I guess I like "blue state" sports. But I got there first. I got into futbol (soccer) in the 1990s, once my kids became old enough to play. I was always into cycling. It gave me freedom as a kid, it gave me priceless friendships after college, it gives me youth in middle age.
(I did 34 miles a week ago, through the streets of Atlanta. I mentioned it casually to my trainer at the YMCA, who looks like a Mr. Universe contestant. His jaw dropped. A mere bagatelle.)
And, of course, I’m a huge Lance Armstrong fan. Huge.
Even Lance never did what I saw Floyd Landis do today. The French saw the way Lance won as "arrogant." He was the best, he knew it, and he let everyone else know it, especially the French. That’s why they’ve tried to take him down so relentlessly, and made themselves look so ridiculous in the process. He was barely human, and the French love humanity above all.
But back to Floyd. I did something yesterday I never do while
watching the Tour. I turned it off. It was too painful. He seemed to be
slowing to get with teammate Axel Merckx (son of Eddy), who always
wanted, more than anything, to be on a Yellow Jersey’s team in Paris.
And I figured he needed a teammate to fight off the attacks. Then he
failed. He completely, utterly failed. The attacks came, he tried to
respond, he couldn’t. He fell back, farther and farther. In the parlance, he "bonked." It was "le grande Bonk." At the end he
came in, alongside Axel, 10 minutes back. His two-minute lead was gone,
he was down 8 minutes 8 seconds.
8:08 is forever in a tour. With just one mountain stage and a time trial left?
Then came the race. I think the best coverage comes from
Eurosport, which offered this as the race as he attempted what they
called "the near impossible":
Landis currently rides in pursuit of a leading group of escapees
after the yellow jersey, Oscar Pereiro, and all the race favourites
failed to latch on to his wheel. Crossing the summit of the Saisies,
Landis had built up a lead of 3’10" over his rivals – still some way
short of the eight minutes or so he needs to be back in yellow, but
it’s a start.It remains to be seen whether this was the naive
move of a desperate man, or an inspired attack which could change –
once again – the outlook of this amazing Tour.
I came to work late, and went straight to work. I turned on the TV
late, with the sound off, but out of the corner of my eye I saw Landis,
riding alone. I guessed he was getting ready to abandon.
Then I turned on the sound. They were heading for the final climb of
the day, the brutal Col du Joux-Plane. This is a particularly nasty bit
of business. It’s so steep that many don’t even go up in their cars.
It’s one-lane road, unlined, twisting and turning, with spots where the
asphalt has just been patched. And the crowds, throngs of people right
on top of the riders.
Then, if you survive the climb, you get a "false flat" for a mile
(another hill) before plunging down toward the finish at speeds of up
to 50 miles per hour, turning your handlebars inside-out, one lane with
no fencing in places, so if you miss the turn you’ll go hurtling into
space, then down, down, down to certain death. All the way into
Morzine, and the finish line.
Did I mention the weather was Texas hot? Did I mention that Landis
had no teammates with him, at any time? Did I mention his hip is so
thoroughly fractured he needs to have it replaced at the end of the
season?
Well, you know the rest. Landis
charged up that mountain like a man possessed. When he crossed the top
of the climb he pedaled harder. He took every possible chance on the
descent and gained 30 seconds more. He didn’t give the usual salute to
the crowd when he crossed — just one fist pump — before popping off
the machine, accepting a towel from his manager, a kiss from his
wife, and stood there, as though for all the world he could go another
100.
It was the most amazing single performance ever in the Tour. Better
than any single ride Lance Armstrong did, because Lance never had to
make up an 8 minute deficit in one day.
Yet for all this, Landis may not be the winner of this Tour. Yes,
he’s favored now, where this morning he had no chance.
. But there’s a flat stage tomorrow, and anything could
happen, because anything already has. He is, after all, still 30 seconds behind. Then the final time trial, hills
this time, against the clock. Landis starting third from the end, ahead
of Carlos Sastre, and Oscar Perriero, the current Yellow Jersey, both of whom have covered themselves
with glory this tour, either of whom would be a grand successor to le Lance.
Drug scandals? No favorite? No Lance?
We’re seeing the best Tour ever.
