My favorite moment of the stage and my nomination for prescient sporting comment of the month goes to Phil who noted just before the 5k to go banner on the final climb up Luz-Ardiden that Contador was in a Schleck sandwich. The entire race is in a Schleck sandwich. Today the top contenders bowed to conventional wisdom that Andy Schleck is the most feared rider among those who hope to win the race and when a choice had to be made the contenders all let Frank Schleck's final attack go. Frank rode away gaining time on all of his rivals, moving into second place in the overall classification. The consequence of today's result is that if they all ride next to each other from here until Paris Frank Schleck will surely win the Tour de France.Today was the first true selection day for the legitimate contenders. Tomorrow is a difficult day but it is not another selection day. But Saturday is. When the race on Saturday is on the out of category finishing climb to Plateau de Beille and Frank attacks, the contenders absolutely must cover his every move, he already leads all of them by at least a half a minute. They cannot, CANNOT let him go. But after Frank attacks and the group draws back together and then Andy attacks, what are they to do? Only Evans has any time at all on Andy and he has only 11 seconds. All of the rest of them trail behind Andy as surely as they trail behind Frank. If they let Andy go Andy will surely win the Tour de France. If they cover Andy's attack surely Frank will attack again.
Le Tour de France is in a Schleck sandwich.
2 comments:
I still have hope for Cadel Evans, but one of the Schlecks looks like a pretty good bet at this point. I love watching Contador suffer. It was a stage worth watching.
Well put by both you and Phil. I think the Schlecks will be very, very hard to beat.
I am so happy for Thomas - he's just so enthusiastic and plucky. :-)
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