Yes I know it’s the “Race of Truth” where the individual rider cannot fall back on his super domestiques to keep him out of the wind and fetch the snacks and cocktails from the bar, but it’s not the most exciting racing to watch IMHO. Someone fell off, but I can’t even remember who it was. There’s the slow burn tension of who will sit in the “hot seat” the longest, and the guesswork about whether that slim time advantage at the time check will be maintained after climbing up the cobbles at the end. But I have to admit I checked out of the action to, well, ride my bike! But one without a solid back wheel and funny hard-to-handlebars.
Big Tom is back, and just as grumpy at the end when he didn’t quite set the road ablaze. And Matty v. d. P did enough to earn a pink jumper for another day. But Adam Yates evidently surprised everyone including himself (except Sean Yates on the GCN commentary team) by taking the win. Jolly good show to see him steal a march on the other GC rivals. It would be nice if he could be a bit more insightful in the post-race interview though: “I was just trying to go as fast as possible”. Ah so that’s where the others were going wrong?! (However I don’t envy these chaps having contractually to face the cameras when they would rather have a cold beer and some oxygen. Yes, Simon (and/or Adam … are we really sure they don’t swap every other day?!) there’s “a long way to go” and “we’ll take one day at a time”. Don’t you just long for a stage winner to say “Yeah, I was brilliant – I’ll probably win GC now. Hang tomorrow: me and the mates are going out on the razz tonight!”
Team of the Day
Chapeau! to Dr James’ colourfully named Lube your gears with porridge (is there no limit to the Scots / Cornish commitment to doing it the hard way?) was not only one of the 6 teams celebrating the stage win, but also included riders in 2nd, 3rd and 6th:
Flag of the Day
Given my bias that the ITT is not a gripping spectacle, I was keeping a look out for flags and architecture. There are some splendid historical buildings in the double city of Buda and Pest. And plenty of vexillographic interest fluttering on the baroque facades. Here’s the new city flag which was introduced after 2011 when the Mayor decided the old one looked too much like Romania’s. But it was “personal taste”, and definitely nothing to do with politics, apparently!
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