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STAGE 16: BOBKE'S DAILY CALL IN
Bob Roll
July 22, 2008
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Once again the mountain stages of the Tour de France reminded everyone about what a spectacle the race truly is. For Barloworld rider John-Lee Augustyn they were also a reminder of how, as in life itself, you can pay big penalties if you lose your self-control. Johnny led the boys over the climb but when Popovych caught him Johnny lost control – literally - of his bike and sent his bike so far off into oblivion that he couldn’t retrieve it. That’s what happens when you try to boogie with the Boogie Man and today “Popo” was the Boogie Man. I can’t tell you how lucky Johnny was that he didn’t kreig it off a cliff or we’d still be looking for the body. I just saw the bike go by and it looks like it went through a meat grinder!
In other news, Cadel rode well as did Frank Schleck. Unfortunately, Vandevelde got shelled and it looks like he lost any chance for the podium in Paris today. Denis Menchov is still up there, but he looked like the Karate Kid hacking away on the descent today. Denis showed that he needs to work on his descending skills as he over-braked, got gapped and showed not one wit of flow.
As usual, the mountains provided us with the most exciting race action and acted as another reminder that no matter how hard idiots like Ricco try to kill the sport, they can’t. Bike racing will never die because it’s too beautiful.
Bobke’s Inside Line: The mountains are moolah. They’re what make the Tour such a grand experience. What other sport can provide so much beauty and drama on the open roads? It’s a stadium bound world out there and luckily cycling refuses to play along.
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