The Challenge...
Today the USA Pro Cycling Challenge lived up to its name. It was marred by wrecks, and then the elements challenged everyone! Overhead camera crews had to fly lower because of icing, and then the rain cautioned the riders. Race slicks on a rain slicked road could produce tragedy. Tonight is the condensed version, so bear with me...
I don't know the international scene as well as I should, Aussie Cadel Evans is the 2011 Tour de France Champ, and he is still very much in contention (along with about many others), so there is your international report.
The race seemed to have a fairly fast pace in the beginning with no major breaks or attacks. I love the picture above... They left the black top today momentarily and hit the mountains on gravel, and some hit the road. A nasty spill changed things, and rain eventually slowed the pace a bit, especially Levi Leipheimer, coming into Aspen. Better safe than sorry I guess. I believe that theory based on personal experience. I know what paint strips, and water can do, and what affect the combination can have on the human body. I have scars on my left ankle and knee to prove it. The Cottonwood Pass over the first peak on the gravel was a Wisconsin bike manufacturers dream! Look at the picture above, and notice the sea of red, not the Red Sea, although technically I guess one could use that moniker!!! That cycling fans is Team Shack! Oh and the Boys in Black and Blue... that's non other than Leopard Trek. The Shack and Leopard teams did well, but Levi fell from first to 4th in the overall standings with a 9th place finish in Stage 2 today, and Andy Schleck could have very well fallen completely out of contention today with a poor finish. Question earlier was, "Did the Tour de France or the rain sap the energy out of him?" Either way, he is a fair way down on the list of names now. His brother Frank is 12th overall, and has a legit shot, being a climber (and some serious climbing left to do). So the final mountain stages could play out well for Frank if he can survive the last Time Trial tomorrow. It's a slightly uphill TT if I read and remember correctly, so again even the TT could play to his favor? OK I gave props to the Trek guys and now for the winner... From Queens, NY, now residing in Somewhere, SC, give it up for Mr. Georgie Hincapie! I love how the Brits call him Georgie!!! Too funny!
Here's how we close the Challenge today:
Overall Standings
1. TeJay Van Garderen (HTC)
2. George Hicapie (BMC)
3. Tom Danielson (GAR)
4. Levi Leipheimer (RSH)
5. Christian Vandevelde
Hold up y'all! I totally missed Bruno!!! No not Bruno Mars! Bruno Pires!!! 9th place for the Portuguese rider! Portugal doing its thing today!!! OK he deserves a photo op... it's not much better than the top pic, but he's in there on the right on Cottonwood Pass...
Swelta in the Vuelta!
Props to Portugal's Tiago Machado who finished 29 seconds back today, and 29th in the stage to move into 22nd overall, just 1'37" out of first place. Singing the Campbell Soup song now... "Mmm mmm, Possibilities..."
Chavanel finished back in the pack but still holds on to the red jersey, and Moreno still flanks him in second. Jakob Fuglsang of Leopard TREK is in 4th, and teammate Maxime Monfort drops to 7th overall after finishing in 21st today in the blistering Spanish sun. Team Shack is still looking good as well with Brajkovic in 18th overall, and Zubeldia in 12th overall. The big story for the Waterloo guys, however... drum roll please... Shack has top honors as a team, and Leopard Trek is 4th overall in the team standings. And that ladies and gents of the cycle world is all I have in me. It is time to go dream of how awesome tomorrows stages will be, and how good it will be for me to get back on my bike hopefully this weekend! Good night.
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