EisenAndy has moved to Wordpress for a while, to see if it is better than Blogger: and I took the opportunity to get the name Schleckland back, yay!
The address is schleckland.wordpress.com
But I'm keeping Eisen Andy going for now, as it has the best SEO!
Click here for an easy jump to the new blog, see what you think of it.
Boo hoo, I found out yesterday that Rob Goris has sadly died from a heart attack at the very early age of just 30 years.
Cycling News gave a brief report, saying that he was visiting the Tour yesterday and died in his sleep overnight.
He became an honorary Schlecklander last year, after the commentators kept referring to him as the Belgian Fritte Boy due to his er, somewhat chunky build. He came into cycling from Ice Hockey, bit of a change of career there: and proved that you don't have to be a tiny skinny little thing in order to be a good professional cyclist.
It is always tragic when a young man dies: I was particularly sad as this is the second Honorary Schlecklander to die, after poor Tondo died last May.
Luckily, before I began to get a complex about ever picking any more honorary Schlecklanders, I remembered all those who have gone on to bigger and better things: like Johan Van Summeren (JVS) who, after being a super domestique for so many years, came to fame on my blog for his strange habit of tucking up his sleeves, obscuring the Garmin-blue band. Then he won Paris-Roubaix last year, ha ha, good boy!
Not to forget Ryder Hesjerdal, of course: I was taking the mickey out of his name a year ago, and look what a great year he's had! Well, up until today, that is, when he was involved in a very nasty crash and came in over 13 mins down, in 181th place. Oops.
Talking of JVS, poor boy, he came in last today, 16 minutes down, having also been caught in that crash, and this is what he looked like:
Ouch! Not a lot of that jersey left! 14 minutes earlier, Frankie and his group came in, only losing 2 minutes or so, which was pretty remarkable, considering what a huge crash it was.
Strangely, Frankie appears to be frothing at the mouth as he crosses the line, below: at least, I can't imagine what else it could be?
Ryder could barely peddle in the end. I think he just finished the stage for pride more than anything else--at more than 13 minutes down, he was definitely not defending a GC standing. He's still my champion though, for gritting it out.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.thestar.com/sports/article/1222761--tour-de-france-ryder-hesjedal-involved-in-huge-crash
It's interesting how different the reactions were to the crash after the race. Frank was very obviously annoyed, making the sarcastic "It's fantastic! I crashed!" comment to the media's poorly asked "how do you feel?" question.
David Zabriskie, on the other hand, on hearing that half his team was wiped out, and their GC guy effectively put out of contention--"Well, none of these guys are dead, right? That's what's important. It's just a bike race at the end of the day." Perhaps it's because David isn't racing for a podium finish, so the stakes aren't the same for him, but I kind of dig that the Garmin boys, despite an utterly dispiriting day, carry on with a minimum of whingeing. I admire that quality in people.
On a lighthearted note: Peter Sagan! More fun than Jammie Dodgers!
Oh, I haven't heard any of the post-race interviews, but they sound as though the journalists are as dim as ever.
ReplyDeleteDid Frankie hurt his lip, does anyone know? I wondered if that white thing was a dressing of some sort - he did go to the medical car almost as soon as he got going again. But the photos of him standing around looking glum, http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/07/news/radioshack-nissan-down-to-a-single-card-after-starting-2012-tour-de-france-with-a-full-hand_228043 , which is (I assume) from the end of the stage, does not show anything on his face.
I'm pleased to hear that Dave Zabriskie won the Combatative Rider award, but on the other hand, I think it ought to have been awarded to JVS for limping home last, in rags and tatters, but still determined to finish the day.
It will be interesting to see how many abandons there are this morning!
Coug
Yesterday's stage was certainly no fun to watch...what a mess! Fränkie was clinging something between his teeth, looks like some plastic, white, little heart or something? It's in the first picture here: http://www.radioshacknissantrek.com/gallery/frank-schleck-after-metz-massacre Hope he didn't hurt himself too badly.
ReplyDeleteHats off to Ryder and JVS for finishing the stage, big achievement with all those wounds. And hats off to Wout Poels as well, he broke 3 ribs and ruptured his kidney and spleen, still he continued the race for another 10K! He's in the ICU but his condition is stable, thankfully!
Inge
Sad to see Ryder leaving the Tour :( Lets hope we don't lose too many more riders! (bad pun not intended)
ReplyDeleteBris. Gal
By David Millar's account, it was one of the worst crashes he's ever seen, and he was lucky to be part of the "third wave" of bodies flying, landing on other people, and being cut up by freewheeling bicycle chains. Tom Danielson's bike cracked IN HALF. Robbie Hunter is out too.
ReplyDeleteRyder is out of the Tour with a severe leg haematoma, and he THANKED his team for their support (wasn't Wiggins whingeing the other day about Sky not protecting him half so well as BMC are protecting Cadel?). May the last man standing, who moaned the least, win the Tour.
Really hoping that everyone who crashed out, and named to their respective Olympic teams, recovers on time.
I keep remembering how horribly crashy it was last year - every year actually, the first week or so. Culling of the herd I guess - but it's horrible....every year. I go thru this process of - we treat them like gladiators and we (spectators) sit in the stands cheering while they are thrown to the lions (the Road). I know too much about body injuries. I care about these dudes. Especially now with twitter and facebook access. They become like "friends" I take it personally when I feel they are not being cared for or looked after properly - and at the same time - I know they WANT this. I get quite freaked out about head injuries (did a lot of cranial work when I was a therapist) and I know how dicey it can be and how much care should be taken that frequently isn't because every second counts in a race...and it doesn't help when VeloNews announces that Tommy Danielson and JVS were both knocked unconscious! Which Vaughters says they were not! *Would they even know? Would they even tell? My son constantly reminds me that at that moment "the race" is all that matters. I have never been a bike racer professionally. And I remember Chris Horner last year and how downright horrifying it was when he crossed the line and didn't have a clue!. And Poels who ruptured spleen & kidney and broke ribs and was put in the ambulance and then had them stop - got on his bike and rode for 10k or something before he gave up and went back to the ambulance! OMG! The "over-investment" on the part of riders and management & owners perpetuates the risks that get taken. I mean really - should Pettachi have handed his shoe covers to V?? when they are going slightly downhill at 70k? (Proportedly V was putting the covers in his pocket and had only rear brake hand on the bars when he needed the front brake in a nano second and then it began). But, as many have said, they (riders) are taking more risks now. Again, my son explains to me what it's like to be in "that kind" of peloton. Inches apart, if that, fast speeds, amazing abilities to jocky thru that even blows his mind! In his day and in Jr's you had space between riders because no one trusted anyone and there were still crashes all the time, but what the Pro's do is amazing.
ReplyDeleteGAD!! OK - sorry for the rant. I'm just not a dude nor do I have that level of testosterone.
Not too much in the hormone department at all anymore actually at 60. My son and I continually joke (you know those ha ha truths?) that we are different species! And yet...I love watching it and knowing the players!
OK. Dun.
New site is great Coug!
BE
aka
Ellie