Perspective is important. For example, today was a rest day for the tour de France. No racing. SO what do those guys do on a ‘rest’ day? I would sleep in, eat some Oreos, and maybe a little chocolate milk, and then catch a movie and go to bed early. The last thing I would do on a rest day is ride my bike. But on the tour, the teams go for a 1.5-2 hour ride, averaging well over 20 mph, as a team or in a group of teams (e.g. Astana and Columbia rode together, with Lance saying how nice it was to ride with Hincapie). That doesn’t sound like rest to me, but if they were to not ride at all, their bodies would not do very well on the next day of racing, so the notion of rest is one of perspective.
Here is another example of the imp0ortance of perspective: Cadel Evans was quoted on the rest day, in a demonstration that he has a very ken grasp of the obvious, as saying “"At three minutes behind, my work's cut out for me." Yes indeed, Cadel. We all look froward to the three minute rabbit you are going to pull out of your . . .hat. The writers at Velonews heard this and wrote that Cadel thinks he still has a chance. The guys at cyckling news, OTOH, heard the same thign and decided it meant that Cadel thinks he is in deep trouble. As for me, I think Cadel is toast. And I like him as a rider. But he is becoming the Poulidor of his generation, except with greater grouchiness and more comlaining about his team. TO eb fair to Cadel, however, his chances in this tour were absolutely sunk by his lousy team. His deficit is a result of the failure of his team to excel in the team time trial.
Another interesting issue of persepctive is the LA/Contador battle for supremacy. LA griped openly after the stage to Alcalis that Contador had ridden without team authority and against the team plan. He also claimed he was obliged to stay on Andy Schleck’s wheel rather than try to foolow becaseu teamates don’t attack teamates. Hmmmm. Contador, otoh, said in a rest day interview that he was also following the typical cycling protocol and that he too would refuse to attack a teamate and that if LA attacked he would ride the wheel of any non-astana rivals. OOOkaaaay. The bottom line is that both of those guys expect to win the race and neither of them is going to let the other get in the way. LA made the point that the race will likely go down to the Alps. Schleck and Cadel and the few other contenders may just bide their time (barrign any unusual opening) letting contador and LA attack each other, or at least wear each other out.
This race might come down to stage 20 on Mt Ventoux, the bald moiuntin, the last real racing day of the tour, a summit finish, the site of Tony Simpson’s death, the site of LA’s gifted victory to Marco Pantani before Pantani succumbed ot his own demons and drugs some years later. Ventoux, already a storied stage, will only add to its legend this year.
As we head into week two, all the interestign story lines are still alive and more are yet to be written. What a great race!
Here is another example of the imp0ortance of perspective: Cadel Evans was quoted on the rest day, in a demonstration that he has a very ken grasp of the obvious, as saying “"At three minutes behind, my work's cut out for me." Yes indeed, Cadel. We all look froward to the three minute rabbit you are going to pull out of your . . .hat. The writers at Velonews heard this and wrote that Cadel thinks he still has a chance. The guys at cyckling news, OTOH, heard the same thign and decided it meant that Cadel thinks he is in deep trouble. As for me, I think Cadel is toast. And I like him as a rider. But he is becoming the Poulidor of his generation, except with greater grouchiness and more comlaining about his team. TO eb fair to Cadel, however, his chances in this tour were absolutely sunk by his lousy team. His deficit is a result of the failure of his team to excel in the team time trial.
Another interesting issue of persepctive is the LA/Contador battle for supremacy. LA griped openly after the stage to Alcalis that Contador had ridden without team authority and against the team plan. He also claimed he was obliged to stay on Andy Schleck’s wheel rather than try to foolow becaseu teamates don’t attack teamates. Hmmmm. Contador, otoh, said in a rest day interview that he was also following the typical cycling protocol and that he too would refuse to attack a teamate and that if LA attacked he would ride the wheel of any non-astana rivals. OOOkaaaay. The bottom line is that both of those guys expect to win the race and neither of them is going to let the other get in the way. LA made the point that the race will likely go down to the Alps. Schleck and Cadel and the few other contenders may just bide their time (barrign any unusual opening) letting contador and LA attack each other, or at least wear each other out.
This race might come down to stage 20 on Mt Ventoux, the bald moiuntin, the last real racing day of the tour, a summit finish, the site of Tony Simpson’s death, the site of LA’s gifted victory to Marco Pantani before Pantani succumbed ot his own demons and drugs some years later. Ventoux, already a storied stage, will only add to its legend this year.
As we head into week two, all the interestign story lines are still alive and more are yet to be written. What a great race!
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