Wow, a week after the Tour is over, and the fallout is still coming down around us. That was three weeks of full on racing excitement, drama, disappointments, and displays of desire and determination. (go alliteration)
The hot topic is, of course, the Contador vs Armstrong showdown. I won't repeat what others have said better then I, but everyone seems to have chosen a side. It is a topic to consume group rides for months to come.
It seems to me that Contador was put in a very tough situation, one that never should have happened in the first place. Two riders with ambitions to win the tour can't be expected to gell together well on the same team. This is a story that has only just begun, the best parts will come next July when the two compete again, but as rivals instead of teamates.
Contador, despite being signed on as the team leader, was put in the difficult situation of having to emphasize that point with a statement directly from his legs. Dominating the mountains and winning an individual time trial? Certainly there can't be doubts about his incredible cycling ability.
I think it was unfair to Contador for Armstrong to join up with Astana and expect the team leader to step aside, and achieve team unity. While they were able to maintain a facade on the road, tempers flared afterward and harsh words were exchanged by both. Contador seems to have unleashed the opening rounds, he obviously felt mistreated and psychologically frustrated by his experiences over the past few months.
Although I'm awed with Contador's display of biking power and I think he was mistreated by his own team director and teamates, I still find the idea of Armstrong in yellow again a thrilling prospect. Armstrong seems to have the ability to build up teams around him with a natural leadership style. While it may have resulted in high tensions and split loyalties at Astana, I'm looking forward to seeing him compete on his own team, with his squad, against a Contador fully supported by his own loyal team. That will ultimately make for better bike racing.
Oh man, I can't wait...
But really, that's only a small story in the great novel that was the Tour.
Talk about Team work, Columbia HTC continued to put on displays of team awesomeness. Yes, that is a word, Columbia HTC just invented it. Really, they did it all, splitting the field in Stage 3, beautifully coordinated leadouts by Hincapie, Renshaw, and others for Cavendish, Tony Martin contending for best young rider (until Andy Schleck ran away with it) and duking it out on Ventoux with eventual stage winner Garate. Not to mention Hincapie barely missing out on yellow himself and doing his final leadouts with a fracture. Columbia HTC was a model of teamwork.
I loved watching Heinrich Haussler solo away to his first big win on stage 13. That was intense, the picture speaks for itself.
Plus the mighty solo romp by Thor to sweep up the top sprint points. Dashing through the mountains was the best response to any doubts about how he earned that Green Jersey. And earn it he did.
And more, you gotta love the mighty duo of the Schleck brothers. If I could ever join a pro cycling team of my choosing (ya right), I'd jump on board with Saxo Bank for many reasons. Watching the two brothers work together especially on Ventoux was an impressive display of selflessness. That's the kind of stuff that makes cycling so great.
