Missed It By That Much

I can't recall the last time two individuals from the same team were on the final podium of the Tour de France [the making of great trivia question, oui?], but as this year's Tour wraps up we'll be privy to something historic as Alberto Contador and Levi Leipheimer (Discovery Channel) will be standing shoulder to shoulder on the Champs Ellysees.

It would have been even more historic if Levi was on Contador's right than on his left on the final podium. After a more than valiant effort in today's final ITT, Leipheimer ended up 8 seconds shy from displacing Cadel Evans (Predictor-Lotto) for second place.

Or is he really 2 seconds ahead of Evans?

I think one of the most disappointing things in sports is when the outcome of an event is decided not by the players on the field, but by the officials. Because of the inability of some riders', to so speak "keep it in their pants," [or not cheat], and the Tour officials sending them packing, that's exactly how the outcome of this Tour was decided, by the officials.

In Levi's case, both his aspirations for the overall victory and for making the final podium were due to judgement calls by the officials. With Michael Rasmussen dismissed, Levi secured a spot on the podium. But on the other hand, if it weren't for a 10 second penalty he incurred on that crash filled Stage 8, Levi (Photo: Graham Watson) would now be second [being 2 seconds ahead of Evans], and therefore still would have made the podium even with Rasmussen present.

The Tour officials giveth and the Tour officials taketh away!