Rest Day Two - Behind The Tour, Answers, Tactics

Sit back, relax (smoke 'em if you got 'em) and let Oude Granny take you on a little Rest Day (#2) sojourn.

Behind The Scene
So here we are folks on another Monday, and another off day from the Tour de France. Before we all get into the nitty-gritty of the upcoming stages in the Alps, I wanted to take you behind the scenes of the Tour de France.

One of my favorite things in the Tour de France (or in any other cycling race for that matter) is a mountain top finish (or because of Oude Granny's love for the one-day Classics, a finish with a berg near the line). As if the hundreds of kilometers these athletes traverse during a day isn't enough, Granny wants the proving ground of a steep incline to decide who's the strongest. Is Granny sadistic or what? Well, I wouldn't be true to my namesake if I didn't have the inclination for inclines (afterall what's a Granny for?)

Now if you follow this blog, and therefore cycling, we've all witnessed some great drama on the mountains. Who could forget Lemond's shadowing of Hinault in '86, "The Look" (Armstrong to Ullrich), "The Gift," (Armstrong to Pantani on Mont Ventoux), or even "The Musette Bag" (Armstrong and Mayo crashing)?

But have you ever wondered what happens after the final members of the peloton cross the line, the winner recognized, and the leaders' jerseys handed out? The Crankset was fortunate enough to be in the Pyrennes for the the final week of the 2003 TdF to experience the "after a mountain-top finish" spectacle.

Once the gendarme officially re-open the roads of the day's route what ensues is a bottle neck of seemingly catastrophic proportions. Thousands of spectators on foot, thousands of touring company cyclists, Tour officials, riders, buses, team cars, cars, and campers want (and need) to get off the mountain.

Although there are some teams that still actually wait out the traffic, many others choose to have their riders meet them at a specified location (somewhere at the base of the mountain). It's a practice which makes perfect sense as teams can get to their hotels earlier, and therefore clean up, relax, get treatment(s), get fed, and have mechanics work on (fix and wash) their bikes. In 2003, we were lucky enough to have former Postie, Kevin Livingston, guide us down the Tourmalet. By sheer happenstance, we ran into the US Postal Service team bus. The team physician was kind (and eager) enough to provide us with some insider information about Lance's physical condition, his skepticism of Tyler Hamilton's collarbone break, and how the riders actually get off the mountain. Interestingly enough, many of the team leaders get air-lifted by helicopter off the mountain, while even the most prestigious and hard working domestiques have to ride back down to find the team bus.

Chechu Rubiera After The Eventful Stage 15 in 2003

But as we've seen in this year's TdF the practice also has its drawbacks as Paolo Salvodelli got tangled up with a spectator while descending from the Pla-de-Beret. The two-time Giro champion abandoned the next day because of his injuries.

"Make A Hole, Il Falco In Full Flight." Maybe Not.

Photo: Casey Gibson

Answers
Granny isn't dealin' them, but rather searching for 'em. And not to the obvious questions like who'll win this year's Tour, or who's the strongest rider or team, but how or why the roads in and around Gap, France continue to be included in the biggest bicycle race. Sure the town is considered the launching pad into the Alps, but you'd have thought some of the roads would have been repaved since they claimed a victim in Joseba Beloki in 2003 (effectively ending his career as a Grand Tour prospect). This year, the roads claimed three victims (although the most spectacular of the crashes; Matthias Kessler flipping over a barrier, produced only a few scrapes and bruises) with Rik Verbrugghe the worse for wear, breaking his femur.

Same Ole Gap, Different Day
Photos: Graham Watson

Tactics
If you're one of the hundreds of people who've asked why Phonak and Floyd Landis would simply choose to give up the lead (and Maillot Jaune) then you're not alone. There used to be a time where it was an honor to wear the Maillot Jaune, defending the lead with every ounce of strength and energy that the overall leader and his team could afford. But those times are over. A new code/blueprint was written once Lance Armstrong and Johan Bruyneel teamed up and the race has never been the same. Knowing that Armstrong was the strongest rider in the bunch, Bruyneel and the US Postal brain trust would strategically allow the other teams to carry the mantle of responsibility for possessing the Maillot Jaune. But with this year's Tour, where it hasn't necessarily been revealed who the strongest rider is, the tactic has raised eyebrows (even within Phonak as Victor Hugo Pena has openly worried about Landis' chances). Some have speculated that there may be some type of agreement with former Phonak rider, Oscar Pereiro's new team Caisse d'Epargne and Phonak, whereby Caisse d'Epargne helps Phonak in the mountains.

Whatever their reason(s), Floyd fans need not fret. Even if Pereiro suddenly finds his climbing form and stays with Landis over the Alps, the penultimate stage, a 56km ITT will decided their futures (Landis bested Pereiro by approximately a minute and a half on Stage 7's 52km ITT course).