The beginning of so many ends
A lot has happened in the last ten years of le Tour, and a lot of it stemmed from the race that took place in 2006. At the time it seemed like yet another “Tour of Redemption” as the organisers liked to claim every few years after something had happened to tarnish the race’s image, yet again. In 06, we were coming off the back of a seven year reign of very little in the way of competition, with most of those races decided in the Prologue and followed by a three week procession. 06 was anticipated as the start of a new era, we just didn’t know at the time how significant it would become many years further down the track.
The pre-Tour build-up had fans frothing with anticipation of an Ullrich vs Basso battle, but that was scuppered at the 11th hour by Operacion Puerto, just what incoming Director Christian Prudhomme didn’t need. Also ditched were Fransisco Mancebo, a young Alberto Contador (yet to be considered a GC contender), and one Alexandre Vinokourov (while not one of the Puerto accused, still unable to start as most of his Astana teammates were pulled, leaving him without a sufficient team). With the two favourites out, the race was anyone’s for the taking. Of course, there was more drama to come.
A crazy break was let go and produced a surprise leader in Oscar Pereiro, who then conceded the yellow to Floyd Landis, who then blew to bits and handed it back to Pereiro, before making the biggest comeback since Lazarus the next day and riding away from the race in a solo effort that still ranks as one of the best ever, no matter how juiced he was. I remember watching the stage live and talking to a mate on the phone, and his incredulity at what we were witnessing. As Landis drank with the fervour of an alcoholic and manically poured water over his head during his escapade, my friend (an ex-road racer at a high level himself) professed that Landis was “cooking” from some sort of drug cocktail and was doing his best to dilute whatever concoction he’d taken, and not blow a positive or do a Tommy Simpson on live tv. How prophetic his words proved.
Of course, that was just the beginning, and the resulting fallout became one of the biggest sporting stories of all time. Landis just about brought down the entire sport with his revelations, and no Tour since has been without some form of scuttlebutt, yet not on that scale. The last few years, while tame by comparison to those preceding them, have been pretty well dominated by each winner and not offering too much in the way of exciting competition; although last year’s end result was closer on paper than the actual race was… which once again leaves us in the same state of anticipation that grips us every year in the month leading up to the start, and then promptly lets us down about two weeks after that, and wondering when the Vuelta starts.
This Tour has all the hallmarks of potentially being a great one, with three guys who have to be considered genuine contenders, yet just one who is most likely to win. We really do need a positive test to liven this one up, or someone to juice themselves so comprehensively that the motor in their seat-tube can’t handle the power from their legs and melts the carbon around the bottom bracket and drops onto the road at the summit of Mont Ventoux. Maybe try and blame it on a chimera twin that drank too many whiskeys the night before and left their bike in the team truck with a bag of someone else’s piss strapped to it. That would bring the crowds back. But seriously, if each of the contenders is on form, we could have one of the best races of the last ten years with some real proper drama played out on the roads, not in the labs or courts and not two, three or seven years from now.
We’re giving you plenty of time to ponder the possibilities, and maybe come up with your own hare-brained scenarios as to what may unfold, or what will most likely bring you those precious VSP points and the honour of wearing the Maillot Jaune for the next year. Will you be daring and go out on a limb that doesn’t resemble that of an anorexic spider? Will you take short odds on a short-ass? Will you stake your claims on claims of a steak? Or will you tear yourself apart with internal conflict like a couple of bitchy Italians?
Whatever you do, there is absolutely no excuse to Delgado this one, we’re giving you plenty of time and it’s not like you can claim you didn’t realise that the race was this week… and don’t whinge if this Start List changes before the racing gets underway, it is provisional after all. Good luck and may the best, or second best, man win.
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View Comments
@Pali65
Gov, I was just trying to get a wheel to throw to Richie........
@Teocalli
My understanding is that if rules were applied as the letter of the law Froome could be DQ'd for running. So DQing Quintana would also have to DQ Froome. If they applied the splits to the time of the crash then technically, Quintana gained no advantage by being towed.
If it is fair to give Froome the benefit of the doubt, then it has to be applied to Quintana. I think they threw Movistar a bone by giving Nairo the same time as Yates (I believe it was Yates) to keep them from bitching about the adjustment for the leader.
As a cycling fan, I don't like to see the tow. But the judges have to use discretion in the application of rules. In other words they can completely ignore Rule #1
PS. IMO Movistar has shown themselves to be tactically inept and total d*ckheads during this tour.
@chris
Splitting hairs...but didn't Bardet cross the line with Yates, Aru and AN other who I can't remember, with Valverde and Quintana maybe 5 seconds back?
@Rick
The clarification I heard today was that running was OK BUT you had to have a bike when you cross the finish line. Wouldn't be surprised if it was something no one had thought of before.
@Rick
The explanation of the rules put forward by Chris "Mr Secret Squirrel" Boardman last night (as well as others) was that the requirement was that a rider is required to cross the line with a bike. No mention has been made of not having a bike for a short period between the start and finish lines.
You might also want to look at intent. At the time Quintana had no idea that he wouldn't benefit from the tow when they adjusted the times. The tow may even have brought him back up to Yates hence having his time awarded as the same time as Yates.
@Teocalli
Ah, that was not my understanding but the truth is that I have no idea about running. I was pretty sure that a racer could cross the finish line on foot but had to have a bike. I am not sure if running sans bike is ok, but again, no real clue.
Thanks for the clarification.
@chris
I agree regarding intent, and as a bike fan I don't like to see a tow like that. I also agree about the adjusted time. I was simply trying to put myself in the position of being a judge in this mess and trying to treat everyone fairly.
Personally, I think the tow was an egregious and wanton abuse of the rule against towing and should be penalized. However, I think the judges simply wanted the whole thing to go away.
Penalizing Quintana would have set off a firestorm of controversy. I think the commissars through Movistar a bone to avoid such a situation. Movistar were already pissed that Froome pissed and neutralized the peloton so his team mates could get back. Although not a fan of theirs, I cannot say that I disagree with them on this.
It would be a shame if Quintana made the podium by the seven seconds that were gained in this mess.
@Rick
100% with you there. Though that could be because I have him at 4 in my picks.........
@Teocalli
#4? Good for you! I have him in the #1 spot. What was I thinking? Mind you, I say that after every VSP race . . .
@Rick
There was a bit more than 7 seconds when you take into account the gap between Yates and Sticky Moto and the time Mollema lost picking himself off the ground and getting back up to speed after the crash. And that's not taking into account any time Froome might have put into Qunitana in subsequent attacks.
Froome stopping the peloton for Stannard is a completely different thing. It might not have been in the spirit of things and it might well have been an abuse of the yellow jersey but at the end of the day it wasn't a rule infraction and no one else was actually forced to stop.