TDF stage 16: like a lead balloon

Stage 16 has come and gone, and raises again the importance of having no fear. Anyone remember Savoldelli dropping down the climbs in the '05 Giro? Cadel was hoping to do it, Sammy tried, but the big news wasn't the winners but the losers. Menchov lost 30 secs and to add insult to a less than impressive climb, Vandevelde dropped it on the way down and ended up leaving nearly 2 1/2 min up there on the mountain somewhere.

Back to basics
The real story? Schleck is wearing none of the clownish regalia we so despise here at Men In Tights. And look how relaxed he looks! Mind you, without the weight of the golden fleece Cadel once again looked dangerous, and didn't Sastre look flighty on the final slopes. Methinks he was just feeling his form for tonight and the dash up the Alp.

The only other rider to look so comfy in yellow this year was Kim, and again he didn't go for the full shorts, socks and nailpolish look - just the jersey thanks. IS ANYBODY LISTENING??

Story of the day
This time there's no competition: Andy. Wow can that boy climb. He had dropped all but 9 of the whole field and still looked around like he was bored. No wonder Riis ranks him as the star of the future - 2,500 meters and he wasn't even puffing. Impressive.

The riders will be dreaming of the aid of a lead balloon when the slopes of the Alp start to bite, but once at the top it's pretty well all downhill to Paris. The final round starts here.

TDF stage 15: playtime, boys

Some people seem to think that the sport of cycling is on it's last legs, and in some ways that may be true. But today's fireworks on the climb up to Prato Nevoso prove that the sporting heart of cycling is still alive and well. Savage hits from CSC finally shifted the yellow to the shoulders of Schleck the elder, though wether it will be a set of wings or a dead weight is yet to be seen. Surely it was getting too heavy for Cadel.

Big shows of form came from Sastre and Menchov, who could have taken 4th if it weren't for the slip on a sharp twist. They both took back some of the time they had lost in the first TT and the early Pyrenees and now we have the unlikely situation of 6 riders sitting within 60 seconds of the coveted golden shirt. Valverde clawed his way back into the top ten, but it's a long way back for the Spaniard after his early misfire.

Headline news came in the form of German Kohl who led Sastre, Valverde and Menchov to the line and very nearly took yellow for himself. He's looking like the darkest of dark horses (who was talking about him last week? anyone?) and who knows how well he'll hold on over the next two stages.

Still to come
Still, more big days to come this week, and guarenteed fireworks. Will Sastre take the bitter pill and watch his younger team mate run off with the prize he's dreamed of for so long? Will Cadel find freedom out of yellow and take it all back on the TT? We'll know come Sunday.

Just as things get interesting

I'm not a very patient person, and I'm one that needs to do something constantly - I can't just sit down and do nothing for long periods of time. So how do you think I've been feeling during the "transition stages" from the Pyrenees to the Alps? Finally some super action once we hit the Alps, it's like the sub-summer temperatures woke all the big names up and they decided to get going on stage 15. If the next 3 stages are like the last we are in for an absolute ripper (even better than the World Championship of Curling Final in Edmonton 98)!

You know what else grinds my gears, stoopid so-called sport experts in the media who every day for the last week have been saying that Cadel has hung onto the yellow jersey but 1 solitary second! Like Cadel and the Schlek family were really fighting for it!? So what do you reckon my week 2 highlight was? yep Stage 14 to Digne les Bains and the winner Oscar Freire. Just listening to these experts pronounce his name was pure gold! We've discussed pronunciation before here at MIT, but Oscar's surname is not pronounced; Freeer, Free-erer, Frereeerie, Frrrrrrr, not even Fre. Reminds me of Kent Brockman "Kuala, Kuala Lum.... France!"

TDF stage 14: Friere fights, fun begins

At last, the seemingly endless transition across the south of France is at an end, finished off with a mad dash by Oscar. The stage was nothing to write home about, but the race is still so wide open heading into the last week that every minute is worth watching.

Stage 15 marks the beginning of the end. In Lance's day he'd be leading by 15 minutes at this point and most of the GC contenders would be psychologically scarred for life, but in these 'interesting times' we have a 1 second gap and a mother-load of could-be champions. This stage might not decide the race, but you can bet your pants someone will be trying something, and only the strong or doped up will survive.

Top 10 as it stands
1. Evans - will need to hold the wheel of everyone, and can't rely on his team to chase down the attacks. See him jump on Andy S during the cat 4?!
2. Frank - must be up there in case Cadel cracks on the run to the line - a good dash could see him in Yellow tonight.
3. Vande Velde - a bit of a dark horse, but held on in the Pyranees. Can he repeat in the alps and hold a high place for Paris?
4. Kohl - at 46 seconds he's a chance for a dash for yellow today. It will be now or never for the German.
5. Denis - just under a minute off I doubt he'll threaten until the big Momma stage to Huez. That has Russian written all over it.
6. Sastre - 1.26 is not long in the mountains, and along with Frank he's Cadel's biggest threat. Sastre has benefitted from Franks position allowing Carlos to calmly fly under the radar. Expect a showing.
7. Kim - still under 2 mins and Kim could do something. Not sure what, but something.
8. Efemkin - Ag2r would dearly love some press, so he'll do whatever it takes to hold position, though don't expect support from the team.
9. Astorloza - at last the gaps start to appear, with Igor nearly 4 mins back and now only fighting for attention. Never has looked the goods.
10. Nibali will try to hold on, but expect Valverde, Cunego or Pereiro (11,13,14) to kick guys like this out of the top 10 before the week is out.

Stage 15-17 will be tight, tough and teriffic. With everything still to play for this is shaping up to be a week to remember...

Looking for the positives

So now the Tour has got it's first major scalp - Saunier Duval. The whole team GAWN!
AsI said earlier, Ricco must be Stoopid or something - surely he didn't start using EPO just for France? what happened in Italy? did the Italians not enroll in doping detection 101? (actually look who won the Giro this year - i may be onto something here.....)

But lets look at the positive positives not the negative positives (thank you Donald Rummsfeld). Cavendish is the toast of British and world cycling. 3 stage wins in 3 sprints - the first for a Brit in any Tour. He's had a awesome season so far and his team Columbia are doing much better than what i thought - it must be their new jersey it's more inspirational than that High Road one. (but then Team Potatoe-Sack has a better jersey than High Road did).
So Cavendish is the new poster boy of the sprints and without Boonen and the old guard not firing (ala Robbie, Thor and Oscar), he could have a mortgage on sprints in years to come, but maybe not the Green jersey.