More crashes, Voeckler in Yellow

Stage 9
10 July 2011


Where we had our picnic

Tomorrow is a rest day, and after Thursday, we can relax a little and maybe not have such a bunch of crashes. I am getting upset more than I like.

News of the day, bad news overall. Two leaders of teams out with a crash. The day after vino almost won a stage, he crashes out. Not really a happy way to end your Tour career. In the same crash, Jurgen Van Den Broek also crashes out. I already mentioned that I don't like crashes, not because I don't know that life is full of bad breaks, but because it is such a tragedy for the spectator and for the teams. But it happens. So we have had several team leaders out or injured already, Chavanel, Brajkovic, Van Den Broek, Vinokourov, Wiggins, Zabriskie. I don't think this is usual. Two big crashes and 8 abandons in one day. Millar crashed, Kreuziger injured. And lately, rumours that Contador's small crash at the start (caught his handlebars in Karpets' saddle) was not so small and that his previously injured (another crash) knee might be affected.

But hey, Thomas Voeckler in yellow! How about that. I doubt that very many cycling fans would not like to see Thomas in Yellow. He is a kind of well mannered, modest, moderately talented, attacking type rider. He knows and says that he is not that great, but yet he wins and does so in pretty interesting ways. In my mind, the jersey is not so much for this escape, he could have missed it. It is a mid life reward for the general way that he rides. It is the universe saying we like a totally clean, attacking, modest, non-'people' type rider. I so think he is riding clean that if he got caught doping I would be really sad, for many days. “Many years ago, Thomas, you wore this sacred jersey, it helped you become who you are today. Its time you wore it again. Clearly you are not going to win the race, but here is the jersey, we want to write about how cool you are.” Even non-French people like him. I just thought those two actions in the Tour were typical of a good Tour, no matter who wins. Voeckler wearing yellow and crashes wiping out team leaders, favourites or other good riders entirely. One makes you happy the other makes you sad. Can't get away from it.

Nice award to Hoogerland and Flecha for “most competitive”. And a sort of justice that Hoogerland will wear the spotted jersey for another day if he can actually ride. I suppose it should be easy to watch that car swerve suddenly to avoid a tree in the road, apparently not seen before the last moment, just when he was passing a little thoughtlessly. Both left wheels were already off the road, he should have never been there. I figure the guy made a bad driving mistake. If he had crashed into the tree, I guess all the riders would have got wiped out. Choice, should he have knocked over two riders or all of them and wrecked the car and held up the whole Tour. Both wrong, he should never have been in the position to make one of two horrible choices. He drove badly. He should apologise to those at the very least. Maybe have a huge fine, and loads of points. Maybe jail. Certainly off the Tour.

I don't have every cyclist's correct name spelling in my spellchecker. Thomas, I have had on for ages. His team also rides Colnago, like I do. One thing I don't understand is why some people call him Tommy. Sharing the name, I assumed you stopped calling boys that “diminutive” (unless they like it, for example in the Southern USA where there are adults called Tommy, or Jimmy or Billy) when they grew up. I think the French commentators call himThomas.

Hushovd quite happily gave up his yellow jersey, it just was not worth knocking the team out over long, heavy roads, for a jersey that had a good life on Thor's back. Thing I like about Thor and Voeckler is that they have good smiles. When they are happy, they show it. Not all riders do that. Makes the spectators like you, if a rider does that. Thor was a great leading man in the show for a few days. And Thomas … really, you could not pick a better rider to wear yellow for a bit than Thomas. No way he can keep it all the way to Montpellier on the 17th, where I will l watch the finish near the rugby stadium. But Voeckler COULD keep it until Bastille Day on the 14th, only two more days of riding. It would make good photos to have Voeckler, ex-French champion strips on his yellow jersey, doing more than just wearing it on that day. Maybe doing something with panache. Sadly it is up some heavy mountains, so I doubt Thomas will have the jersey in the evening of the 14th. Hope he keeps it till then. The French put on the show, they should have one of their own riders do a little bit of good stuff now and again. Rather Voeckler than Casar, any day. I know the French have not really got anyone remotely like the big champion they want, but they have Thomas. He will do for a bit. Maybe he will make a desperate last sprint on the 14th, trying to keep the jersey from some climber who attacked. Even Voeckler in yellow could not possibly keep up with a good climber for long. The climber finishes, Thomas struggles, the countdown starts, and then, at the end, after very good close-up shots, Thomas (fill in verb) the yellow jersey. Good show, good rider. More like him would be GOOD.

The green jersey has now got a serious front runner, Gilbert. If he keeps riding in the medium mountains like he has been, then he can pick up a fair few points, even if he can't out fight the real sprinters on a flat stage. Not too many of them left in the competition anyway. Quite good this little battle for green. The other thing is that Thor can now ride solely for the green jersey. We shall see whether he is really interested. I hope so. There an increasing number of sprinters who are losing ground fast. If the guys in sixth place or lower do not win a fair few points, then they will leave all possibilities for green in the thighs of four guys. Still could be loads of fun, especially since we have two sprinters who can do really well in hills, and a couple who can't, including Cav and Rojas.

The white jersey is still Gesink, but everything I read says he is in bad shape, not feeling well, and not at all confident of doing well in the Tour. Could just be disinformation or bad gossip, we shall see. He seemed perfectly sound today, at least at the end. His team will feel better as well now they have won a stage. I will try to find out something inside about Gesink, he does look good.

I noticed on the climb that in the second row, I saw EBH a few times. I wonder how he sees all this, and what Sky wants to do. EBH and Thomas have excellent possibilities, but perhaps not this year. We can also see that Flecha is no slouch, and was given some space to make a move. Too bad the guy ran him over. Anyway, I think I have become, during this Tour, especially after the loss of Wiggins, a Sky supporter. Their strategy must have an element of tragedy, improvisation and creativity to it now. This should be fun. Although my enthusiasm is dimmed by knowing what happened to Flecha. I figure he could have won that stage.

The full results for the stage are that same kind of result we had the other day. It looks like one group “lost” time, and of course technically they did. I must watch the finish, but I bet it is just a matter of when the commissars say there is “a gap” between a bunch of straggling in riders, up quite a hill. It can even be one is working hard, but a bit casual, following a wheel, but without noticing that the wheel one is following is not quite following the previous one, that “a gap” has opened up. Suddenly you loose a few seconds.

So the jerseys are changing, and the spectacle (sometimes tragic) continues. But so far it is only by elimination that we get results. No one has attacked. Gesink and Contador still riding, but both with unknown levels of distress due to their crashes. Contador fell today again, apparently on the same knee he injured earlier. Gesink and Alberto were present in the right group today, but they could have problems, as could anyone really. Crash, out of the Tour. I think I shall now keep watching Hoogerland, I am impressed with him. Wearing the spots today, what a day. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJarentZE2g&feature=player_embedded#at=17

I won't be writing tomorrow, I take a rest too. So can't tell you who I think will win the stage on Tuesday. I was right about a breakaway today, was I not? Tuesday is a slight downhill finish, perfect for dramatics from a mass sprint. Thing is, they put one big hill and one little hill, not to far from the finish. Maybe the two or three sprinters who can climb would contest it. Or a break. I have no idea who will win, but I will tell you if I got it right on Tuesday night. Today, who did I settle on? Geraint Thomas. I was wrong, but I had a great story worked out. In fact, it was Flecha that enacted the first part of the fantasy. Thomas finished just behind Gesink and just in front of Basso and Kloden. In my opinion, he will soon be in the same kind of place in the final GC. Maybe not this year. I really am keen to find out if he can climb. I even have a wee fantasy that sometime soon, the first Brit to win the Tour would be Welsh! Cool.

Absolutely trivial and meaningless video about room-mates and hotels in the Tour. http://www.cyclingfans.com/node/2569

A friend asked what I meant by “heavy roads”. I am not sure I am using the word correctly, but for me it means up and down all day, not much time where you can just ride along on the flat for a bit. It also means, for me, that the surface of the road is not so perfect, that it is rough, paved badly maybe, the edges ill-defined, there are potholes or obstacles. Basically you have to use one gear less to ride the same speed, it is just incessant slightly harder work. Not like climbing a big mountain which is hard work for a bit, then not. That’s what I mean. Today was on heavy roads, and I think Monday as well. But on the 17th, the roads from Limoux to Montpellier will not be that heavy as the roads in the sticks, up and down hills all day.

So have a nice rest day. I will. Both rest days are on Market Day here. I can go in to the Market a bit relaxed, not feeling under pressure to write. A wee holiday, I can go for a little ride in the afternoon if I want. Flat roads, if really hot, up a hill, if not. That is a poem. Anyway I am invited to a pool birthday party, in the early evening. So I am glad I don't have to write anything tomorrow.

The Young Lads duke it out, Thor climbs calmly

Stage 8
9 July 2011

This is the first stage in what we call “medium mountains”. What have we learned about the Tour?

Still keeps me interested, usually something happening, weather, crashes, some good racing with the sprints and the hill finishes. Enough uncertainty that it is still not obvious who is going to fill out the top ten and win the jerseys. Plenty of Tour Tragedies, which I can only like if I distance myself from them. Boonen, Wiggins, Brajkovic, Horner, Kiriyenka, Christophe Kern, Remi Pauriol and others, no longer on the Tour. Strategic choices of the excellent or not so categories. Some new names coming to the fore. Feats of fortitude and desire.

It must be said that other than elimination of three top ten contenders, even podium contenders, it is still not clear what is going to happen on a hill when Schleck cannot follow Contador. Or when Evans might drop one of them. If you look a little at the very end today, they were doing dress rehearsals, but nothing happened. Substitute other names of attackers. We haven't a clue who is going to be strongest over the three weeks. But it must be said that in the Tour we NEVER know for sure after eight days, especially if there is not an ITT during the flattish bit before we get to the real mountains.

Thor has been a superb wearer of the yellow jersey. Basically this big sprinter (1.83m and 83 kilos, about as tall as me and 14 kilos heavier), can now climb some pretty hard shortish hills. By keeping up with the guys who are supposed to climb well, he has saved his jersey. For example, he rode mostly on his own today, his team trusted him to stay calmly within spitting distance of Evans. I am totally impressed with Hushovd. After the yellow stint, he has to revert to the World Champion Jersey. Good year, good Tour for Thor, no matter what happens next. Do you think he can keep up with the leading group of GC riders, all the way across the medium mountains to St. Flour? I have driven on a few of those roads, and while the cols are not mighty, they are heavy roads, and lots of BIG rolling hills. Big rolling hills forever.

We now know that there are at least three guys seriously interested in the green jersey. Cav, Rojas and Gilbert seem to be acting as if they care a lot. Others show signs of being keen, but can't quite get enough points to match those three, they don't make it a priority or they are not as good this year. Hushovd is still well in touch. But the others, including Farrar, do not seem to have the application to get the points at any cost. Today, for example, Gilbert worked a bit harder than necessary at the end, to get the points. He seems way serious. We already know Cav is serious. I knew about Rojas, who I thought was a kind of second rate sprinter. He was never mentioned as a possible green jersey, even an outsider, by La France Cyclist, for example. Maybe someone thought of him outside his family and Spain, but I missed it. Rojas is serious.

No more information on the spotted maillot, although I think it is nice that one of the Next Great American Tour hopes can wear it for a day or so. Seems a very nice young man. Anyway, keeping it until Paris is unlikely. Nice he can wear it at the age of 22. I thought he rode all day like very young, trusting, hard working rider of immense talent. A bit inexperienced maybe. I am looking forward to seeing what he does in the mountains. If he finishes in the top ten this year he is a certainty to win the Tour one day. He can time trial brilliantly.

Gesink is back in the young riders jersey, but it has to be said he could not keep up with the front group and lost time on nearly everyone. So I guess even if he has a bad day, Gesink still looks like the (young) man. Quite a few people in my forums think Gesink is overrated. Did he just “get dropped”? Is a minute or so a big deal?

We can see that Sky wants to keep visible, we saw Flecha and Xandia today, being quite serious. Thomas and EBH finished in the first group. I do hope they get through the loss of Bradley and make some cool moves.

So we don't know very much yet, nothing is clear. A lot of nice fit young men have worn the various jerseys and we are glad. So far it seems a pretty good Tour. I often get bored with the sprint stages, but this year I didn't. OK, admittedly I am really looking forward to the real mountains. But to keep me interested they have stages which have a bit of racing, and go through gorgeous countryside. I can still feel a little bit like I still have to make it through some stages which are not going to increase the uncertainty and not going to affect the result. Maybe something untoward will happen. But its not until next Thursday that they hit the Pyrenees. Still we can always hope for uncertainty.

Today's race was good in the end, the last few K that is. I only caught the last 50k, but it seemed a proper road race with loads of interest, for an hour or so. I liked to see Vino having a dig, felt like a proper Tour de France. I liked the young lads battling it out for the stage. Finally, part of a break stays away. Bravo Rui Costa. Another young (24) with a pretty good record so far. I wanted Tejay to win, since I didn't remember much about Rui Costa, except a vague connection with doping (he got off). In the end the Portuguese lad deserved to win. Tejay worked a bit too hard, but showed us that either of them could do this again. No team or rider really wanted to chase hard enough to catch them. Gilbert seems to be doing quite well. He is going for green without a doubt. Still can't figure Thor. He says he rides around Monaco with Gilbert, and Gilbert makes him work hard on the hills. He thanked Gilbert for the help. So I guess if you lived around Monaco you would have seen Thor and Gilbert out training in the hills, now and again. Thor is amazing. Look at the stage results and see where the next “sprinter” is, after Gilbert of course.

One thing I like to do when I am not in a hurry to cook my dinner (unless I get lucky), finish this off and get to bed in time to read a bit, is to look at the stage results in detail, and notice all the small gaps or big gaps. Then I guess why they exist and what they mean. I noticed that EBH lost eleven seconds on the first group. Sometimes when there is a climb and there is a group strung out for twenty or thirty metres, they all get the same time. But then the commissars decide there is a gap between the last rider in one group and the first rider in “a new group”, also strung out for a few metres (before the “third” group). There is supposed to be a gap of one bike length before a ”new group” begins, but often you can't figure out exactly what criteria they use for the 'end' of one group. So if you look down the stage results, you see tiny handful of seconds separating a number of riders. I think, unless I study the video carefully, this small time difference is simply a slightly larger gap between two riders, one that the authorities see as a BIG ENOUGH gap, rather than a small one. In that same way I guess Leipheimer lost 29 seconds. But LL Sanchez and Gesink losing 1.23 meant they were not as strong or determined as the guys in front of them. Meaning? NO idea, but the questions arises as to whether Gesink is in good shape. I noticed Tejay and Cyril Gautier passed the line a couple minutes after the winner, which is normal for a break that gets caught. They might have been chatting or might become lifetime friends because they road 150k together in theTour. And of course Contador was followed everywhere, even over the line, by both of the Schlecks.

Contador seemed to be accelerating a bit mainly to see who would follow, not really to win the stage. Then he stopped. I guess just warming up for …. next THURSDAY. They won't hit the high mountains until the 14th of July. Maybe we will have a French guy who escapes for a mighty victory and slightly behind we have a hot battle. But that really is DAYS away. The hope I have is that either Contador or others attack a lot, even if we have to wait until Thursday. Still, never give up hope that something exceptional and interesting will happen in the medium mountains to come, the hilly bits.

Jalabert and B. Hinault agreed that it was not obvious why BMC were working so hard, for so long, at the front. They both thought it was unwise. Its a long Tour, why use up your energy to do what? Win a stage? Grab yellow for a few days? Waste of energy, the two French cycling personalities said. This story should run for a day or two as a sub-story. I thought they were riding for the stage or for the jersey, both of which were possible. But the Badger and Jalabert ask a good question. If you want to win the jersey, you have to wear it in Paris. Wearing before the high mountains just means your team has to ride in front a lot more. The experts said they should have made Contador get his team out and work. They did not say how exactly, but BMC should definitely NOT ride in front for long distances.

Tomorrow I go out to a picnic in the late morning-early afternoon, which does not give me a lot of time to read the paper and compose thoughts. So maybe tomorrow's blog will be a little thin. I do hope to get home early enough to have a quick nap and then watch the countryside for a couple of hours. Should be absolutely gorgeous, even if the race is just a break of 4 French and 3 other riders, kept at four minutes for a long time. I guess if any stage had the possibility of a break succeeding it could be this one. Why would any big GC guy want to work hard tomorrow, we have not even reached the mountains. So a big break tomorrow with lesser mortals from seven teams, including some of the biggest teams.

I talked about the fat, detailed Race Book, although I called it the Road Book, that everyone who is anyone gets. You can get a glimpse of the Road Book or Race Book on one of Thomas' videos. On the first page, you can see the short route they mark out for non-Tour route followers. The video is entitled “G and Eddy – TDF”. http://www.geraintthomas.com/videos/

Why do they not force the Team Directors to drive with a normal telephonist, call centre type microphone and headphone. One ear. They drive for ages hanging onto their totally archaic hand held microphone, which means they drive a lot with one hand. Narrow roads, team cars passing and stopping, spectators, bikes in front and behind, etc. Bad idea to do it one handed. Can't figure that out. There exist speaker phones, and so forth.

They said it was 14 degrees and it was raining on the top of the highest climb. Hope they get good weather tomorrow, up and down all day.

In fact, it is so likely to be a break that gets away that I won't even bother to predict. No idea. Jeremy Roy maybe (that is a joke). It is lovely to see the peloton floating through that countryside. I doubt if the big fellows want to race yet. I notice the that each forum buddy has picked a different rider for tomorrow. No one knows.

Our picnic is at a nice lake near here, called Lake Salagou. We have never been to this exact spot, although our pals say it is quite good. Water should be warm enough. When we went to the sea, it really was not comfy to swim, quite bracing. If I were 100% Northern English, I would have gone in.

Back tomorrow at the same time, touch wood.