To be fair, the Tour always has a crash-filled first week, and we are always told that the riders are always nervous in the first few days. This, however, is different. We don't normally have a broken back, a broken wrist, a broken arm, broken collarbones, cracked ribs, and, didn't we have a broken leg as well?
Today was no different - this time the crash happened right at the very end, quite literally half a km from the end, when Tony Martin just touched the wheel of the Europcar rider ahead of himself. He was thrown heavily over to his right, barging a poor Giant rider right over - then his wheel went from under him and whomp! skittles. The Giant rider (Warren "Onion" Bargee) neatly knocked over an Ass-t'na rider (Nibali, I think), who bumped into Chris Froome (causing him to do an inelegant unclip with a side order of waving the foot in the air) and was then flattened by a BMC Ladybird landing right on top of him. Ouch!
Meanwhile, Tony Martin was in absolutely no hurry to get up, and he was holding his left arm in the traditional "I have busted my collarbone" invisible sling. Quite some time later - this was well inside the last 3k so everyone knew they would get the same time as each other - he was carefully loaded onto his bike, and three team members gently pushed him up to and over the line, in a lovely display of team solidarity.
Just a few minutes later, it was confirmed on Twitter that he has broken his collarbone, so I don't imagine he will be starting the race tomorrow. This is obviously desperately sad for him, and very bad news for the Etixx team, what with the TTT coming up: but there is a silver lining, and that is that Chris Froome will, if Tony abandons, go back into yellow.
I doubt that Sky will say anything about it tonight, but let's be honest, there must be just a tiny burbling whisper of "we might be back in yellow tomorrow!" in the Deathstar, as they make their way hotelwards.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the peloton: Daniel Teklehaimanot won the KOM jersey!! He is the first ever African to win it, the first ever ever Eritrean (obviously) to win it, and I imagine his smile is just about the brightest thing on the podium this afternoon. Well done, Tekko! Sorry, I can't spell that surname yet, and it's too slow to cut and paste it every single time - so unless he tweets me otherwise, I shall abbreviate it to Tekko.
And I would just like to point out in that a blog from three days ago, I made Tekko the status of Schleckland Pet - the final one, as it turns out - and look! There he is on the podium! Spooky, or what??
Don't forget Bonnet's broken neck.
ReplyDeleteI read somewhere - of course I can't find it now - that the last time (back in the 90's I think) that the yellow jersey was unable to start a stage that the next in line did not wear the jersey. I don't think it was a rule, just a respect thing. Maybe Froome will have that option.
I was cheering for Teklahaimonot today too. I'm sure the spelling is wrong, but I wanted to see how close I could come.
emjay
Last year was much worse with all those crashes.... (Andy and also Cav already out in England)
ReplyDeleteHow could you forget?
Barbara(q)
Yes, you are right, broken neck: must add that to the list, thank you! and Barbara, yes, of course the crash of Our Glorious Leader was the worst crash as far as we are concerned, but taking the wider picture, I think this year's crashes are more intense than those of last year.
ReplyDeleteAnd we are still only in the first week!
Latest news is that Tony Martin will not start the stage - apparently one of the broken segments of his collar bone was sticking out of his skin, uurrrgh - and the suggestion is that Froome won't actually wear it, out of respect: Emjay, I think you are right there, it's not an actual rule, but is considered the "right thing to do" in these circumstances.
It's a rolling stage today (Friday) with no climbs, and according to the race book, should be the quietest day of the Tour.
I dread to think what is going to happen!!
Gawd talk about carnage! funny I did read how Froom thought it Nibali that caused the crash and vice versa, apparently they kissed and made up after seeing the TV replay...
ReplyDeleteCan you make Jakob pet of the week? We might see him on the podium next (pet of the week, hehehe...he needs bunny ears now...)
*snorts through nose* (pauses to wipe keyboard - really must stop bringing drinks to my pc)
ReplyDeleteJakob in bunny ears, ah-hah-ha-neighing! What a lovely mental picture - oooh, can we draw whiskers on his cheeks, and a little black tip to the nose? He'd look so cute!!
Sorry Jakob, we love you because of your cycling ability and potential, honest. Not just because you are cute. But you are cute, you know.
The funny thing is, if you met him in real life, would he still be as hunky? He'd still be cute, and still be 6' tall, but the thing is, compared to other riders - well, yes, to Andy - he's really solidly built. But is that just an illusion caused by most pro-cyclists being seriously skinny? I wonder, because Magnus Backstedt, when he was riding with UK Youth, always looked like a raging bear on tv: but when I saw him closely at the Tour of Britain, he was thin as a rake! He just looks big and looming compared to others, who are waffer thin (which is "wafer thin" pronounced in the style of the waiter in Monty Python's Mr Creosote sketch).
And in answer to the original question, M, Jakob is ALWAYS pet of the week!
I have had the pleasure *say it in a creepy voice* of meeting Mr. Jakob and I must say I wasn't disappointed! It was at the 2011 TdF so he was riding for Leopard Trek and yes he is very tall, very slim and very very hot! I stalked the team bus for 2 weeks to get a picture with him! and he was very polite and nice when I asked for a pic with him, I had to shove my camera to the nearest random stranger to take a photo of us but I have one! (I look terrible cos it had been raining and my hair was a mess, the horror of it! Anyway it was the best day of the tour :) I have so many photos of him from that day, that it's a bit unhealthy lol
DeleteHave you heard the leader of the Darklords himself Luca Paolini has tested positive for cocaine of all things, makes you wonder what he has been sniffing...
Oh, and I forgot to mention in the blog that Degenkolb has been SACKED from his position as Schleckland Pet: apparently he wanted his team mate Warren "Onion" Bargee to get out there and chase down Tony Martin, when TM pinged off the front yesterday. Onion refused, and Degenkolb yelled and shouted at him until, I think, there were tears. Bad Degenkolb! Nasty bully! Of all the people who would have not a snowball's chance of catching Tony Martin, a liddle climber like Onion is about the least likely!
ReplyDeleteThis means that Degenkolb will quite possibly never win anything every again. Such is the power of Schleckland... (men in white coats appear)
Bad bad Johnny! needs a spell in the time out corner me thinks. Yes the Schleckland power is very great, think Starwars...oh we are battling the Darklords! haha
DeleteSo, apparently Froome wasn't actually eligible to wear the yellow jersey today because he wasn't awarded it yesterday, and Tony wasn't officially out of the race until he didn't sign in this morning.
ReplyDeleteI was glad to see Cav finally win one.
emjay
Me too, Emjay - I was shouting at the screen "Go, Cav, go!" Nothing against Gummy Gruipel, but I wanted Cav to win that one. As for that *spitting sounds* Dark Lord, now reduced to FORMER Schleckland pet.... see next entry!
ReplyDelete