July 2009

[El Gordo]

No problem chaps, I'm not going to complain about Tour Talk. I've got Tour Fever like the rest of you. In fact, I even watched most of today's stage live despite my previous comments and thoroughly enjoyed it.

EG, I think it might be worth reiterating the amount of effort it takes to ride alone vs. in a group. Even if there's only 2 of you cycling, tucking in behind the other rider will save you 25%. This is particularly true on the flatter stages and when there's a head-wind. Somebody can have 15 minutes on the peleton, but if they decide to work together they'll just eat that lead-up (remember David Millar at 1km to go). And that's where domestiques come in: they work for the leader. If he has a puncture they'll drop back and pace him back to the group. If another contender is in a breakaway they'll work at the front of the peleton to reel them in. That's why mountain stages and time-trials tend to be decisive because you can make more time independently without the influence of the group affecting your performance.

I can't argue with what's been said. It's great to see Wiggins up there; and I think Amstrong in the team can only make Contador stronger in the long-run.

Yeah, that slipstream stuff is crucial to understanding why they do what they do. It's all very clever and impressive. Today's stage was just amazing, with the final hundred metres or so turning the (or my) expected) result on its head. And yes, Millar yesterday (or perhaps it happened the day before, but I watched it yesterday) was another classic case. Ignorant me would have bet my house on him winning the race but the commentators' caution was very well-founded.

Again, the whole thing is just great to watch. And I wasn't joking about seeing the changing territory. I love the travelogue aspect with the Monaco coast and Provencal hillside villages turning into mountain roads and the streets of Barcelona and.... god knows what next. And those spectators with little cameras leaning out on a bend in the mountain road as the bikes whip past...

More. I need more.