Wednesday, July 22, 2009

The Last Word- Stage 17

The Queen's Stage was worth a king's ransom to the Saxo Bank squad today! Flying up five 'categorized' climbs in honor of their fallen comrade, the 'Saxo Siblings', Frank and Andy Schleck, used a combination of 'acceleration' and 'sizing up their competition' to shed all their challengers, save the Yellow Jersey of Alberto Contador. Oddly enough, it was the Spaniard's surge that would leave him with a 2 to 1 DISADVANTAGE as Andreas Kloden couldn't keep up on the Col de la Columbiere.

At the finish, Andy rewarded his brother with a strong lead-out to assure Frank would take the stage, after all his hard work on a day with over 12,000 feet of climbing.

Contador proved once again he can match anyone in the mountains, happy to concede the win today as an 'homage'- his ultimate goal made all the more easier by Saxo Bank's efforts.

The surprise story was Thor Hushovd, flying the Norwegian flag, and the Green Jersey through the first 3/4 of the race. He's supposed to be a sprinter, but today he climbed like a mountain madman. For his Herculean effort, he more than likely secured his 2nd Green Jersey.

One final note- Contador did not make any friends within his own team yet again. Kloden and Johan Bruyneel expressed displeasure with Alberto's uphill blast, and Lance refused to comment (once again) on the Spaniard's racing tactics. Alberto may very well end up winning (or losing) this Tour on his own- and friends may be a rare commodity for the Conquistador on the final climb up Ventoux.

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