Tour Magic: Injuries and Alliances
The crashes in this years Tour are out of control. Every year there are a couple of crashes but this year is insane. On stage one Cavendish collided with a spectator, on Stage two there was a gigantic pileup including the race leader Cancellara, on stage three Steegmans crashed, Noval, McEwen, Kloden and Vinokourov are all racing with injuries. I don't think I've ever seen a tour with this many crashes. The race goes on though.
And yesterday Boonen finally won a stage. I have to explain a bit about what I love about Boonen and cycling in general. For starters, unlike a lot of top riders, especially sprinters, he's really laid back and humble about it all. In an interview with Versus he said that you have to love riding for it's own sake, it can't be all about winning. He said that if he thinks back to when he was a kid and first picked up a bike he didn't do it because he wanted to be a professional and win races and make money off it, he just liked to ride. I think that goes a long way towards explaining his attitude. Win or lose he always just seems really happy to be doing something he loves which makes me happy to be watching someone doing something they love so much. He's just so cool. Of course, I also have to acknowledge my, already well documented, opinion that Boonen is also nice to look at in those tight bike shorts. Seriously, if Boonen had been alive in the time of Michelangelo we'd have a statue of him instead of the David. He's pretty.
So, that's why I love Boonen, now how is Boonen an example of what I love about cycling in general (aside from looking good in spandex)? Two days ago Boonen lost the green jersey (the one for sprint points) to Erik Zabel (a German rider who I also love). Yesterday, Boonen, understandably wanted to win the jersey back and he went after it. There was a one man breakaway (British rider Bradley Wiggins who was, at one point, 17 minutes ahead of the field), but Boonen sprinted for, and won, the 2nd place sprint points at some of the sprint points out on the course to the point that he pulled even with Zabel in points. Zabel rode up next to him and asked him not to try for the points at the next sprint, to save it for the end of the stage so they could compete straight up against each other in that final sprint for the stage win and the green jersey points. Boonen agreed and they both held back until the finish. He took the stage win and the green jersey. Those kind of deals struck between riders out on the course fascinate me.
Only one guy can win each stage, each points jersey, and only one guy can win the overall classification, but out on the course riders work together (both within their teams and across team lines) or they agree not to work, it's all very strategic. There will be a breakaway of 5 or 6 guys, all from different teams, but they will agree to work together so they can stay away, until the end when it becomes every man for himself. Or if the teams who have great sprinters want to bring it back together for a big sprint finish then they will agree to work together across team lines to bring the breakaway back.
There's a code among riders of the peleton. If one of your main competitors crashes, or has a mechanical problem, or has to stop to pee, you slow up a bit to give him a chance to get back into the race in earnest. It happened a couple years ago in the Tour. Ulrich crashed and Armstrong didn't take that opportunity to attack, he slowed up until Ulrich was back in it. There's a tacit agreement.
That gentleman's agreement doesn't really cover the situation with Boonen and Zabel yesterday. Boonen wasn't obligated, even by tradition or politeness, to agree to hold off on going for the points out on the course, but he did it anyway, both because he's a really great guy, but also because the win would mean that much more if hinged on one sprint rather than the strategic accumulation of points throughout the race.
It's that complicated balance between sportsmanship, strategy and straight up competition that makes me love cycling and keeps me captivated throughout the month of July. Plus Boonen's nice to look at.
And yesterday Boonen finally won a stage. I have to explain a bit about what I love about Boonen and cycling in general. For starters, unlike a lot of top riders, especially sprinters, he's really laid back and humble about it all. In an interview with Versus he said that you have to love riding for it's own sake, it can't be all about winning. He said that if he thinks back to when he was a kid and first picked up a bike he didn't do it because he wanted to be a professional and win races and make money off it, he just liked to ride. I think that goes a long way towards explaining his attitude. Win or lose he always just seems really happy to be doing something he loves which makes me happy to be watching someone doing something they love so much. He's just so cool. Of course, I also have to acknowledge my, already well documented, opinion that Boonen is also nice to look at in those tight bike shorts. Seriously, if Boonen had been alive in the time of Michelangelo we'd have a statue of him instead of the David. He's pretty.
So, that's why I love Boonen, now how is Boonen an example of what I love about cycling in general (aside from looking good in spandex)? Two days ago Boonen lost the green jersey (the one for sprint points) to Erik Zabel (a German rider who I also love). Yesterday, Boonen, understandably wanted to win the jersey back and he went after it. There was a one man breakaway (British rider Bradley Wiggins who was, at one point, 17 minutes ahead of the field), but Boonen sprinted for, and won, the 2nd place sprint points at some of the sprint points out on the course to the point that he pulled even with Zabel in points. Zabel rode up next to him and asked him not to try for the points at the next sprint, to save it for the end of the stage so they could compete straight up against each other in that final sprint for the stage win and the green jersey points. Boonen agreed and they both held back until the finish. He took the stage win and the green jersey. Those kind of deals struck between riders out on the course fascinate me.
Only one guy can win each stage, each points jersey, and only one guy can win the overall classification, but out on the course riders work together (both within their teams and across team lines) or they agree not to work, it's all very strategic. There will be a breakaway of 5 or 6 guys, all from different teams, but they will agree to work together so they can stay away, until the end when it becomes every man for himself. Or if the teams who have great sprinters want to bring it back together for a big sprint finish then they will agree to work together across team lines to bring the breakaway back.
There's a code among riders of the peleton. If one of your main competitors crashes, or has a mechanical problem, or has to stop to pee, you slow up a bit to give him a chance to get back into the race in earnest. It happened a couple years ago in the Tour. Ulrich crashed and Armstrong didn't take that opportunity to attack, he slowed up until Ulrich was back in it. There's a tacit agreement.
That gentleman's agreement doesn't really cover the situation with Boonen and Zabel yesterday. Boonen wasn't obligated, even by tradition or politeness, to agree to hold off on going for the points out on the course, but he did it anyway, both because he's a really great guy, but also because the win would mean that much more if hinged on one sprint rather than the strategic accumulation of points throughout the race.
It's that complicated balance between sportsmanship, strategy and straight up competition that makes me love cycling and keeps me captivated throughout the month of July. Plus Boonen's nice to look at.
posted by Beth at
12:59 PM
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