Monday’s third stage was supposed to be a “rest day” for the contenders, leading up to the time trial, while the sprinter’s teams controlled the bunch, leading to a field sprint at the end, and few changes in the overall picture. I guess the end result showed why the race is run, and while the media and fans just talk about it, because the end result was not exactly what was predicted. I will concede that I was a bit concerned about being bored going into this stage….watching a full back chase a bunch of nobody’s for 3 hours before getting to an exciting finish can get old. I love Phil and Paul’s commentary, but let’s face it…there comes a point when they really have little left to say, other than counting down the last 80 odd km, when the pack needs to start reeling in the escapees.
Today because exciting because it was the first day I have really cared much about Garmin Chipolte, or for Will Frischkorn. It is hard to swallow that there is no major American presence this year, and that as a US fan, I need to adjust my loyalties a bit, and find inspiration in other areas. Like or not, there is no 7- Eleven/Motorola/US Postal/Discovery team with the great American contender. There is no American contender riding for a European team. With all due respect to Team Columbia, but they just don’t feel like “the” American team yet, given that they were Germany’s best team only a year ago.
I have seen Will Frischkorn’s name in results in the past…a credible American rider who probably has a better domestic record than as a top European pro, but that didn’t keep him from making a name for himself today. I don’t know…this could end up being the highlight of his European career, but he sure kept the American’s in the spotlight today, and indeed, now Garmin Chipotle actually has the lead in the team competition. He got me excited today about the finish, once it was clear that the break was stay clear. Even though he finished 2nd on the day, he filled the gap for me today. At the end of the race, he may do nothing else…he will not finish high up in the overall like hopefully Vande Velde or Hincapie will, and he will probably not challenge for another stage…hell, he may not even finish the race….but I seem to remember over twenty years ago when a certain red & green clad team were testing the waters in this race, and they ended up being pretty credible in the long run.
The last part of the race did provide some excitement in the overall picture, and helped show me who the contenders really are, and who are the pretenders. Don’t get me wrong…not everyone can be at the front, but let’s see…Evans and Valverde never left the front of the back, yet Menchov was caught in the back after the crash. One of the reason’s why Armstrong was lucky his entire Tour de France winning reign was because he stayed up front and out of trouble…he paid attention. This is the model that contenders should follow….the textbook has been written…why don’t guys with real ambition read it carefully.
While I am not changing my picks, I am still waiting for Mark Cavendish to get a real shot at showing what he can do. Maybe he is a victim of youth…he has been a stud all year, but in the biggest race in the world, it is the old dogs…Zabel, Friere, Hushovd and McEwen who are excelling…even Kim Kirchen, an overall rider is placing better than him. It is interesting to see which sprinters have their teams out there doing the work (Quick Step,Credit Agricole and Columbia), while guys like Zabel, Friere and McEwen are feeding off of these efforts.
With so few time trial kilometers this year (two TT’s of less than 85 km), it will be interesting to see the impact this first one will hold. Valverde has positioned himself well to be able to feed off the other contenders, and is certainly making the most of good form. Only time will tell how long he can hold this form, or if he is spending his energy too early. Evans looks to be in excellent form, and is riding well as the favorite, doing absolutely nothing wrong, while conserving energy for when it really counts. As for tomorrow’s result, I am going to guess that Cancellara will go for the win, and will probably take yellow. There are some other good riders who will probably do well (Millar, Valverde, Evans), and keep it reasonably close, with only 6 seconds separating the favorites, I have to think that Cancellara is the best at this discipline and distance right now.
Again, by the time I write this tomorrow, everything I am expecting may be thrown away and replaced with reality…but that is why they ride the race, and I why I get to sit and opine afterwards.
