The RadioShack Train rolls into Victory Station, Tdf Stage 10

Tour de France Stage 10.

Another day in the mountains. Yesterday there were surprises, not least that Lance Armstrong rode hard all day; and we found out that the yellow jerseyed Cadel Evans was riding with a fractured elbow.

Stage 10s profile from Chambrey to Gap (179 kms) showed a mixed bag of terrain. Flat and then hilly; with the first ascent being a Cat 1 leg stresser. Did I mention it was hot? It was – 32?c hot.

Within 10 minutes of the race start Popovych attacked – we didn’t know it then but this was to be a marker for the rest of the day. He was caught and then became a crash victim.

A small group including Tony Martin (HTC) established a lead but after 37 kms the leading group had changed and included Mario Aerts (Omega Pharma-Lotto), Dries Devenyns (QuickStep), Sergio Paulinho (RadioShack) and Vasili Kiryienka (Caisse d’Epargne). Back in the peloton things were being taken easy. Armstrong sat on or near the front of the massed riders chatting with members of SaxoBank.

At 50 kms the leading group had a lead of 3 minutes. Ten kilometres on and the lead had more than doubled to 6m 45s.

And so was set the scene. A leading group along way ahead, a peloton following in its wake and thousands and thousands of cycling fans doubling the enjoyment of Bastille Day with frivolity and enthusiasm for one of the greatest sporting events on the planet. Oh to be in their number!

Extending the gap back to the peloton to over 10 minutes, the gap wasn’t the only thing going up; so was the air temperature and the surface temperature of the tarmac which reached over 50?c, reportedly.

SaxoBank marshalled the peloton for much of the day – supporting and defending Andy Schleck. Onto the last climb, the cat 2 Col de Noyer, and it was Kiryienka (Caisse d’Epargne) and Sergio Paulinho who looked to be the strongest men in the leading group. The descending was fast. Paulinho and Kiryienka built a good lead over the rest of their original group who now had the role of pursuers.

As a mark of eccentric support one fan had built a yellow stone path across the field that Lance took in 2003 when he had to avoid the stricken Beloki – none of the riders took up the implied offer to cycle the yellow brick road – wisely.

Paulinho and Kiriyenka traded places in the last few kilometres but the last kilometre was another matter. Paulinho let Kiriyenka take a long pull on the front and jumped to lead the GCE man to the line. But in the nail-biting last 20 metres Kiriyenka attacked Paulinho as the RadioShacker turned to see where he was – the answer “right behind you!” Cracking on Paulinho managed to take the line by a mere tyres width. And I must admit I yelped with joy as he raised his arms proclaiming victory.

What a day! We may not have been able to predict Sergio’s win at the start of the stage but Popovych made it clear that the team was one to watch.

So as Sergio gains 23 places in the GC Levi retains his 6th place. And Team RadioShack have a Stage victory in the 2010 Tour de France. What’s not to be happy about?

Tour de France Stage 10 Results

By Julian Winn, staff writer