“Ouch….tough day! thanks to the boys…pretty pleased headin into the rest day!!!Not a bad spot to chill !
That was Ryder Hesjedal’s post-ride tweet, after a grueling day in the Alps yesterday, on the 8th stage of the Tour de France. The second day in the mountains—from Station des Rousses to Morzine—included two tough “category 1” climbs.
Hesjedal (Garmin-Transitions) proved he was a contender early, on 213-kilometre stage 3, with a breakaway over the bone-rattling cobblestones of northern France. With 30 kilometres to go, Hesjedal rocketed off the front, holding the lead until he was reeled in, a couple of kilometres short of the finish, by Thor Hushovd of Norway, Geraint Thomas of Wales and Cadel Evans of Australia.
On the hilly, fast-paced stage 7, he moved up to third place overall. Yesterday he slipped back to sixth, but the Victoria native, as commentator Phil Liggett noted, is “still very much in the Tour de France.”
Team Astana did an admirable job getting their man Alberto Contador in position, with Daniel Navarro suffering valiantly on the front of the peloton. Ultimately, it didn’t work. Young Andy Schleck (Team Saxo Bank), alone after losing his elder brother and teammate Frank to a broken collarbone on the pavé of the third stage, went off the front like a rocket. The only other rider to hold on was Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi) but he faltered at the line.
In the overall standings, the yellow jersey fell from the shoulders of Sylvain Chavenal to Evans. Schleck moves to second place, Contador takes third.
The only other Canadian in the tour, experienced domestique Michael Barry is riding for Team Sky in support of British hopeful Bradley Wiggins, last year’s fourth-place finisher. Wiggins, wilting in the heat on Sunday, slipped from 11th to 14th. Barry is in 107th place.
Maybe I just like to see the extended suffering, but as I tweeted, these climbing finishes attract my attention more than 70km/h sprints. Exciting as they are, I’m drawn naturally (at 5’4”) to the mountain stages and the endurance of the climbers.
The other big story of the day was the fall of Lance Armstrong … literally, as he was involved in no less than three crashes. But the Texan’s days as star of the Tour are at an end. He was resigned if not content to roll to the finish, a full 13′ 26″ back and 39th place overall. His job now will be to work for Team Radio Shack’s best bet Levi Liepheimer.
After winning le Tour a record 7 times, the cancer survivor retired for nearly four years, returning in 2009 to place 3rd to his Astana teammate Contador. The Armstrong era is over; but the man who brought the tour to America in the ’90s has earned his place in the pantheon of TdF heroes.
With Armstrong heading for final retirement, the spotlight shifts to young riders like Schleck and Hesjedal.
I’ve been following the tour since 1962, when my heroes were Britain’s benighted Tommy Simpson as well as French stars Jacques Anquitil and Raymond Poulidor, whose rivalry remains the stuff of legend.
Not since the days of Alex Stieda—the man who scooped every jersey category in stage one in 1989— and 11-time TdF veteran Steve Bauer have Canadians been inspired to such national pride in this epic race.
Today is a rest day, but another 204.5-kilometre mountain stage—from Morzine-Avoriaz to Saint-Jean-De-Maurienne—waits on Tuesday.
Go Ryder, go!
Update:
Hesjedal went on to a stunning 7th-place finish, consolidating his reputation as a “man to watch” in coming years.
Ryder Hesjedal.ca | Hesjedal on Twitter | Tour de France
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He has ridden a very cosistent race so far which bodes well for future tours. I tend not to get hung up on the nationality of cyclists but it is truely great to have a potential champion representing Canada.
Cyclists of Ryders calibre are too few in this country. I hope that trend changes.
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