Favorites ascending. Photo: Gruber Images.
As many of you know, I write a monthly column for Cyclist Magazine where I answer Dear Abby-esque questions, and the most recent query pertained to whether I consider the Tour the best race of the year, or whether it’s an over-publicized circus. The question made me realize something about myself: I have a weariness around the Tour de France not unlike a romantic whose heart has been broken one too many times.
The fact is, as much as I prefer a race like Paris-Roubaix or the Giro d’Italia to the mid-summer shit show that is the Tour de France, nothing gets my anticipation going quite the way the Tour does, which is undeniably the pinnacle of the season; all the classifications and stages are prestigious enough that racers of all sorts are all arriving at the start in peak form. There is a promise of hard racing from day one, but the first week consists mostly of me worrying about the big favorites crashing out. As soon as we get through that mess, my heart is usually broken on the first day in the mountains, when the favorite takes a decisive lead and the rest of the race is most about stages than the GC.
At least, these are the dreads of a man who lived through the Indurain and Armstrong eras of racing.
Nevertheless, the Tour always manages to seduce me, and this year is no different. Maybe this year, she won’t be such a cruel lover. And, maybe this year, I won’t make horrible picks in the VSP. Just maybe, just maybe. You know the drill; get your picks in by the time the clock goes to zero, and you get some swap options on the rest day. Good luck!
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Ahh he lost 22 secs the ticker I have is wrong............
For those keeping score at home, Aru lost 40 seconds to Froome in the opening TT.
Surely there could not be a double standard favoring the French. Demare clearly deviated from his line in Stage 4. While Sagan was booted, Demare escaped punishment and took the stage. Bouhanni punches a Quickstep rider and gets a laughable punishment. Now, three riders take water bottles and two get 20-second penalties. Bardet clearly accepts a bottle but receives no sanction.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/vaughters-tour-shouldnt-come-down-to-water-bottles-and-incompetence/
@Rick
Alas, the home team (riders) tend to get passes on some things. A little light reading on the Giro and Vuelta will show the same thing. C'est la vie du Tour!
@wiscot
They're still pissed that the Italian's stole Fignon's Giro in '84 and gave it to Moser (Talk about a Grand Tour favouring one of their own--probably the worst abuse in this sort in my lifetime).
Well the end of that stage has really put the shit amongst the pigeons.
Race on. Bardet for the stage win today.
@RobSandy
Certainly could have livened things up.
@Rick
Seems they have given this back
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/uci-reverses-time-penalties-for-uran-and-bennett-1/
Just noticed that the stage today follows a route I rode when on holiday last May - the bit from near the Col d'Agnes down to Massat, then they climb up part of the Col de Porte but turn off up a super-steep bit of road.
Looking forwards to seeing it on tellybox!
I'm jumping the gun here, and I'm not able to get the video feed so I just have a ticker, but CN is convinced that Landa is currently riding to take yellow. Wouldn't that be a kick in the ass for Sky? What would they do then?
1986 remains my favorite year. I was 12. I had started riding for real. I had a 6 cassette in the back and felt unstoppable climbing the hills in Connecticut. LeMan took on the Badger. I had Sunday New York Times pieces to check and then the wait for Winning magazine.
If Landa takes yellow, we have a very interesting race indeed.