Thursday, July 7, 2011

Stage 7 and more

Just finished watching stage 6...rain rain go away. I HATE riding in wet conditions...amazingly YESTERDAY was all the crashes when the roads were bone dry...and today there was very little. So very sad for Levi...don't even know what happened...Phil (or Paul...can't remember which) said they thought he was on the white line and tires slipped...looks like he slid along the guardrail briefly before kissing the pave...but he appeared to be ok, just a very unfortunate time loss which he will have an almost impossible time getting back. At least Klodi and Chris are staying out of trouble (NO JINX PLEASE!!)

Tomorrow morning (Friday) I drive up to Davis...for the long LIVESTRONG weekend...it should be a BLAST! Angie, Greg and I all have tickets to the ball on Saturday night (the Awards banquet)...Team Fatty swept the awards and we will have 41 of us there I think...Lance should be there too so we will hopefully get some time up on the stage after the festivities with him (like we did in Austin 2 years ago). Tomorrow evening is our private tour/dinner at the bicycle hall of fame...which should be very cool. Angie has been busy, as she arranged this for the team...way to go SISTA! And Sunday is the ride. They brought back the 'front of the line' start for us this year...so we get to play chase with the police escorts as we zip thru Davis...not sure how long it will be, but it was around 9 miles back in San Jose until they dropped off and left us to 'rules of the road'. It' ws great fun to ride RIGHT behind a police escort...however it's also QUITE brutal...as they speed up and slow down at EVERY single intersection as the motorcycles zoom by and block both sides so we can zip thru...so we go from about 22mph down to about 17mph and then back to 22mph...do this a few hundered times and see how your legs feel...(the accelertaoin back to 22mph is FAST). Last time I did this by the time we got done with the 'fun' part I was whipped and worried cuz I still had 91 miles to go.

But no worries, however it works out it will be a grand weekend. Of course I think we'll almost totally miss this little bike race...the DVR will be recording them but the only possible way to get thru them is to FF at about 300x speed unless you see something exciting...once you get behind in your stage viewing it's hard to catch up...kind of like Levi falling off near the end.

I will have my laptop with me so hope to maybe post some pics here and there...but don't stop talking...it's great fun to have everybody back yakkin' it up!

GAME ON!

25 comments:

  1. Have a great time Matt! You've certainly earned it!

    I think my lawnmower is a racing fan too -- it has quit---so I can't mow, might as well watch the race!!

    I've got my new TV! I only got a 26" because I really thought 32" would be too dominating --but now that I have it set up, maybe the larger size would have been okay--but I am content. I have to rearrange things though since I hooked it up with my VCR inline, then discovered that there is no way it will record. Whoops. Plus, the VCR may be actually making the picture of lower quality (why I don't see a big diff from my old TV? although that always had an exceptional picture quality)
    Next, I want to see if there is any option of DVR type recording without having to pay the cable company every month! I've heard that it can be done with Windows 7--and my computer IS 8 years old and always giving me low memory warnings...and MicroCenter has new laptops for less than $300....with a laptop, I could connect the computer to the TV and watch the spring races there, I think!!!

    Okay, back to the race--so sad for Levi, such a silly fall, but maybe this will work out the best for RS to be consolidated behind only 2 leaders (1 would be better, but that hasn't come clear yet). He is a great time trialist, though, I wonder how much time he could make up there, like he did in Suisse?

    Really glad that I dropped Petacchi from my team (yes I went back and changed it again). But somehow I left Rojas on the bench yesterday(swear I didn't mean to) so missed his 66 points!

    Do you think that the pre-stage video from the team buses is showing how it really is, or are the cameras inhibiting the discussion? Cathy, do you have any insight?

    QS is also having the bad luck!! I feel so bad for Boonen -- now this---It seems to me that his head isn't fully in it either somehow. With Chava also injured, they are not going to have the Tour I expected.

    Okay, I missed Wednesday's code word. Can anyone rescue me again?

    Rae

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  2. Rae, I don't watch early enough to see the videos from the buses, but in general the team director will tell the photographer when they can join in the team meeting. So perhaps there will be some private discussion before the camera is allowed in, but it might be a stage of no interest to the team so the camera could be allowed the entire time (if the team has no aspirations for the day). Here's a link for video from our team meeting yesterday - I can tell you this is very typical in tone and content. Also there is a link below to a photo essay of life on the bus. Both give great insight to team life.

    http://www.johanbruyneel.com/news_articles/2011tdfst6video.html

    http://www.livestrong.com/teamradioshack/news_behind-lines-the-wheels-bus-a-look-tour-de-france-transfers/

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  3. Matt, forgot to say that when something remarkable happens with the team, like Jani's crash or Levi's crash, I will include a quote in the day's race report that explains what happened (unless our Blackberrys break down and we have no connection!).

    And you'll be happy to know my husband is battling with me over the TV this morning because he wants to watch the space shuttle launch! Especially thankful for Tivo during July!

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  4. ****SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT!*****

    Team Radio Shack has become Team HIGHLANDER ("and there can BE ONLY ONE"....)

    So upset for Horner & Levi! It's just so freakin SAD! What was that movie when the woman goes "I can't speak, I can't speak!"? Well, I know how she felt! Don't know at this point how bad it is for Chris, but I heard at the end of the Eurosport coverage that he's going to the hospital in pretty bad shape. :( :(

    And poor Team Sky - once again, Lady Luck at the Tour proves she's a capricious b*tch! Win one day's stage, the 1st for the team at the Tour & the next, your MAIN guy is OUT of the race!

    I had so much I wanted to chat about today but I'm so depressed it will have to wait. Heal up Horner & don't give up Levi! The way this race is going, who KNOWS what will happen the next 2 weeks!

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  5. SPOILER INFO REGARDING TRS:

    Levi is fine, Horner is being evaluated and Klodi is the sole team leader now. Good luck just around the bend, we're sure.

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  6. Checking in from Davis....holy cats! I didn't know Horner was hurt...I thought he was in that group of 80 or so (the 2nd peleton)...damn damn damn! I figured he only lost the 3:09 that the 2nd group finally finished at...and I knew Levi lost even more as his rear wheel change he lost the 2nd group. What a horrible 2 days for the Shack!

    And watching Boonen riding along the car, then stopping and next thing you know he's getting in the car...wow. What a sad moment for him (and his team). I bet it feels HORRIBLE to abandon the race.

    As to Davis, it's' freakin' HOT up here...Greg says the weather on his crackberry shows only 95...but to me that's REALLY hot...gonna be a tough 100 miles on Sunday. Oh well..lots of water and take it easy (yeah, right).

    OK...think we are going to go out and about some in the heat...the hotel is on the UC Davis campus...they even have loaner cruiser bikes at the hotel...might cruise around some, as the bike/ walk paths are abundunt, and roads not so much. Find out where tonight's event is at (the US Bicycling Hall of Fame), and the park for tomorrows festivities.

    Later gaters!

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  7. And Rae, I think the code word for yesterday was "Watt" (or was that today?)...and the day before that (Weds) I can't seem to remember...seems that it was 3 words, "leader something something"....anybody?? (I have them written down day by day back at my desk at home).

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  8. OMG you guys. I came home from work and watched two and a half men rerun (yes, I am a whuur) then caught up with the TdF (didn't look at the early am recap before work). Crap shit f**k. I burst into tears. Chris???? Unconscious in a gutter????? As a nurse, I was most freaked when he got up (don't they know from necks fractures?), and rode to the end. DUDEs you're killing me. When he kept asking if he finished over-and-over, I was really worried again. I am hoping he didn't have an epidural bleed (which are usually arterial and can kill you--think actress N Richardson). Most likely he has a very serious concussion, which as everyone knows from all the coverage of football injuries the last couple of years, can be very serious especially when they happen more than once. Each time it happens it is worse because it's compounded. Does anyone remember if he's done this before? I don't recall, but as you may remember, I am one of the elderly here T? you here? She makes me feel younger.

    What a way to start Tour viewing today. Boonen out with a concussion (I didn't know he was struggling and symptomatic--they should have taken him out yesterday), Horner out. Wiggens... What happened to Gessing (sp?) he has a concussion too? And Levi, oh man, riding the rail in a most unfun way.

    I have been so impressed with Horner's performance, 39 y/o, nice and what a good rider. Is he ever depressed or pissed? I still miss his analysis, he's got great insights.

    I've only been watching the Tour for 7 years, but this is the messiest, scariest one I remember. Oh, but there's that memory thing I've got......someone told me today that the key to happiness is a poor memory. Right.

    ~cat

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  9. Horner isn't out yet. He is being held overnight for observation. I think that video is frightening except that he keeps saying: "But did I finish?" I think the doctor who treated him should be expelled from the race. What if he had been riding like that on a descent?

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  10. Just came over here to check in and commiserate... so upset about Chris - P&P were just saying he's never not smiling, and there he was lying on the gurney asking what happened.

    This feels like the racing gods took a couple of nice flat stages and played pick-up sticks with the riders. Wonder what the mountains will bring?

    Nice win for Cav today.

    Barbara

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  11. Oh, and Matt, have fun and have a great ride with the Fattys and Lance. WIWT.

    We watched the launch today in the office. I remember watching when the very first shuttle landed - it was so amazing!

    Barbara

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  12. Just finished watching the stage -- Poor Chris Horner!!! Yes, that video was VERY scary! Thank the Lord that the CT scans are okay so far (but they MUST do one again in the morning, sometimes bruising in the brain tissue doesn't show up right away!) It certainly would not be in his best interest to stay in the race with that degree of concussion (IMHO). I understand how heart-breaking it would be, he's in the form of his life, first chance to be team leader at the TdF, and pushing 40, but he's got to think long term quality of life. Cat, seems to me he was out once years ago with a head injury--or maybe that was DZ?

    They said that the team MD had an ambulance follow Horner and an escort riding with him. I guess they were trying to preserve his chance to continue, but I agree, the exertion certainly couldn't be good for his injury!

    Thanks for the link, and the updates, Cathy!

    What caused that crash? Change in wind direction? Ramping up for the sprint? This has been a disastrous Tour so far for so many!

    Thanks for helping me with the code words, if I don't write them down right away I forget them--and somehow I just never saw it on Wed.

    Okay, did Renshaw do it again in the intermediate sprint or did my eyes deceive me? Looked like as he finished his lead out, he looked at Gilbert then moved over to block him.

    Rae

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  13. NOOOOOOOOO! Not Horner! I was terrified for him when I saw those video clips of him finishing the race and then getting into the ambulance. I CANNOT believe that the race doctor let him finish like that. And how the heck DID he finish like that?? When I saw him at the race docs car, he looked like he was riding fine and I thought that he was maybe consulting about an abrasion or possible fracture or something. When I saw how out of it he was I just kept thinking about Saul Raisin and how they thought that he was fine at first.... Crossing all of my fingers that Chris will recover quickly. I don't think that there is any way that he could/should ride tomorrow. they can't take the risk of another head injury on top of this one, certainly. At least I hope not. Sincere thanks for the links and updates, Cathy!

    I was cheering on Boonen when he valiantly finished the stage the other day, but also didnt' realize that he was a bit out of it and his head was spinning. I read on one of the cycling sites that Cancellara had ridden back to the QS car to tell them that he shouldn't be riding (that must have been today, I guess) because he was a danger to himself and others.

    Sad.....
    I was REALLY looking forward to seeing what Chris could do on the climb tomorrow.

    Cav did have an amazing day today! I so hope that HTC finds a new sponsor - they are such a great group. A sponsor should come on right now so that Cav could do one of his "special salutes" at the finish for them ;)

    Crossing all of my fingers that Chris is on the mend and that we don't see any more serious injuries!

    Have a GREAT weekend Matt!!!! Can't wait to hear about it!

    Oh - so glad to hear from you too Cat!
    -Janann

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  14. Oh, and Rae, I thought that I saw Renshaw do that too! Hmmmmmm.....
    -Janann

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  15. Also noticed when Jens was at the front, he really looked like he was suffering, while the Lithuanian guy next to him was just cruising. Has Jens crashed also? Hope it isn't retirement looming for my favorite racer.

    Janann, where did you see that tidbit about Fabian/Boonen? I'd like to read it.

    Rae

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  16. Saw lots of comments yesterday comparing Horner to Jens in regards to "tough guy" status! Chris didn't start today, thankfully, but his scan was clear and he's doing much better. I think he's having trouble walking because of the hematoma on his calf. Get well, Horner! We will miss you in this Tour.

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  17. I'm still stunned. When I wrote my comment right after the stage finish yesterday, I had NO idea (thanks to the half-a$$ Eurosport coverage & the sucky French TV feed) what had actually happened to Horner. Finally, in the late afternoon, I saw the video footage on Bicycling.com & OMG! Of course, now, everyone is trying to cover their asses as to WHY he was allowed to finish, but the even bigger question is HOW did he finish?! It's devastating for Chris & The Shack. Horner was in the form OF HIS LIFE & having the SEASON of his life. And that was probably the 1st & only chance as a protected rider at the Tour. D*MN! How can you not shed some tears? And then seeing more of the footage of Chris going to the ambulance on VS last night, man, the kleenex box in my house got some action, I tell ya.

    Anyway, I've read that HE would not take 'no' for an answer & was determined to get on the bike & finish. Can a concussion have not shown itself to full effect right away? Heck, he WAS unconscious in the ditch, you'd think they would all know SOMEthing was terribly wrong!

    Meanwhile, the Eurosport coverage did not show ANY of Horner except for that small bit of him riding along the medical car (none of the ditch, etc). No, they were still going on & ON about Wiggins. I felt terrible about Wiggins too, but one of the Eurosport guys sounded & acted like he'd been shot or something. I'm not kidding - the guy went WAY over the top. Kinda like ME in my house when I'm watching ( ;), but I'm not commentating on TV!

    As for the French TV feed - the day before, the cameras were CONSTANTLY on Boonen during & after his crash. The entire freakin way to the finish. And we only got to see that one car clip of Chris. And they HAD to have known he'd been in the ditch as they have race radio! Plus, he was a GC contender & Boonen has not factored (in or even been AT) this race since 2007! Just had to harrump that out there, makes me feel a LITTLE better, I guess. :(

    And then poor Levi, losing even more time with that tire! AND almost all the other Shackers went down at least once too. SHEESH! I agree with Levi - there are always crashes & chaos the 1st week but this year it's been over the top. What do you all think is causing it?

    I was poring over the Results last night trying desperately to find SOME good news, SOME little bit of sunshine & well, CVV wasn't involved in that massive crash & so jumped up 11 spots. Both he & Tommy D (poor Ryder - not so lucky). So, that's SOMEthing! :) And Cattle still looked fabulous with our guy George doing whatever he can to help him (although I think George was also caught up in that crash).

    Anyway, I'm hoping & praying that Horner really is ok, well as ok as one can be with a severe concussion, broken nose & hematoma on his calf. And that he heals up fast & can race again soon in whatever races he chooses. Man, I STILL can't believe it. It's almost like last year's Stage 8 all over again! Or as I remember it - 'Sunday Bloody Sunday'.

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  18. CRAP! Was writing a 2nd comment & it just VANISHED!

    Anyway, in case you thought I was done today - nooooooo! I'm just gettin started!

    So, 1st week is done. What have we seen, what do we know? Hows about a Little Recap?! Complete with giddiness, despair, snark, & tears. Sound like Cav, don't I? ;)

    Stage 1 - a great start for the, er, Contador non-fans! We saw the expected uphill sprint win for PhilGil & a HUGE crash at the final 10K which held up half the fellas. Giddily including that new vegan Pistol Punk & unfortunately the entire Garmin GC line-up. It may surprise you to know that I do NOT blame AC for his predicament, no, he wasn't really that far back, so blaming him for "not paying attention" is (regretfully) uncalled for. BTW, I've watched that tape now about 30 times & the poor yellow-shirted woman was NOT at fault! She was NOT in the road. Nope, she was about a foot back where most the other spectators were standing (still too close really). She did look to the front of the zooming peloton as it was flying past, but it was the Astana rider who veered into her. And then instead of falling to his right, off the side of the road, he pinged back INTO the peloton, causing that chain reaction chaos.


    Stage 2 - TTT & Garmin spun a little Etta James!

    "AT LAST, our victory has come along
    Our winless days are over
    And life is like a song
    Oh, yeah, AT LAST!"

    Yep, Garmin finally won the much coveted TTT! They've worked so hard for it, really had a FABulous ride & how great for their 1st Tour victory ever to be a TEAM victory? One thing I think we also thought from seeing/hearing JV's oh-so-inspirational words of wisdom to his boyz out on the road is "Wait, THAT guy is a DS? No, seriously?!"

    Other take-aways from the TTT : Radio Shack did not have a great ride (finished 6th!) but Saxo did (for them). And then there was Superman & the Trekers (aka Leo) - I think maybe Spartacus really IS a BORG! BTW, did anyone else notice Frank Schleck took NOT ONE pull in the final 2 THIRDS of the course? Nope, when the front guy pulled off & slotted back into line, he did so BEFORE #18 (Frank), so Frank was always the last guy in line. Frank has said that while riding the TTT, he'd been hit in the face with a fan's camera AND that a bee flew in his mouth & stung him. IN the mouth. Hmmmmm, I've been around many people stung by bees in the face & throat & the VERY least is it would hurt like h*ll AND swell UP. Did anyone see any swelling at all around his mouth/cheeks the day after? I didn't.

    Anyway, a somewhat by-product of Garmin's TTT victory is that Thor is in Yellow. Something we'd surprisingly be seeing a lot more of as the days rolled on.

    Stage 3 - this time Garmin cranked up a little Cece Peniston -

    "FINALLY, it has happened to me
    Right in front of my face
    And I just cannot hide it!"

    Yep, Tyler Farrar got his Tour sprint win! Whoooo-hoooo! Could NOT have happened to a nicer & more deserving guy. Tyler gives lie to the belief that sprinters need to be arrogant a$$holes. (BTW, even if HTC does continue, I'll be surprised if Cav is still with them - did you read the criticism from his DS? In the past, Bob Stapleton would not have allowed that & I think this just shows that they know Cav is moving on.)

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  19. Stage 4 - Ahhh, Cattle : 3, Pistol Punk : 0 Anyone else remember that old Hershey's commercial?

    "The cows are up in arms
    They've left their fields & barns
    They're marching from their barns because...
    Contador is riding the Tour!"

    Wait, you don't remember it JUST like that? ;) Well, every day Cadel (aka Cattle) bests ole Pistol Punk, that's the tune in MY head. And Cattle got 'im today! Right at the line, where AC embarrassingly threw his arm up in mistaken victory. Ahhh, it was bliss. :)

    The total surprise on the day (other than AC's... ;) was that Thor made it up the hill along with a small handful of GCers. Who IS that guy?! Maybe HE's a BORG too?! (If anyone hears him utter "Resistance is futile", RUN!)

    All in all, the 1st 4 days were just FAB-U-LOUS. Little did we know what danger lurked...

    Dunh-dunh-dunnnnnnnnh!

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  20. Stage 5 - Crash, crash, crash & crash. It was carnage! No rain but narrow roads & a VERY twitchy, nervous peloton = a crash fest & the 1st of three VERY bad days for The Shack. Two of the biggest names - Jani out of the Tour with broken collarbone & concussion & Boonen crashed & rode to the finish in dazed pain. Cav took the win (his 16th Tour win) even though his much vaunted HTC "train" fell apart for the 2nd day. Tyler was not a factor as his legs were spent helping protect the yellow jersey all day (although HE never said it like that). Yep, Thor still a ray of Norwegian sunshine.


    Stage 6 - a surprise win by Boss Hog! Oh, you nitpickers - Boassen Hagen of Team Sky. Happy?! Sky's 1st ever Tour win. With all the money that team has to spend, if they had not won SOMEthing this year, well, it would have been TENSE on that super tricked-out bus! Hope they celebrated a LOT that night....! Meanwhile, another bad day for Radio Shack as Levi tried his hand at a little rail surfing. Let's all be thankful he's mostly alright & still in the race even though his chance at the win is over & his possibility for the podium took a BIG hit.

    Thor - still in yellow.


    Stage 7 - Flat stage expected to end in a mass sprint & it did - Cav won. But the big story of the day is that after crawling along for most of the day, the peloton decided to branch out into a new "sport" - demolition derby at the final 38K mark. Still don't know why or even WHERE in the peloton the crashing began. And if, at the start of the day, we had thought surely The Shack's bad luck was over, we were MISTAKEN - worst day yet for Johan's boyz. Almost all the boys hit the floor at least once & Levi was caught up in the massive crash & thus lost more than 3 minutes as he came in with the latter half of the peloton. BTW, I mis-typed up above - Levi's tire change did NOT cause him to lose more time, just caused him more aggravation as somehow he caught up with the other chasers.

    But, worse news for Shack is what happened to Horner - also caught up in the massive crash, ended up 10 ft off the road in a ditch with a bunch of other riders. But unlike the other guys, Chris was unconscious for at least a few minutes. SOMEhow he got back on his bike & finished the stage more than 12 minutes back. Even though he'd broken his nose, had a painful leg injury & didn't really know where he was. HOW is that possible?! I think his subconscious took over & IT was determined to keep going. His ID is a WARRIOR!

    Other news of Stage 7 - Boonen abandoned (turns out he'd suffered a concussion in his crash 2 days prior) & poor Brad Wiggins, in the form of HIS life, also went down in the monster crash, broke his collarbone & boom, Tour is over for him. Team Sky - capricious Lady Luck's most recent victim. And Thor - still in yellow. BUT, he assures us, that's all OVUH after today.....

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  21. ****SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT!****

    Stage 8 (today, Sat) - not really a mt stage but the road DID go up, much to the relief of, well, pretty much everyone as when the peloton goes vertical it also separates. So, more room, less crashes. Today's winner came from the break - Costa, he of pro-cycling's current team of tragedy - Movistar. Good for them. Finishing about 15 seconds back was the usual assortment of Little People & Wraiths (AKA a Grand Tour's overall contenders), but wait, what was that - that tall, BEEFY guy in..... YELLOW?!!! Yep, further confirming Spartacus had truly captured his fellow Classics competitor into the BORG, there was Thor. Right smack in the middle of Cadel, Contador, Schlecks, The Highlander (Klodi) & the other GCers. Don't know about you but I'm STILL in shock! And Thor stays in yellow.

    I do wonder why the Schlecks did not attack AC, unless they couldn't. Andy just followed his wheels. Well, newsflash - a MINUTE 30 seconds is NOT enough to be in front of Pistol Punk! They should be trying to put time into him every chance they get. Still, the Leos & BMC are in much better shape right now than all the other GC teams (almost no crashes & ahead of AC) so maybe they think they don't NEED to attack. WRONG! Did you see Cattle do that little attack at the end? Mooooooooo! HE knows he needs more time!

    BTW, is John LeLangue dumber than a box of rocks or what?! The BMC DS was quoted all over that it's "impossible now for Contador to win". Doesn't this nitwit know that when you get supercompetitors (like Lance, Michael Phelps, Tiger, & yes, AC) angry you just MOTIVATE them MORE to CRUSH you?! Shut him the H*ll up!

    Besides, if AC was down 5 minutes at this point, *I* would not rest easy if I was a GCer. Did they not see the 2009 Tour? Or this year's Giro? That guy can DANCE up a mountain & put 1-2 minutes into almost everyone at will. I think too many are assuming AC's efforts in the Giro will be his downfall at this race. Well, maybe, but I certainly would not bank on that until we actually, you know, get IN the mountains & see!

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  22. Well, gotta get going but did want to type up the last few IZOD codes for anyone who missed them :

    sprint
    peloton
    lead out train
    watts
    speed
    cervelo

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  23. I love Tour time. Thanks Susie :)

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  24. Ah, susie-Q. Great recap! Thank you!!

    I am sure the Doc in the field knew Horner had a concussion or they wouldn't have had an ambulance follow him. Someone said the reason they let him ride is because he was insistent and they want to give the riders every chance to finish the stage and not be forced to abandon. However there is ENORMOUS risk in this choice. When I mentioned Natalia Richardson the other day it was because she got up from a seemingly minor fal while skiing, seemed fine, later complained of a HA and died before the ambulance got her to the hospital! She had an epidural bleed which can be quite insidious.

    As far as his being able to ride, you can do a lot with a concussion, especially if you are a high drive person like professional riders tend to be. They will push through anything and it doesn't have to be a head thing--it's drilled into their fiber. Like soldiers. He was walking like someone whose head isn't working--dazed. Not just the leg injury.

    That is another thing, his leg hematoma (not a mere bruise by the way, but a bleed) could have continued while riding and caused serious damage like compartment syndrome where the swelling interferes so badly with the blood vessels that you lose circulation and can lose a limb. So many things were wrong with letting him ride on. And like Boonen, he also was likely a danger to others!!

    I am so relieved they did not let him ride today. Do you know they have discovered serious changes in the brains of athletes and soldiers who have had repeated concussions & head injuries? PET scans can show it, CAT scans dont. These changes are irreversible and cumulative. If you continue on with a concussion and tax the brain with dehydration, hypoglycemia, another blow to the head, you can create a much more serious situation. Perhaps even die.

    I have gotten emotional and been shocked during other tours (like when Jens hit the floor on that descent and broke his whole self like a pretzel) but never burst out in tears like I did when I saw Horner lying in the gutter yesterday, not moving. I don't think there is another rider I like as much as Horner. He is one very cool, smart person and I am glad he is still with us.
    ~cat

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  25. wonderful summation, SusieB! I wonder what you do for a living -- I hope it involves writing!

    (and thanks for the code words!)

    You know, that Contador toss of the arm at the finish line -- I know EVERYONE has called it a victory salute --but, when I saw it, I thought it was an OY VEY type gesture because he lost!

    Rae

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