Vanity, all is Vanity!
Perhaps my favourite scenario in this crazy sport is a full-on chase to catch the breakaway. Four or five teams against four or five unfancied breakaway artists. Cat and mouse. Will they, won’t they? There is gambling in the peloton – can we commit just enough riders to make the catch but not burn our chances at the finish? There is gambling in the breakaway – can we work together to stay away, but each hold enough back when the truce is over? I love it when the catch is (only just) made and even more so when, like today, it is (only just) not.
Jesús Wept!
Jesús Herrada López was completely overcome with emotion after his victory on Stage 7. It was an inspiring effort from all five of the remaining riders from the break. I was cheering for Fred Wright, and the GCN commentators were talking each of the contenders except Herrada. Someone wins a bike race every day, so we get so used to these heroic efforts, but the huge significance of this for any individual was there to see as the Cofidis man slumped, wailing, to the floor.
Other reasons for tears at bedtime include having to drop out of the race through illness or injury. Three had to withdraw on or before Stage 7, due to injuries from the previous days’ crashes in the rain. One of these was Andrea Vendrame, who appears (sorry – appeared) on Dr James’ Just eat the dam[n] porridge. That is the first of any of our team selections to step off the bike, which must be a record for all of us to get through seven days of a Grand Tour with only the one casualty.
Team of the Day
Top points to The Pain in Spain. Fred was out-sprinted into 3rd, while big green Sam the BORA man brought the pack home in 5th. Martin’s Egranajes also did well, also through Fred and Kaden Groves in 8th.
The Pain are now in second spot in the league rankings, just 3 velopoints behind Cuchara, but since there are just 106 points separating 1st from 4th, it is all to play for. For example ThinFatBoys‘ 744 points total from Stage 4 would be enough to span 8th to 1st, or from 12th to 7th. It just takes one good day in the mountains…
Spain 8 – United Kingdom 10
While Spain celebrates their second consecutive stage win, did you see that there were 3 GB riders in the top ten on Stage 7? So the UK has a haul of 10 top 10 stage finishes compared with Spain, through Dan McLay (3), Jack Stewart (2), Ethan Hayter, Fred Wright (2), Tao Geoghegan Hart and Simon Yates. Jolly damn good chaps, what?