Off the back is the worst place to be. Photo: Tim De Waele TDWsport.com
The Prophet had never been dropped by anyone in a race-threatening situation during his entire Grand-Tour career. But he was dropped on this, a relatively minor climb to Pra Loup due to a combination of circumstances involving a chest injury, overconfidence, and savvy Frenchmen who could read the road surface well enough to understand what side of the road to attack on.
He had never lost the Tour, but Merckx was dropped on the short but steep climb to Pra Loup and refused to quit the Tour in 1975 because you don’t quit the Tour de France. He would rather lose than quit. These are the sentiments of a champion who has not only known, but become intimately accustomed to, the sensation of victory: reverence for the race he once dominated and the one he can not quit.
He came second, and thereby legitimized Bernard Thevenet’s victory. Reverence.
For non-Velominati Americans, Cycling is the Tour. From Greg LeMond – the only American to win the Tour three times, to Lance Armstrong – the only American to lose the Tour seven times all at once, to Floyd Landis – whose legacy was too short to excite the American Public but long enough to take down the greatest legacy in Sports History.
Tejay Van Garderen was sitting solid in 3rd place when he fell ill and had to quit the Tour de France, something no rider does with a light heart. So long as your name isn’t Mario Cipollini. Dropped every time the ride pointed uphill, he had little choice but to climb off. I have had races ripped from my grasp when I was at my peak for reasons I couldn’t control and, to this day, they are there when the Ghosts of 2am come knocking. I can only imagine what Tejay is thinking tonight.
Nothing feels as good as winning, and nothing haunts you as deeply as quitting. To quote a legendary cheater, “Pain is temporary, quitting is forever.” Which just goes to prove that just because you’re an asshole doesn’t mean you’re wrong.
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Even an asshole has an open mind once a day.
Nice article, Frank. Straightforward language. Kinda fucking zen.
When the camera panned onto him several times as he was dropping back, one look and you could see he was pale as a ghost, as his teammates were taking on water and offering it to him as they were drinking and cooling themselves off with it all he could do was shake his head with that look and body language of "one sip of that and I'll puke it over my bars".
In all fairness to The Prophet, Pra Loup was the day after the rest day after he'd been kidney-punched on Puy de Dome. He still finished that Tour 2nd, riding the last five stages with his jaw wired shut from the collision with Ritter before stage 17.
The story of that year's Tour is my favourite Merckx story. He wouldn't fucking give in and chased Thevenet all the way to Paris. Suffering and suffering but refusing to let the Frenchman win the Tour without a huge scrap.
@PeakInTwoYears
Even twice a day somedays
I couldn't watch TVG's abject suffering. It would have been like watching some proud beast being torn asunder by small bitey things.
Excellent writing, Frank.
I have been deep in Canada for a week of vacation and hadn't seen any tour stages. Tuned in late last night (though on NBC, damn you Phil and Paul!) and happened to catch the abandonment. Damn, that was serious stuff.
I watched "Clean Spirit" the other night on Netflix. It follows what was Argos-Shimano during the 2013 TDF. Watching Tom Veelers have to step off the bike and get in the Broom Wagon was one of the saddest things I have seen. The commissaire has to take the riders numbers off their jersey as soon as they decide to quite, and seeing that being done was tragic. No amount of kind words and warm sentiment from team mates could take away the look in his eyes of disappoint in not finishing that years tour. Especially given how many stages Kittel had taken that year.
Lets not forget that Quiet Cough Ski also stepped off yesterday, wasted at the side of the road being bawled at by his DS.
This years Le Tour has been brutal for pace.
So gutted. Even my SO (who really couldn't care less) was touched/heart-broken just watching it. When he clawed back, it was just brief enough to revive all of my hopes, which made it doubly crushing when they came back and he was solo yet again, pedaling squares.
Nice piece.
There can be few more gut-wrenching acts/experiences in sports than having your numbers unpinned. To have that followed by the long ride back to the hotel in the broom wagon or team car when one might want to crawl in a hole and die, has to be awful. Here's hoping TJ can bounce back.