HomeDiariesLe Tour de France 2009 - Stage 16: Martigny > Bourg-Saint-Maurice, 159km
Sitting here in Bourg-Saint-Maurice, perhaps I’m going to revise my opinion that l’Equipe’s Tour coverage isn’t as good as the Gazzetta’s Giro coverage. The Gazzetta looks better, but the L’Equipe goes so deep.
Today, for example, as well as the usual stats, there’s a big analysis of how the stage might pan out, with four options; a table of how Contador has built his lead and – one that Viktor will love – the best and worst descenders.
In line with their “in depth” approach, they’ve canvassed a whole host of riders and DS’s.
Hushovd comes out as ‘meilleur descendeur’ with Cancellara and Samuel Sanchez joint second.
But not content with the best, they’ve sussed the ‘moin bons descendeurs’ – and here’s the part that will please Viktor – worst by a mile is David Moncoutie with Frank Schleck second and the disappeared Mauricio Soler in third spot.
Every day, you have to be thinking about doing things just a little differently – today is le pique-nique; we’ve got bread, cheese, salami, water, fruit – all we need now, is a little alcohol!
Well, 11:50 pm and the day is up on the site – no dinner tonight, didn’t have time.
A good day’s racing – the last climb was carnage, riders everywhere; and Brad’s still there, among the Heads.
He has to get through tomorrow – it’s a monster; four firsts and a second cat. then, on Thursday, it’s his “thing,” the time trial – but a time trial in the last week of a three week Tour isn’t the same as a prologue or test in a small stage race.
However, he’s been full of surprises, thus far.
Midnight – time for bed, au demain.
Tour 09 Stage 16 Map.
Tour 09 Stage 16 Profile.
* * *
Al Hamilton
Contador: “Quiero ganar muchos Tours”.
That was the top of the front page of todays: AS, yeah “Bert” wants to win lots of Tours and looking at his present form and the competition I should think that would be quite possible. He is still thinks of his rivals that “Andy Schleck is very strong and Wiggins is dangerous in the time trial”.
The two climbs today were both monsters.
Inside the sports daily we have; the sunrise of a champion and the Tour following life, all good rest day fare as the race journalists struggle for anything to write!
French sports paper L’Equipe goes for the obvious “Contador is the matador of the Tour”.
In Italy, the Gazzetta dello Sport says; “climbs with an imperious (urgent) rhythm”
The New York Times gives “Contador a 2-0 win over Armstrong in the mountains”.
The Times of London think that Alberto “Is the boss of the Tour”. So nothing new from the worlds hacks.
Carlos can’t complain about us – we bigged him up after his two Giro stage wins!
Talking of journalists, Carlos Sastre is not impressed with the press corps, especially the ones from his home country of Spain. He feels he is not treated as the previous year’s Tour winner, and complains that 99% of the questions they ask him are about the troubles at Astana, mainly to fuel the fires between Contador and Armstrong, not about his Tour or team. He would like to win on Mont Ventoux, the podium is now not his ambition.
José Angel Gomez Marchante is in this Tour to help Carlos Saste in the mountain stages, but he says he will be the leader of the Cervelo team at La Vuelta a España, so we might actually see him in that race as he’s been a bit invisible in the Tour!
Last word to Contador, the new king: “I want to win the maximum of Tours”
El Tour segue vivo.
That’s the offerings from yesterdays rest day. We can only hope there is more to read this week?
Hasta Mañana. Al.
* * *
Postscript – 31/07/09
A Press Release from the UCI today accounced that Stage 16 winner Mikel Astarloza has been provisionally suspended by the UCI for a positive test for EPO in an out-of-competition test, dating from June 26 this year.
He: also finished 11th overall in the Tour, and the decision to suspend Astarloza was made in light of a report from the WADA-accredited laboratory in Madrid that found traces of the drug in a urine sample.
The provisional suspension will remain in place until a hearing panel convened by the Spanish Cycling Federation determines whether Astarloza is guilty. The hearing panel will also make a decision on applicable sanctions, if necessary, and possible disqualification from the Tour de France.
Wonder if second-place Sandy Casar will be promoted to the Stage win?
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.
After making such a good job of his diary for Pez in the Tour of Ireland, DFL professional Evan Oliphant will be giving VeloVeritas the low-down on his home Tour, which started in London today at Crystal Palace and finishes in Glasgow on Saturday; the Tour of Britain 2007. We caught-up with Evan, in the DFL team car, stuck in traffic, listening to the chart show [at max volume] on Radio One, here's what he had to say, (I think!).
'My heart says Alex, but my head says Phinney,' my statement as I walked out the door of our rented cottage in search of a stable wi-fi connection. I would have loved Alex Rasmussen to win, but something told me that he wasn't 'sparkling' for the Giro d'Italia 2012 - Stage 1.
It was a tough one to Porto Porto Sant-Elpidio - Farrar, Feillu and Hushovd all go home. The dream is over for Navardauskas - he lost 15 minutes. But his Garmin team mates Ryder Hesjedal and Christian Vande Velde move up to third and fifth on GC.
Garmin will burn up the watts in search of more pink - they know it'll be harder to come by when the Gazzetta stage ranking is a 5* and not a 3*, as yesterday's was.
We caught-up with Evan after a wet and wild stage three, won by the immaculately coiffed 2006 Milan-San Remo winner, Filippo Pozzato (Italy & Quick Step); our man had just finished dinner.
It was December when we last spoke to Paisley’s fastest man, Jack Carlin about his hopes for the forthcoming Commonwealth Games in Australia – that was before a successful British Track Championship where he came away as Sprint Champion then an excellent Worlds campaign which saw him land two silver medals.
Organiser Isobel Smith is certainly hoping the recent run of fine weather continues for her race on Sunday morning, the Scottish National 25 Mile Time Trial Championship 2009.
We made sure we were in plenty time for the Giro d'Italia 2010 stage start today - our mission was to get pics of Diquigiovanni's Cameron Wurf for Jered Gruber but Cam didn't arrive at the sign on before our appointed time of bolting.
‘With the current system we’re shafted’ says BC coach Rod Ellingworth regarding the fact that the world’s best roadman sprinter will have a whole two team mates in Melbourne. The GB and Sky ‘spin machine’ continually tell us how strong British Cycling is; but when it comes down to it, we’re actually joint 22nd in terms of numbers of riders we’re eligible to send to the Elite Worlds. we should 'Stop Messing with Nature'.
We humbly ask for your help to support our dear friend and beloved colleague Ed Hood. Ed suffered a devastating stroke in February last year and faces an uncertain future.
As a result of the stroke, Ed has lost his ability to speak, and to read, and has lost movement on the right side of his body. He’s working with speech and physical therapists on rehabilitation but all strokes are different and each patient responds differently, so unfortunately recovery is one day at a time.
Ed ran his own business installing windows but will not be able to work again and his financial future is uncertain, so please consider joining us to make a contribution to the GoFundMe page to help stabilise and secure Ed's future. Thank you.
