Well...the final Grand Tour is over and the Pro Cycling season is slowly coming to an end. After the World Championships, there are pretty much no more meaningful races. Soon all we'll be left with is "Eurotastic" cyclocross and "Nobody gives a shit" mountain biking. With all it's drama, stories, and impressive performances, 2009 has been a great year. Who knows, maybe even doping is on the downswing...Yeah right! The 2010 season looks even better, with new teams, riders, and rivalries emerging weekly.
I do want to talk about the Vuelta specifically though. Mongo compares it to the Australian Open in tennis, and the PGA Championship in golf. Though they are all major championships in their respective sports, they are the least contested, and coveted, titles.
I do want to talk about the Vuelta specifically though. Mongo compares it to the Australian Open in tennis, and the PGA Championship in golf. Though they are all major championships in their respective sports, they are the least contested, and coveted, titles.
No one can argue that a podium of Valverde, Sanchez, and Evans, is quite impressive, but when you look a little closer, the peculiarities really stick out. A couple of examples...David Millar won the final Time Trial. He hasn't won anything significant since he stopped doping! Guess which team won the Team Competition? Not Garmin...not Saxo...not Astana...not Caisse d'Epargne...not Cervelo...not Quickstep. Who then, you might ask? It was the mighty Continental powerhouse, Xacobeo Galicia. That's what I'm talkin' about!
Valverde is probably living on borrowed time, and a suspension is still likely. While we all know about Cadel and his wheel-sucking, man-purse wearing, crybaby, ways, Mongo does legitimately like "Sammy" Sanchez...and wishes he had won.
(Photo:Sirotti/CyclingNews)
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