Thursday 23 July 2009

Stage 18
23 July 2009

Too tired, too ill for a blog tonight. Anyway, all you can really do with a time trial is add up the figures. Wiggins was looking really good and still did well even if he lost time on the downhill second part of the course. Armstrong did well enough. Moreau seems to have found some legs this last week. Frank did as badly as one thought and Andy did much better. Looks like Andy has nailed down the second spot, which pleases me a good deal. The overall outcome is that Nibali is now out of the picture for the podium and Armstrong, F Schleck, Klöden and Wiggins are going to have to duke it out on Ventoux for the third spot. Unless something strange happens tomorrow.

Of course the most amazing performance came from Contador, beating even Cancellara. He appears to be the fastest in a TT and the fastest up a mountain. He appears to be the best stage racer on earth. Bravo. Especially the way he has been treated in the Astana team.

So we still have one big stage left. I talked to a pal who is on the Ventoux now. He says there is practically no room for cars or vans at all in the last 6k after Chalet Reynard. Says it is a big picnic festival, with cyclists streaming by all the time. More tomorrow of course. Sad to have missed it.

Going to bed early. Good night.

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