That’s really the only way to put it. Frank Schleck put a few pedal strokes into it on Saturday, but other than that, the GC remained tame. While I can’t say I’m excited about it, after the first seven stages, I can’t say I’m disappointed either. Things had to settle in at some point, and with dangerously hilly stages—but no hilltop finishes—until after the first rest day, this weekend seemed like as good a time as any for peace to break out.
Many have commented that the French are retaking the Tour this year, with three French stage winners, a French team holding the yellow jersey, and two wins for the much maligned (at least by this author) Bbox Telecom team. But I’d say it’s more that the French have been opportunistically feeding off a GC deadlock between Astana, SaxoBank, and Astana (no typo there) and the reticence of a very powerful Columbia-Highroad squad to put in work on stages Mark Cavendish can’t win.
The French aren’t the only ones profiting off this. Thor Hushovd’s move for green is a case in point. The big Norweigan was an unlikely contender to slip away for a stage win over three categorized climbs (though he’s done it before), and obviously wasn’t looking much at collecting time. But by planting himself in a break with Evans and Cancellara, he virtually guaranteed that an Astana-led peloton would let the escapees linger just far enough ahead of the peloton that the Cervelo rider could collect points sprints essentially unmolested.
As a cute little ancillary benefit, the rest of his the Cervelo squad got to sit on and rest up for unleashing whatever it is that they and the reigning champ have planned for the final week. In case you hadn’t noticed, Sastre is a rider who likes to save all his punches for the final round.
Don’t expect SaxoBank to try and make a move until then, either—no reason to remove the burden of race leadership from Astana’s shoulders. Sure, Ag2r holds yellow and leads the peloton over the climbs, but with the pack 50-strong behind them over the Tourmalet, it’s not exactly Postal hauling the mail. When Andy Schleck make his brief, probing attack on Saturday, the yellow jersey was promptly dropped, and it was a train of Astana riders that hopped into his wake. With so many good cards to play, Bruyneel may not want to tip his hand so obviously in the future.
And in case you needed any more evidence that Astana was in charge here, Mr. We-Might-As-Well-Win has decided toredouble his efforts against the radio-free stages. Before it was just a tweet, and now there are whipsers of a riders’ strike. Need I remind anyone that tomorrow’s radio free-stgaeis also Bastille Day, which has been known to produce some chaotic racing?
Still, I’m guessing we’ll be sitting tight on the real GC fireworks until the final few stages. Until then, look to Cadel Evans to continue to shake things up (Astana will have to stop chasing at some point or risk isolating its contenders), and for the media to continue to milk the Lance v. Contador debate. Keep an eye peeled as well for teams taking inexplicable pulls and/or sitting up when they should chase. You might just see an alliance being forged that will pay big dividends in the race’s brutal final days.
I think that the challanging teams missed a classic opportunity that Saturday when Andy Schleck raised the pace, they could have placed Astana into the tour lead.They had gapped the ‘cheese on toast’ Nocentini, (yellow top on brown shorts) and could have easily kept him out of the picture with a small combined effort. Sure AG2r would have been annoyed at those teams by losing them yellow. But just imagine what a hot potato the Maillot jaune would be for Bruyneel & co.! Contoador holding with the yellow jersey, the team left to defend what they don’t want. It would raise the internal pressure like pushing a stick in a wasp nest, all to the advantage to the other teams. Astana could risk letting breaks go to relinquish the Jersey but that would be commented on as dishonouring the yellow. And it could be very risky to let a big break go off and allow a “Piero” to occour. Contador would be claiming the leader on the road! Armstrong would be spitting! I can’t believe the other team DS couldn’t have seen the opportunity for them and disadvantageous mental and strength sapping it would impose on Astana. I think it could have given the challenging teams more opportunity to elevate their cause’s whist Astana argued.
Plus it would be bloody funny to watch too!
That is such a true statement chris it is why i was very surprised that after andy attacked frank or even any other gc contender evans or menchov didnt go hard just to add some more pressure on nocentini but what was even more surprising to me was no hard dig from menchov on the toumalet he realised no one was going to attack he should have gone himself but looks like menchov is happy with his giro win and is not looking for too much out of the tour de france this year anyway lets hope the no radio stage today is an intresting one
Perhaps I went a little overboard last week in my complaints about the TTT; but, this side of the Pyrenees, I’m starting to feel like I was justified. Any Tour course in which all the Pyrenean stages combined make less of a difference to the GC than the TTT is an ill-planned one. Or perhaps it’s more accurate to say that having big TTT-produced gaps before a set of unusually easy Pyrenean stages effectively guaranteed defensive racing there. Either way, the Alps are going to have to deliver a lot in order to redeem this one.