Grey Jersey
While everyone is discussing the competition for the more familiar coloured jerseys in the Tour, including the white jersey for U-26 riders, it seems a pity that nothing much is being said about the competition for the other age-related jersey in the Tour, that for the over-35s, the ‘grey jersey’. Especially as rumour has it that this is the colour LA secretly has his heart set on wearing at Paris, not yellow.
And so far so good, after the first week, LA is leading the ‘grey GC’, something he’s been very modest about, not once yet mentioning his substantial lead in this competition to the media. He’s 31 secs ahead of Lev Leipheimer, and 5-17 in front of Georgie Hincapie, not a mere 8 secs or 2 secs ahead of his rivals, like some are in the yellow GC.
As well as the leading three, there’s one other main contender for the podium, Frenchman and everyone’s favourite (unless you like Georgie or Jensi more), Stevie G., 6-46 back. Note: G stands for Goubert, not for Gerrard. Mais oui!
For a while Chris Moreau was also a contender but, after surprising even himself by taking the ‘grey stage victory’ on Saturday (his first noticeable appearance this Tour), he lost a lot of time yesterday and fell back from fifth and out of the podium contention stakes. Jensi Voigt is the new fifth in the grey GC, but a long way behind at 22-54.
Yesterday, it was Georgie’s day again, as he captured his 4th grey stage victory in this year’s Tour, being once more the first of the oldies to cross the finishing line - he must be wishing there was also a faded-green jersey competition, but unfortunately there isn’t.
For the record, as well as Georgie’s 4 victories, and the one to Chris, the other grey stage victories have gone to Lev (2) and Jensi (1).
Astonishingly, up to now LA hasn’t managed a single grey stage win, nevermind a yellow one. Perhaps he now realises, when you’re older it’s harder to concentrate on doing two things at once – like trying for a stage victory while fulfilling the role of a domestique.
And so far so good, after the first week, LA is leading the ‘grey GC’, something he’s been very modest about, not once yet mentioning his substantial lead in this competition to the media. He’s 31 secs ahead of Lev Leipheimer, and 5-17 in front of Georgie Hincapie, not a mere 8 secs or 2 secs ahead of his rivals, like some are in the yellow GC.
As well as the leading three, there’s one other main contender for the podium, Frenchman and everyone’s favourite (unless you like Georgie or Jensi more), Stevie G., 6-46 back. Note: G stands for Goubert, not for Gerrard. Mais oui!
For a while Chris Moreau was also a contender but, after surprising even himself by taking the ‘grey stage victory’ on Saturday (his first noticeable appearance this Tour), he lost a lot of time yesterday and fell back from fifth and out of the podium contention stakes. Jensi Voigt is the new fifth in the grey GC, but a long way behind at 22-54.
Yesterday, it was Georgie’s day again, as he captured his 4th grey stage victory in this year’s Tour, being once more the first of the oldies to cross the finishing line - he must be wishing there was also a faded-green jersey competition, but unfortunately there isn’t.
For the record, as well as Georgie’s 4 victories, and the one to Chris, the other grey stage victories have gone to Lev (2) and Jensi (1).
Astonishingly, up to now LA hasn’t managed a single grey stage win, nevermind a yellow one. Perhaps he now realises, when you’re older it’s harder to concentrate on doing two things at once – like trying for a stage victory while fulfilling the role of a domestique.
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Comments
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Never mind the 'grey jersey', surely there must be a category for 'brown shorts', for the rider having the nearest near-miss ?
Although thinking about it, how would you tell the rider from anyone at AG2r...0 -
it's quite an amusing idea..."If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm0
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knedlicky wrote:While everyone is discussing the competition for the more familiar coloured jerseys in the Tour, including the white jersey for U-26 riders, it seems a pity that nothing much is being said about the competition for the other age-related jersey in the Tour, that for the over-35s, the ‘grey jersey’. Especially as rumour has it that this is the colour LA secretly has his heart set on wearing at Paris, not yellow.
I never knew they had one, or are you pulling my leg, lol. think I should get some more miles in me legs and enter the tour next year
'Collapse the Light into Earth'0
