There is too much; lemme sum up.
Jul. 23rd, 2011 03:37 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysobelleAll the crashes and accidents have played havoc with the Tour this year. I've lost count. But Alberto Contador was out of the running pretty much from day one, which really shook up the race.
Until today.
Maybe.
Today was one of those stages where describing it to someone who doesn't watch the race either brings cringes or disbelief. "First, you go over one mountain pass so nasty, it's classed as 'Beyond Category.' Yeah. You go up that on your bike. Then, once you've gone up that one, and come down the other fast as you can, go do it again. On a mountain with 21 switchbacks. Oh, yeah: finish line's at the top." That' my friends, is the Col du Galibier and, my favourite of any Tour, Alpe d'Huez.
Contador started not seconds, but minutes down. Minutes. We're going into the final week of the Tour-- that's death, right there. But perhaps it was too easy to forget that he's also one of the best climbers the sport's ever seen. True to form, he fired up the rockets, and took back a chunk of time. Is he back in contention? Hard to say. For anyone else, I'd say no. But this man? In the mountains? It's possible. Cadel Evans, that determined Aussie, is also clawing for a top finish, and the Schleck brothers, Andy and Frank, may yet pull off their admitted aim of going one-two on the final podium. Andy, in fact, finally took the maillot jaune from Thomas Voeckler, the beloved Frenchman who unexpectedly hung onto the prize for ten days.
Today, however, went to another ecstatic Frenchman from Team Eurocar: Pierre Rolland. But the race is still wide open, and there are probably many surprises-- both pleasant and un-- on the way.
Until today.
Maybe.
Today was one of those stages where describing it to someone who doesn't watch the race either brings cringes or disbelief. "First, you go over one mountain pass so nasty, it's classed as 'Beyond Category.' Yeah. You go up that on your bike. Then, once you've gone up that one, and come down the other fast as you can, go do it again. On a mountain with 21 switchbacks. Oh, yeah: finish line's at the top." That' my friends, is the Col du Galibier and, my favourite of any Tour, Alpe d'Huez.
Contador started not seconds, but minutes down. Minutes. We're going into the final week of the Tour-- that's death, right there. But perhaps it was too easy to forget that he's also one of the best climbers the sport's ever seen. True to form, he fired up the rockets, and took back a chunk of time. Is he back in contention? Hard to say. For anyone else, I'd say no. But this man? In the mountains? It's possible. Cadel Evans, that determined Aussie, is also clawing for a top finish, and the Schleck brothers, Andy and Frank, may yet pull off their admitted aim of going one-two on the final podium. Andy, in fact, finally took the maillot jaune from Thomas Voeckler, the beloved Frenchman who unexpectedly hung onto the prize for ten days.
Today, however, went to another ecstatic Frenchman from Team Eurocar: Pierre Rolland. But the race is still wide open, and there are probably many surprises-- both pleasant and un-- on the way.