Today's Tour de France was a 93 mile stretch from Belgium to northern France with 9 cobble stone stretches. While that is challenging enough, the weather was around 50 degrees and pouring rain with all kind of mud and slime on the roads both cobbled and regular. The stage was rerouted around two of the cobble stone stretches for safety but the stage was marred by two falls by Chris Froome, last year's winner, knocking him out of the race and bodies flying everywhere at more than a half of a dozen places on the course. For those that survived it was remarkable to see them take wet cobble stones at 25 MPH with very little control over their bicycles.
This is turning into a star less Tour and a golden opportunity for the two young US riders Van Gardren and Talasky. Froome is gone, Cavendish is gone, Bradley Wiggins wasn't picked by BMC, and Nauro Qunitana who was #2 last year wasn't picked by Movistar despite winning the Giro D'Italia in the late spring (he may be hurt or at least sub-par). If Alberto Contador doesn't rebound to win the GC, this could be the year for youngish sprinters like Marcel Kittel and Peter Sagan if their climbing is halfway decent. Or does Richie Porte lead whatever is left of Team Sky to victory?
I have now exhausted my knowledge of this year's Tour.
In DC no TV Boohoo!!
ReplyDeleteChris Froome fell yesterday too, and hurt his wrist, which must have made today even more difficult.
Late update, but of course Contador is now out.
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