The Pyrenees have elicited a winner [ Wiggins], and a great climber who might have been a winner [Frome], found some wanting too [Cadel Evans] and another home country hero [Voeckler].
Not over yet, and I have no doubt there will be a very serious race for line honours in Paris. Wiggins has to finish to claim the winner's yellow jersey, so he must compete and finish. Team Sky has clearly dominated the event, yet they may not be the winning team. Some teams - Rabobank a good example - have been decimated, with only four of the nine team members making it to Paris, and there are only a few teams with all members finishing.
Dogs have starred again with a serious incident on last Friday with one of the riders involved almost trading blows with the dog's stupid owner [ saved by intervention of the team manager luckily]. Surely the dog lovers of Europe on the course can restrain their pooches during the race, or are they too stupid to do so?
The win by Cavendish on Friday as he rocketed out and accelerated at the sprint finish was amazingly fast. Not to forget sprint wins by Griepel either. Cancellara was a worthy yellow jersey holder in the first week, after a great prologue win. Voekler won hearts as well as races with a typical gutsy win in the mountains, as well as being to secure the polka dot jersey. We saw the emergence of some interesting younger riders - Chris Frome at Sky, Peter Sagan of Liquigas- Cannondale [ what an interesting display as he won his first stage during the first week followed by other stage wins in non sprint finishes] and who should win the green jersey prize, Van Garderen [ Team BMC] and a gutsy win by the experienced Valverde in a mountain stage too. Not to mention the performance of Orica - Green Edge team, the first Australian team in the Tour de France - with some good performances by Matt Goss and crafty work by O'Grady and others.
Some Aussie cyclists also starrred for other teams - Richie Porte, Michael Rogers being notable ones. Remember - it is a team race; you must have a good team to perform well.
Team Sky performances, especially in the mountains are reminscent of US Postal in the Armstrong era - totally dominant. BMC tried hard, and if Evans' effort in the mountains had paid off, well.........the result might be different.......but it did not.
One day to go, then a week of rest days [ evenings or nights???] before the Olympics.
There is though, nothing quite like the Tour de France, as a spectacle. They are all superb athletes often riding close to the limit physically and mentally [ not to mention speed on the downhill descents] with the vision providing a spectacle of France. That alone going to a world wide audience must do a lot for French travel desires. The TV coverage is just great!
Vive le Tour pour 2013!!
