A Stunning Weekend of Racing

Let’s not forget that the downhill season is in full swing. Not only was I hanging out with the current World Cup leader (well, ok I was at the same Red Bull Soap Box event that Gee Atherton was judging) but there was this new installment from Steve Peat:

Much of the cycling focus was on the Tour de France this weekend, as the race offered up one flat stage, one undulating one and then a killer long stage ending up Mont Ventoux. The flat stage should have been standard by rights. You know, a breakaway, reeled in and then a bunch sprint from the whole pack. However, smarting from their defeat on Thursday, Omega Pharma Quick-Step had other ideas. This plan was to tear apart the field form around 100KM to go putting Kittel’s Argos Shimano team under huge pressure and leaving him out of the sprint.

With huge power on the front Cavendish’s team tore the field into several parts in the cross-winds, before Saxo Tinkoff saw a chance as well, with Froome looking slightly lonely they attacked hard. Cav’s first big sprint of the race was to get onto the back of that move, where Froome was unable to explode across the gap, once again gradually abandoned by Sky.

The front group included some GC riders, including most importantly, Contador and a reduced group of sprinters, leaving only Sagan and Cavendish really likely to race for the win. OPQS controlled the group and Cav was able to brilliantly finish the move in front of Sagan, making up for his loss the day before, giving us a ridiculously exciting stage despite the flat and with the yellow jersey losing a minute of his lead. Cav is now joint third on the table of Tour stage winners and first if you discount time trial wins.

Saturday’s stage was, perhaps, more according to the script. It was a up and down day, with seven climbs and with teams tired from the day before and saving themselves for the big day on Sunday, a big break was allowed to go out and stay clear for once. The sprint between the breakers was won by another OPQS rider, a delighted Trentin.

The next day, Sunday, was a big day in the race. Largely uneventful until the race hit the Ventoux where the hopeful started to shoot off the front. Quintana was the most dangerous of the attacks to Froome, but some sterling power from Sky, with full commitment from Kennaugh and Porte to whittle the lead down and the pack down to a supremely elite group of Porte, Froome and Contador. Porte gave it all and as he fell off the front Froome attacked, seeming to break Contador and set off after Quintana.

Catching him Froome went straight over the top but was caught back by the Columbian and worked together on the climb, twenty seconds ahead of an isolated Contador, with constant attacks. Finally froome cracked Quintana and went alone towards the summit, taking a yellow jersey towards a finish on a mountain with a special place in British cycling heritage.

Froome took a stunning win and gained more time on any rivals in a day that will be special as the first British win on the mountain that claimed Tommy Simpson’s life. The race is on a rest day today and continues to be one of the most interesting contests I can remember in recent history.

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