Archive: July 24, 2011

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TDF stage 20 / ITT - Martin powers to victory, Evans blasts by Schlecks to take yellow (and we are there!)

Sunday,  07/24/11  09:35 AM

So yesterday was amazing; Shirley and I were in Grenoble watching stage 20 of the Tour de France.  I took a bunch of pictures - how great is it that you can just walk up to a Tour stage and watch it close up? - and we enjoyed ourselves thoroughly; everything from the TGV down from Paris (600km in 2 1/2 hours!) to the beautiful city of Grenoble itself to the pageantry and of course the excitement of the ITT as the Tour was decided. Some pictures, in chronological order to tell the story: (how cool is it to use my pictures, instead of Velonews' :) Grenoble, gateway to the alps and scene of stage 20 of the 2011 TDF, the individual time trial on the finishing straight, ready for action the start house is right there; here Chris Anker Sorensen takes off Tony Martin powered to the stage win, repeating his victory in the Dauphine Liberte on the same course (and upsetting favorite Fabian Cancellara!) Levi Leipheimer had a disappointing tour, as did Radio Shack; they'll be back Robert Gesink suffered, as did Rabobank; they'll be back Tom Danielson had a great tour (9th!), and Garmen Cervelo won the team classification Pierre Rolland, white jersey for best young rider and winner of yesterday's stage up to l'Alpe d'Huez Ivan Basso had a great tour, 8th overall Samuel Sanchez, resplendent in polka dots, 7th overall with the 3rd best time on the day, Alberto Contador passed Damiano Cunigo to finish 5th overall somehow he gained more by finishing 5th this year than by winning last year Cunigo had a great tour, ended up 6th overall Thomas Voeckler was the French hero, 10 days in yellow, and finished 4th overall Cadel Evans blasted to a close 2nd to pick up over two minutes on the Schlecks and win yellow! tick tick tick took Frank Schleck nearly six minutes to show up after Evans (they started three minutes apart) he did have a great tour and finished 3rd overall Andy Schleck enjoyed yellow for the day but had to give it up to Evans in the end so now he finished 2nd for the third year in a row look for him to come back strong next year! they say every road in Grenoble ends in a mountain; it is surrounded by beauty celebrating our TDF swag at a cafe Just an awesome day.  And later today we're off to the Champs d'Elysee to see stage 21 and the final finish.  Stay tuned! [ Tour de France 2011:  all posts | index ]

 

TDF stage 21 / parade - Cavendish wins! and takes green (and we are there!)

Sunday,  07/24/11  09:34 PM

What can I say?  To be on the Champs d'Elysee for the finale to the Tour de France was awesome!  It was a boring race even by last-stage-of-the-Tour standards - hardly any breakaways, easily chased down, and a bunch sprint ending in a runaway victory for Mark Cavendish - but it was great to be in the huge crowd, sense the atmosphere, and see the peloton flashing by. A few pictures for your viewing pleasure: the scene: Paris! the Arc d'Triomphe punctuates one end of the Champs d'Elysee the Champs d'Elysee, perhaps the most famous shopping street in the world converted on the third Sunday in July into the most famous velodrome :) looking straight down the 3 mile racetrack one kazillion people were on hand, wow the intermediate sprint point giant monitors relay the action for the crowd there they are!  Cadel Evans looking good in yellow the peloton whooshes by it's a break! - but reeled in quickly Mark Cavendish wins! his fifth stage win, wrapping up the green jersey the final podium: Andy Schleck (2nd for the 3rd year in a row), Cadel Evans, Frank Schleck winning team: Garmin Cervelo Thor Hushovd (world champion's rainbow at left) won two stages and wore yellow all the first week note cardboard cutout of Dave Zabriske who crashed out And so ends a great Tour, which had a little of everything.  More than anything else it had drama, the end was in doubt 'till the last, many great attacks, many crashes, many heroes, many victims, and a number of interesting subplots.  (And blessedly no doping scandals!)  I will post some summary thoughts when I get back - stay tuned... [ Tour de France 2011:  all posts | index ]

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