It’s getting ugly out there!
Desperate Housewives move over! The Tour is getting ugly with accusations of poor sportsmanship abounding. George Hincapie lost out on the yellow jersey today by 5 seconds and was bitterly disappointed. So bitter, he blamed Astana and stated he felt it was “disrespectful” for the teams to attack when they knew he was in the lead. I bet George wishes there had been a radio ban today! Armstrong was quick to say he wanted Hincapie to have the yellow jersey and was disappointed for him, blaming Garmin for the missed golden fleece. It would have been a great accomplishment for Hincapie who is riding his 14th tour. Maybe he’ll get the “lifetime achievement” jersey?
Thor Hushovd accused Cavendish of pushing him into the barriers during the sprint finish. The complaint actually got Cavendish disqualified from the sprint, putting him in last place. From the sound of it, this was not the first time Cavendish has behaved poorly.
Oh, Yeah, who won? Serguei Ivanov took the Stage 14 win. A quiet Russian rider I have never heard of, but who apparently has been on the tour for 8 years. Who knew?
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Another puzzling glimpse into the baroque social code that seems to govern pro cycling… Always seemed to me that the behavior of riders on the Tour represents an awkward compromise between two irreconcilables — on the one hand, a genteel Old World tradition of gentlemanly conduct and cheese-eating bonhommie; on the other, the imperative of pure competition that inheres in all sports, especially where a fuckload of money is involved.
I’m hard pressed to think of another sport where an athlete team can be upbraided for essentially not *letting* the other guy win. I get that it’s a little more complicated than that, but the crux of this controversy seems to be the presumption that it was “George’s turn,” and that Astana & Garmin failed to stick to the script dictated them by custom and chivalry, which required them to stand aside and let Hincapie have his moment.
At the same time, it’s hard to overlook the role the Hincapie played in advancing the vaunted career of Lance Almighty over the years, and it would have been classy of him to return the favor. Come to think of it, very similar questions of whose-turn-it-is and who-owes-whom-what seem to be at the heart of the whole Armstrong/Contador rivalry, whether you see it as manufactured made-for-TV drama or a genuine conflict, or something in between…