As I wake groggy (but not too bad, considering) and the riders lick their wounds after another crash riddled stage, I’m torn between celebrating Sylvain’s amazing breakaway and musing about the stage’s unusual ending.
On one hand, I’m hearing “Eye of the Tiger”, seeing Chavanel (Quick Step) come back from a fractured skull earlier in the year to join a small breakaway, which eventually disintegrated piecemeal, before the messy/smashed up/sooking/go-slowing peleton allowed him to power through the streets of Spa into the maillot jaune and then the maillot vert.
On the other hand, I’m hearing Prince’s “Controversy”, after the peleton neutralised the race in a Cancellara-led protest against the race’s dangerous conditions following several major crashes involving many of the general classification leaders. Opinion is divided, some riders standing by their decision not to ride the remainder of the race “as a race”, because as an irate Horner put it “there’s no place in the Tour de France for a stage like this”. (http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/horner-tour-organisers-got-what-they-deserved) Others, like Thor Hushovd (contender for the sprinter’s jersey) are understandably ticked off that – although the race leaders had rejoined the pack with some 15km to go – the peleton did not re-ignite the tempo and continue the race, instead cruising in some three to four minutes back in a (relatively) unified line of riders looking mightily ticked off.
For me, the whole thing’s moot. I’m here for excitement and drama and – whatever side of the Stage 2 divide you’re siding with – drama is what you got. Whether it was watching spectacular spills caused by narrow, winding wet roads – no dogs or grandma’s this time thankfully, or seeing Chavanel’s extremely photogenic face come across the line after an epic breakaway, or sitting back in sheer admiration as Jens Voigt pounded the pedals to pull the Schlecks back into the peleton, or sheer astonishment as Cancellara lined up the riders in a protest after chit chat with the official’s car – there was drama a-plenty.
And, like most acts of solidarity, things are never as solid as they seem. There’s always someone leading the pack, and some in the pack resenting being lead, voices getting heard over the din, and protests being muffled by the crowd. For my mind, Stage 3 from Wanze to Arenberg, with its famed cobbles is going to sort the men from the boys (my whole life, I’ve been waiting to use that one) and – whether they’re feeling shamed or staunch about the decision to neutralise the race – riders are going to be under scrutiny tomorrow and few would forgive a second lame-duck finish from the peleton.
For me, I’m saddest that Christian Vande Velde is out of the race with broken ribs. I liked that guy. He seemed really nice. And as for Chavanel’s helmet? BBB. I have a pair of their glasses, really low end – but free and working perfectly fine thank you very much – but I don’t believe they sell their helmets in Australia. Which is okay by me, because, to be honest, they’re a tad dull. Quick Step are of course, probably not thinking about improving their helmet colourways because presumably white matches just fine with yellow.
(photo credits: cycling tips blog)
eleanor j jackson 