Stage 18: Highway Robbery

For a while it looked like a carbon copy of stage 17. A large group of riders broke away early and built up a huge lead. As they got close, one rider launched an attack to take the victory. Heck, it was even a QuickStep rider like the day before. But David Canada ran out of gas with the line in sight, and the rush to the finish was really exciting.

Let me admit my bias. I like Daniele Nardello and Carlos Dacruz a lot. Nardello won my respect after finishing the 2001 Tour despite a really bloody crash in stage 2. Dacruz has been a great domestique for FDJeux this year. He's led out Baden Cooke on the sprints; he's scooped up sprint points so that Cooke's rivals wouldn't; he's put himself in breakaways on the flat stages and the mountain stages. So, when I saw them gaining on Canada, I got excited. If you saw the stage, you know Dacruz rode like a madman to close the gap to Canada. Yet it was Pablo Lastras who won the stage. How did he do it? When Nardello and Dacruz were in persuit over the last few kilometers, Lastras feigned weakness. Nardello and Dacruz did almost all the work in the chase, Lastras' shifts at the front were about half as long as those of the other riders. In essence, he used their efforts to save energy. When they finally did get to the last 100 meters, Lastras was in prime position to overtake his tired lead-out men.

There's nothing wrong with that. It's not a tactic that will win you friends, but it's legitimate and clever. Since Lance Armstrong got knocked off his bike last Monday, we've heard a lot about the sportsmanship and fair play of the riders, but Lastras' win is a reminder that ultimately, cycling is a cut-throat sport. Do whatever it takes to win.