The Tour de France is winding down, but the racing is heating up.

One thing about this Tour, descents are becoming as important as ascents. It’s usually the climbs that decide a race, this year, going downhill without fear or mishap is just as important.

The latest victim to going downhill was Tour de France leader, Thomas Voeckler. Voeckler took a couple of turns on the last descent wide and at one point ended up off road and into a parking lot of sorts. Truly amazing that it wasn’t worse, it certainly could have been. He ended up jumping his bike over a ledge or steps, then stopping on a dime – all without getting off his bike. A fan (also wearing yellow – how poetic is that), possibly Italian since they were in Italy, gave him a push and he was on his way.

Trying to gain time on his encroaching rivals, actually cost him time to those same rivals. Fortunately not much time, but the Tour is won and lost by seconds so they were costly – it remains to be seen how costly.

stage 17 tv

 

Once again, Alberto Contador, attacked on the final climb. This time all of the favorites followed, but it was on the descent Contador and Sammy Sanchez got away. They had a large gap on the Schlecks and Evans, and an even larger gap on the off-roading Voeckler, but somehow (the cameras didn’t show) all of the favorites managed to catch them at the finish. Voeckler finished :27 behind, but keeping the Yellow Jersey. He is 1:18 up on his nearest rival, Cadel Evans. It could have been much worse.

In other news…. Norwegian, Edvald Boasson Hagen, won the stage. He narrowly lost to fellow Norwegian, Thor Hushovd yesterday. 

Tour de France Fantasy Cycling Challenge

Only 69 points for our 4loveofbikes team in Stage 17: Thomas Voeckler (50) and Nicholas Roche (19).