Well, I predicted fireworks and they happened... just not like I thought they would. Again...
Rasmussen carried the yellow jersey up the Plateau de Beille almost faster than anybody else in the race and managed to actually add more time to his overall lead in the race. The day belonged to the amazing young talent on the Discovery team, Alberto Contador, who now sits in second overall, ahead of 3rd place Cadel Evans. Evans had a bad day that certainly could have been worse and is not out of this thing yet. The podium is still his to lose and he certainly has better TT skills than Rasmussen.
Contador and Rasmussen launched an impressive series of attacks out of a very elite lead group that contained the main favorites- save for Vinokourov, who blew to pieces on the lower slopes and eventually conceded more than 20 minutes and lost all hope of GC glory. The climbing duo ripped the field apart and rode away together to finish in a head to head battle. The two were seen talking/ arguing just before the finish- possibly because Contador was upset with Rasmussen for sitting in too much or for attacking him? Dunno... but it made for a good finish when Rasmussen tried to get Contador to lead and he wouldn't do it. AC then rode Razmuffin's bony butt to the finish and "sprinted" past him just before the line. A great win for the kid who is now poised to possibly win the race if Rasmussen falters. If not this year, he is likely to take the Tour one day- his talent is confirmed.
On the slopes below the two dueling bone bags, all the poop was hitting the fan. Mauricio Soler, who already won one stage for Barloworld, escaped from the shattered chase group to secure 3rd on the stage. 4th went to Leipheimer, who now sits in the same spot on GC. Kloden and Evans limped in 6th and 7th at a little under 2 minutes later... and then the straggling field began to limp in. Valverde lost another 3:45 today and Iban Mayo dropped a further 9:31. So much for those hopefuls. And Christophe Moreau? Yep, he lost another 34 minutes today. Podium? Not likely... at all... without 2/3 of the field suddenly getting thrown out of the race.
The GC picture should be much clearer now that we're in the Pyrenees, but even with El Pollo Loco in the lead and looking good, it is anything but clear. Can he actually hold the lead to Paris? Can Rabobank really defend the jersey that long? Will Disco, including Levi, be able to support Contador and try to put him in yellow by Paris? Will Evans mount a great comeback in the next few days and then take the lead in the final TT? Predictor-Lotto does not have the strength to defend the jersey, so Evans is mostly on his own to take the jersey using his own power. It's far from done folks...
Tomorrow is another dreadful day for guys who don't climb well or feel very good right now. 5 major climbs and the last two being the above category Port de Bales and then the category 1 Col de Peyresourde, just 12 km from the finish. It's downhill to the finish, but it isn't long enough to get away from a close chase or long enough to catch a break that has enough room. It'll be a furious finish... and interesting. I'd love to say that Vino will come back and win it... but he won't. Or even Mayo... but he won't. We're more likely to see Evans win or send his teammate Horner up the road to get the win and make the other teams chase. But... it's more likely to be another showdown between Contador and Rasmussen. Raz' needs as much time as he can get between now and the last TT and Contador wants to get even closer to the top step of the podium. So I think our winner will come from one of those two again. A battle Royale, if you will.
Ok Kittie... it's your turn to be wrong.
Tim
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Tour de France- Stage 13
I skipped stage 12 yesterday- won by Boonen- but we're gonna just pretend that didn't happen and move along...
Today was the Chicken's big day- would he cross the road to the other side, or would he end up in the frying pan, battered and served up for lunch?
Well, as much as I hate to admit it, Road-rash Rasmussen actually rode a very respectable TT today- likely the best of his life. It's amazing what the yellow jersey can do for you- it'll either weigh you down or give you wings. Raz-ma-taz finished an impressive 11th, only 2'55"behind a very resurgent Vinokourov. The Krazy Kazakh stormed across the finish line with the fastest time of the day to get his first stage win of this Tour and a taste of redemption. If nothing else, he's proven his worth and grit- you just gotta love it.
In a day highlighted by Michael (alleged doper) Rasmussen staying in yellow after a time trial, that he didn't crash even once in (who'da thunk it possible?), the lesser big news was who imploded; Valverde started the day in 2nd, but lost 6'08" and is now in 11th, Iban Mayo looked awesome sitting in 3rd but lost 6'04" and is now 12th. So much for the resurgence of the Spanish Armada... that ship has sunk. And what about Moreau? He slipped the other day in the Astana crosswind crusifiction and fell out of the main contender list, but today lost another 9'26" to finish the stage in 126th! Now he's no longer under pressure as the best placed French rider- sitting a dismal 23rd on GC. However, Cadel Evans, who was 4th, finished the stage in 2nd and now owns the same spot on GC behind Rasmuffin, at exactly 1 minute down. Discovery Channel youngster Contador rode a great TT to finish 7th and now sits in 3rd on GC... two spots ahead of Leipheimer (5th). Will Disco be dancing for Contador, or will he be shuffling his feet to the Leipheimer beat as an uber domestique?
Maybe it will all play out on the final slopes of the uphill finish tomorrow. Plateau de Beille has only seen a stage finish 3 times and each time the winner won the Tour overall (Armstrong twice, Pantani once). Will history four-peat itself? I dunno... I don't think so anyway. I'm thinking that legs will be tired and GC guys will spend too much time watching each other. Maybe Mayo or Valverde will try to regain some lost time by attacking, but I doubt it will work. I really think it'll come down to a less prominent rider. Discovery needs to do something... anything... so maybe they'll throw some muscle at the stage. But I doubt it. They are a conservative bunch. My guess is that we'll see the Euskaltel guys try to torch things because they haven't done a dang thing all Tour. They need to show that they deserve their Pro Tour position. It's kind of a rag-tag band of no-names this year, but I'm gonna take a big blindfold stab at this and call out Haimar Zubeldia, since Mikel Astarloza is in 8th and too dangerous. Outside of Zubeldia, I'm gonna take another dumb guess with Manuel Beltran with Liquigas. He's got the climbing credentials, so maybe he can go fast enough to win... we'll just have to see. I'm sure I'll be totally wrong, as this Tour has been nothing if not unpredictable.
Allez!
Tim
Today was the Chicken's big day- would he cross the road to the other side, or would he end up in the frying pan, battered and served up for lunch?
Well, as much as I hate to admit it, Road-rash Rasmussen actually rode a very respectable TT today- likely the best of his life. It's amazing what the yellow jersey can do for you- it'll either weigh you down or give you wings. Raz-ma-taz finished an impressive 11th, only 2'55"behind a very resurgent Vinokourov. The Krazy Kazakh stormed across the finish line with the fastest time of the day to get his first stage win of this Tour and a taste of redemption. If nothing else, he's proven his worth and grit- you just gotta love it.
In a day highlighted by Michael (alleged doper) Rasmussen staying in yellow after a time trial, that he didn't crash even once in (who'da thunk it possible?), the lesser big news was who imploded; Valverde started the day in 2nd, but lost 6'08" and is now in 11th, Iban Mayo looked awesome sitting in 3rd but lost 6'04" and is now 12th. So much for the resurgence of the Spanish Armada... that ship has sunk. And what about Moreau? He slipped the other day in the Astana crosswind crusifiction and fell out of the main contender list, but today lost another 9'26" to finish the stage in 126th! Now he's no longer under pressure as the best placed French rider- sitting a dismal 23rd on GC. However, Cadel Evans, who was 4th, finished the stage in 2nd and now owns the same spot on GC behind Rasmuffin, at exactly 1 minute down. Discovery Channel youngster Contador rode a great TT to finish 7th and now sits in 3rd on GC... two spots ahead of Leipheimer (5th). Will Disco be dancing for Contador, or will he be shuffling his feet to the Leipheimer beat as an uber domestique?
Maybe it will all play out on the final slopes of the uphill finish tomorrow. Plateau de Beille has only seen a stage finish 3 times and each time the winner won the Tour overall (Armstrong twice, Pantani once). Will history four-peat itself? I dunno... I don't think so anyway. I'm thinking that legs will be tired and GC guys will spend too much time watching each other. Maybe Mayo or Valverde will try to regain some lost time by attacking, but I doubt it will work. I really think it'll come down to a less prominent rider. Discovery needs to do something... anything... so maybe they'll throw some muscle at the stage. But I doubt it. They are a conservative bunch. My guess is that we'll see the Euskaltel guys try to torch things because they haven't done a dang thing all Tour. They need to show that they deserve their Pro Tour position. It's kind of a rag-tag band of no-names this year, but I'm gonna take a big blindfold stab at this and call out Haimar Zubeldia, since Mikel Astarloza is in 8th and too dangerous. Outside of Zubeldia, I'm gonna take another dumb guess with Manuel Beltran with Liquigas. He's got the climbing credentials, so maybe he can go fast enough to win... we'll just have to see. I'm sure I'll be totally wrong, as this Tour has been nothing if not unpredictable.
Allez!
Tim
Tour de France- CONTEST!
Rasmussen is now on the road in the time trial! Can the Chicken (Super Chicken?) stay upright in his earnest and embattled defense of the yellow jersey?
I doubt it...
So, first commenter to accurately guess the number of times he crashes wins a pair of Masi socks.
Good luck!
Tim
I doubt it...
So, first commenter to accurately guess the number of times he crashes wins a pair of Masi socks.
Good luck!
Tim
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Tour de France- Stage 11
Hooray for Hunter! Team Barloworld, one of the wild card invites to the Tour, pulls off their second win of the race and score not only Robbie Hunter's first grand tour stage win, but also the first Tour stage win for a South African rider.
(Photo ripped off from CyclingNews.com.)
(Photo ripped off from CyclingNews.com.)The stage was also exciting for the hardheaded return of the Astana team and its battered leader, Vinokourov. As the race hit the open and exposed farmlands, Astana went to the front and drilled the others into the ground in the heavy crosswinds. Caught out, most significantly, was podium contender Christophe Moreau. Now Moreau sits down a solid 6:38 in 14th place... virtually assured of finishing off the podium. Best of all, Vino even launched his own solo attack in the closing km's of the race. He may be battered, bruised and stitched up like a baseball, but he's still got huevos gigante! I love it when a race turns into a race!
Other stuff happened, but... blah, blah, blah... the big stuff is really Hunter/ Barloworld, Moreau's blunder and Vino coming back from the grave with the help of his team- still willing to work for their beat-up leader. Still, I didn't pick up any points and I'm beginning to learn to live with it because this has been a great Tour this year. I mean, sure, without the rampant drug use, it's a little slower... but who the hell cares when the racing that is happening is so good? (Oh yeah, and now it is being reported that current Tour leader, Rasmussen, is being kicked off the Danish National Team for failing to cooperate with their doping controls.) Tomorrow looks like it should be an ok stage... but it does have one cat 2 climb with less than 50km to go to the finish. It might be an interesting stage for a true headbanger. I'm gonna go with Flecha, 'cause he's due, and Fabian Wegmann... I just got a feeling about these two.
Tim
Other stuff happened, but... blah, blah, blah... the big stuff is really Hunter/ Barloworld, Moreau's blunder and Vino coming back from the grave with the help of his team- still willing to work for their beat-up leader. Still, I didn't pick up any points and I'm beginning to learn to live with it because this has been a great Tour this year. I mean, sure, without the rampant drug use, it's a little slower... but who the hell cares when the racing that is happening is so good? (Oh yeah, and now it is being reported that current Tour leader, Rasmussen, is being kicked off the Danish National Team for failing to cooperate with their doping controls.) Tomorrow looks like it should be an ok stage... but it does have one cat 2 climb with less than 50km to go to the finish. It might be an interesting stage for a true headbanger. I'm gonna go with Flecha, 'cause he's due, and Fabian Wegmann... I just got a feeling about these two.
Tim
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Dopers suck!
T-Mobile's Patrik Sinkewitz tests positive for testosterone (apparently enough to give Miss America some testicles)...
Bob Stapleton, the American who is the team director of the team was quoted on CyclingNews as saying;
"We knew this [anti-doping project] was going to be a tough fight when we started it, but it was something that we felt was possible. We're going to stay and fight. The [team's] riders were informed by the media right as they were leaving today. They were obviously shocked, but they headed for their bikes and wanted to show that they believe in what they're doing," Stapleton said.
If that doesn't give you hope for the sport, then I sure as hell don't know what does or should.
Thank you Bob!
Tim
Bob Stapleton, the American who is the team director of the team was quoted on CyclingNews as saying;
"We knew this [anti-doping project] was going to be a tough fight when we started it, but it was something that we felt was possible. We're going to stay and fight. The [team's] riders were informed by the media right as they were leaving today. They were obviously shocked, but they headed for their bikes and wanted to show that they believe in what they're doing," Stapleton said.
If that doesn't give you hope for the sport, then I sure as hell don't know what does or should.
Thank you Bob!
Tim
Tour de France- Stage 10
Sacre bleu! A French rider wins the stage today and a second French rider ends up in second place... in the Tour DAY France! What is this world coming to?
Cedric Vasseur wins the stage and Sandy Casar takes second on the stage today, after a very long break away. My main pick for the stage win, Jens Voigt, was apparently reading this blog and followed my advice and went out for the win today, but was sadly foiled in the end by the two French riders. However, I have a feeling that Jens will be back at it again at some point... I just have a feeling.
Tomorrow's stage is about as flat as you can get without going to Kansas. I mean, one cat 4 climb and then it's all flat and fast. Did somebody say Sprinter's Delight? Yes, yes they did. Since the Kittie hasn't posted her picks and I was closest to having a rider score points today... I'm making my picks for tomorrow now; Boonen and Hushovd. May the wind be at your backs boys!
Oh yeah, Rasmussen stays in yellow for another day or so- no more time trials until Saturday (stage 13), so he has a couple days in yellow left. Valverde's looking better and better all the time.
Tim
Cedric Vasseur wins the stage and Sandy Casar takes second on the stage today, after a very long break away. My main pick for the stage win, Jens Voigt, was apparently reading this blog and followed my advice and went out for the win today, but was sadly foiled in the end by the two French riders. However, I have a feeling that Jens will be back at it again at some point... I just have a feeling.
Tomorrow's stage is about as flat as you can get without going to Kansas. I mean, one cat 4 climb and then it's all flat and fast. Did somebody say Sprinter's Delight? Yes, yes they did. Since the Kittie hasn't posted her picks and I was closest to having a rider score points today... I'm making my picks for tomorrow now; Boonen and Hushovd. May the wind be at your backs boys!
Oh yeah, Rasmussen stays in yellow for another day or so- no more time trials until Saturday (stage 13), so he has a couple days in yellow left. Valverde's looking better and better all the time.
Tim
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Tour de France- Stage 9
Ok, so Barloworld's Soler wins the stage, Rasmussen manages to stay in yellow, the bulk of the favorites stay in contention... and Vinokourov cracks and slides down to 21st on GC at 8:05 down. Nearly everybody's top pick to win the Tour is now almost certainly out of contention for the podium. Barloworld has proven their place in the Tour. Discovery actually attacked the field (not Levi yet, though) for a change. Rasmussen rode a great ride in yellow and all of a sudden looks like a grand tour leader. In the words of the immortal bard... "what the fudge?"
Mauricio Soler rode a brilliant stage today and captured a beautiful win. Previously, Soler had only ever won a stage of the Tour of Columbia. Now he moves into the pantheon of great climbers in Tour history. Michael Rasmussen rode a very smart race and the Rabobank team shepherded their climbing phenom to the finish and protected his lead. Rasmussen can climb better than nearly any rider alive, but even I can out time trial the guy. He's not going to protect his lead in the TT's, so he has to do all he can to solidify his lead now. The Discovery team, quite possibly for the first time in their history (certainly post Lance), went on the offensive. Disco actually made the race more exciting for a change. Popovych and Contador both rode very aggressively and made the race happen, as opposed to sitting in like Disco normally does. The other major GC contenders all rode strongly and cemented their positions... except for poor Vino. The guy has just had a shitty Tour, the Tour that was supposed to be his. It's hard to not like the guy and watching his race fall apart is just kinda painful.
Tomorrow is a relatively flat day, with just a couple cat 3 and 4 climbs. Compared to the past few days, it should be an "easy" day. I'd expect to see long breaks going up the road, especially riders who are way down the GC- guys like Jens Voigt, maybe Chris Horner (though he should be watching his boss, Cadel Evans), Patrice Halgand or even Stefan Schumacher. My pick is Voigt and Horner. I think both could get into the right move and make it work... at least I hope, because I need the points.
Ok... go Horner!
Tim
Mauricio Soler rode a brilliant stage today and captured a beautiful win. Previously, Soler had only ever won a stage of the Tour of Columbia. Now he moves into the pantheon of great climbers in Tour history. Michael Rasmussen rode a very smart race and the Rabobank team shepherded their climbing phenom to the finish and protected his lead. Rasmussen can climb better than nearly any rider alive, but even I can out time trial the guy. He's not going to protect his lead in the TT's, so he has to do all he can to solidify his lead now. The Discovery team, quite possibly for the first time in their history (certainly post Lance), went on the offensive. Disco actually made the race more exciting for a change. Popovych and Contador both rode very aggressively and made the race happen, as opposed to sitting in like Disco normally does. The other major GC contenders all rode strongly and cemented their positions... except for poor Vino. The guy has just had a shitty Tour, the Tour that was supposed to be his. It's hard to not like the guy and watching his race fall apart is just kinda painful.
Tomorrow is a relatively flat day, with just a couple cat 3 and 4 climbs. Compared to the past few days, it should be an "easy" day. I'd expect to see long breaks going up the road, especially riders who are way down the GC- guys like Jens Voigt, maybe Chris Horner (though he should be watching his boss, Cadel Evans), Patrice Halgand or even Stefan Schumacher. My pick is Voigt and Horner. I think both could get into the right move and make it work... at least I hope, because I need the points.
Ok... go Horner!
Tim
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Age of Conversation
I'm one of those people you sometimes see at a party- the one who is hanging around with the cool kids, but is clearly not actually one of the cool kids... that'd be me. I am so very fortunate to be a part of a project that is phenomenal in many ways and it is something that I am also very proud of.
The Age of Conversation is a book with 103 co-authors. It's a book that is about the new world of communication that we live in. It's written largely by a group of marketers, but it reaches way past simple marketing. I personally can not wait to see this book and give it a read... and fortunately I won't have to wait long, since it is officially being released on Monday, July 16th.
Here's the thing with this book- it is the proverbial gift that keeps on giving, since the proceeds from the book go to Variety the Children's Charity and the book is also dedicated to the loving memory of Sandra Johnson Kerley (our dear friend CK's momma). The giving doesn't stop there either because the book gives great knowledge that will, in turn keep giving to all who read it. It's really a magnificent thing.
Each of the 103 writers contribute a chapter, including me. It's probably the one and only time I've kept my writing brief and (hopefully) to the point. It was a stretch, but I made it through the process.
I hope that you will give the book some consideration and buy a copy for yourself and maybe even for anybody who you think might benefit from such a book. Heck, just buy a copy because the money goes to a great cause! Really, you can't go wrong.
I know that I am really looking forward to seeing exactly what all the other authors have to say- I've been waiting far too long since the project began. The anticipation is killing me!
Here are all the authors; (I swear I can't believe I'm on the same list as these folks...)
Again, please buy a copy of this book- it'll be worth it... I promise!
Tim
The Age of Conversation is a book with 103 co-authors. It's a book that is about the new world of communication that we live in. It's written largely by a group of marketers, but it reaches way past simple marketing. I personally can not wait to see this book and give it a read... and fortunately I won't have to wait long, since it is officially being released on Monday, July 16th.Here's the thing with this book- it is the proverbial gift that keeps on giving, since the proceeds from the book go to Variety the Children's Charity and the book is also dedicated to the loving memory of Sandra Johnson Kerley (our dear friend CK's momma). The giving doesn't stop there either because the book gives great knowledge that will, in turn keep giving to all who read it. It's really a magnificent thing.
Each of the 103 writers contribute a chapter, including me. It's probably the one and only time I've kept my writing brief and (hopefully) to the point. It was a stretch, but I made it through the process.
I hope that you will give the book some consideration and buy a copy for yourself and maybe even for anybody who you think might benefit from such a book. Heck, just buy a copy because the money goes to a great cause! Really, you can't go wrong.
I know that I am really looking forward to seeing exactly what all the other authors have to say- I've been waiting far too long since the project began. The anticipation is killing me!
Here are all the authors; (I swear I can't believe I'm on the same list as these folks...)
Gavin Heaton
Drew McLellan
CK
Valeria Maltoni
Emily Reed
Katie Chatfield
Greg Verdino
Mack Collier
Lewis Green
Sacrum
Ann Handley
Mike Sansone
Paul McEnany
Roger von Oech
Anna Farmery
David Armano
Bob Glaza
Mark Goren
Matt Dickman
Scott Monty
Richard Huntington
Cam Beck
David Reich
Luc Debaisieux
Sean Howard
Tim Jackson
Patrick Schaber
Roberta Rosenberg
Uwe Hook
Tony D. Clark
Todd Andrlik
Toby Bloomberg
Steve Woodruff
Steve Bannister
Steve Roesler
Stanley Johnson
Spike Jones
Nathan Snell
Simon Payn
Ryan Rasmussen
Ron Shevlin
Roger Anderson
Robert Hruzek
Rishi Desai
Phil Gerbyshak
Peter Corbett
Pete Deutschman
Nick Rice
Nick Wright
Michael Morton
Mark Earls
Mark Blair
Mario Vellandi
Lori Magno
Kristin Gorski
Kris Hoet
G.Kofi Annan
Kimberly Dawn Wells
Karl Long
Julie Fleischer
Jordan Behan
John La Grou
Joe Raasch
Jim Kukral
Jessica Hagy
Janet Green
Jamey Shiels
Dr. Graham Hill
Gianandrea Facchini
Geert Desager
Gaurav Mishra
Gary Schoeniger
Gareth Kay
Faris Yakob
Emily Clasper
Ed Cotton
Dustin Jacobsen
Tom Clifford
David Polinchock
David Koopmans
David Brazeal
David Berkowitz
Carolyn Manning
Craig Wilson
Cord Silverstein
Connie Reece
Colin McKay
Chris Newlan
Chris Corrigan
Cedric Giorgi
Brian Reich
Becky Carroll
Arun Rajagopal
Andy Nulman
Amy Jussel
AJ James
Kim Klaver
Sandy Renshaw
Susan Bird
Ryan Barrett
Troy Worman
S. Neil Vineberg
C.B. Whittemore
Again, please buy a copy of this book- it'll be worth it... I promise!
Tim
Tour de France- Stage 8
The Chicken, Michael Rasmussen, took out an impressive solo win today that netted him the maillot a pois and the maillot jaune. Not bad for a day's work in the hills.
Rasmussen got away fairly early in the day and was joined, and then left alone, by other riders along the way. Another small group had gotten away earlier and built a sizable lead, but Rasmussen slowly and methodically picked them off as he cruised to the summit finish with a big enough lead to take control of the race. Given his terrible time trialing performance in the 2005 Tour, when he was assured of a podium spot but crashed so many times he lost the podium and nearly had training wheels mounted to all of his TT bikes... his yellow jersey days could be very numbered. Still, you have to give him this day, as he was simply the world's best climber today.
The other GC riders managed to not lose so much time that their chances are ruined. Even though Kloden lost time today when he dropped back to nurse Vinokourov to the finish line, the two still remain within reach of the podium. Other contenders, such as Evans, Valverde, Moreau, Sastre and Leiphemer all managed to finish strong enough to stay in the hunt. One contender who didn't fair too well was T-Mobile's Michael Rogers. Rogers crashed hard on a descent and tried in vain to get back on the bike. It didn't take too long to realize that he'd separated his shoulder and racing any further would not be possible.
Now that we're just one full week of racing into the Tour, the picture is getting clearer, but it still remains a pretty wide open race. Nobody has stamped their authority on the race yet... and the pundits (including me) are all scratching their heads. Is this what a "clean" Tour looks like? Tomorrow is the first rest day of this year's race, so I predict that there will be no winner. That said, guys like Vino and Kloden will be happy to get a day to rest a bit and heal a little further. Tuesday brings a day of leg breaking climbs- two Haute Categorie climbs- the Col L'Iseran and the fabled Col du Galibier. Even with the Galibier summit being 37km from the finish... it's gonna be a hard slog to the line.
Rest up boys! You're gonna need it...
Tim
Rasmussen got away fairly early in the day and was joined, and then left alone, by other riders along the way. Another small group had gotten away earlier and built a sizable lead, but Rasmussen slowly and methodically picked them off as he cruised to the summit finish with a big enough lead to take control of the race. Given his terrible time trialing performance in the 2005 Tour, when he was assured of a podium spot but crashed so many times he lost the podium and nearly had training wheels mounted to all of his TT bikes... his yellow jersey days could be very numbered. Still, you have to give him this day, as he was simply the world's best climber today.
The other GC riders managed to not lose so much time that their chances are ruined. Even though Kloden lost time today when he dropped back to nurse Vinokourov to the finish line, the two still remain within reach of the podium. Other contenders, such as Evans, Valverde, Moreau, Sastre and Leiphemer all managed to finish strong enough to stay in the hunt. One contender who didn't fair too well was T-Mobile's Michael Rogers. Rogers crashed hard on a descent and tried in vain to get back on the bike. It didn't take too long to realize that he'd separated his shoulder and racing any further would not be possible.
Now that we're just one full week of racing into the Tour, the picture is getting clearer, but it still remains a pretty wide open race. Nobody has stamped their authority on the race yet... and the pundits (including me) are all scratching their heads. Is this what a "clean" Tour looks like? Tomorrow is the first rest day of this year's race, so I predict that there will be no winner. That said, guys like Vino and Kloden will be happy to get a day to rest a bit and heal a little further. Tuesday brings a day of leg breaking climbs- two Haute Categorie climbs- the Col L'Iseran and the fabled Col du Galibier. Even with the Galibier summit being 37km from the finish... it's gonna be a hard slog to the line.
Rest up boys! You're gonna need it...
Tim
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