2009 TdF: Quick hits
1. Contador was clearly the strongest man in the race. Contador was (very unfairly, I think) not allowed to race in last year's TdF - but does anyone really think Carlos Sastre would have beaten him last year? Contador has won the last four grand tours he's entered (TdF in 2007, last year's Giro and Vuelta, and this year's TdF), and he is clearly head and shoulders above the rest of the field in stage races (this year he won the race with one of the largest winning margins in years). By rights, Contador should be going into next year's TdF looking for four wins in a row.
2. Contador is only 26 years old. If he has 7 years of top-level riding in him, how many TdFs could he win?
3. I knew Contador was a good climber. What I didn't know was what a good time trialist he was - for me one of the most amazing aspects of his win was his win of the stage 17 individual time trial.
4. That Armstrong was third best in the tour at 37 years old *and* three years away from the sport says two things: he just may be one of the most amazing athletes of all time, and I suspect the overall field isn't quite as deep as it once was (maybe a function of doping controls?)
5. I would give up a month's paycheck to see Armstrong of 2005 go up against Contador of 2009.
6 A great tour for British cycling - Cavendish is the fastest man on a bicycle right now, and Brad Wiggins was one of the big, pleasant surprises of the tour. I think he is going to seriously contend for podium positions for many years to come. Cavendish is only 24 and already has 10 TdF stage wins - how many could he end up with? If he can improve his climbing ability - and this year should help; this is the first year he's completed the TdF - he will have a mortal lock on the green jersey for the next five years.
7. Who joins Armstrong at Team Radio Shack? Word is he's going after the Schleck brothers...but Andy is going to want go after TdF wins on his own right, not ride for someone else. Unless the agreement is to ride for Lance one more year, then Lance/team will ride for him after that. Certainly moving to a big American team would be worth a lot for Andy and Frank in terms of exposure, sponsor money, etc. Something to think about. Gotta figure Levi and Kloden will join Lance. How about Hincapie? He did a great job with Columbia HTC, and he is getting on in years - I personally think he'll stay at Columbia, but it would be cool to see Lance and George ride together again.
8. This tour's biggest disappointments: a) George missing out on the yellow jersey by five seconds, for reasons that remain unclear. b) Lance missing out on the jersey by less than a second after the team time trial - that would have been an amazing moment.
9 This year's biggest pleasant surprise not named Wiggins: Zero doping stories related to TdF riders (although guess we'll have to wait a few more weeks to be completely in the clear...)
2. Contador is only 26 years old. If he has 7 years of top-level riding in him, how many TdFs could he win?
3. I knew Contador was a good climber. What I didn't know was what a good time trialist he was - for me one of the most amazing aspects of his win was his win of the stage 17 individual time trial.
4. That Armstrong was third best in the tour at 37 years old *and* three years away from the sport says two things: he just may be one of the most amazing athletes of all time, and I suspect the overall field isn't quite as deep as it once was (maybe a function of doping controls?)
5. I would give up a month's paycheck to see Armstrong of 2005 go up against Contador of 2009.
6 A great tour for British cycling - Cavendish is the fastest man on a bicycle right now, and Brad Wiggins was one of the big, pleasant surprises of the tour. I think he is going to seriously contend for podium positions for many years to come. Cavendish is only 24 and already has 10 TdF stage wins - how many could he end up with? If he can improve his climbing ability - and this year should help; this is the first year he's completed the TdF - he will have a mortal lock on the green jersey for the next five years.
7. Who joins Armstrong at Team Radio Shack? Word is he's going after the Schleck brothers...but Andy is going to want go after TdF wins on his own right, not ride for someone else. Unless the agreement is to ride for Lance one more year, then Lance/team will ride for him after that. Certainly moving to a big American team would be worth a lot for Andy and Frank in terms of exposure, sponsor money, etc. Something to think about. Gotta figure Levi and Kloden will join Lance. How about Hincapie? He did a great job with Columbia HTC, and he is getting on in years - I personally think he'll stay at Columbia, but it would be cool to see Lance and George ride together again.
8. This tour's biggest disappointments: a) George missing out on the yellow jersey by five seconds, for reasons that remain unclear. b) Lance missing out on the jersey by less than a second after the team time trial - that would have been an amazing moment.
9 This year's biggest pleasant surprise not named Wiggins: Zero doping stories related to TdF riders (although guess we'll have to wait a few more weeks to be completely in the clear...)
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