Well on Saturday I went out for a ride to Sutter Creek, I ended up with 92 miles and near 4,000 feet of climbing. Seems like I just ran out of gas in the last 30 miles, not a bonk or anything, just didn't feel that great. I guess the heat didn't help too much. Next weekend we are going up the Mormon Emigrant Trail/Iron Mountain Road from Sly Park up to Kirkwood, it is only 70 miles, but it is about 7500 feet of climbing, of course the climbing is pretty much in the first half and then just downhill. Going to be tough going.
What a day in the Tour de France, Stage 9 was just crazy. First with Contador getting flicked off the road all by himself and then the big crash about half way through the stage. Jurgen Van den Broeck, Dave Zabriske, Fredrick Willems and Alexander Vinokourov all abandoning due to broken bones. Vino looks to have a career ending injury, all the rest with pretty bad breaks. Hopefully all will heal fast, Dave had been doing so much work for Garmin-Cervelo, I know he will be missed. The break with Tom Voeckler, Jonny Hoogerland, Juan Antonio Flecha, Sandy Casar and Luis Leon Sanchez looked to be going all the way to the end until a French media car drove right into Flecha who, when he when down took out Hoogerland who flipped into a barbed wire fence. Voeckler did slow down and wait until he got confirmation that the Flecha and Hoogerland wouldn't be able to get back into the break. Voeckler of course worked his ass off to get the break to the finish in time for Voeckler to get into the yellow jersey. Sanchez had the sprint for the stage win, although that thing he does in memory of his brother who died is kind of weird or strange or something. Seems like riders have to have some sort of gimmick finish line ceremony any more, what happened to the simple victory salute? I don't mind riders doing the more elaborate things, I just wish I knew what the heck they meant.
Well at least tomorrow is a rest day, and I am sure Flecha will be back on Tuesday, Hoogerland I am not so sure. I hope the Hoogerland makes it back, but after seeing the photos of how torn up he was after the crash I wouldn't be surprised if he called it quits. He and Flecha did finish the stage, and the ASO did award both of them the spirit award for their courage in finishing. The driver have any recognition that he hit Flecha or so it seemed. I am sure the driver didn't mean to hit them, but the fact that the driver didn't appear to have the riders interests in mind and wasn't following the protocol for passing riders in the peloton was just unbelievable.
Time for some sleep now, until next time here is to wishing all the riders that were injured in all the crashes today a quick recovery!
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