CONTADOR, A CRISIS THAT COMES FROM THE PAST.

Tomorrow stage will starts from Perigueux and goes to Bergerac, famous for Cirano. All the big ones are ready to start apart the poor Richie Porte who is in the hospital. On this Tour the only cyclist who misses is Alberto Contador. Pinto’s spanish is actually in the race, 5′:15″ far from the leader at the 12th place. The true defeat of this 2017 edition.

You might wonder whether it’s a just an unlucky year or a career ending. The champion has always stated that the data recorded in training were good and that the leg was the ones of the right days. It is a sign that even the watt sometimes aren’t so accurate. One thing is generating a high Watt during a test, another is doing the same at the end of a 6 hour stage. The Contador we saw Sunday, climbing zigzag uphill, it was not nice to see. We had already noticed on the day of the stage won by Peter Sagan that when he released all the power he bounced back while the others flew. We were told that this was not a stage for him, who this year with his technicians had been working on the pedal to sit and on the frequency.

In fact, Alberto is no longer the one he had ever known for a long time. Since when? Exactly 2 years when he won his last Giro d’Italia. Yet he had won. Better analyzing this race should be remembered a couple of things. The first that Fabio Aru, his main opponent in that edition, had 3-4 days of no good. The second was that the other contender then was Mikel Landa, the strongest of them all in 2015, but who …. was stopped from their team: Astana. They were two great opponents, but still too young and without experience.

For those who did not remember, Landa got to the Mortirolo  without apparent affection. That day he could have separated everyone and made the difference. He did not, so I missed an opportunity and that Tour, but you know, the champions know how to catch the moment and win not just with the legs. Contador that Giro did not win him with his legs, which began to creak, but with his head.

Against these Martians of Tour 2017, the head is not enough anymore, unfortunately

Tuesday, July 11: Périgueux – Bergerac – Km 178

After transfer and rest day, the race resumes with a sprint finish. Not to miss the tribute to the Lascaux cave.

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