Here are some more great Tour de France photos including some very cool tilt shift effects from Boston.com. This is just the solution to your Tour de France withdrawal.
Frank Schleck of Luxemburg, wearing the overall leader’s yellow jersey, center, Sylvester Szmyd of Poland, rear, and Carlos Sastre of Spain, front, speed down Bonette_Restefond pass during the 16th stage of the Tour de France between Cuneo, northern Italy, and Jausiers, French Alps, Tuesday July 22, 2008. (AP Photo/Bas Czerwinski)
The yellow jersey group rides, on July 22, 2008, during the 157 km sixteenth stage of the 2008 Tour de France run between Cuneo (Italy) and Jausiers. French Cyril Dessel (AG2R/Fra) won ahead of French Sandy Casar (Francaise des Jeux/Fra) and Spanish David Arroyo (Caisse d’Epargne/Spa). (JOEL SAGET/AFP/Getty Images)
Team CSC’s strength could not help Carlos during the finak TT. So Carlos Sastre pulled out the TT of his life to hold off Cadel Evans and win the Tour de France by 58 seconds. Sastre was said to have covered the final 15km in the same time as World Champion TT specialist Fabian Cancellara (who came in second on the stage). Sastre did what most Yellow Jersey wearers do in the late TT and that is managing to hold on and win.
Common wisdom held that Cadel Evans would overtake the 1:34 advantage held by Sastre after his blazing win on Alpe D’Huez. The time gap did not seem like it was enough to keep Sastre in the lead, but Evans form was slowly fading into the third week. Since Prato Nevoso when Evans lost the Yellow Jersey to Frank Schleck. Team CSC was so strong and deep that they had more than one card to play. Once Schleck was in the lead not many expected Sastre to do anything other than defend his placing and get third or fourth as has been the case for a few years. Sastre’s attack and the defend the Schleck brothers played on Alpe D’Huez were a huge factor in Sastre getting the time he needed. If it was not for Andy and Frank checking every move with the tenacity of a junk yard dog then Sastre may not be in Yellow today.
REUTERS/Thierry Roge (FRANCE)
Evans was clearly fading as the Tour wound through the final week. His mountain performances were enough to keep things in check, but not having a particularly strong team vs. the strength of CSC wore down the Aussie along with the pressure of riding in Yellow. Evans has not been great with handling the pressure and after three week it wears enough to sap the extra energy needed to nail down a win. Evans final TT was good, but not enough to reel in Sastre and get the win he needed. It must have been deja vu as he was chasing a Spaniard who surprised everyone to win. Could Evans be the next eternal second like Jan Ullrich? Next year Team CSC may not be able to play the suprise “Here is Sastre” card and may not even have Sastre in the lineup. Andy Schleck looks to be the heir to the team leader throne for CSC/Saxo Bank. Next year will probably include a vengeful Astana team willing to pick up where Contador left off last year and other such as a rising Christian Vande Velde and sensational Bernhard Kohl. The road only gets tougher for Evans and next year will be make or break for the Aussie where second place won’t do for a third time.
Cycling is in a good state at this point despite the doping scandals. It seems that there is now shortage of sponsors lining up to replace Saunier Duval after the Ricco/Piepoli debacle in the Tour. Saunier Duval is dropping sponsorship almost immediately. Scott bicycles decided to step in as title sponsor and a few secondary sponsors kicked in at the same time including American Beef. What better association would you have with drug filled bovines than drug taking athletes? Ouch.
Beef from the States has not had a great reputation in recent years and the association with cycling is interesting especially as the team is recovering from a doping scandal. American Beef has been banned from Europe and other countries because of the hormones used in the US.
Most U. S. beef cattle are implanted with synthetic hormones in feedlots prior to slaughter. On January 1, 1989 the European Economic Community (EEC) placed a ban on hormone-treated U. S. meat, preventing U. S. meat products from being sold in any European nations. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has challenged the ban and accused the EEC of unfair trade practices, but the action of European governments raises some important questions about American meat.
So a product with a problem with drugs is sponsoring a sport with a perceived issue with drugs? Maybe they are drawn to the aspect of cycling that is cleaning up doping and they want to be associated with a “clean” sport? The choice is a bit tenuous, but Amgen sponsors the Tour of California, so no problem there.
In general, I applaud the new sponsor ready to take over a team. It shows that cycling has a far reach and is a relative deal in terms of cost compared to other sports. Now prepare with lots of puns based on beef, cows, “What’s for dinner” etc. Perhaps the team will excite the peloton as the sizzle sells the steak.
The long breakaway worked and Marcus Burghardt won another stage for Columbia which is having an awesome Tour de France. Burghardt’s fortune is better than last year when he hit a dog.
The crazy descent of the Cole de la Bonnette featured the spectacular looking crash of John lee Augustyn who took the corner a little too fast. Thankfully Augustyn was not injured and was able to get back on with a new bike. The team did recover the bike, so there is no souvenir waiting for a mountain goat.
Ugh, hope this turns out to be nothing. The car of Johnny Schleck the father of Andy and former Yellow Jersey Frank Schleck was searched by customs agents.
So far news reports are simply that the car was searched for 30 minutes. Schleck’s car was then seen following the French customs police vehicle during the Tour stage. Nothing is concrete, but there is a sick feeling in the gut of all cycling fans at the moment.
Sources say that officials found “no doping products or banned substances” in the car belonging to Andy and Frank Schleck’s father, according to Agence France Presse.
Cadel Evans is 1:34 from reclaiming the Yellow Jersey during Saturday’s TT. Right now, Evans can chill for two days without the pressure of the Yellow Jersey. The Aussie rider is finding things tough with the throngs of press always clamoring for interviews. Two videos show just how prickly Evans is at the moment. Can’t say I blame him though.
The Road Diaries (SRAM’s excellent website/blog) has a live chat with Levi Leipheimer today at 12:30PM. Now that this exciting Tour is almost over, does Levi see himself riding as a contender next year? Ask away.
Carlos Sastre benefited from an ungodly strong CSC team that helped him also leap into the Yellow Jersey lead. The strength of CSC is almost unprecedented. Not since the days of La Vie Claire has there been a collection of riders who were generally equally matched and able to all content in the tough moments. Lance Armstrong’s Postal/Discovery teams were generally strong but they were focused on getting only one man to the Yellow and did that with precision. Team CSC on the other hand has several cards to play and deals them evenly. Frank Schleck and Carlos Sastre each took advantage of the work that Jens Voight and Fabian Cancellara laid down with their powerful pace-making. Sastre was finally able to get a good jump and build on a lead. While Frank and Andy Schleck controlled the group of elite contenders with an iron fist. It was a perfect day for CSC and with the time gained by Sastre it could be a perfect Tour for the team which switches over to Team Saxo Bank next year.
Frank Schleck has a bunch of contenders breathing down his neck for the Tour title. Austrian Bernhard Kohl is a surprise revelation that is only seven seconds off pace and could swipe the Yellow Jersey off Schleck’s shoulders by Wednesday night. Team CSC is definitely the strongest team in the race with Jens Voight and Fabian Cancellara doing massive amounts of work at the front of the group. Add Andy Schleck who just jumped into the Best Young Riders jersey and Carlos Sastre and other contenders should worry.
Denis Menchov lost some time today, but could still gain it back. Menchov lost a good deal of time in the scary descent into Jausiers coming down from 9,000 ft. of elevation. Vande Velde also lost time after trying to chase back from getting dropped and trailing by 35 seconds. Vande Velde crashed on the descent and came in 2:30 back losing major chunks of time. Not all hope is lost since tomorrow’s queen stage to L’Alpe D’Huexz could break things open.
Schleck so far seems to be in the driver’s seat. He won on L’Alpe D’Huez before, he has the strongest team that can work over the competition in the climbs leading up to the final. Other teammates are contenders so he could have Sastre attack and force others to follow. It is Schleck’s Tour to lose.
Bernhard Kohl has nothing to lose. He looks like he is barely hanging on sometimes but still seem to be there at the end. He could stick to Schleck’s wheel like glue and maybe even grab the Yellow tomorrow. Evans can simply ride Schleck’s wheel too and wait until the TT to overhaul him and take the lead. This is not exciting racing, and Evans has shown weakness at Prato Nevoso when the pace picked up. Schleck would need some time over Evans to be safe in the Yellow.
Menchov could gain the time lost tomorrow. The Russian has had bad luck wiping out at Prato Nevoso as he launched an attack then losing time today going into Jausiers. Things have not gone the way Menchov would like. But he can attack on the climbs and gain time and then gain more time on Schleck in the TT. So Menchov is the top threat to Schleck over all others.
Don’t overlook the desparation of Vande Velde who now has a little time to make up. He could try something to gain back time or simply wait and see who gets dropped and slide into a podium spot.
Anyway it is anyone’s guess who of the top six guys will be in Yellow by Sunday Night in Paris. This is the most open Tour in recent memory and is fun to watch.
