"Vive le Tour"
Well, Lance isn't the greatest public speaker in the world, but his address to the crowd on the podium was a nice finish to his career. Respectful of his rivals, defiant to his critics, and sort of uncomfortable on stage. He'd rather impress us with his riding skill than with his words. His remarks were obviously not prepared, which made them more heartfelt. And his kids are pretty damn cute.
The final podium was a fitting one. Lance on top, flanked by his greatest rival (Ullrich) and the emerging superstar (Basso). It would have been nice had Rasmussen held on, but it probably is better this way. The guys on that final podium are the true giants of the sport, it won't look out of place a few years later. He beat the very best.
Ullrich showed me a lot in this final week. I don't think there's been anyone who has been more critical of Jan and his team than I, but he showed me how much it means to him in this last week. He was not going to be denied his rightful place on the podium during the last celebration of Armstrong. He earned the right to be there, and his most impressive moments to me were when he was not his strongest. He refused to give in, waiting for that time trial in which he blew the field away. He's going to go down as the modern day Poulidor, always doomed to second place. Had he ridden during almost any other era, he'd be enjoying multiple yellow jerseys himself. He will forever be linked to Lance, and I don't believe Armstrong would be the rider he is without Ullrich to push him.
Rasmussen cruised to the polka dots, and Popovych won the white by a huge margin. These awards were not in doubt for the last week, but the Green Jersey was up for grabs. However, the race for the points title was a dud, as neither of the Aussies stepped up to the plate, allowing Hushovd to quietly sneak off with the title. They never mounted that last furious charge, as on stage after stage, they couldn't stop the breakaways.
In the end, I'll remember this Tour not just as Lance's Seventh, but as the changing of the guard. It seemed a young rider won his first stage almost every other day, and while the heavy hitters eventually took the podium, a lot of the big names we're used to seeing laid an egg: Heras, Mayo, Botero, etc. We have a first time King of the Mountians champ and a first-time Green Jersey winner. We also have an emerging sprinting star in Tom Boonen, who could not finish. But a glance at the final standings show the emerging stars of the sport. The rule of thumb has always been that a rider enters his prime Tour-winning years at age 30. Check out the ages of half of the top 12:
#2 Ivan Basso (27 years old)
#4 Francisco Mancebo (29 years old)
#8 Cadel Evans (28 years old)
#9 Floyd Landis (29 years old)
#10 Oscar Pereiro Sio (28 years old)
#12 Yaroslav Popovych (25 years old)
These guys can conceivably duke it out over the remainder of the decade before losing form. And that's not including Ullrich and Leipheimer, who will contend the next year or two. Or some top riders who didn't finish top ten or didn't ride this race: Cunego, DiLuca, Kloden, Horner, Savodelli, or Rogers. We're entering the post-Armstrong world, but the roster is stacked. I can't wait.
The final podium was a fitting one. Lance on top, flanked by his greatest rival (Ullrich) and the emerging superstar (Basso). It would have been nice had Rasmussen held on, but it probably is better this way. The guys on that final podium are the true giants of the sport, it won't look out of place a few years later. He beat the very best.
Ullrich showed me a lot in this final week. I don't think there's been anyone who has been more critical of Jan and his team than I, but he showed me how much it means to him in this last week. He was not going to be denied his rightful place on the podium during the last celebration of Armstrong. He earned the right to be there, and his most impressive moments to me were when he was not his strongest. He refused to give in, waiting for that time trial in which he blew the field away. He's going to go down as the modern day Poulidor, always doomed to second place. Had he ridden during almost any other era, he'd be enjoying multiple yellow jerseys himself. He will forever be linked to Lance, and I don't believe Armstrong would be the rider he is without Ullrich to push him.
Rasmussen cruised to the polka dots, and Popovych won the white by a huge margin. These awards were not in doubt for the last week, but the Green Jersey was up for grabs. However, the race for the points title was a dud, as neither of the Aussies stepped up to the plate, allowing Hushovd to quietly sneak off with the title. They never mounted that last furious charge, as on stage after stage, they couldn't stop the breakaways.
In the end, I'll remember this Tour not just as Lance's Seventh, but as the changing of the guard. It seemed a young rider won his first stage almost every other day, and while the heavy hitters eventually took the podium, a lot of the big names we're used to seeing laid an egg: Heras, Mayo, Botero, etc. We have a first time King of the Mountians champ and a first-time Green Jersey winner. We also have an emerging sprinting star in Tom Boonen, who could not finish. But a glance at the final standings show the emerging stars of the sport. The rule of thumb has always been that a rider enters his prime Tour-winning years at age 30. Check out the ages of half of the top 12:
#2 Ivan Basso (27 years old)
#4 Francisco Mancebo (29 years old)
#8 Cadel Evans (28 years old)
#9 Floyd Landis (29 years old)
#10 Oscar Pereiro Sio (28 years old)
#12 Yaroslav Popovych (25 years old)
These guys can conceivably duke it out over the remainder of the decade before losing form. And that's not including Ullrich and Leipheimer, who will contend the next year or two. Or some top riders who didn't finish top ten or didn't ride this race: Cunego, DiLuca, Kloden, Horner, Savodelli, or Rogers. We're entering the post-Armstrong world, but the roster is stacked. I can't wait.
posted by Poseur at 1:32 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home