Photo by Will Cyclist (2009)
It has been a great Tour de France. There are few moments watching sport, when you just want to admire the supreme physical effort, and as David Duffield would have as say – ‘Chapeau!’
It was gripping stuff as the diminished peleton hit the lower slopes of the Col de Tourmalet, the domestiques riding themselves into the ground to keep the pace high. Slowly the Km to the top counts down. You knew Schleck would attack – but, when? (well off course, in one of the innumerable ITV4 commercial breaks). But, it didn’t matter – there were the two gladiators, Shleck and Contador fighting it wheel to wheel, shoulder to shoulder on the misty slopes of the Col De Tourmalet; this is the drama of cycling. Two athletes at the peak of their sport, desperately riding away from the rest of the peleton.
It’s easy to sit in your archmair and shout at Schleck – ‘go on attack him’ But, when you’ve had a three weeks of racing, and your hanging on to the edge of your limit, ascending Col de Tourmalet at a terrific pace, next to the greatest cyclists of your generation – that is all easier said than done. But, Schleck kept trying. It didn’t quite break the elastic, but, you knew they had both given everything trying to wrestle the yellow jersey.
Maybe, the other day, Contador should have waited when Shleck’s chain went, but, that seemed forgotten yesterday. Contador did once try to drop Schleck, but, when that failed, he didn’t contest the sprint, and the two gladiators could be seen embracing after finish line.
Marvellous stuff!
Related
Photos of Col de Tourmalet Stage at Graham Watson
Sometimes it was only when you saw the overhead shot that you actually appredciated just how fast these guys were going up such a long steep climb. Amazing really.