Hot Stuff
It has been really hot these last few days. The heat just saps all the energy out of me. I was dragging all week at work and when I got home all I wanted to do was lay on my bed under the fan.
Floyd Landis burned up the road in Stage 17, the last of the mountain stages. He "bonked" late in Stage 16 not having taken in enough water and food to fuel his body for the long day in the Alps. After being left for dead no one expected him to come out swinging for the fences the very next day. Going through energy bars and 70 bottles of water to hydrate himself inside and out he kept cool in the 90+ degree heat, took the lead early in the race, and never let up. He wore out all the other riders and won Stage 17 recouping all but 30 seconds of the time he lost the day before. Phenomenal ride!
Today in Stage 18 the flats were another opportunity for the sprinters. But with so many riders looking for their last chance to win a Tour stage there was a breakaway of 15 riders! Oscar Perreiro with his 30-second lead over Landis still wore the yellow jersey and his team kept him up toward the front of the peloton and out of trouble. Sprint champion Robbie McEwen's position was secure and he felt no need to overextend himself today. But Robbie had a teammate in the breakaway and was looking out for him. When a motorbike with one the television cameramen got too close to the front of the peloton, Robbie streaked past all the riders and chased the motorbike away! It was great to see. All of a sudden this streak of green shot by the whole peloton and Robbie was shouting at the cameramen and waving them away. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to help his teammate win the stage. That honor went to Matteo Tosatto who edged out fellow Italian Christian Moreni for the win.
Levi Leipheimer the local favorite around these parts made another courageous move to win the stage, but was eventually caught up by the peloton. But, he did gain back some of the time he lost and moved up a couple places in the overall standings. For some inexplicable reason, a reason unknown even to Levi, he rode a poor individual time trial early in the Tour. Tomorrow, Stage 19, is the second ITT. Levi has been riding stronger and stronger as the Tour has gone on. This time trial is his opportunity to make up for it all. It won't get him onto the podium in Paris, but it's a matter of pride now.
Team Discovery who lost two men to sickness and injury will finish the Tour, but they must be disappointed with what they've done on the road to Paris. They're not Lance Armstrong's "blue train" anymore. It seems to me they'll have to redefine who they are as a team, to *discover* who they truly are. I'm looking forward to seeing them in next year's Tour!
There are still two days of racing left and the top three riders are separated by only 30 seconds! Landis is a superb time trialist and if he rides well tomorrow he could be in the yellow jersey by nightfall and arrive in Paris on Sunday as the winner of this year's Tour de France.
The Braves winning streak came to a halt on Wednesday when they put in two pitchers called up from the Minors to do their stuff against the Cardinals. Walking batters to load the bases and with a base hit here and a double there, the Cards brought in run after run. The bullpen was able to control the damage, but the Braves bats could not come up with enough runs to win.
Yesterday was a travel day and today they got a steady seven innings from starting pitcher John Smoltz, but once again the bullpen let the other team get one-up on the Braves. Reliever Ken Ray did not pitch well and failed to cover first base on a hit that pulled first baseman, Adam Laroche off the bag. Instead of getting an out, the Phillies had another chance to get runs. Phillies over the Braves, 6 to 5.
The sun has gone down and it's a bit cooler. Time to lie under the fan again.
Floyd Landis burned up the road in Stage 17, the last of the mountain stages. He "bonked" late in Stage 16 not having taken in enough water and food to fuel his body for the long day in the Alps. After being left for dead no one expected him to come out swinging for the fences the very next day. Going through energy bars and 70 bottles of water to hydrate himself inside and out he kept cool in the 90+ degree heat, took the lead early in the race, and never let up. He wore out all the other riders and won Stage 17 recouping all but 30 seconds of the time he lost the day before. Phenomenal ride!
Today in Stage 18 the flats were another opportunity for the sprinters. But with so many riders looking for their last chance to win a Tour stage there was a breakaway of 15 riders! Oscar Perreiro with his 30-second lead over Landis still wore the yellow jersey and his team kept him up toward the front of the peloton and out of trouble. Sprint champion Robbie McEwen's position was secure and he felt no need to overextend himself today. But Robbie had a teammate in the breakaway and was looking out for him. When a motorbike with one the television cameramen got too close to the front of the peloton, Robbie streaked past all the riders and chased the motorbike away! It was great to see. All of a sudden this streak of green shot by the whole peloton and Robbie was shouting at the cameramen and waving them away. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to help his teammate win the stage. That honor went to Matteo Tosatto who edged out fellow Italian Christian Moreni for the win.
Levi Leipheimer the local favorite around these parts made another courageous move to win the stage, but was eventually caught up by the peloton. But, he did gain back some of the time he lost and moved up a couple places in the overall standings. For some inexplicable reason, a reason unknown even to Levi, he rode a poor individual time trial early in the Tour. Tomorrow, Stage 19, is the second ITT. Levi has been riding stronger and stronger as the Tour has gone on. This time trial is his opportunity to make up for it all. It won't get him onto the podium in Paris, but it's a matter of pride now.
Team Discovery who lost two men to sickness and injury will finish the Tour, but they must be disappointed with what they've done on the road to Paris. They're not Lance Armstrong's "blue train" anymore. It seems to me they'll have to redefine who they are as a team, to *discover* who they truly are. I'm looking forward to seeing them in next year's Tour!
There are still two days of racing left and the top three riders are separated by only 30 seconds! Landis is a superb time trialist and if he rides well tomorrow he could be in the yellow jersey by nightfall and arrive in Paris on Sunday as the winner of this year's Tour de France.
The Braves winning streak came to a halt on Wednesday when they put in two pitchers called up from the Minors to do their stuff against the Cardinals. Walking batters to load the bases and with a base hit here and a double there, the Cards brought in run after run. The bullpen was able to control the damage, but the Braves bats could not come up with enough runs to win.
Yesterday was a travel day and today they got a steady seven innings from starting pitcher John Smoltz, but once again the bullpen let the other team get one-up on the Braves. Reliever Ken Ray did not pitch well and failed to cover first base on a hit that pulled first baseman, Adam Laroche off the bag. Instead of getting an out, the Phillies had another chance to get runs. Phillies over the Braves, 6 to 5.
The sun has gone down and it's a bit cooler. Time to lie under the fan again.