competition, and the nature of the windy, mostly flat opening stages makes for chaos and chaos makes for crashes. How many riders have lost their chance at the Tour’s GC in a moment of inattention during the first 7 days on the bike? Even Hinault did a face-plant during the stage to Saint Etienne in 1985, although only he knows why he would be so reckless as to contest a bunch sprint in the first few days of the race.
Froomedog looks very good. On paper anyway, he looks horrible on the bike. I mean, look at him. He looks Nibbles in 2014 strong. Nibbles looks fit but seems a bit inattentive. Quintana looks overwhelmed. Contador looks fit tired. Everyone but Froome is looking for their peak; the only question on Froome is whether he’s peaking too soon. Remember that l’Alpe d’Huez comes on the Saturday before Paris.
The first signs of weakness are exposed in the first week of the Tour. And tomorrow we ride the cobbles. Fuck yeah cobbles.
Vive le Tour and Vive la Vie Velominatus.
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Brilliant coverage of EQS support team as Panzer rolls to victory.
https://youtu.be/g7BCSpRasAU
@rfreese888
Awesome. Love Tony Martin. Legend.
@Jay
Not at all. I am just a Tony Martin fan boy and really wanted to see him in yellow after being so close for 3 stages. Time bonuses have been his nemesis. But, lets see if my luck continues today... I would pick Andre Greipel
@Mikael Liddy
You are clairvoyant!
...checks VSP picks, compares to own picks...2/5 ain't bad.
@markb
Doesn't that describe most who are used to pavé?
@AJ
Holy fuck. I am putting my house on the next stage win you pick, no pressure!
@Gianni
See also, http://www.velominati.com/technique/look-pro-the-whale-shark/
@AJ
Two consecutive winners, who are you picking tomorrow?
@Jay
Right, I've withdrawn all my pension savings and sold the house, who to back today?
@markb
The only reason I can pick ok now is that there is nothing riding on it. My VSP picks will show that if there is something on the line I fail miserably. That's not to say that if there was a Draft Kings style site for daily Le Tour picks I wouldn't be betting on it, I just wouldn't be betting much at all. I will also probably get every mountain stage wrong. That said....
I am rooting for Kristoff, but I think Degenkolb takes this one. Sagan could be a flyer, but I think he is burning too many matches having to work for Contador.