HomeDiariesLe Tour de France 2009 - Stage 9: Saint-Gaudens > Tarbes, 160.5km
As Jean Rene Bernadeau kissed Pierrick Fedrigo after the sharp featured former French champion took the second Bbox stage of the 2009 Tour, from Saint-Gaudens to Tarbes. I think what he said was; “well done son, we’ve all got a job, next year!”
Again, I only saw the finale; maybe not a bad thing, I have a tendency to nod off during long, uninteresting breakaway stages.
I caught the last 20k or so, and it was uncertain as to whether they would stay away; if it had been a flat stage and Columbia had been in full effect, then Fedrigo and Pellizotti would have been swamped.
Pierrick Fedrigo takes Bbox’s second stage of the Tour.
But despite the best efforts of Caisse D’Epargne — with a little help from Rabobank — the two fugitives held out.
Oscar easily wins the sprint for third.
Oscar Freire must have been frustrated, he took third easily; it could perhaps have been the win if Denis Menchov had set the cruise control a little earlier — he has all day tomorrow to recover, after all — and Oscar is certainly the Orangemen’s best chance for Tour glory.
The last 10k was good bike racing, a frantic bunch, in a long, long line against the two foxes — and like Charly Wegelius says; “it’s good for the dogs not to catch them, sometimes.”
Pello did all he could, he’s no sprinter but he made the right move, diving into the right hander first and making the Frenchman come the long way round — he could have done little more.
Pello took the Combativity award as small compensation for second place.
It’s not been a bad Tour at all for the Motherland; but what I’m really hoping for is a Moncoutie win in the Alps — Viktor will just love that!
And there’s the email from Brandt, who sponsor the combativity (le coureur qui a anime la course avec panache) prize; Pello today; that’s fair and he’ll be a boy to watch on the Ventoux.
Rinaldo Nocentini (AG2R La Mondiale) is rising to the challenge of riding in yellow.
Nocentini takes the yellow jersey into the rest day — shows you what I know!
Ciao, ciao!
Tour 09 Stage 9 Map.
Tour 09 Stage 9 Profile.
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Al Hamilton
“El león del Tour“.
The lion of the Tour is the headline today in AS and Luis León Sánchez makes (as you might expect) the front and the back pages.
Luis León won the stage in to Aurillac in last year’s Tour, now a year later he made the assault on Saint Girons for his home: “Va por mi hermano, mis padres y los compañeros” – For my brother, my parents and my friends, and he adds “for Alejandro Valverde”.
El león del Tour.
His brother was a famous footballer, Pedro Leon; he played for Valladolid, but tragically died in 2005 in a fatal quad bike accident. Who does he think will win the Tour? “Contador!”
Contador has been selected for more attention than just by the fans; he has been tested three times in two days. “Análisis ‘selectivos’ para el madrileño (Contador) y Armstrong.” First on Friday, then in the morning at the Novotel of Andorra la Vella and then at the finish line there was a Chaperon from the UCI.
Contador goes about the parts of his profession that are less pleasant quietly and with dignity. Lance twitters.
Armstrong sent a message on twitter saying he was at another anti-doping test too.
After 90 kilometres on the stage to Saint Girons, 2006 Tour winner, Oscar Pereiro called a halt and abandoned.
The Galician said his body had had enough; his pulse would not go over 160 when normally it would be 185 bpm. Most of last year he was recovering from his crash in the 2008 Tour and had raced 52 days before reappearing in this Tour.
“El Tourmalet es la gran esperanza ‘anti-Astana’” – Andy Schleck predicts attacks as does Evans.
AS’ front page today.
The problem is that the Tourmalet comes a long way from the finish in Tarbes, 60 kilometres to be exact, so this will make it very difficult to stay away from a chasing Astana team. Should be exciting stuff anyway!
Ed and Martin, our top team! They try to do the local Time Trials, the Grand Tours and the Classics together to get the great stories written, the quality photos taken, the driving done and the wifi wrestled with.
It wasn't until the Belgian guy pointed it out to me today, but it wasn't the friendliest of championships, the World Road Championships 2007... The Press Centre you expect to be a clique-ridden, unfriendly, verging on hostile place. I think it's because a lot of those that work there are freelance and any new face could be taking work from them. But even in the 'real' world, if you don't speak first, no one will talk to you.
I wasn't sure about the 'blip' at La Toussuire when Froome distanced Wiggins in the finale - I thought it was 'mountain out of molehill' stuff. Although we did hear that Wiggins was 'raging', that night in his room. But today, there seemed little doubt that a message was being sent; 'I can drop you any time I want.' The body language and facial expressions around the team aren't relaxed, happy or positive. But there's little doubt now that Brad will win - barring Acts of God.
It's here. Le Tour de France 2012 Prologue. The endless analysis is finally over, there's rubber on tarmac, folks hanging over barriers and commentators getting their facts wrong, already.
Chorges...this must be the place; Andrei Greipel’s pedalling back to his hotel, the road’s blocked with cars, buses and civilians. Yes, it’s the finish of the 32 kilometre mountain time trial – trouble is that we want to be at the start and the satnav is routing us through the finish area.
It was a difficult phone call to make, he picked up on the tone of my voice at once; 'no, don't tell me, please!' But it was best he heard it from me; 'Flecha, he won Het Nieuwsblad well, Viktor, sorry!' 'That's it, I'm finished with Pro Cycling, for good!'
Raleigh's Evan Oliphant recently made some cycling history when he became the first Scotsman to win the Star Trophy - or as it's known now, 'The Premier Calendar.'
But 'Star Trophy' just sounds so much better.
The season long contest was first run in 1959 when the legendary John Perks won it the names engraved upon the silver demand respect - Les West, Hugh Porter, Phil Griffiths, Malcolm Elliott, Paul Curran and Russell Downing to name a few.
I hate to start with our Formule 1, again - but to emphasis the true glamour of being on le Tour, we're sharing lodgings with the race's cherry picker truck. I had to get up early to do a phone interview with Cameron Wurf, this morning. He's from Tassie; like the Sulzbergers and Richie Porte - did I ever tell you I had a Tasmanian Devil for a fiancée? No, some other time, then? Le Tour de France 2012 - Second Rest Day.
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