Tour de France: 39 Seconds

Unremarked by the Versus boys–Phil and Paul–in their wrap-up of today’s Tour de France time trial is the significance of the margin between first-place Alberto Contador and second-place Andy Schleck. The gap is 39 seconds, and that happens to be the precise amount of time that Contador gained on Schleck on the final climb and descent on the Tour’s 15th stage. Yes, that’s the one where Schleck attacked, dropped his chain, and Contador attacked as Schleck first slowed then was forced to dismount to fix his mechanical issue. At the time of that small mishap, Schleck was 31 seconds ahead of Contador in the overall standings; at the finish of the stage, he was 8 seconds down. Controversy attended Contador’s move, since many feel it was unsporting to attack a race leader suffering a problem with his bike. That a fair number of cycling fans appear to subscribe to this unwritten rule of Tour sportsmanship and disapproved of Contador’s tactic became obvious when Contador was awarded the yellow jersey at the end of the stage: many in the crowd booed, a reaction I don’t remember hearing before, even with some of the rats who have worn yellow.

In the end, that slipped chain and the 39 seconds that Contador gained determined the winner in this year’s Tour. Pending the results of all the Tour doping tests, of course.

3 Replies to “Tour de France: 39 Seconds”

  1. Schleck assignment during the long months between the end of this Tour and the beginning of the next one: Practicing shifting while climbing. It’s a subtle art.

  2. And continuing on the topic of transportation….
    Oregon Revised Statutes – Chapter 811 – Rules of the Road for Drivers – Section 811.285 – Failure of merging driver to yield right of way; penalty.
    (1) A person commits the offense of failure of a merging driver to yield the right of way if the person is operating a vehicle that is entering a freeway or other arterial highway where an acceleration or merging lane is provided for the operator’s use and the operator does not look out for and give right of way to vehicles on the freeway or other arterial highway.
    (2) The offense described in this section, failure of a merging driver to yield the right of way, is a Class B traffic violation. [1983 c.338 §613; 1995 c.383 §55]

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