Watching all these dudes riding their bikes across France kinda makes me want to get out there, too. But by the time I’m through with my labors for VeloNews.com, it’s hotter than the hubs of Hell and I tend to lose interest in anything other than cold beverages.
I used to work the site with a laptop at a table on the back deck, which at least got me outdoors in the cool of the morning, but the “advance” of technology has made this impossible. Now I need two 22-inch monitors so I can follow the stage via video and have quick and easy access to e-mail, instant messaging and about a jillion browser windows.
To tell the truth, I could use a third monitor, like my colleague Charles Pelkey, but I haven’t got enough desk for it. So sometimes I power up the MacBook and leave it sitting atop the drawing board next to the desk.
All this, mind you, so I can follow and chronicle a stage that pretty much sucked ass. About the last 10km of today’s 196km stage were interesting, thanks to Alexander Vinokourov. Whatever else you can say about him — and you can say plenty — the dude loves to bring the pain.
Now that he has a stage win under his belt, Vino’ has vowed once again to work for Super Spaniard. And the defending champ will need all the help he can get. The next four stages are some bad mamma-jammas, and his main tow truck Dani Navarro hit the deck today, as did Jesus Hernandez, who seems to be having an even worse Tour than Radio Shackstrong.
Mad Blog Media 
“Vino’ has vowed once again to work for Super Spaniard.” I thought it was Vino’s job to work for Contador all along, wasn’t it? I mean, isn’t that why Contador has the “1” taped to his jersey, and, more importantly, why Vino doesn’t? Isn’t that was Vino gets paid for?
Astana must be really confident in ultimate victory if they can afford to have Vino fry himself in the final 10k of today’s stage. And this after two of their other mountain weapons wound up pulling an ‘Armstrong’ and winding up on the deck. I gotta think Vino will be celebrating today’s victory by being one of the first off the back tomorrow; at the very least, I won’t be looking for him to be chasing down any breaks.
Well, like all this week, I’ll be spending tomorrow sitting at home taking in the tour courtesy of Mr. Pelkey and Velonews. Seems I pulled an ‘Armstrong’ of my own last Saturday night and wound up getting a meat wagon ride out of it. Long story short: a grade 3 concussion (yes, I have experienced “missing time”) with a “minor” brain hemorrhage. Like there’s such as thing a “minor” bleeding in the brain, especially since it’s my brain (after all, it’s my second most favorite organ). The world is still spinning, but at least it’s counter-clockwise now so I figure it’s all finally unwinding and will be back to normal soon. Whatever “normal” is for me.
Ouch, get better soon John. Meanwhile I guess we can put to rest all the BigTex-fan boys talk of friction between AC and Vino? While Vino “owns” the team, he’s not dumb enough to throw away victory in Pair-ee by doing anything to screw with Il Pistolero’s progress. I dunno, but so far it’s been far from an exciting edition of Le Beeg Shew. But the final week could change all that, especially if someone besides Andy and Alberto try something — anything—–please—–someone?
John: Sorry to hear about your headspins. I trust the memories you are missing are ones best not remembered anyway. Get better soon!
I will now put on my aluminum foil prognosticator beenie.
Ah. Now I can hear myself think and not be interrupted by all those alien voices.
I believe Contador will mark Andy all the way to the time trial, take the yellow because of the time trial, and stroll into Paris with less than a two-minute margin of victory. I believe the only on-bike entertainment will come from the the green jersey race, the team race (I never believed in my life I would care what team finished first in the team category), maybe the polka-dot race, and who is willing to fight for third through 10th.
The real entertainment will start after the Tour concerning positive tests and a federal investigation. It’s kind of pathetic.
Why is the TdF such a big deal? Seriously, I can’t remember. The Giro is so much more fun to watch.
John, get better soon. I feel your pain, having broken more than one helmet over the years. Any more brain damage and I could become a Repuglican.
Larry, Jeff, I hear you. The Tour has become cycling’s version of Lombardi football. Get a lead and play defense, take no chances, avoid all risk. Bor-ing. The Giro and Vuelta are much more entertaining. And a good classic is more fun to watch than any of the grand tours.
It might be just the brain damage talking, but I have developed an odd compulsion to vote Republican lately. For example, I find myself gradually becoming a supporter of Scott McInnis. After all, he hails from the west slope, seems to be well versed in water issues, and has no problem accepting $300,000 for doing essentially nothing. Oh, and he won’t hesitate to toss an old friend under the bus to save his own ass. You just gotta respect a man like that. He should, nay, MUST be the next governor of our fine square state.
Meanwhile, they said I’d be feeling crappy from the concussion for at least a week. It’s been one week and eight hours and I’m still feeling the effects. I’m hoping I get all healed up before election day.
On another note: any chance that Pelkey and the gang at Velonews Live Update do re-runs of this year’s Giro? I got into it during the third week last May and I’d like to experience it from the beginning.
Patrick: Yes, the classics. Those are the best. Bad weather. Bad roads. Just one day to sort out who’s the hero and who are the goats. Lots of desperate moves in the last two hours. Oooh, I get all tingly just thinking about them (or maybe I’ve left my aluminum prognosticator beenie on too long).
John: Good to know you’ve knocked all reason out of your second favorite organ. It just makes voting so much easier. If Colorado will put McInnis in the state house, we’ll do our very best to put Perry in for a mindboggling third term so Scott can take Rick for elephant walks at the next Governors’ conference (Perry’s in charge of pledge hazing next year).
No argument about the Giro here, but I did one for Chairman Bill’s bikeraceinfo.com and he put it up against one Pat Brady wrote for the Tour so I won’t go into it again here. As to Le Beeg Shew, we sort of have to thank/blame BigTex for the Tour’s overwhelming dominance of everything cycling in the US. Some would like to blame/credit LeMond but Greg raced just about every race on the calendar back then, including Paris-Roubaix (take THAT Frandy Schleck!) at least before he was shot, then he pretty much used the Giro to get some form for LeTour and raced to win the World’s when the course suited him. The Vuelta’s rarely excited me, too many windswept roads in the desert and stages run on multi-lane highways. Perhaps with more wide open video coverage these days, the other races will gain in popularity with knowledgeable fans — the ones who are left once BigTex fades from the scene and takes up triathlon – which must make the Competitor folks salivate, eh? All kinds of running and swimming stuff to be endorsed by BigTex and sold to his fans to go with their Madone’s, etc.
7/18: Happy B-day to Dr Hunter S Thompson and Gino Bartali. Today’s forecast is for bad craziness.