Cav and Contador, how can you not respect them? We missed the mad action today and the anticipated Saxo Bank Ambush; we were driving from the stage start to the digs and thought we had nothing better to do than find a bar to watch proceedings.
However, we forgot that we’re deep in La France profonde; rural, quiet, sleepy, hot and totally devoid of spots to catch Le Tour.
We tried one café and bar after another but none had a TV on the menu – it’s obviously not football territory.
We heard on the car radio that Cav had won after Belkin and Quicktep had split the peloton in the cross wind then Saxo launched a late ambush – when we got to the digs the team emails started to appear and we were able to join the dots.
Froome’s face on the podium said it all.
And so did Cav’s – he made the splits, battled in the echelons and then out foxed Sagan: 10/10 from VeloVeritas for Cav.
As Dave says; ‘how can you not admire him?’
Having worked the finish yesterday, we decided to work the start in Tours for stage 13 – all was calm, no one really expected that it would be a day of drama.
The first bus in the line up was Vacansoleil with interviews in full flow – including a ‘grungy’ Thomas De Gendt chatting to a fag wielding journo.
Euskaltel was next stop, we’ve built up a good bond with their number one mechanic Tomás Amezaga and he’s always keen to show us the ‘trick’ bits.
Team leader Igor Anton is riding the new Orca with new forks and super neat mechanical/electronic cable routing; new colour scheme and new forks.
Tomás told us that they never use carbon handlebars because you can’t tell if they’ve survived a crash without cracking – just too much of a chance to take.
And all front forks must retain those daft tabs which stop the quick release doing their job; the UCi check regularly – don’t ask me why.
Down at QuickStep, Chava’s Specialized looks the biz – it was a birthday present from the US bike company, sprayed to match his Dodge muscle car.
Ed Pickering had a word with us on our travels; he’s the man who wrote the book about the Obree/Boardman duel – a nice guy.
Meanwhile, over at the FdJ bus Thibaut Pinot was trying to explain to a journo how he’d gone from stage winner, top 10 finisher and French podium challenger to a ‘fairdy gowp’ on the descents.
And at Saxo, Alberto’s handlebar tape should have alerted us to what was about to come – tape can’t be that white for nothing . . .
Katusha’s Dima Konychev still looks as cool as ever – I love the story about him being caught in the brothel by the police with young riders from one of his Italian teams and avoiding the sack by explaining it was a ‘team bonding exercise.’
Whether you like Sagan’s ‘Hulk’ paint job on his Cannondale or not you have to accept that the US bike company have their marketing spot on.
No bikes tucked away to stop them getting sticky finger marks for Cannondale; Sagan’s bike on a stand out front for all to see – we like that.
Whilst the crowds milled around the Argos, QuickStep and Sky buses, the Cofidis bus was like the Marie Celeste; no one’s really bothered about teams that don’t win anything.
Sojasun get away with it because they go with every break – and they have Brice Feillu’s cheekbones, of course.
We’re just about getting used to the back brake on the new Shack Treks being under the bracket and do like the new baby blue livery – we just hope Vik doesn’t find out…
And the immaculate Movistar bus reminds you that we’re in a new era of communications with the team Website, Facebook page, Twitter handle and even on-line shop all displayed – a far cry from 60 words in the Daily Telegraph on a Monday morning which I grew up with.
And the team Pinarellos are exquisite; but let’s do something with those batteries guys – all that talk of ‘aero’ then you zip tie a half brick under the down tube ?
And exclusively, we can reveal that Eric Vanderaerden has shed his mullet – this news will have ruined John Stollery’s day but the truth must be told.
He looks much better for it.
And on the subject of Barnett Fare, what’s going on over at Argos with Kittel and Degenkolb both sporting extravagant coiffeur?
But the fact is that when you’re winning you can pretty much get away with anything.
Kittel reminds us of Ivan Drago in the Rocky movie; ‘I crush Cavendeesh !’
And good to chat to Rudi Kemna, whose ‘voluntary doping suspension’ makes us laugh – we’re reminded of ‘Apocalypse Now’ where Willard says; ‘charging someone with murder in this place is like dishing out speeding tickets at the Indy 500.’
Ned Boulting was scurrying around trying to set up an interview – but we soon interrupted that; ‘Ned, surely you’ve got time for a picture