It is that time of year when we turn from “I need eight hours’ sleep a night or I’ll be grumpy” to “If I sleep tonight I might miss all the action”.
The sports purists are already well in the groove of working on little sleep with the opening rounds of Wimbledon keeping us up late followed by the early morning starts for the US Open.
Wimbledon is now getting to the pointy end of the title chase and many of the cycling fans are starting to find themselves well in the zone for late nights in preparation for the 2011 Tour de France.
The Tour is one of the top sporting events for anyone who has taken the time to watch the full coverage since SBS took the full rights and began broadcasting them in their entirety.
Although the action is not non-stop like a football code, there are many intricate details to this event that has been running for 108 years.
What adds to the event are the stunning country and hillside roads the riders take to every day. A simple stage can turn into a fascinating history lesson as you are continually updated by Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen on every castle, town or building as the riders pass through.
Their ability to keep you engaged for 4 hours at a time during some of the flatter stages is outstanding!
This year’s tour flips things on its head with the traditional opening day prologue removed and replaced with a flat stage to start us off.
It’s a tricky little stage that could create some real excitement at the finish. The finishing stretch on Day 1 is all uphill and wont suit the purest of sprinters but rather the big men that can sustain a run for a longer period.
Thor Hushovd springs to mind, along with Alessandro Petacchi as genuine threats, however, they could be knocked off by a strong short trialer like Alexandre Vinokourov.
For the long-term, the green jersey (sprinter’s title) I really think is in the hands of Mark Cavendish, who proved to himself that he can get over the mountains and even find himself competing for points on stages where he previously couldn’t.
Tyler Farrar and JJ Rojas would be fresh in my mind as knock-out hopes should they find themselves in a few of the major groups over the bigger mountains in the second week.
The teams then get together for a team time trial on day two that won’t really make much difference to the overall standings but may give us an indication of which teams have been making an effort in working together.
It is a great spectacle to watch the teams really push out a smoking pace, and often luck can play a major role with a poorly timed flat tyre meaning the end of someone’s tour after two days.
The first week in all has a good combination of flat-out sprinters stations and some tricky sections that are perfect for someone sneaking away in a breakaway and getting themselves in the yellow jersey for a day or two.
I think the stage is set for a real random to hold the yellow jersey for an extended period at the beginning of the tour. Not until we hit the eighth stage of the tour on Saturday night do we see any real mountains to give the riders their first real hit out.
I will be back to write a review of the first week and a preview of the upcoming stages most likely on Friday night. Until then soak up the atmosphere and get yourself a good supply of late night snacks.
It wouldn’t hurt to grab a new pump for the bike because for many of you the inspirational achievements by these sporting giants often cause you to drag yourself outside for roll.
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