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ysobelleStage 20
Promenade to Paris
Lest ye think that today’s stage is all pomp and circumstance…well, okay, yes it is, for the most part. But there’s a good deal of tradition and planning and strategy that goes on—it’s not just a bunch of guys on bikes going in a big-ass circle in Paris. The big discussion of the day wasn’t could Cadel Evans make up his 23-second gap on Alberto Contador, but would he try. With such a slim lead, it might be possible to overtake him, what with sprint time bonuses. But there really is a kind of, “well, yeah, but you just don’t DO that” feeling. There’s also the fact that the last part of the stage, eight laps of the Champs Elysee, is a false flat (there’s a slight hill to the finish line), and it’s on cobblestones. With a complete hairpin turn at one end. And the average speed is 50kmph. It’s dangerous. And if you fall, you’re falling hard. On stone. So don’t expect to hop back up and get back into the game. And if it starts to rain? Forget it. You’re taking your life into your hands. Not that many Tours ago, a light rain in Paris ended the Tour a few laps early. And remember, while the overall Tour may be decided, to win the final Stage of the Tour de France will make your season, your team’s season, and probably your career.
And for teams, never underestimate the power of screen time. No matter how your team’s done in the previous three weeks, there’s no such thing as too little exposure for your sponsor’s logo. Case in point: when Vinokourov and Astana were tossed out on their ass in disgrace, one of the other teams sued to the tune of ten million euros—the amount of revenue they lost having their publicity wrongfully eclipsed. And you know what? They have a case.
On the road to Paris, the race passes, ironically, through Chatenay-Malabry, home to the now-infamous French labs that test riders' specimens for blood doping. More happily, there's the traditional champagne toasts: the only time in the world-- one hopes-- you can see the driver of a car with one hand on the wheel and the other holding a glass of champagne, toasting with a rider and posing for photographers. While everyone's rolling merrily along. Lance Armstrong, riding in the Discovery Team car, seems to especially enjoy the tradition, probably because he's neither cycling or having to drive.
The honour of leading the Peleton—now down to 141 men from 189—onto the Champs Elysee was given to the race leader’s team: Discovery. The honour of leading Discovery was given to George Hincapie in his stars-and-stripes jersey of American Champion. Maillot Jaune Alberto Contador was tucked in safely four or five spaces behind him, with all these remaining eight Discovery riders just keeping out of trouble. Though the pace began slowly, it was soon enough hectic, with a breakaway group getting up to 40-odd seconds ahead before being caught on the bell lap by the peloton.
Quickstep began pulling Tom Boonen up to the front to set him up for the final sprint, battling with Lampre for precedence. Huge Norwegian flags urged on Thor Hushovd as the Flame Rouge—the red flag denoting one final kilometer—was unfurled under the huge inflatable arch. Faster, faster up the slight hill before the Arc de Triomphe, and it’s Hushovd and Erik Zabel of Milram and Daniele Bennati and Robbie Hunter—and it’s Bennati of Lampre on the line by half a wheel! He raises his arms in triumph, and split-seconds later, the move is echoed by Alberto Contador, crossing safely with his teammates, the winner of the 2007 Tour de France.
Lance Armstrong said today, while commentating with the legendary duo of Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwin, that the party really began last night, after the time trial, when Discovery knew they had it all wrapped up. I can’t blame them. This is their first year without Lance, and they have not only the Tour winner who’s also the Tour’s best young rider, but have taken third and eighth place, as well. And won for Best Team.
And really, for all the controversy, it’s a solid finish in front of adoring and enthusiastic crowds. Tom Boonen is presented with the trophy for the Green Jersey. Juan Mauricio Soler Hernandez, from the new wildcard Barloworld, looks for a moment as if he might cry as he’s zipped into the ultimate polkadot jersey of the King of the Mountains—in which competition Contador came in second. Amets Txurruka is given the prize for this year’s most aggressive rider.
Then the presentation for the best rookie of the Tour—the White Jersey—goes to Contador. And I discover that he was once struck down in a race in 2004 by an aneurysm and left in a coma in hospital for some time. And whose story inspired him to come back and get on a bike again? Lance Armstrong’s. It also turns out that Johan Bruyneel, coach of the team and co-owner with Lance, had tried for three years to sign the now-twenty-four-year-old man, who slips backstage, takes off the White Jersey, and turns right back around to return to the podium again.
And then, the presentation of the big prize. The mayors of London and Paris arrive, and the ecstatic young Spaniard is zipped into his ultimate Maillot Jaune, which he can’t resist kissing in sheer joy. And then, with the Arc framing the scene, they present Alberto Contador with his lion, and a huge bouquet of yellow roses studded with lavender blooms. As he takes off his yellow cap, the Spanish flag is raised and the Spanish national anthem played, while Cadel Evans and Levi Leipheimer flank him on the podium. And at last comes the presentation of the big trophy: the blue-black, footed bowl with delicate gold detailing for the winner of the Tour, and crystal trophies for Cadel and Leipheimer. And then all eight riders of Discovery out to celebrate their commanding nineteen-minute-and-thirty-one second lead over the second-best team, Caisse d’Epargne.
So that’s it. After 2,200 miles and three weeks, it’s over. Traffic filters back onto the Champs Elysee, and the riders go back to their homes and families, free to drink a beer and eat a hamburger and sleep two nights in the same bed before they start training for the next race. Now the Hotel Crillon, which flew the flag of Texas every last-Tour-day for seven years, and now has the flag of Spain proudly raised, will go back to the flag of France, until some foreign dignitary comes to stay. Now Team Discovery, which used to be US Postal, which used to be 7-11, becomes something else as they sign on a new sponsor. Now Alexander Vinokourov sits down with Floyd Landis’ lawyers to craft his defense.
And now, maybe, juuuust maybe, I’ll learn to ride a bike.
Promenade to Paris
Lest ye think that today’s stage is all pomp and circumstance…well, okay, yes it is, for the most part. But there’s a good deal of tradition and planning and strategy that goes on—it’s not just a bunch of guys on bikes going in a big-ass circle in Paris. The big discussion of the day wasn’t could Cadel Evans make up his 23-second gap on Alberto Contador, but would he try. With such a slim lead, it might be possible to overtake him, what with sprint time bonuses. But there really is a kind of, “well, yeah, but you just don’t DO that” feeling. There’s also the fact that the last part of the stage, eight laps of the Champs Elysee, is a false flat (there’s a slight hill to the finish line), and it’s on cobblestones. With a complete hairpin turn at one end. And the average speed is 50kmph. It’s dangerous. And if you fall, you’re falling hard. On stone. So don’t expect to hop back up and get back into the game. And if it starts to rain? Forget it. You’re taking your life into your hands. Not that many Tours ago, a light rain in Paris ended the Tour a few laps early. And remember, while the overall Tour may be decided, to win the final Stage of the Tour de France will make your season, your team’s season, and probably your career.
And for teams, never underestimate the power of screen time. No matter how your team’s done in the previous three weeks, there’s no such thing as too little exposure for your sponsor’s logo. Case in point: when Vinokourov and Astana were tossed out on their ass in disgrace, one of the other teams sued to the tune of ten million euros—the amount of revenue they lost having their publicity wrongfully eclipsed. And you know what? They have a case.
On the road to Paris, the race passes, ironically, through Chatenay-Malabry, home to the now-infamous French labs that test riders' specimens for blood doping. More happily, there's the traditional champagne toasts: the only time in the world-- one hopes-- you can see the driver of a car with one hand on the wheel and the other holding a glass of champagne, toasting with a rider and posing for photographers. While everyone's rolling merrily along. Lance Armstrong, riding in the Discovery Team car, seems to especially enjoy the tradition, probably because he's neither cycling or having to drive.
The honour of leading the Peleton—now down to 141 men from 189—onto the Champs Elysee was given to the race leader’s team: Discovery. The honour of leading Discovery was given to George Hincapie in his stars-and-stripes jersey of American Champion. Maillot Jaune Alberto Contador was tucked in safely four or five spaces behind him, with all these remaining eight Discovery riders just keeping out of trouble. Though the pace began slowly, it was soon enough hectic, with a breakaway group getting up to 40-odd seconds ahead before being caught on the bell lap by the peloton.
Quickstep began pulling Tom Boonen up to the front to set him up for the final sprint, battling with Lampre for precedence. Huge Norwegian flags urged on Thor Hushovd as the Flame Rouge—the red flag denoting one final kilometer—was unfurled under the huge inflatable arch. Faster, faster up the slight hill before the Arc de Triomphe, and it’s Hushovd and Erik Zabel of Milram and Daniele Bennati and Robbie Hunter—and it’s Bennati of Lampre on the line by half a wheel! He raises his arms in triumph, and split-seconds later, the move is echoed by Alberto Contador, crossing safely with his teammates, the winner of the 2007 Tour de France.
Lance Armstrong said today, while commentating with the legendary duo of Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwin, that the party really began last night, after the time trial, when Discovery knew they had it all wrapped up. I can’t blame them. This is their first year without Lance, and they have not only the Tour winner who’s also the Tour’s best young rider, but have taken third and eighth place, as well. And won for Best Team.
And really, for all the controversy, it’s a solid finish in front of adoring and enthusiastic crowds. Tom Boonen is presented with the trophy for the Green Jersey. Juan Mauricio Soler Hernandez, from the new wildcard Barloworld, looks for a moment as if he might cry as he’s zipped into the ultimate polkadot jersey of the King of the Mountains—in which competition Contador came in second. Amets Txurruka is given the prize for this year’s most aggressive rider.
Then the presentation for the best rookie of the Tour—the White Jersey—goes to Contador. And I discover that he was once struck down in a race in 2004 by an aneurysm and left in a coma in hospital for some time. And whose story inspired him to come back and get on a bike again? Lance Armstrong’s. It also turns out that Johan Bruyneel, coach of the team and co-owner with Lance, had tried for three years to sign the now-twenty-four-year-old man, who slips backstage, takes off the White Jersey, and turns right back around to return to the podium again.
And then, the presentation of the big prize. The mayors of London and Paris arrive, and the ecstatic young Spaniard is zipped into his ultimate Maillot Jaune, which he can’t resist kissing in sheer joy. And then, with the Arc framing the scene, they present Alberto Contador with his lion, and a huge bouquet of yellow roses studded with lavender blooms. As he takes off his yellow cap, the Spanish flag is raised and the Spanish national anthem played, while Cadel Evans and Levi Leipheimer flank him on the podium. And at last comes the presentation of the big trophy: the blue-black, footed bowl with delicate gold detailing for the winner of the Tour, and crystal trophies for Cadel and Leipheimer. And then all eight riders of Discovery out to celebrate their commanding nineteen-minute-and-thirty-one second lead over the second-best team, Caisse d’Epargne.
So that’s it. After 2,200 miles and three weeks, it’s over. Traffic filters back onto the Champs Elysee, and the riders go back to their homes and families, free to drink a beer and eat a hamburger and sleep two nights in the same bed before they start training for the next race. Now the Hotel Crillon, which flew the flag of Texas every last-Tour-day for seven years, and now has the flag of Spain proudly raised, will go back to the flag of France, until some foreign dignitary comes to stay. Now Team Discovery, which used to be US Postal, which used to be 7-11, becomes something else as they sign on a new sponsor. Now Alexander Vinokourov sits down with Floyd Landis’ lawyers to craft his defense.
And now, maybe, juuuust maybe, I’ll learn to ride a bike.
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Date: 2007-07-30 02:48 pm (UTC)BTW isn't this the 2nd year without Lance for team DSC? Last year George was captain