It’s only three stages in and the excitement levels are well accelerated to what we have come to expect of a first weeks racing in the tour.
Many sports around the world claim to be “the toughest” American Football, Aussie Rules Football (where they play without padding), Boxing, UFC even ironman events like the gruelling event held in Hawaii annually where they go at it for anything from 8 to 15 hours but what we have witnessed over the past three days to the north of France no doubt must rate as tough or tougher than them all considering most will do this for another 20 odd days.
After the farce and non event of stage two where one man decided he should stop the race because his teammates fell, we got back to racing and race they did across concrete road with large gaps trying to swallow thin racing wheels and spit ridders out of the saddle. They raced on cobblestones that sent vibrations through every part of the body and did its best to choke competitors and spectators with a fine dust that filled the air and reduced the vision the a few meters and finally they rode across the northern border of France and into what all riders hoped to be much happier and smoother racing to come.
We had come to expect first week of this grand tour to be somewhat a non event and one to sit back and take in the sights before gathering for the sprint finish, but this tour is the most exciting start witnessed in many years.
Team Radioshack has assembled a team with a mission, to put one man into a winning position somewhere in week two or three and win an eight title, that man out road his teams in an impressive stage three. TRS could be seen near the front of the peloton in the lead up to the first short burst across the cobbles, with so many riders coming off the bikes the peloton had a real sense of urgency even panic within it.
Saxo Bank controlled the front and for much of today Jens Voigt was the man who powered the bunch up the road in pursuit of an easy passage across the narrow, lumpy and dusty cobbles, Armstrong and co tucked in behind. Riis’s men for the second day in a row looked likely to dictate this race, todays tactics much more impressive that what they served up yesterday.
The breakaway of around eight riders a couple of minutes up the road posed no real threat, the strong riding on the front was more about safety or survival. The cobbles didn’t offer much by way of safety and no room for a neat bunch with a dozen riders across it, it was tough, ridders switching randomly from left to right to get some relief on the thin dusty shoulder within millimetres of thousands of spectators.
Bodies and bikes stacked five high, torn lycra, broken bones and blood isn’t why most watch or participate in cycling but it does make for edge of seat stuff with so much at stake. If you go down and can’t continue within a minute or so, you’re out and out early, like Frank Schleck and who suffered a broken collar bone the same injury that claimed Australian Adam Hanson yesterday.
The further the race progressed the harder Voigt pushed to keep his team safe out in front with many of them tucked in behind him along with Lance Armstrong and Yaroslav Popovych who was working hard to assist Lance through the danger.
Some of the dust filled images of the cobble crossings where as spectacular as the grand buildings and country side shown on this three week travel advertisement for the French tourism board.
Punctured tyres, falls and the tight coarse spread the field to create even more panic in the race that now had three or four main groups, each containing one or more riders expected to challenge for the 2010 title.
The Radio Shack boys worked hard on the front of the peloton with Riis’s men but a puncture to the front type of Armstrong’s machine meant he an Popovych fell back and looked in danger of losing minutes to Evans, Andy Schleck and Cancellara who were out in front only a few seconds behind a lone lead rider. Alberto Contador the man most see as the one to overcome if a eighth title is possible was impressive on day three after falling behind in the carnage the Spaniard rode beautifully in his first real race across cobblestones to cross a couple of groups and limit his time losses.
Popovych worked hard for TRS and Lance attempting to chase down the lead groups, but it was the dusty faced 39 year old Armstrong that rode away on the rough surface to cross a gap of around 30 seconds, the puncture may have caused the loss of a little time on his rivals this day but he showed when it counts he still has the power in the aging legs to challenge the world best. He crossed the gap and rode to the front of the third group in the race to save valuable seconds overall.
Cervelo’s Thor Hushovd with the help of Cadel Evan, Andy Schleck and Cancellara sprinting to the line to maximise the gap, got a protected ride before he passed with ease to sit up and pose for the judge and cameras as if he was going to rip of his jersey like a super hero and take the stage.
Like stage two, controversy at the finish line, Alberto Contador visibly showed his displeasure at team mate Alexandre Vinokourov who had dropped him in the sprint for the line, but manages to drag Bradley Wiggins to the line and gain a time gap over Contador. A few seconds later Jerome Pineau in his KOM jersey and matching bike thumped his handle bars as he crossed the line knowing team mate Sylvain Chavanel had lost the yellow jersey, Chavanel lost three minutes after having to change his bike three times in the last 50 ks.
Armstrong was next in looking more like he’d been bull riding than bike riding, his dirty dust caked face offered an insight to the pain of the day.
All of the TRS riders made it over the line Armstrong 02:08 down on GC followed by Leipheimer, Brajkovic, Klöden, Horner and Popovych ranging from 02:53 – 03:26. The Shack will enjoy the rest before the shorter stage four (153 ks) that they hope will see a little less excitement. As a spectator I don’t want to see anyone come off the bike, but gee it makes for exciting racing and the first three days have been just that.
By Chris Cameron, staff writer
Humh…d’you think Vino’s really in it for Contador? It’s been fun watching Vino bust up the races over the years. More of the same might help Shack and Vino both attain their goals. Looking ahead, this might help a wiser and angrier Contador get out of his contract and build a better team next year. If Contador doesn’t get injured or disinterested, he is gonna be an ass-kicker for years to come.
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One man did not stop the race in stage two. The carnage touched almost every team and respect and, dare I say, sportmanship ruled the day. The teams would not have listened only to one man. There was agreement across the teams that the stage should be neutralized.
The Tour de France is about the physical challenge of team against team and rider against rider. Mechanical woes, crashes, and flat tires, are part of the race but, like Lance stopping and waiting for Jan Ullrich in the 2001 Tour, in the mind of the participants these things should not be allowed to dictate the competition except through injury. When the race hits Paris the riders want no asterisks or excuses they want a true winner not simply a default one.
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