My last first cross country meet. Of all the things that I will miss from high school, cross country is one of the greatest. I love cross country. My coach asked me during my first year of xc after a meet which seemed perfect, whether I liked track or xc better. I told him xc was growing on me but I liked track better because I liked running under the lights during the 1500. But then I fell in love with cross country. I love everything about it, the races, the practices, how everyone cheers everyone on, running through big crowds, running with no crowds, even the way no one else seems to care about the sport. I have even started loving what before I didn't enjoy.
In one of the few practices I went to during the two weeks we had practice before school started (I had to work), our team went to Vito's. Vito's is a restaurant up the street from my school so we actually run on the field next to it. It is flat for about 100m then turns left uphill with a path flanked by trees on each side. We usually run 200's there, done in 4 sets, with a minute rest between the first 200's, then 45 seconds, 30 seconds, and 15 seconds. It is also the site of one of the top three worst practices, when we ran 28 200's, 4 sets of 7, and didn't have the usual 3 minutes rest between sets. We usually only do 20 200's plus it was about 90 degrees that day. We were doing the 28 200's with the rest, in cooler weather, when we went to Vito's that day. I was turning the corner around a tree, in the middle of our workout, to the flatter part, when I realized something unusual. I was having fun. And then I told myself I couldn't be, we were at Vito's and doing a sprint workout. A combination that I very much dislike. But it was true. I was having fun. I was hitting my times (48 seconds) throughout the workout but that wasn't the only reason I was enjoying myself. It was a whole comination of things, racing others, running in the grass, running with my teammates, knowing I was one of the strongest, knowing I was the reason I was one of the strongest, knowing my coach was proud of me, knowing that I won't always get to run at Vito's, knowing that this is my last year of cross country and I'd better enjoy it. And I was.
I love cross country, even the little things. When running to our home course at Noelridge Park, so we could run the actual course, it was hotter than it had been. But then I told myself that this was cross country weather. And it didn't feel so hot or so hard. I didn't want to complain, I wanted to take it all in. So as I ran the course that day, I enjoyed it. I remembered everything that had taken place there, each different spot that we ran past that held a memory.
Last Thursday, we ran to Noelridge to do a pretty hard workout in the heat, after a few days of rain that were a lot of fun to run in. We were doing 4 minutes of hard running and 1 minute easy, 6 times, around part of the course, including a slight uphill. It was hard, it mostly sucked, and I was getting tired. One of my teammates was running with me for awhile but I really wanted to finish the workout in front on my own. And on the 5th one, I refound my legs. And it just so happened that a middle school cross country team was there running along a trail, which part of our path intersected. They were only running about a mile, so they were going a little faster than us. But when I came to a point where I was running with one of the middle school boys, I couldn't help it. I started racing him. I was near the end of my hard workout, with almost 20 minutes of fast running in, after a long and difficult week. But I raced him because it was fun. The kid probably thought it was weird that a girl at least four years older than him was doing this but it's not like he slowed down either. I just wanted to race, to have a little fun. I didn't think anyone had seen me, but when I had finished, my coach told me how awesome it was when I took that kid on.
For my last first cross country meet, I have two main goals. It is not a time, I'm not even sure how fast I can go. It is not beating specific people, although I would like to do so. They have nothing to do with anyone else. The first, is that I want to enjoy it. When it feels good and when it hurts, in the good moments and the bad, I want to take it in. I want to remember it all. I want to love it. My second goal, is to leave nothing. I am going to try my hardest out there, no matter how I am doing during the race. I will give my all. Because this is my sport. My favorite sport. I'm going to miss it. Because I love it.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
MY LAST FIRST DAY
I start missing the Tour de France about two weeks before it ends. Because just the thought of it ending and knowing it will end, is almost too much for me. Saying goodbye to the race is really hard. As Andy Schleck said, everything you work for all year is over in three weeks. And while it's great that it's over, it's also sad for the same reason. He was stating most of my thoughts about the end of the Tour de France. But he was also stating my feelings about high school.
My last first day of school was today. I received my last high school I.D. It was my last time experiencing the first day excitement when you see your friends again after a summer away. It was the last time my parents took my picture on the first day. My last time receiving the first day of school hugs. My last time returning to high school on the first day. My last time meeting my new teachers in high school. My last first after school cross country practice. My last time walking through the halls on the first day. One of the first times I truly realized that this is it. This is my last year in high school. It really is now or never. And yes, it is exciting. But it's also sad. Because of all the things that mean so much to me, that I will have to say goodbye to. All the things that I already miss. Because almost everything will change.
My last first day of school was today. I received my last high school I.D. It was my last time experiencing the first day excitement when you see your friends again after a summer away. It was the last time my parents took my picture on the first day. My last time receiving the first day of school hugs. My last time returning to high school on the first day. My last time meeting my new teachers in high school. My last first after school cross country practice. My last time walking through the halls on the first day. One of the first times I truly realized that this is it. This is my last year in high school. It really is now or never. And yes, it is exciting. But it's also sad. Because of all the things that mean so much to me, that I will have to say goodbye to. All the things that I already miss. Because almost everything will change.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
FLYING ON THE CHAMPS ELYSEES
I try to contain my excitement during stage finishes while watching the Tour with my sisters because they find me beyond weird. The last stage displayed such a show of dominance by Cav and Renshaw however, and as a Columbia and Cav fan, it was just too awesome. I might as well have been talking to myself but I kept saying that there was nobody near Renshaw in the leadout and then Cav took off. There was no one near him. As I watched Cav (and Renshaw, and George, basically the whole Columbia train) dominate, the only word I could use to describe the finish was "amazing."
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
A LUXEMBOURG SANDWICH
*The title of this post comes from Phil's comment when the first three riders crossed the finish line. It was hilarious. I'm not sure who else would've described the finish quite like that. Phil and Paul are the best commentators.
1. I almost predicted the winner of the stage. I thought Saxo Bank would win the stage, partly for Jens. They seen like a team who would honor their teammates. But also because they needed to do something to put time into others. The Schlecks are the only guys who can stay with AC in the mountains so it would have to be one of them. I had the right last name, but I didn't think Frank could do it. He stayed with them and he deserved the win.
2. A fantastic ride in the peloton came from big Thor Hushovd. I might be a Cav fan, but that was an awesome ride by Thor. Breaking away on a mountain stage while wearing the green jersey is the sign of a champion. I'm glad he responded to Cav's comments and took the jersey in a way that the DQ didn't matter. A great ride by the god of thunder.
3. I really dislike Garmin but Christian Vande Velde had a fantastic ride as well. He's a bit too American although I do like his interviews because he actually answers the questions, even the stupid ones. He really left it all out on the climbs and deserves some respect for that. As Paul said "He has dragged himself up to the front and is now turning himself inside out."
4. Franco Pellizotti got some matching shorts! No more color clashing.
5. Garmin boy was dropped. Good.
6. I don't understand why everyone's freaking out about AC's attack that dropped Kloden. Everyone's saying he's a bad teammate but I think he wanted to get Kloden with him off the front to put time into the Schlecks (which would help the possible Kloden podium) and possibly get Kloden the stage win. If that happened, everyone would be saying how great a teammate he is. AC probably thought that Kloden could go with him because he had been sitting on someone's wheel and looked good. But then Kloden is an experienced rider and knows how to hide the hurt. Even if the group had made in down together, he would've had to sprinted against the Schlecks, and by the way he fell off so quickly, I'm not sure he could have. By the way AC was looking back all the time, I think he realized that the move didn't work and that he had made it worse for himself. I don't think it's right to blame him though, Kloden couldn't keep up. And I like Kloden. He hasn't been getting the respect he deserves because of the rest of the Astana boys.
7. Another rider who hasn't been getting respect is Contador himself. People have been saying he's a bad teammate but really, what has his teammate done for him especially since Lance came back? Shoved him off to the side. And yes, Lance played teammate today. But AC doesn't seem to trust his team and I can understand why. He knows he won't be riding with them after this. As for the whole podium sweep, I thought JB just wanted yellow. And what if he asked Lance to help his domestiques to get on the podium. Lance would've said "sure but you better make sure I'm on the top step". AC is saying "sure, but I'll make sure I'm on the top step." He's looking out for himself first, which is understandable because everyone seems out to get him. Which makes me like him even more.
8. As I was making the rounds on Twitter and reading some online articles, I lost some respect for Johan Bruyneel, Lance, and Levi. If a rider doesn't follow team orders and the team is angry, talk to the rider. You don't tell the media/tweet and make AC seem like the bad guy. Don't ruin his Tour. If JB has a problem with the move, you talk to the guy. You keep it within the team. The worst comment, tweeted by Levi and followed up by Lance was "If Andreas finishes 4th in GC by less than 2' from third, we know where he lost it..." Kloden lost that time hauling Lance up Vierber. They need to keep their problems within the team, not telling everybody. Real classy guys. You could learn something from Saxo Bank.
9. The devil was spotted on today's stage. I've been wondering where he's been.
10. Jens Voigt might have had the most epic crash but Denis Menchov seems to be winning for most crashes.
11. Kenny Van Hummel crashed and is out of the Tour. I have a lot of respect for this guy who rode 190/200km by himself and managed to finish within the time cut. I think we all wanted him to make it to Paris. He has certainly gained some fans.
12. One rider who has really impressed me is Vincenzo Nibali. Although, is his name said Na-ball-ee (like Phil and Paul say it) or Nee-ba-lee (like Craig Hummer says it, although he's the same man that misprounounced Hincapie for an entire July). I'm liking Nibali, not only for his cool name. He can climb and TT. His descent down the last mountain today was pretty awesome. He was certainly going fast and surprised Lance. When they crossed the line though, it looked like Lance was this huge giant and Nibali was some skinny little kid.
13. Maybe I've been listening to Phil and Paul too much, but I think AC is actually dancing on the pedals. Or "tickling the pedals".
14. Saxo Bank has clearly mastered the "grimace of pain" or "mask of pain". Their workhorses drag the peloton up mountains and always seem to be on the verge of blowing up. Their faces show the effort they are putting in. Jens Voigt has obviously mastered it, it's common for him to be wearing the "mask of pain". Except Jens Voigt can't be in pain because he is Jens Voigt. The Schleck brothers showed a good example on the last climbs. They must be practicing with their teammates. Their expressions do let you know that they are giving absolutely everything. Another reason I like Saxo Bank.
15. As for the time trial, Go Spartacus!
1. I almost predicted the winner of the stage. I thought Saxo Bank would win the stage, partly for Jens. They seen like a team who would honor their teammates. But also because they needed to do something to put time into others. The Schlecks are the only guys who can stay with AC in the mountains so it would have to be one of them. I had the right last name, but I didn't think Frank could do it. He stayed with them and he deserved the win.
2. A fantastic ride in the peloton came from big Thor Hushovd. I might be a Cav fan, but that was an awesome ride by Thor. Breaking away on a mountain stage while wearing the green jersey is the sign of a champion. I'm glad he responded to Cav's comments and took the jersey in a way that the DQ didn't matter. A great ride by the god of thunder.
3. I really dislike Garmin but Christian Vande Velde had a fantastic ride as well. He's a bit too American although I do like his interviews because he actually answers the questions, even the stupid ones. He really left it all out on the climbs and deserves some respect for that. As Paul said "He has dragged himself up to the front and is now turning himself inside out."
4. Franco Pellizotti got some matching shorts! No more color clashing.
5. Garmin boy was dropped. Good.
6. I don't understand why everyone's freaking out about AC's attack that dropped Kloden. Everyone's saying he's a bad teammate but I think he wanted to get Kloden with him off the front to put time into the Schlecks (which would help the possible Kloden podium) and possibly get Kloden the stage win. If that happened, everyone would be saying how great a teammate he is. AC probably thought that Kloden could go with him because he had been sitting on someone's wheel and looked good. But then Kloden is an experienced rider and knows how to hide the hurt. Even if the group had made in down together, he would've had to sprinted against the Schlecks, and by the way he fell off so quickly, I'm not sure he could have. By the way AC was looking back all the time, I think he realized that the move didn't work and that he had made it worse for himself. I don't think it's right to blame him though, Kloden couldn't keep up. And I like Kloden. He hasn't been getting the respect he deserves because of the rest of the Astana boys.
7. Another rider who hasn't been getting respect is Contador himself. People have been saying he's a bad teammate but really, what has his teammate done for him especially since Lance came back? Shoved him off to the side. And yes, Lance played teammate today. But AC doesn't seem to trust his team and I can understand why. He knows he won't be riding with them after this. As for the whole podium sweep, I thought JB just wanted yellow. And what if he asked Lance to help his domestiques to get on the podium. Lance would've said "sure but you better make sure I'm on the top step". AC is saying "sure, but I'll make sure I'm on the top step." He's looking out for himself first, which is understandable because everyone seems out to get him. Which makes me like him even more.
8. As I was making the rounds on Twitter and reading some online articles, I lost some respect for Johan Bruyneel, Lance, and Levi. If a rider doesn't follow team orders and the team is angry, talk to the rider. You don't tell the media/tweet and make AC seem like the bad guy. Don't ruin his Tour. If JB has a problem with the move, you talk to the guy. You keep it within the team. The worst comment, tweeted by Levi and followed up by Lance was "If Andreas finishes 4th in GC by less than 2' from third, we know where he lost it..." Kloden lost that time hauling Lance up Vierber. They need to keep their problems within the team, not telling everybody. Real classy guys. You could learn something from Saxo Bank.
9. The devil was spotted on today's stage. I've been wondering where he's been.
10. Jens Voigt might have had the most epic crash but Denis Menchov seems to be winning for most crashes.
11. Kenny Van Hummel crashed and is out of the Tour. I have a lot of respect for this guy who rode 190/200km by himself and managed to finish within the time cut. I think we all wanted him to make it to Paris. He has certainly gained some fans.
12. One rider who has really impressed me is Vincenzo Nibali. Although, is his name said Na-ball-ee (like Phil and Paul say it) or Nee-ba-lee (like Craig Hummer says it, although he's the same man that misprounounced Hincapie for an entire July). I'm liking Nibali, not only for his cool name. He can climb and TT. His descent down the last mountain today was pretty awesome. He was certainly going fast and surprised Lance. When they crossed the line though, it looked like Lance was this huge giant and Nibali was some skinny little kid.
13. Maybe I've been listening to Phil and Paul too much, but I think AC is actually dancing on the pedals. Or "tickling the pedals".
14. Saxo Bank has clearly mastered the "grimace of pain" or "mask of pain". Their workhorses drag the peloton up mountains and always seem to be on the verge of blowing up. Their faces show the effort they are putting in. Jens Voigt has obviously mastered it, it's common for him to be wearing the "mask of pain". Except Jens Voigt can't be in pain because he is Jens Voigt. The Schleck brothers showed a good example on the last climbs. They must be practicing with their teammates. Their expressions do let you know that they are giving absolutely everything. Another reason I like Saxo Bank.
15. As for the time trial, Go Spartacus!
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
STAGE 15 AND 16
Stage 15:
1. Wow. Contador is simply amazing at climbing mountains. He makes it look as though he's not even trying. Phil and Paul were calling Andy Schleck a pure climber but he was suffering as he crossed the line. AC was not. AC looked like he could do it all again. He showed us why he is going to win the TdF.
2. Once Andy learns to time trial, it's going to be a great battle between him and Contador. I'm not sure which one I like better though.
3. It was good to see Fabian Cancellara in the break. Honoring the Swiss jersey he's so proud of in his country was awesome, as was all the giant Swiss flags that were flying or being used as capes by maniac fans.
4. Not sure what his name was, but the Lampre rider who was in the break was great. He didn't make the time cut in one of the last few stages but the directors let him stay because of cars/weather/something. He did a great job thanking them using his legs.
5. Much as I like Lance, I'm getting a little tired of all the fuss about him. Contador deserves so much more respect than what people are giving him. As do the other riders.
6. That being said, I can't say I was that upset when Lance got dropped. He needs to be put in place once in awhile.
7. I like seeing AC smile. And knowing that he completely and utterly destroyed everyone else.
8. Best Phil and Paul comments:
-2nd place, after Fabian Cancellara was in the break but then is pulling the remanents of the peloton up the mountain, Phil was asking Paul if he'd have anything left. Paul replied "never underestimate Fabian Cancellara". So true.
-1st place, "big" Jens Voigt was in the front giving everything he had. Paul said, twice, "Jens Voigt is trying to asphyxiate the peloton".
Stage 16:
1. As a tribute to Jens and his epic crash, I ran a more than 8.5 mile long route that consisted of all the hills around my neighborhood, in the pouring rain. I was going to do a 6 mile flat route but then I asked myself "what would Jens do?"
2. Jens Voigt is okay!!!!! I have watched the crash over and over, seen the infamous bump, the sparks flying because Jens Voigt is actually a terminator, and it still scares me. Jens Voigt says the greatest quotes ("shut up body and do what I tell you") and people say the greatest things about him. He's on a different level because of his strength and the respect he commands. It's sometimes hard to remember that he's just a skinny guy with a cool accent who likes to ride his bike and just happens to be completely and utterly amazing. Seeing the picture of him just lying on the road, that was hard. He's a great person and cyclist. Get better quickly Jens.
3. Wow. Lance was pretty good. Bridging the gap by himself that quick was impressive. I think he even surprised himself. But it makes me confused on who to cheer on. Because as much as I want AC and the others to beat Lance, I found myself urging him on. I don't want to see him on the podium though, unless he's on the top step. I don't want him being second best, but he's not going to be AC. I don't want Lance being dropped either. I would like to see Andreas Kloden show off his skills.
4. What is with Franco Pellizotti's hair? And if he's going to wear the polka dotted jersey, he needs matched shorts. The color combination did not look good.
5. Mikal Asterloza wins his first ever road race and it's at the TdF. Pretty cool. Plus it's also good to see the breakaways win because of the genuine happiness on their faces. And it's great seeing the Euskadel-Euskadi riders get a stage. I like the Basque boys especially with all the work they've been putting in on this Tour.
6. Cadels Evans has disappointed me. And I don't even like him. He was down a lot of time but he gave up during stage 15. When you give up, it doesn't matter if the legs are there, because you aren't going to try. I thought he was better than that.
7. I love the crazy fans on the mountains. When people talk about crazy fans in other sports, I always wonder the flag cape people and the naked guys are, among others. They can be dangerous but cycling would be missing something without the fans.
8. The Tour is awesome.
1. Wow. Contador is simply amazing at climbing mountains. He makes it look as though he's not even trying. Phil and Paul were calling Andy Schleck a pure climber but he was suffering as he crossed the line. AC was not. AC looked like he could do it all again. He showed us why he is going to win the TdF.
2. Once Andy learns to time trial, it's going to be a great battle between him and Contador. I'm not sure which one I like better though.
3. It was good to see Fabian Cancellara in the break. Honoring the Swiss jersey he's so proud of in his country was awesome, as was all the giant Swiss flags that were flying or being used as capes by maniac fans.
4. Not sure what his name was, but the Lampre rider who was in the break was great. He didn't make the time cut in one of the last few stages but the directors let him stay because of cars/weather/something. He did a great job thanking them using his legs.
5. Much as I like Lance, I'm getting a little tired of all the fuss about him. Contador deserves so much more respect than what people are giving him. As do the other riders.
6. That being said, I can't say I was that upset when Lance got dropped. He needs to be put in place once in awhile.
7. I like seeing AC smile. And knowing that he completely and utterly destroyed everyone else.
8. Best Phil and Paul comments:
-2nd place, after Fabian Cancellara was in the break but then is pulling the remanents of the peloton up the mountain, Phil was asking Paul if he'd have anything left. Paul replied "never underestimate Fabian Cancellara". So true.
-1st place, "big" Jens Voigt was in the front giving everything he had. Paul said, twice, "Jens Voigt is trying to asphyxiate the peloton".
Stage 16:
1. As a tribute to Jens and his epic crash, I ran a more than 8.5 mile long route that consisted of all the hills around my neighborhood, in the pouring rain. I was going to do a 6 mile flat route but then I asked myself "what would Jens do?"
2. Jens Voigt is okay!!!!! I have watched the crash over and over, seen the infamous bump, the sparks flying because Jens Voigt is actually a terminator, and it still scares me. Jens Voigt says the greatest quotes ("shut up body and do what I tell you") and people say the greatest things about him. He's on a different level because of his strength and the respect he commands. It's sometimes hard to remember that he's just a skinny guy with a cool accent who likes to ride his bike and just happens to be completely and utterly amazing. Seeing the picture of him just lying on the road, that was hard. He's a great person and cyclist. Get better quickly Jens.
3. Wow. Lance was pretty good. Bridging the gap by himself that quick was impressive. I think he even surprised himself. But it makes me confused on who to cheer on. Because as much as I want AC and the others to beat Lance, I found myself urging him on. I don't want to see him on the podium though, unless he's on the top step. I don't want him being second best, but he's not going to be AC. I don't want Lance being dropped either. I would like to see Andreas Kloden show off his skills.
4. What is with Franco Pellizotti's hair? And if he's going to wear the polka dotted jersey, he needs matched shorts. The color combination did not look good.
5. Mikal Asterloza wins his first ever road race and it's at the TdF. Pretty cool. Plus it's also good to see the breakaways win because of the genuine happiness on their faces. And it's great seeing the Euskadel-Euskadi riders get a stage. I like the Basque boys especially with all the work they've been putting in on this Tour.
6. Cadels Evans has disappointed me. And I don't even like him. He was down a lot of time but he gave up during stage 15. When you give up, it doesn't matter if the legs are there, because you aren't going to try. I thought he was better than that.
7. I love the crazy fans on the mountains. When people talk about crazy fans in other sports, I always wonder the flag cape people and the naked guys are, among others. They can be dangerous but cycling would be missing something without the fans.
8. The Tour is awesome.
OH, JENS
Oh, Jens Voigt. The most beloved member of the peloton became the tragic story on today's mountains. As I watched the stage this morning, when they said big Jens Voigt was in the break, I wanted him to win. He has the largest suitcase of courage. He was dropped off but he's still awesome. Then they said he had crashed, I freaked out. Jens Voigt is amazing. They showed his terrible crash, how he almost got run over by the motorcycle, how he just lay still, and for a moment, I think we were all speechless. Phil and Paul even forgot about Lance. And for the rest of the stage, I could care less about the GC contenders staying together, Cadel Evans losing time, Mikal Arstaloza finally winning (which was pretty great), and most of all Lance. They would show the crash but they didn't know what happened to him. Obviously he wasn't just lying on the road anymore. And then Phil and Paul said he lost conciousness and was on the way to the hospital. Jens Voigt, the best man in bike racing.
I watched a video once, of Jens Voigt and some other guys. They were riding their bikes somewhere and Jens Voigt was talking about how all of Germany hated him because they blamed him for the German cycling scandals. It was so sad. I hope he knows that the rest of the world loves him. And is praying for him to get better.
The pictures on cyclingnews.com are heartbreaking. Poor Jens. He really is absolutely wonderful. I hope he'll be okay. Afterall, Jens Voigt is a legend.
I watched a video once, of Jens Voigt and some other guys. They were riding their bikes somewhere and Jens Voigt was talking about how all of Germany hated him because they blamed him for the German cycling scandals. It was so sad. I hope he knows that the rest of the world loves him. And is praying for him to get better.
The pictures on cyclingnews.com are heartbreaking. Poor Jens. He really is absolutely wonderful. I hope he'll be okay. Afterall, Jens Voigt is a legend.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
BIG GEORGE GETS OH SO CLOSE
During the evening Versus coverage, a segment was done of favorite victory salutes and stage wins. On the bulletin board hanging in my room, I have the newspaper article and photo from my favorite stage. I have watched that victory salute so many times but I never get tired of the look on George Hincapie's face when he won stage 15 of the 2005 Tour de France. I love that stage. And I love George Hincapie. He's one of my favorite riders because he's the hardworking teammate who gives everything for someone else. When he does get a chance, it always seems to be taken away from him, through no fault of his own. Which makes today's stage so heartbreaking. I'm not sure if I have ever seen George Hincapie look as crushed as he was today. Because he deserved that yellow jersey. And I will try to be as unbiased as possible when I write about the newest drama in the peloton but it's going to be hard because I love big George, I love Columbia, and I can't stand Garmin.
What I saw as I watched the stage:
-Break goes away with George Hincapie and Jens Voight, two of my favorite riders.
-Jens Voight is out of the break after his mechanic forgot how to change a wheel quickly. He's mad because he is the king of epic breakaways and this could've been one of those.
-Astana at the front but not chasing. They could've let the break get a little more of a lead because they did want George to have yellow.
-AG2R starts chasing because, duh, they have the jersey and don't want to lose it.
-AG2R sucks at chasing because they've worn themselves out.
-Silence Lotto (team of Cadel Evans who I don't like) comes to the front for a little while for no apparent reason. They don't have a sprinter but they also don't have a guy in the break. They weren't at the front for long though so they don't have as much to do with it.
-Garmin bringing their guys to the front for no apparent reason. They have a sprinter but the breakaway was asured the stage win and Farrar has no chance at green. Not sure exactly what they were trying to do.
-Sergei Ivanov winning a great stage. The video of him breathing hard after the finish shows how hard he worked. Not sure why there wasn't cameras around him.
-Columbia doing the slowest leadout they've ever done.
-George losing out on yellow by five seconds. He is angry.
And now for my completely and utterly biased opinion on what happened in stage 14 along with all the conspiracy theories that went with it. George deserved yellow. In his 14th TdF, always being the hardworking teammate, it should have been his. Maybe he could've have used different tactics, rode a little faster, done something differently to get himself in yellow. But when the maillot jaune is on the line, I think you give absolutely everything you have. I don't think George could've rode faster. The yellow jersey is not given away as a present however, it's worn by those who earn it. After all these years, George Hincapie has earned a second yellow jersey. Which then evokes one of the many gentlemen rules of cycling. If "a legend like him deserved to be in yellow" and the guy isn't a threat on GC, the only team that should've been chasing is the team defending yellow. Yes, it might've been a gift, but it would've been well deserved. In another way, it would'nt have been a gift, but just following some basic rules of the peloton. Such as, if you're such a pro American team, you let the American legend get his jersey and not just chase him down for no other reason than you're a jerk. If Garmin is mad at Cav's trash talk (which he backs up) and at not beating Cav in the sprints, then race man to man. Taking away someone's chance at yellow because their team is more successful is not honorable. If they were mad at Cav, then they beat him at the line. Don't take it out on the nice guy in the peloton.
There's a lot of pointing fingers right now and it seems that everyone is talking except big George. We all know that AG2R couldn't have kept that jersey by themselves, they couldn't have done that chase on their own. We saw Garmin chase. And now Columbia is blaming other teams and thie Tour now sucks (I don't think I'm knowledgable enough to comment on Cav's sprint DQ but I do think it's unfair). The Garmin boys are saying they just did what they were told to do, as they were just "pawns in their game", which brings up even more questions. Can the riders do anything without someone higher up's permission? What is Jonathon Vaughter's problem?
I hope it was worth it Garmin. Because you just screwed yourselves. Columbia is a very strong and united team. They won't let this go. Because Garmin took away the chance of a lifetime, the chance to wear the maillot jaune from a man that deserves it more than any Garmin rider will. Jonathon Vaughters can say all the BS he wants but it won't change how his team disgraced themselves. They just made a lot of people angry when this stage could've been great for everyone but AG2R. This is all just my opinion of course. I think this Johan Buryneel quote best sums up what went on during this stage.
"Obviously it was clear they didn't want to see him in the jersey. If you start to race like that, to go against the success of other people, ultimately it comes back, and I think that is what is going to happen.
Columbia is not going to be happy. It's going to be a battle of American teams, and it's not a battle of results. It's a battle of not wanting somebody else to be in the spotlight. I didn't like that. I didn't like what I saw. I don't think George will be very happy. I know George has a lot of friends on Garmin. I don't know if they wanted to do what they did. I expect that this will have another story to it in the future."
Garmin sucks. Big George Hincapie rocks. Summary of that stage.
What I saw as I watched the stage:
-Break goes away with George Hincapie and Jens Voight, two of my favorite riders.
-Jens Voight is out of the break after his mechanic forgot how to change a wheel quickly. He's mad because he is the king of epic breakaways and this could've been one of those.
-Astana at the front but not chasing. They could've let the break get a little more of a lead because they did want George to have yellow.
-AG2R starts chasing because, duh, they have the jersey and don't want to lose it.
-AG2R sucks at chasing because they've worn themselves out.
-Silence Lotto (team of Cadel Evans who I don't like) comes to the front for a little while for no apparent reason. They don't have a sprinter but they also don't have a guy in the break. They weren't at the front for long though so they don't have as much to do with it.
-Garmin bringing their guys to the front for no apparent reason. They have a sprinter but the breakaway was asured the stage win and Farrar has no chance at green. Not sure exactly what they were trying to do.
-Sergei Ivanov winning a great stage. The video of him breathing hard after the finish shows how hard he worked. Not sure why there wasn't cameras around him.
-Columbia doing the slowest leadout they've ever done.
-George losing out on yellow by five seconds. He is angry.
And now for my completely and utterly biased opinion on what happened in stage 14 along with all the conspiracy theories that went with it. George deserved yellow. In his 14th TdF, always being the hardworking teammate, it should have been his. Maybe he could've have used different tactics, rode a little faster, done something differently to get himself in yellow. But when the maillot jaune is on the line, I think you give absolutely everything you have. I don't think George could've rode faster. The yellow jersey is not given away as a present however, it's worn by those who earn it. After all these years, George Hincapie has earned a second yellow jersey. Which then evokes one of the many gentlemen rules of cycling. If "a legend like him deserved to be in yellow" and the guy isn't a threat on GC, the only team that should've been chasing is the team defending yellow. Yes, it might've been a gift, but it would've been well deserved. In another way, it would'nt have been a gift, but just following some basic rules of the peloton. Such as, if you're such a pro American team, you let the American legend get his jersey and not just chase him down for no other reason than you're a jerk. If Garmin is mad at Cav's trash talk (which he backs up) and at not beating Cav in the sprints, then race man to man. Taking away someone's chance at yellow because their team is more successful is not honorable. If they were mad at Cav, then they beat him at the line. Don't take it out on the nice guy in the peloton.
There's a lot of pointing fingers right now and it seems that everyone is talking except big George. We all know that AG2R couldn't have kept that jersey by themselves, they couldn't have done that chase on their own. We saw Garmin chase. And now Columbia is blaming other teams and thie Tour now sucks (I don't think I'm knowledgable enough to comment on Cav's sprint DQ but I do think it's unfair). The Garmin boys are saying they just did what they were told to do, as they were just "pawns in their game", which brings up even more questions. Can the riders do anything without someone higher up's permission? What is Jonathon Vaughter's problem?
I hope it was worth it Garmin. Because you just screwed yourselves. Columbia is a very strong and united team. They won't let this go. Because Garmin took away the chance of a lifetime, the chance to wear the maillot jaune from a man that deserves it more than any Garmin rider will. Jonathon Vaughters can say all the BS he wants but it won't change how his team disgraced themselves. They just made a lot of people angry when this stage could've been great for everyone but AG2R. This is all just my opinion of course. I think this Johan Buryneel quote best sums up what went on during this stage.
"Obviously it was clear they didn't want to see him in the jersey. If you start to race like that, to go against the success of other people, ultimately it comes back, and I think that is what is going to happen.
Columbia is not going to be happy. It's going to be a battle of American teams, and it's not a battle of results. It's a battle of not wanting somebody else to be in the spotlight. I didn't like that. I didn't like what I saw. I don't think George will be very happy. I know George has a lot of friends on Garmin. I don't know if they wanted to do what they did. I expect that this will have another story to it in the future."
Garmin sucks. Big George Hincapie rocks. Summary of that stage.
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