More than two of the three weeks of this Tour lie in the rearview mirror and the race is impossible to call; nearly every GC Contender has shown some kind of weakness or given something away that makes them look beatable. Contador was dropped on the first uphill finish. The Schlecks have been on the attack but have been unable to make the gains they need to insure a final victory. They’ve also reminded us that what goes up doesn’t always come down as easily. Evans has been the most consistent and oportunistic, but has been racing hard since day one and, while he’s been close, he’s done little to stamp his authority on the race. Voekler has been defying the odds for nine days and continues to hang on to a lead which looks more tenable with each passing day.
So far, the “minor” mountain stages – those without uphill finishes – have proven to be as decisive as those with uphill finishes. Normally reserved for the opportunist breakaway and a non-issue for the GC riders, Stage 17’s rain-slicked descent saw some of the best racing we’ve seen this year buddied up with the biggest impact on the GC since Tommy V took the Maillot Jaune.
Indeed, this year has everyone sitting around the table, questioning the accepted tactics of the recent past. The riders who go fast uphill will need to do something more than just attack a few k’s from the finish. Perhaps they are considering an Hinaultesque attack on a descent before the finishing climb. Or perhaps a Merckxian attack on the first pass, going long to take a huge advantage.
One thing is for certain: the rider who wins this Tour will not necessarily be the strongest one, for we’ve seen they are all closely matched. No, the winner will be the one who decides the old rulebook is better suited for toilet paper than a race manual. The winner will be the one who thinks creatively, leaves caution in the parking lot where Voekler punched his ticket today, and takes an extra dose of Rule #5 (I’m looking at you, Andy).
At this point, whomever rolls into Paris with the Yellow jersey on their shoulders will get the nod of approval from this guy. (Except Contador, obvs.) Vive le Tour, bitches.
Get your picks in by 5am Pacific tomorrow morning for the chance to win 3, 2, or 1 points for the podium spots, and 1 point for 4th and 5th places. Good luck.
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Alright! Going to get my Ron on and point out that I simply picked the Schlecks to one - two combo the field, without specifying which would take the stage, and that I picked that one like a dirty nose. I was thinking also that whoever wins this stage would win the tour, but its now a two horse race I reckon between Tommy and Cadel.
PS in a blatant act of further Ronning I would also like to point out that I picked daylight to be in the third position. I am happy to be wrong about that, but I wasn't FAR wrong.
Tommy has put himself in the hurt box more than any rider I can recall to hold yellow, shy of riding with broken bones. Ten days is Charlie Sheen style winning from him as far as I'm concerned.
minion - You must have tiger blood in your veins to properly get your Ron on. I do, which is why I am able to pull a Ron from early in the VSP calendar right through to Lombardia.
@Marcus
Giving Europcar the benefit of the doubt, I think Rolland was much fresher than TV. Didn't he chase down Cadel's initial break, then swivel neck, see TV in trouble, and drop back? If he had gone to the front, TV might have popped. They'll keep Rolland fresh for tonight.
I bet that Rolland get poached in the off-season by a serious GC team. Leopard could do worse than get him to replace that waste-of-space Terdemann. And he already displayed the prerequisite swivel-necking ability...
@harminator
Nope. Angrily sarcastic. Not the first time we've seen a large group of GC riders throw away the tour because Cadel's a bit better placed.
And while I'm pimping Rolland, he is only 33 secs from taking the white jersey from Taaramae. So if TV goes "poof" tonight, he may be let off the leash to chase a jersey for himself. Which would be nice.
Anyone else think that Cav's 20 point penalty for missing the time cut was funny? Go JJR!
@Ron
+1.
@all
Cuddles still wins this Tour. And he deserves it. Has been the strongest rider throughout.
Brent Bookwalter rode great for bmc today but I gotta ask, where was Hincapie?
@Bianchi Denti
TV is always struggling... Odd, isn't it? Struggles mightily and juuuuuust hangs on. Acting cooked, and always insisting how much better everyone else is, is how he's stayed in it and how he'll podium. Great rider, but the theatrics are wearing a bit thin. Public laps it up, though.
He was cooked by the end yesterday, but his decision to not work, and not let his teammate work, was a GC strategy rather than him struggling then and there 10km from the end.
One rainbow seen over Grenoble this evening
coming back downhill from a quick & dirty climb in the Vercors : Ezy
...Well, not so easy.
Even the meteorology here in the Alps is as variable and changing
as the predictions of Ce très beau Tour!
Is it an Oracle to announce :
-the Reign of Tommy V ?
-the Colors of Thor Hushovd ?
-the Awakening of the Great Gay Hipster Day ?
----ALPE D'HUEZ TOMORROW---- !!!
In any case, it seems like I 'll ride to see the stage finish
on the slopes of l'Alpe d'Huez with a friend!
Yep. I'm a bloody B@st@ard. Done.
Also, There is a beautiful alternative road to access Huez from the valley
..very quiet and panoramic...
See these videos made riding the Alpe one month ago
I
II
II
The climb can be so quiet without all the TDF circus!
All due Respect.
As the ride from Grenoble is for the round trip like 140km/1500m D+/D-,
I won't bring a big backpack and my old awfully heavy photo gear
for one quick glance at the racers : but the Iphone should do the trick
to give an idea of these moments!!
However, Saturday the TT will forward hours of photo opportunities
with the racers at the stands the morning and if ,St Merckx permits,
on the mountainous parts of the TT tracé the afternoon...
@frank
I 'll try to send you quite live some pics & vids from the Iphone!!
GoodCuddles can time trial for sure. Andy can...sort of. Frank can't Anyone any clue of Tommy V? Grain of salt, of course, because no one thought he could dig like this in the mountains.
And hey...look: someone we thought could never do something special...amazes us all...ride of their life...super effort. And it all turns out to be...from a pharmacy. Anyone thinking what I am about any of this? Are we still seeing a load of bullshit?
ooops.
In the last comment the third non-cleverly-named-"II"-link point to a video who is the one where you can have a really clear top view of the Alpe d'Huez hairpins ...