Tag: schleck

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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.

Posted on

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 many 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.

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

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What’s So Funny About Peace, Love and Probable Cause?

Highlighting the lovely, due-process-free side of the Doping Prohibition Era: “Schleck unruffled after dad’s customs search.” The story: Johnny Schleck, father of CSC Tour de France stars Frank and Andy Schleck, was waylaid by French customs police while driving along the stage route Thursday. The cops spent at least a half-four searching his car, apparently looking for the magic juice that makes his sons ride so fast. They didn’t find anything, and sent Dad Schleck on his way. At the end of the stage, Andy, the younger son, opined (at least for public consumption) that it was no big deal that pop was pulled over and had his vehicle turned inside out by the gendarmes.

Well, Andy, might be right if he and Frank were notorious dope merchants and his father was returning from a trip to, say, Tijuana. It wouldn’t seem extraordinary for narcs or border agents to stop him and give him the once over, though even in the case of a family of crack dealers some legal niceties would be observed (in a prosecution, the cops would at some point have to show they had some cause for stopping their suspect; the issue of stopping someone just because a cop thinks they’re up to no good–well, that’s the issue at the heart of profiling). But we’re not talking about an arm of the Medellin cartel now. We’re talking about a bike race. And when it comes to doping enforcement, apparently anything goes.

At least that’s how it looks: Not even the little squib offered by L’Équipe, the unofficial news organ of cycling’s dope narcs, offers anything (English “translation“) about why Papa Schleck was pulled over, and there’s no hint in any of the coverage I’ve found that the police have had to explain their behavior.

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