TdF Stage 9

Cover the kid's eyes, we have gore and partial nudity

First off I have to say that whenever you mix cars and bikes in any situation it is never a good thing.  Next, what and the heck was that Idiot (best French accent I can muster) doing?  Cars Kill.  Yes, we all see these Pros on their machines and we think that they are gods, but they most assuredly are mortal.  Or, maybe they are immortal except for when it comes to cars.  Seriously save the Champagne for the last stage, FranceTV.  Drinking and driving are bad.  I wanted to see Voeckler win just as much as the next FrenchTV Spanish hating homi-auto-cidal person, but taking out Flecha (with a car) is no way to help your man win a race.  Above all else it is not very sporting.

How sickening was it to watch Flecha bounce of the front quarter-panel and then helplessly slide just out of the way of the 1200lb death machine?  Better yet, let's toss a guy into the ditch, no how about we put a fence in there to break his fall?  Hoogerland stuck in the fence like a tuna in a net just waiting to be pulled aboard, was nausea at it's best.  I can't believe that Johnny didn't lose an appendage in that fall, I'm talking about my favorite appendage.  He did lose his bibs, blood and maybe some dignity. 

At least they stayed in the race, we will see if they start on Tuesday.  Some were a little less unfortunate.  Vino took a nasty (horribly nasty) flip and fall over a guardrail into some trees where he broke his pelvis.  Ouch.  Hate him or not, you still have to feel bad for the guy.  Van Den Broeck crashed out.  He was Omega's #1 and was only 0:0:39 down.  Omega also lost Frederik Willems, who is a huge workhorse for the Belgian team.  One who I am sorely going to miss is Dave Z.  Zabriskie was involved in the big pile-up and broke his wrist.  Dave has been killing it on the front and animating this race.  He and Danny Pate were like the American wrecking crew, pulling in breakaways almost at will.  You know Danny is going to miss him.  After Zabriskie's crash he tweeted "So be it..." I'm not sure what that means, well to be honest I don't know what most of what Dave says, means.  Love ya' Dave hope to see you in CO.

So after FrenchTV took out Flecha and Hoogerland that left Voeckler, Sanchez, and Casar to duke it out.  Sanchez played the Frenchmen and had the freshest legs he took Voeckler for the win.  I'm going to have to deduct coolness points from Sanchez for his "sucking the thumb" victory.  Buy a full length mirror and practice your V's on a trainer, or better yet just phone a friend.  A good buddy will tell you when you look a fool.  Gilbert once again attacked the group on the final pitch up and drilled it.  Nice.

Anyone see Contador fall on the left side of the road?  Did he wheel rub?  Was he "helped" into the ditch by another rider?  Better yet, did you see his teammate turn around and then just keep on going as if nothing happened?  What about no one pacing him back into the peloton?  Is his team as sick of him as I am?

TdF Stage 8

The God of Thunder is Yellow, but he ain't no chicken.

What the heck?  How awesome is Thor?  He put in such a good ride, we are talking about riding way outside of his normal bunch sprint in the finale, or are we?  Thor is not your normal run of the mill sprinter, he is a though-man's tough man.  One word:  Roubaix.  What about the attack that Thor put in two years ago at le Tour that put him in green?  If you recall it was a little bumpy that day, and I'm not talking about the road.  So to see Thor in the yellow this long really should be no surprise, plus it is one of the best tributes to the Rainbow Jersey wearer.

Van Garderen is awesome.  22yrs of age in his first appearance at le Tour and he pulls on the "dots" of the KOM.  In my best Jens' voice:  How cool is that?  Tejay was relentless in attacking his breakaway companions, and in the end the only one who could pick up what he was laying down was the stage winner Costa.

Gilbert is in no way backing down, he is pretty amazing to watch when the line is perched on a steep incline.  It just seems that he owns hard finishes.  Point it toward the sky, light it on fire, put monkeys with lasers, and some clowns on unicycles, he will still find a way to win or finish strong.

FYI: my post of stage 6 is really stage 7, somehow I skipped stage 6, I went from stage 5 right into 7.  Too much riding out in the heat, or too many man sodas?

Stage 6 was won my EBH of Sky, sorry but that's all I got to say about that. -Forest