to rest

It's the first rest day of the 2011 Tour de France and this feels like a good moment to write something about cycling again. Following the fatal crash of Wouter Weylandt in the Giro d'Italia I hadn't been enjoying watching cycling for quite some while. I'd look into the coverage sometimes and check for results, but that was about it. Interest came back with the Tour de Suisse, but Mauricio Soler's accident in this race was another blow.
As much as I know that tragic accidents happen in any sport and in any profession, I couldn't just put it aside. Professional sports are, in a large part, entertainment. Athletes are providing a service of entertainment. Going down narrow roads on two narrow wheels at 80 kph adds to that entertainment. Weylandt's death and Soler's condition are part of it too, sadly. And so we have to admit: this tragedy is also related to us.
But we also have to admit: death is part of life. People die in all jobs. Some blue collar guy dies in a tragic accident at a construction site while, just across town, some white collar guys doesn't surviv his second heart attack. People die in traffic accidents while driving a truck loaded with our food. Wouter Weylandt died riding his bike. Judging comments by his team mates, friends and family he died doing what he loved. No mercy in this. I guess that's how just life is - it doesn't evite tragedy.
The Tour de France, however, proves to be a very special race. With its first stage underway, my interest, my excitement and my joy have been back. It's been a chaotic first week and the peloton has reached the rest day 18 men down. Some of this crashes weren't atypical for a first Tour week, only the number is extraordinary as well as how much GC contenders have been affected. The weather, some narrow roads and the abscence of a prologue may have played their part, but I guess it's just been a week like it's only seen very seldomly. However, two incidents have been quite shocking: Nicki Sörensen being taken out by a motorbike as well as Juan Antonio Flecha and Johnny Hogerland hit by a car. Both drivers have been expelled from the tour.
Of course the usual messageboards provide with a plethora of theories on the number of crashes, the number of head injuries and of course Contador's crashes. While Evans, Basso and the Schleck brothers are the only contenders to have stayed out of trouble, Contador has had a rough week with several crashes resulsting in hurting, swollen knee. While his aforementioned competitors are somewhat used to going down once in a while, Contador has been a rider staying out of such trouble in the past. I've been wondering if the Giro would damper his chances in the Tour. I was thinking about his physical form then but now it seems likely as he's tired mentally as well. It's going to be a difficult tour for him.
Andy Schleck hasn't shown much in this tour, he's kept out of trouble but lost eight seconds due to suboptimal position at the Mur de Bretagne. His brother Fränk didn't lose any time so far, but has neither been attacking. Cadel Evans, however has scored his first Tour stage win at aforementioned Mur and tried some attacks in Super Besse. However, Contador and the Schlecks followed with ease. But his form seems to be back and he's a serious contender to win the Tour.
The race goes through two modestly roling stages before hitting real mountains on thursday. I can't wait. The peloton rest day is about to end and so has my rest from following the sport.

108 forever