TDF Stage 5: Boredom and Terror
Category: Sports (Pro/College/HS)...
Posted Thursday, July 08, 2004 at 10:58 AM [GMT-6]

Rain. Wind. Cold. How would you like to ride 120 miles in those conditions? Me neither; it was bad enough just watching it on OLN-TV (which, by the way, apparently has only about eight commercials in rotation during its Tour de France coverage).

A five-man breakaway started early in the race and was never reeled in; the peloton lost about 13 minutes as a result, giving French rider Thomas Voeckler the yellow jersey after stage 5. The USPS team seemed content to ride conservatively, protecting Lance, in recognition of the fact that once the race hits the mountains, the minutes lost will be quickly regained. The only disconcerting note is the status of Postie rider Manuel Beltran, who fell at 102 kilometers; the last I heard he was seeking medical attention for an apparent injury to his arm. If Beltran is lost or disabled, that will be a blow to the strength of the USPS team.

The big story of this stage was, indeed, the crashes. In places, the pavement appeared to be coated with ice, judging by the way the riders skated and skidded across it. However, in a testimony to the adage that you make your own good luck, none of the top overall contenders got tangled in the accidents.

Oh, by the way, Aussie Stuart O'Grady won the stage.

Stage 6 is another long, flat (slightly downhill, in fact) route, 121 miles or so in length. Look for another conservative showing by the race leaders, although a breakaway by a darkhorse contender could wreak havoc with the organization of the peloton. At some point, you can no longer afford to give up 10+ minutes in a stage.