Tour de France 2009, Chris Carmichael: Mont Ventoux Plays Judge and Jury

Mont Ventoux Plays Judge and Jury

By Chris Carmichael

Sometimes results don't tell the whole story in cycling. To the casual observer, Stage 20 of the 2009 Tour de France doesn't look like it was much of a challenge. After all, the overall leader board remained relatively unchanged. But anyone who watched today's stage closely knows differently. Including Mont Ventoux on the penultimate day of the Tour de France had exactly the effect the organizers were hoping for. Estimates are that half a million people lined the roadside up the Giant of Provence, and they were treated to quite a show.

The action started before the actual climb began. Not only was there a breakaway ahead on the road, but the peloton was approaching the base of the climb as one large group. We saw a similar scenario at the base of the climb to Verbier, and having 140 riders together at the base of a summit finish is not ideal for the yellow jersey contenders. With the whole pack together like that, support riders for many teams crowd the front of the peloton. The pace is chaotic and there are riders trying to stay up front who are clearly in over their heads. Today, Astana took the initiative to split the pack in a crosswind section about 10 kilometers before the climb began. They immediately got support from Garmin and Saxo Bank because it was in everyone's best interest to reach the base of Mont Ventoux in a smaller pack.

Once on the climb, it was Saxo Bank that put their men on the front to drive the pace and isolate all the team leaders. Astana threw their last domestique -Sergio Pauhlino- into the pacemaking, too. The biggest victim of the high early pace was Bradley Wiggins. Although he handled the speed just fine, he started the climb with three teammates and was the only Garmin rider left in the yellow jersey group after a few kilometers.

Before the yellow jersey group reached the treeline, Andy Schleck must have attacked a dozen times. But it was obvious he wasn't making a bid for personal glory. Each time he accelerated, he looked around to check on the position of his brother, Frank. Contador was able to handle every move Andy made, but the younger of the Schlecks knew that everyone - Armstrong, Kloden, Nibali, Wiggins - had to respond to his accelerations, too. He persisted, despite being unable to shake Contador from his wheel, in hopes that his efforts would drain the energy from one or more of the riders standing between his brother (who started the stage in fifth place) and a podium position in Paris.

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