Thursday, July 22, 2010

Log 196: Contador and Schleck battle it out up to 6,000 feet in a thrilling Tour de France stage

What a race! One of the most thrilling races I can ever remember watching as Andy Schleck and Alberto Contador climbed to more than 6,000 feet in the Pyrenees, surrounded by thousands of cheering, berserk fans, and finished virtually side by side first and second, Schleck, who had made most of the running, first, Contador who had stuck in behind him for mile after mile, second.

The weather was terrible, they were lost in fog and cloud as they went up and up, and the crowd, composed apparently of many Spaniards cheering on their favorite Contador, kept racing along beside the riders, waving flags in their face which were snatched away at the last minute, and looking as if an accident was in the making, as it seemed inevitable someone would fall in front of the riders.

At one point Contador attacked, went ahead a few yards, but Schleck pulled him back, and they settled into cycling almost side by side to the top of the Col de Tourmalet.

Now there are only three stages left, two of them short time trials of which Contador is expected to prove his mastery.

It is more than worth mentioning that Canada’s Ryder Hesjedal finished fourth in this stage, probably the greatest result ever achieved by a Canadian cyclist in any event.

1 comment:

  1. Great accomplishment, but not to forget Steve Bauer...I think he held the yellow jersey for 11 days and finished near the top on the Tour and elsewhere in Europe....

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