This hurts!
Talking about Andy, "In an interview with race TV, he bleated on about how absolutely unfair it was that the riders should be forced to ride downhill in the rain."
and
"So what have the Schlecks achieved by throwing the toys out of the cot?
They have exposed their weaknesses for all the world to see and they have shown themselves to be mentally fragile."
So said the Bleacher Report (chorus of "who?") today.
Pfff! (*dismissive noise*) We still have Andy and Frankie sitting 3rd and 4th in the GC - well, ok, 4th and 3rd, if you insist.
And they are confident: they didn't lose any more time today, they made a mad dash towards the end - when you would think that they would be tired out - and I have great hopes that things are going to be much more interesting, from our point of view, tomorrow and Friday.
Matt Rendell interviewed Frankie after the stage, and he was quite firm on the point that no-one wants to see the riders getting hurt. "We are breaking bones here" said Frankie.
If you'd like to listen to it, it's here, just click on the mp3 file to download it, and it's about 70% of the way through.
Well, no comments or pictures to enliven the post as I haven't seen the footage of Stages 16 and 17 yet. And I might not have time for much over the weekend, as it's going to be full of Tour footage! So bear with me, all will be back to normal ("normal?") next week, with exams over and lots of time to discuss the results. No, the results of the Tour.
Figgy must be either out there or well on her way by now, and Leelu is already there - go Schlecklanders! (*examines all Tour footage very carefully for Schlecklanders in the audience*)
Fingers crossed, everyone, for a good result: preferably with no-one else breaking anything!
(*resists urge to make any more jokey "predictions" after the total success-in-the-wrong-direction of my earlier predictions..... wasps... broken collarbones.... intestinal upsets... *)
Still here Coug, my flight takes off from Montreal tomorrow night. I am childishly excited.
ReplyDeleteAs I said to Natasha, "Packed and ready to Stalk-a-Schleck(s)!
--
I'm really looking forward to the next few days. I hope to watch some friends eat some crow. I really respect the stance the Schlecks are taking on not being willing to take undue risks. I also believe their strategy will manifest. It ticks me off that they are being chided and chastised for not being willing to risk themselves. Maybe for them, after Wouter, it's more fresh - but I think they are making a good pooint - and when the heat of the race is over - many more will resonate with what they are trying to say. No one else seems to be standing up for the safety of riders. I don't want them to be gladiators. I want them to be skilled. Skill is knowing when to slow down - as Tommy V found out today!
ReplyDeleteI was happy with both Schlecks after stage 17 today; I don't want riders taking risks on the descent and I HATE crashes; as an RN I can't stop thinking about all the injuries and pain the crash victims suffer from and many bones never feel the same as before. However, it was GREAT to see them both catch Conti after he thought he'd pulled away and gained time on them! Some tough days coming up--we'll see what happens!
ReplyDeleteCyclekat
Glad to hear it, everyone.
ReplyDeleteI agree, I'd much rather see Andy come in as the Lantern Rouge than to see him crash and break bones. That goes for Frankie, too. And the rest of the guys!
It is time that the riders started to stand up for themselves - anyone else noticed that the Race Radios ban seems to have gone very quiet lately? It almost seems as though the UCI are reconsidering, in the light of riders actually speaking out to the press about it.
(uh-oh, I feel another post coming on...)
And yes, I agree that safety is possibly at the forefront of the minds of all the Leopard riders, more so than normally. And quite rightly. It shouldn't take the death of a competitor for safety to be taken seriously.
I still hope to see at least one Schleck on the podium: I believe they can do it, I think Andy is in great form and is feeling better. Go, Andy! (*considers shouting "do it for Jil" but decides that is emotional blackmail and encouraging young men to show off for their girlfriends is never a good idea*)
Can't wait for today's race - I'll be rushing home from work to check the ticker and results, and maybe a chance to see some of the footage later on.
(*singing "Eisen Andy, Andy, Andy..." as I skip down the stairs for breakfast*)
Coug
Go, Andy!