Astana

An individual race against the clock of 50 km seems like an odd way to decide the winner of race that takes 20 days and covers over 3500 km. But this is the nature of the Tour de France that a rider can have no weaknesses.

There is a good reason that the individual time-trial is called the race of truth. It is the true measure of cyclist. There is no team around to support them, or whose slipstream they can hide in. It is one man and his bicycle riding for time.

Their ability over the climbs or their speed in a sprint counts for nothing if they can’t cover the distance of the time-trial in a similar time to their competitors.

Coming into today’s 52 km, 19th stage, Saxo Bank’s Andy Schleck needed to cover the course in a time eight seconds faster than Tour leader, Astana’s Alberto Contador.

Conventional wisdom gave Schleck no chance. Contador is a superior time-trial rider. His physique and shorter stature puts his body into a cleaner aerodynamic position. Nevertheless, Contador was nervous and fidgety and knew that he was in for a real test.

The early time-checks seemed to suggest that Contador had reason to be nervous. Schleck was ahead  at the first two time checks, but this stage isn’t about early speed, it is about consistent speed.

Almost every year, we see a rider desperate to make up time in the final time-trial who goes out very hard and seems to be in with a chance. Invariably, however, they run out of steam and often they can end up losing time.

Such was the case with Schleck today. His early speed evaporated and the last 20 km saw him start to lose more and more time and he ended up losing 31 seconds on Contador. A better performance that 2009, but still not quite good enough to get the job done.

Fabian Cancellara, predictably, took out the stage, underlining his time-trail brilliance. He really is in a class of his own in this type of racing and only two riders came within two minutes of his time.

Elsewhere, there were two position changes in the top ten. Rabobank’s Denis Menchov snatched the final podium place from Euskaltel Euskadi’s Sammy Sanchez who may well have been feeling the effects of his horrible crash on the last mountain stage.

Both riders made up time on Contador and Schleck, but Menchov clawed back nearly two minutes, leapfrogging Sanchez into third place.

Further down, Garmin’s Ryder Hesjedal jumped up to seventh position at the expense of Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver of Katusha.

And now it is on to the largely ceremonial stage—for the General Classification riders at least—into Paris safe in the knowledge that if the can get on the bike in the morning, the positions will not change. The final stage is one for the sprinters which is the only jersey yet to be settled.

Lampre’s Aleassandro Pettachi, Cervelo’s Thor Hushovd or HTC’s Mark Cavendish are all in with a chance of taking out the points on the world’s most spectacular cycling track—the Champs Elysees.

There’s still plenty of action to come.

Standings after Stage 19

1.    CONTADOR A.             89h 16' 27"
2.    SCHLECK A.                00' 39"
3.    MENCHOV D.               02' 01"
4.    SANCHEZ S.               03' 40"
5.    VAN DEN BROECK J.     06' 54"
6.    GESINK R.                  09' 31"
7.    HESJEDAL R.              10' 15"
8.    RODRIGUEZ OLIVER J.  11' 37"
9.    KREUZIGER R.             11' 54"
10.   HORNER C.                12' 02

The Tour de France is, without doubt, one of the toughest sporting contests on the planet. Twenty days of cycling through a French summer, sometimes riding over roads better suited to four-wheel drives, as well as trekking over roads that mountain goats would avoid because they’re too steep.

The cyclists are a breed apart. Marginally too big to be jockeys, they are tough, tenacious, and fiercely committed to their team and their sport.

A few become household names for their accomplishments, others for their misdeeds. Most, however, spend their life in anonymity, known only to cycling insiders and the most dedicated of fans. They compete for titles that few have heard of and, if they’re lucky and exceptionally talented, they get to win one that everyone knows.

They ride in scorching heat and torrential rain at speeds sometimes approaching 100 km/h, protected only by a helmet and and a sheer covering of lycra. Losing skin, shedding blood and breaking bones are all part of the territory.

They are dogged competitors, neither asking for, or giving, any quarter.

But, there are rules.

Well, not so much rules, as conventions. Of course, there are plenty of rules too, but what really counts is the unspoken agreements out on the road. Part of it is sportsmanship, part of it is insurance policy and part of it is a desire to win against the competition on even terms.

Principal amongst these unspoken agreements is the convention to not attack when a competitor has had a fall or mechanical failure. It has come to the fore following Alberto Contador’s decision to take advantage of Andy Schleck’s chain issue.

Whenever these issues are raised, the story of Lance Armstrong and Jan Ullrich in 2001 and 2003 gets trotted out. Armstrong waited for Ullrich after he crashed in the 2001 Tour.  Ullrich did the same when Armstrong was pulled off his bike by a spectator’s bag in 2003. For reference, Armstrong won both Tours, but they set the standard for sportsmanlike behaviour.

There is a school of thought that says that Contador should have backed off while Schleck got his problem sorted. Schleck was furious and when asked about how he would have reacted, he replied, “I wouldn’t have done it.”

Or would he?

Perhaps Schleck could cast his mind back to Stage three, when he was riding hard over the cobblestones towards Arenberg. Contador had a puncture, but Schleck didn’t back off to allow Contador to recover and eventually picked up a 1’13” advantage.

This, despite riders from all teams allowing a dazed and wounded Schleck to pick himself up from the side of the Stage two road and regain the four minutes that he had dropped in his crash. Contador was integral to that decision to allow his competitor to recover.

But the Tour de France is ultimately a race and to win it, and it takes a huge amount of skill, bucket loads of stamina, and a fair smattering of luck. If riders were to  hold off attacks every time a competitor had an issue, they would never end up racing.

Contador was not alone when he attacked. He was surrounded by Sammy Sanchez, Denis Menchov, and Jurgen van den Broeck. None of them sat up, so why focus the scrutiny on Contador?

There is sufficient time left on the Tour for Schleck to win if he has the ability. Contador could similarly have a mechanical problem or fall, and then Schleck will have the opportunity to show us, from his perspective, what Contador should have done.

Or perhaps he’d just do what is necessary to win the race. After all, there are no trophies for moral victories.

Stage 13 of the 2010 Tour de France, from Rodez to Revel, was one of the last remaining stages that the sprinters could use to boost their points before the caravan hits this year's most difficult stages through the Pyrenees.

The 196km ride through the foothills of the Pyrenees, had a scattering of category three and four climbs, similar in profile to the Stage Two from Brussels to Spa, although the weather was to be significantly better with a mild 24 degrees, no rain and consequently there was nowhere near the carnage.

The General Classification riders were conserving energy ahead of four days of hellish climbs, so a breakaway amongst lower placed riders had a reasonable chance to succeed. Teams Lampre and HTC, however, were keen to chase down any escapees to protect their respective sprinters, Alessandro Petacchi and Mark Cavendish, to give them a chance of closing in on current green jersey holder Thor Hushovd.

Nevertheless, a breakaway did form very early, as has been the pattern on this year’s Tour containing the winner of Stage Two, Quickstep’s Sylvain Chavanel, Sky’s Juan Antonio Flecha and Pierrick Fedrigo of Bbox. Predictably, the breakaway was swallowed up with 10km to race.

No sooner had the breakaway been caught, than BMC’s Alessandro Ballan took off and went for the stage win. This triggered a series of individual attacks with Astana’s Alexandre Vinokourov and Bbox rider Thomas Voeckler all trying their hand.

Lance Armstrong’s terrible Tour continued; this time before the race had even started in the neutral part of the race. He was uninjured, but fell off the back of the peloton as they went over the comparatively gentle category three climb of the Cote de Saint Ferreol

Vinokourov managed to stay away to claim the stage win for his team and make up for some of the pain of being swallowed up by the peloton within sight of the finish of Stage 12. It was an emotional victory for Vino as he managed to exorcise some of the demons that have been following him since his doping conviction.

The predicted bunch sprint still happened, albeit only for second place on the stage, and Cavendish eclipsed Petacchi by over a bike length. Without Mark Renshaw, Cavendish cheekily got on Thor Hushovs’s wheel and used the green jersey holder to lead him to the finish.

The top of the General Classification remains unchanged with Andy Schleck leading Alberto Contador by 31 seconds, but all of that will change over the next four days as the Tour gets down to business through the hellish mountain climbs of the Pyrenees.

Watch this space.

Standings after Stage 13

1.    SCHLECK A.            58h 42' 01"
2.    CONTADOR A.             00' 31"
3.    SANCHEZ S.               02' 45"
4.    MENCHOV D.               02' 58"
5.    VAN DEN BROECK J.      03' 31"
6.    LEIPHEIMER L.             04' 06"
7.    GESINK R.                   04' 27"
8.    RODRIGUEZ OLIVER J.    04' 58"
9.    SANCHEZ L.                05' 02"
10.  KREUZIGER R.               05' 16"

Stage 12 of the 2010 Tour de France was a deceptively difficult 210km transition stage from Bourg de Peage to Mende.

Although the map had two category two and three category three climbs, the road did seem to be uphill all of the way. The final climb to Mende featured an average gradient of 10.5 percent, one of the steepest in the Tour.

Two early breakaways failed, and were finally replaced by an 18-man group that established a lead of over three minutes. As the pressure went on, an elite group of four riders pulled free. This group consisted of Astana’s Aleksandr Vinokourov, Radioshack’s Andreas Kloden, Garmin’s Ryder Hesjedal, and Vasil Kiryienka of Caisse D’Espargne.

Of this bunch, three of the riders were top 20 General Classification riders. Kloden and Vinokourov had both previously finished on the podium of the Tour de France and Hesjedal was only five minutes down on Tour leader Andy Schleck. Only Kiryienka was out of contention at nearly one hour off the lead.

Thor Hushovd, the Cervelo sprint specialist, managed to get himself into the breakaway and picked up enough points on the intermediate sprints to wrest the Green Jersey away from Lampre rider, Alessandro Petacchi.

This stage, however, was always going to be about the final climb to the airstrip above the hamlet of Mende. The final six kilometers tested everyone in the field and destroyed the group of four at the front of the race. First Hesjedal and then Kloden fell out of the group, and finally Kiryienka was left behind by Vinokourov.

The same happened in the peloton. Again, only Schleck and Contador stayed at the front until Contador attacked with just over two kilometers to run. Schleck tried to go with him, but was unable to match the acceleration, taking only Katusha’s Joaquin Rodriguez with him.

Both riders passed Vinokourov before Rodriguez out-sprinted Contador to secure the stage victory.

The last four kilometers of the stage saw the peloton shatter as the pressure was really applied, although only Ivan Basso fell out of the top ten GC riders, being replaced by Liquigas’ Roman Kreuziger.

Although Contador only clawed back ten seconds on Schleck, it was the way that he attempted and failed to react and catch Contador that is most noteworthy. With the Pyrenees coming up in a few days time, Contador will have a lot of confidence that he can attack Schleck without retaliation.

A Contador victory in the Tour seems almost inevitable, but there is still a long way to go and if the previous stages are anything to go by, anything can happen.

Standings after Stage 12
1.    SCHLECK A.            58h 42' 01"
2.    CONTADOR A.            00' 31"
3.    SANCHEZ S.            02' 45"
4.    MENCHOV D.            02' 58"
5.    VAN DEN BROECK J.        03' 31"
6.    LEIPHEIMER L.            04' 06"
7.    GESINK R.            04' 27"
8.    RODRIGUEZ OLIVER J.        04' 58"
9.    SANCHEZ L.            05' 02"

Ah, what a Tour de France it was...but if you want more on the past, check out the article I wrote a few weeks ago.

This piece is about the future of pro cycling. We are mere moments away from the dawn of a new day in the sport, after all, and the rising sun will reveal a radically new landscape.

Some might say that rays of light are already striking the ground about to be broken. Allow me to illuminate further by prognosticating the future of three key riders and how they will affect those around them:

Lance and Team Radio Shack

Quick recap in case you've been asleep for the past three weeks: Shortly before the end of the Tour, Lance Armstrong announced that he has convinced Radio Shack to sponsor a brand-new U.S.-based Pro Tour team for next year. Big stuff, especially considering the two strong American teams already in place, Columbia-HTC and Garmin-Slipstream.

Obviously, this move will have huge ramifications throughout the cycling world. Armstrong has already stated that the crew is almost entirely composed of former USPS and Discovery team employees, so in many ways the squad will resemble those former powerhouses. The question is: Just how similar will it be?

It has yet to be formally confirmed, but in all likelihood Lance will bring with him to Team Radio Shack current Astana teammates Levi Leipheimer, Chris Horner, and Yaroslav Popovych, and, most importantly, current Astana coach Johan Bruyneel. With that group, the table is already set for a pretty solid group, but...

I'm willing to bet Lance can rope in a young GC contender, perhaps even a Schleck. The money is there, the star power is there, and a strong supporting cast will definitely be in place.

So will it be young Andy, older brother Frank, or both? In my opinion, it's more likely Radio Shack will nab someone who has some experience with Lance, like yet another current Astana teammate, Andreas Kloden.

No matter who the team gets, Radio Shack will be a new force in cycling. Much like adding another celestial body to a solar system, this squad will have a huge impact on all others with its "gravitational" (read: monetary) pull and "orbit" (that'd be its performance in races).

I'll mention one last thing before we move on: There's still a slim chance Bruyneel does not follow Lance to the States. Note that Johan has his own Luxembourg-based team, Olympus SARL, which actually holds the Astana contracts and equipment leases; it's unlikely that Bruyneel would get a license for Olympus and create yet another team, but one never knows.

"El Pistolero" Has Gun, Will Travel

The way in which Alberto Contador attacked and responded to attacks in the mountain stages of this year's Tour has me convinced: He is easily the best climber since the late Marco Pantani.

And though I can't speak with perspective on the entire history of cycling, I think it's safe to say he's up there in the top three of all time.

The way the man "dances on the pedals" is positively inhuman. How can that frame generate so much power? As he's proven, he's not too shabby of a time trialist either. I could go on and on...

But the point is this: Any team would kill to have Contador as their leader. Good news for the big spenders is that he's very much going to be available at the end of this season; his agent has already made it very clear that Berto wants out of Astana.

Who wouldn't? In my opinion, far too much was made of the "conflict" between Armstrong and Contador during this year's biggest race, but it has been clear since Lance stated that he was coming out of retirement that the two were not going to coexist for long.

You can believe whichever reporters you want to believe and take quotes from this year's winner and third-place finisher however you like. The issue of Alberto and Lance as, ahem, "partners" is not what I'm concerned with here.

What I want to know is where Contador will go once he escapes the crumbling Astana, and how he will perform with a new coach and a different supporting cast. It's pretty clear his lieutenants Sergio Paulinho and Benjamin Noval will follow where his captain goes, and probably some other Astana guys will tag along, but their destination and fate is unknown.

Bob Rolle made a vague hint during Versus' Tour coverage that Spanish team Caisse d'Epargne was the most likely team for Alberto to sign with, and I'll believe him, as I can admit that my knowledge of the market of cycling is not what it needs to be to argue with the great Bobke. But this suggestion only makes me hungry for more answers.

Who will be there to coach him? Is there a chance he'd join another major player, perhaps Saxo Bank to ride with the Schlecks? How will he fare when Lance, Levi, and Kloden are not his "friends," but his enemies?

I can say he's going to be a force no matter what, but let's just say it'll be interesting to see how he does with a team unequivocally all his own.

Alexandre Vinokourov and the Avalanche That's Team Astana

You may have surmised this from the past two sections and what you've heard in the news surrounding Kazakhstan's national team, but if you'd like to be told: Astana in its current form is finished.

Money problems aside, they're going to lose almost all of their major players and their top-of-the-line coach.

They might manage to survive on the strength of the one great rider remaining on their squad, who has already declared himself the new team leader (and that's on a team that technically still has Armstrong, Contador, Leipheimer, and Kloden), except for the fact that...

That man is Alexandre Vinokourov. A great rider, no doubt, but also almost certainly a doper, and a man already (before he's even raced for him) very much at odds with Coach Bruyneel.

It'd be easiest to put it this way: When he returned from his two-year suspension a few short weeks ago, there was no "Welcome Back" party. Contador and Armstrong were already at odds with each other, so basically neither has any room in their mind for yet another big ego.

And more importantly, Vino and Bruyneel had both already said they were not going to work together.

Vinokourov once said the Team Astana was "created for me, and thanks to my efforts." That makes sense on the level that Vino is Kazakh, but more cynically, it makes sense on the level that Vino has about as much of a chance of coming back and being a team leader as Astana does of existing next year.

Alexandre, much like his nation's team, seems stranded on a desert island with no one coming to save him. Not to paint him as evil, as he is a terrific athlete, but seemingly that's just what happens when you test positive these days in cycling.

Though the 2010 version of the Tour de France is still some 48 weeks away, there is already a buzz going on.

Unlike this year's tour, where the two alpha-males had to pretend to like each other for the sake of the team and media, there is no doubt anymore concerning how Lance Armstrong and Alberto Contador feel about each other.

Armstrong and Contador's relationship is not strained; it simply does not exist at all.

"My relationship with Lance is zero," Contador said just a day after winning his second yellow jersey.

Armstrong, fresh off his third-place finish, was not about to back down, despite both guys playing down the strain that was obviously so present.

"Seeing these comments from AC [Alberto Contador]," he mentioned on Twitter. "If I were him, I'd drop this drivel and start thanking his team. W/o them, he doesn't win."

Armstrong wasn't done. A minute later, he posted on Twitter, "Hey, pistolero, there is no 'I' in team. What did I say in March? Lots to learn. Restated."

Much has been made of Armstrong's performance in this year's Tour de France. In truth, it would have been hard for him to do much better—and Contador had the opportunity to make it much worse and possibly keep him off the podium altogether.

No matter what, Contador was the best rider. But Armstrong loves a challenge. And next year, they will be on different teams.

Anything he was holding back from this year—which didn't appear to be much—will not be held back next year. Assuming he gets in a full spring of training, with no broken collar bone, he may even be stronger.

Contador is moving on to a different team. That team is likely going to be much weaker than the team he is currently on.

Armstrong has proven time and time again he does not need motivation to win major bike races, but that has never stopped him from using it.

When next year's Tour comes around, Armstrong may not win. But it's a safe bet the battles on the mountains are going to be far more interesting.

Lance Armstrong coming out of retirement to ride a full docket of Pro Tour races, including the Tour de France, is a great story. He's got all the right reasons for doing so: He's proving he can race in the new super-strict drug testing environment, he's proving he can hang with guys 15 years his junior, and he's doing more to aid the fight against cancer than, dare I say it?

Anyone in history.

Therefore, I am not here to take anything away from Lance and his efforts. I simply want everyone (particularly, casual American racing fans) to know that this year's iteration of the world's toughest sporting competition had a heaping helping of other intriguing storylines.

(And no, I don't mean the reported "tension" in Team Astana. Their real conflict is money, but more on that later...)

The Schleck Brothers' Display

I came to the realization a few nights ago that Alberto Contador, though a stupendous rider and the best climber I've seen since Pantani, will never challenge Armstrong's record of seven Tour titles in a row. And it's all because of Andy Schleck.

How a man so thin generates so much power I will never know, but the 24-year-old (now a winner of two white jerseys) clearly has a deep well of energy. After watching him attack again and again and again on Mont Ventoux—and that was just in the hopes of helping brother Frank out—I have reason to believe his supply is endless.

And in regards to Frank, because he's nearly as important here, there could not be a better lieutenant (if that is indeed the role he will play). Obviously, the bond of blood will always keep him true to his younger sibling, but in case you're blind, let me tip you off to something: He's a darn good racer too.

But back to Andy. I won't guarantee that he and Alberto will trade wins over the next 10 years, nor will I even guarantee he'll win three of the next 10. He will win at least one in the next five or so, though, and thus prevent Contador from running up consecutive triumphs.

The "baby" Schleck is just too good at this stage of his career to not take the top spot on the podium sometime soon.

Thor Takes Green Jersey, Sleeps Well at Night

Mark Cavendish is a badass, capable of whooping anyone and everyone at the line. I mean, did you see the finish of the last stage? He's a sparkplug (with a terrific team, I might add).

But he got a little too bullish in Stage 10, resulting in him being docked a few points in the green jersey race. Immediately, he was critical of the relegation ruling and of Thor Hushovd, who took and held the prize to the end.

That was after he had stressed in multiple previous interviews that the green wasn't important to him, that his '09 Tour was about stage wins for the team and getting himself to Paris.

Beginning to get confused? Me too. If a man says he wants stage wins (and gets six of them!), what business does he have talking about the green jersey race? If you're going to go for it, go for it every day like Thor did, don't complain about his complaints.

The truth is that Hushovd answered nonverbally but resoudingly. His charge over two climbs in Stage 17 blew my mind, as I'd never seen Thor or any other sprinter charge like that on a mountain stage; plus, he was picking up what Mark would probably call "garbage points" while Cav was sitting in the peloton (or off the back).

And it goes without saying he was near the front of every bunch finish. Thor Hushovd, 2009 Green Jersey Winner, is also a badass.

You Can't Take It Home, but...

Few will remember it, but Rinaldo Nocentini (yeah, not "Nicotini" as the PTI idiots said...what is he, the Italian Marlboro man?) wore the yellow for the most stages of anyone in this year's tour. He took it from Stage Seven to 14, and though he admittedly had a lot of help from teammates, this relative unknown held on when he really had no business doing so.

It was his first Tour; perhaps his greatest accomplishments up to this point would be a GP Indurain win in '07 and a '09 Tour of California stage win. No one would have guessed he'd lead the overall for as long as he did, but I'd hazard one that he could play an important domestique role at some point down the line.

And then there's Tony Martin, who held the best young rider's white until Andy took it after Stage 15. Martin can still say he held it for the most elapsed time, though (12 stages), and he beat everyone ahead of him in the standings up Mont Ventoux.

There's a boy to watch out for in the future; not exactly of the same Tour-winning, climb-dominating wiry build as the Schlecks, but dangerous nonetheless.

Cycling fans worldwide can be nothing but happy at the conclusion of the '09 Tour de France. There was competition for every jersey and every finish, the best riders duked it out for the yellow, and no doping or crashes (save Levi's; shout out to one of the most humble and likeable riders I'm aware of) changed the stakes.

But don't just be satisfied with the one great story that was reported in the American mainstream, that of Lance and Livestrong; seek out more (as Bob Roll would call them) "Adventures from the Epic Cycle!"

I’ve dreaded this day for weeks, and here it is at last. It’s the day after the 2009 Tour de France ended.

For three weeks, nearly every day has either begun or ended with watching the Tour coverage on Versus—this year in HD, as Phil Liggett reminded us regularly.

Phil, with his velvety voice, opulent vowels,  and perfect syntax.

In the race commentary, he paired with one-time pro cyclist Paul Sherwen, who can complete Phil’s thoughts and sentences in similarly plummy tones.

Bob Roll redefines the term “color commentary,” with his toothy grin, wild gesticulations, and unabashed allegiance to Lance Armstrong.

(He also sows hope in the darkest corners, finally learning to pronounce Tour de France properly, instead of Tour “day” France, showing anything is possible.)

And boyish anchor Craig Hummer was less grating this year, showing his general knowledge of the sport and enthusiasm. Although the “tour predictions” segment wore out its welcome a few days in, particularly with perpetually last Phil Liggett.

The poetry of the riders’ and team names still dances, as Phil would say, in my head. Fabian Cancellara. Thor Hushovd. Mikel Astarloza. Christophe Lemevel. Euskatel Euskadi. AG2R, said in French.

And the Americans, each evoking a surprising swell of nationalistic pride—Christian Vande Velde. Tyler Farrar. George Hincapie. Levi Leipheimer. And of course, the definitive, near-fictional cowboy name, Lance Armstrong.

The Tour is perhaps the greatest annual sporting event, in terms of testing human strength and endurance.

And Armstrong is the greatest in the sport, with seven past wins and a third place this year. His edges seemed to have been filed down in his four years away from the race.

I’ll miss the daily interviews of Lance, master of public relations. He was less defensive then in past years, but still wore a veneer of skepticism with reporter Frankie Andreu, whose wife Betsy testified that Armstrong doped, though it hasn't been proven.

In the justifiably paranoid world of cycling, pretty much anyone who wins elicits suspicion—this year’s winner Alberto Contador included, with his turbo-charged climbs.

In the interviews, you can practically hear the gears grinding in Lance’s brain as he processed the most astute sound blurb.

The news that he’s forming a new team for next season with Radio Shack dominated the Tour’s final week, as did the flashy Damien Hirst butterfly bike he rode.  It will be auctioned off to benefit his Livestrong foundation.

With three days left in the Tour, the epic 2009 Team Astana already felt like a relic.

I’ll miss the real and imagined animosity between the phenomenal, aloof Contador and his team, primarily Armstrong. At least Lance had the maturity to recognize that Contador had no peer this year.

But it’s a safe bet Contador will not be Armstrong’s teammate next season, and that manager and confidant Johan Bruyneel will.

I’ll miss the near-win sprints of Garmin-Slipstream’s Tyler Farrar, whose hide was tanned repeatedly by Mark Cavendish of Columbia HTC, but who knows he can beat Cavendish because he has.

Cavendish, like Contador, seemed to be able to accelerate at will without regard to the limits of human physiology.

I’ll miss his Columbia teammate Hincapie, who continued to redefine “team player,” leading out Cavendish on the final day’s sprint despite a possible fractured clavicle.

He chose to not seek medical advice with four days to go in the Tour in case it was indeed fractured, and he would be forced to retire. Not for his own glory, but for his team’s and teammates'.

I’ll miss the race’s varying day-to-day texture, going from sprint, to time trial, to climb. 

I’ll miss the castles and pastures of France that each and every day made me want to grab my passport and hop on the next plane to Paris.

I’ll miss the unspoken protocol that grounds this event as truly sportsmanlike—the peloton waiting for a leading rider with a flat. The chatty, Champagne-fueled conviviality en route to Paris, before the sprinters got to work.

(Although this was shattered, if inadvertently, when Garmin-Slipstream basically cut down Hincapie’s lead enough to prevent him from gaining the yellow jersey in stage 14. A little payback for Cavendish’s dominance, perhaps.)

I’ll miss seeing how the best always find a way to win—that hard work, strategy, and talent pay off, particularly over this marathon event.

On the bright side, there are only about 340 days til the 2010 Tour.