Stage 15: Pamiers > Bagneres-de-Luchon: Monday 19th
When you look at a profile of this stage you begin to wonder if doing the Pyrenees towards the end of the Tour was designed to inflict as much suffering on the tired riders as possible. Yet this stages is easier than tomorrows on paper.
A leisurely category 4 climb 30km then a sprint point get the riders off to an easy start. Then come two of the legendary Pyrenean climbs, Col de Portet-d'Aspet (Category 2, 5.8km@6.8%) then a descent to base of the Col des Ares (again a category 2, 6.1km@4.7%). This is followed by a sprint point (as if a sprinter will be out front by then!!) and finally the formidable 1755m high Port de Bales followed by a rapid descent to the finish.
Any time gained on the final climb, which incidentally is Hors Category (toughest 19.3km@6.1%), will almost certainly be kept to the finish (barring crashes etc)
The usual break away attempts are reeled in before they get too far, even Contador and Astana make a cheeky attempt but Saxo Bank reel them in before the first climb.
Amongst the first over the smaller climb are Hushovd and Petacchi, both battling hard over the sprinters Green jersey and after the maximum points at the fast approaching sprint point.
Ironically enough they mop up the King of the Mountains points by being first over, not that they have many to add to.
At the sprint point Petacchi and Hushovd aren't up the front, instead Pineau, King of the Mountains contender takes some points, in a bizarre reversal of competitions. Maybe he was a bit miffed at them taking points in the climb earlier!
Final a break away succeeds and pulls out 1minute 50 on the Peleton. No GC contenders in there, only name of note is Thomas Voeckler, French Champion and previous yellow Jersey wearer in 2004 for 9 stages!
They continue to put time into the Peleton, 7minutes 15seconds up by the summit of the Col de Portet-d'Aspet, and 11minutes by the early slopes of the Port de Bales.
Saxo Bank, with Astana in close attendance, put the hammer down on the lower slopes as the gap to the break starts tumbling.
As the break hit the 10% gradient section Voeckler kicks and surges away. He holds a six minute gap to the Peleton at the summit, the win is as good as his now.
Further down the slopes Schleck takes the chase and Contador, Menchov and Sanchez follow. The group are taking it in turns and working well to reel in the escapees.
Schleck is sitting behind Contador in the midst of the group when Contador looks over his left shoulder and Schleck blasts past him on his right, catching him out completely.
Immediately gaining several metres on the pack only one person follows the acceleration, its and Astana rider but it's Vino not Contador. Yes he's got the gap!
Crunch, back wheel hops up in the air.
The sheer force of the attack has caused Schleck's chain to jump off. Contador seizes the opportunity and Menchov and Sanchez join him in accelerating past the unfortunate Schleck.
It takes to attempts to put the chain on properly and once again Schleck is on his way, adrenalin coursing through his body, anger stoking the fire of injustice deep in side.
Contador, Sanchez and Menchov are really putting the hammer down. They get up to 30 seconds ahead of Schleck.
Meanwhile Schleck is riding like a man possessed, scything through the riders who passed him, Armstrong is left looking very pedestrian as Schleck sprints past him and the rest of that group.
Schleck begins his descent, dropping like a stone down the mountain, overtaking motorbikes and anything in his wake. Gaining 10 seconds on the group ahead, it looks like he might breach the gap but the group ahead are taking turns to work and the gap begins to stretch.
Schleck is descending without help chasing the group and ultimately begins to slow his pace.
By the time he crosses the line he's lost 39 seconds to Contador, the Yellow Jersey is now Contadors by 8 seconds.
Contador steps up to the podium to collect his Yellow Jersey to a deafening chorus of boos.
Schleck passes him on his way up to receive the White Jersey and whispers something in Contadors ear.
And there is the origins of what became known as 'Chaingate'
So what's the big deal?
There is an unwritten rule in the Tour that you don't attack the respected Yellow jersey position if they have had a mechanical incident, puncture or crashed.
If you look back to the reign of Lance Armstrong, this was shown with him waiting for his arch rival Jan Ullrich when he'd crashed over some barriers on a descent. The favour was returned by Ullrich the following year after Armstrong went down having caught his handlebars on a fans bag.
Its a question of respect, sportsmanship, and decency.
You are not expected to stop dead merely to not take advantage of the Yellow Jersey's misfortune.
Contador broke that rule, smashed it to pieces.
He then had the audacity to claim he didn't see Schlecks problem. Video replays show him watching Schleck intently, as he has done for days, he knew exactly what he was doing.
His lies only further isolated him from the public, and Schleck, forcing him to issue a hasty apology over YouTube. The tainted Yellow Jersey now in the hands of a rider feeling a little bit guilty and embarrassed having been 'forced' by his team to apologise as a PR damage limitation exercise.
Schleck has the moral high ground, is a likeable racer and a genuine guy from what I've read.
Contador is equally as genuine but has a ruthless streak, is a competitive racer and the best in the world. He knew that he was suffering when Schleck attacked and he knew he needed as much time as he could get to stay ahead.
For me Schleck is riding better than Contador, and Contador chose the cowards way to the top, kicking a man while he's down.
Whether Schleck can put enough time into Contador to get the Yellow Jersey and keep it to Paris is debatable but I am routing for him all the way. At least it will prove there is a sense of justice in sport. Maybe.
The whole incident has split the Peleton and many view it from the other perspective as that's just the way it is. The sport of cycling has enough of a battle to win over the public after years of drugs and doping controversies, sticking to the traditions and unwritten rules bring it an air of decency and gentlemanly conduct. To lose that would tarnish the sport in my opinion.
Anyway tomorrow is another day and another mountain......
Stage 16: Bagneres-de-Luchon > Pau: Tuesday 20th
Today's stage sees the Peleton ascend immediately up a category 1 climb, the Col de Peyresourde (11km@7.4%) the descending into the valley and straight up the Col d'Aspin, another category one (12.3km@6.3%).
They descend down the other side to the foot of the Col de Tourmalet, starting the 17.1km Hors category climb (7.3%) up to the Jacques Goddet memorial at the summit.
At 2115m above sea level it's the highest point on the Tour and they are due to finish at the top on Thursday stage. Goddet was the Tour director for many years and set up the famous French sports paper L'equipe.Then its a rapid and technical descent to the start of the Col d'Aubisque a punishing Hors category climb of 29.2km (4.2%) but with false descents and technical sections.
Finally its a rapid 62km descent down to Pau, 210m above sea level.
Yesterday saw a Team BMC rider withdraw halfway through the stage and today saw a Rabobank rider and
Team Footon-Servetto's leader Iban Mayoz withdraw. The rider fractured 3 ribs in a heavy fall yesterday, was already suffering slight pneumonia and a haematoma to the skin covering his right kidney.
Possibly the unluckiest team, they lost one of their quicker riders in a nasty crash in the Prologue in Rotterdam, another to a crash on the descent of Morzine, and another suffering from strong bronchitis.
Who said professional sports men weren't tough!!
Anyway onto the stage:
Wiggo, Armstrong, Sastre and Vino get into an early break up the first climb and pull out half a minute on the Peleton, extending to a shade over a minute by the first descent.
Jens Voigt has a nasty looking crash on the descent, could be a Tour ender that one!
The Peleton, with Team Astan on the front, begin to reel in the break away by upping their pace.
The results of this leave a string of riders all over the Col d'Aspin. its going to be a very long day for some riders.
At the foot of the Col de Tourmalet Armstrong and Casar are the only two riders clear, everyone else having been swallowed up by the hard charging Peleton.
Several other riders bridge the gap from Peleton to break away Cunego, Fedrigo and Moreau amongst others.
After descending the Col de Tourmalet the break away are up to 7 minutes ahead of the quiet and calm Yellow Jersey group.
Moreau picks up some valuable King of the Mountains points, taking the competition down to the final climb of the Col de Tourmalet tomorrow. Could the oldest man in the tour,at 39, take the King of the Mountains Jersey at the last minute?
As they descend towards the finish in Pau, Barredo, involved in a fight early in the tour, breaks and goes for the solo win from 42km out. Slowly he extends his lead then sees it reduced quickly and is caught with 1km to go.
Its going to be down to a good old fashioned sprint between the escapees after all that. Has Armstrong got the energy or will Cunego steal the stage win?
Armstrong kicks late but has nothing left and Fedrigo takes the stage win ahead of Casar with Armstrong in 6th.
6 minutes and 45 seconds later the Yellow Jersey group rolls in, Wiggins and Geraint amongst them.
The majority of riders roll in en-mass 34 minutes and 48 seconds later with the last rider officially being Britain's Jeremy Hunt 172nd
So an uneventful stage for the Yellow Jersey and GC contenders, Armstrong denied his swansong and a well deserved restday tomorrow (well today in real time) for the riders.
So lets see where the Brit's are
Wiggo: 21st: +17 minutes, 44 seconds
Geraint: 60th: +1 hour, 33 minutes, 12 seconds
the remainder are all over 3 hours down,
Steve Cummings: 152nd
Cav: 154th
Millar: 159th
Daniel Lloyd: 163rd
Jeremy Hunt: 165th
The Lantern Rouge is Bert Grabsch 4 hours down (give or take 5 minutes or so).
Unseen on the TV footage and commentary Jens Voigt had a nasty accident on the first descent of the day, as one of my favourite riders and a real character I thought I'd include his thoughts on it....”I'm doing 70km an hour on the first descent when my front tire explodes. Before I hit the asphalt I actually manage to think that this is going to hurt. Both knees, elbows, hands, shoulders and the entire left side of my body were severely hurt. My ribs are hurting but hey, broken ribs are overrated anyway. Fortunately, I didn't land on my face this time and I'm still alive. I was however offered a ride on the truck that picks up abandoned riders but I'm not going to quit another Tour de France. Now, there's a rest day and Paris is not that far away,”
These guys are real men, hero's. This has been one of the toughest Tours in recent memory and yet they ride on with all manner of injuries. Nutters!
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