Our Man in Yellow.

Hey!

Young Brad has distinguished himself again.  In yesterday's unbelievably beautiful stage of Le Tour from Albertville to La Toussuire in the Alps Wiggo once again did the biz, coming in 6th on what was perhaps the toughest day of this years Tour.  Revelations came thick and fast as the riders began the long climb up the final ramp from St Jean de Maurienne up to the finish line at La Toussuire some 1705m above sea level.  After having already survived the gigantic hors-categorie climbs of the Col de la Madeleine and the Col de la Croix de Fer, Wiggo always looked comfortable and in good shape so that as the peleton hit the foot of the final climb I felt confident that his yellow jersey would remain intact.  With team-mates Porte, Rogers, Froome, Boassen-Hagan and Knees around him Team Sky's position was incredibly strong.  Little did we know that by the end of the climb that position would not only be enhanced, it may well prove to unassailable.

Frenchman Pierre Rolland (Team Europcar) eventually went on to win the stage with a fantastic performance that delighted the home crowds.  But Rolland is not a challenger for the overall title and whilst he was gaining the plaudits of his countrymen the real drama was still on the mountain.  The big surprise of the day, for me at least, was that Cadel Evans and last years Tour winner, cracked about half-way up the final climb leaving Wiggo with Froome (3rd place overnight) and Nibali (4th place) for company among one or two others.  As Evans fell further and further behind, eventually losing almost a minute and a half (a huge chunk of time at this level), Wiggo spurred on perhaps, barring mishaps, putting in a performance that may well prove to be the decisive examination of this years Tour.

As the kilometers slid painfully by for Evans, Chris Froome led Wiggo and Vincenzo Nibali up the endless 18kms of this long, long climb until about 4k from the finish when he burst out of what remained of the peleton to illicit a bone-crushing attack that immediately had the rest in trouble, Wiggo included.  As Froome moved away from the elite group, perhaps looking for the stage victory - I think had he been allowed to go he may well have caught Rolland, but now we will never know - he was suddenly seen clutching his hand to the side of his head.  "Wiggo's in trouble!" or something like that must have come over the team radio.  "Go back and support your leader!"

'In trouble,' might be a bit strong, but Wiggo had definitely been unable to match the amazing acceleration exhibited by Froome, but ever the professional Froome reined in and slid inexorably back into the elite peleton and pulled Wiggo up and over the final ramp of the climb before losing out in sprint finish for second place on the day to Tibot Pinot of Francais de Jeux.  Wiggo came over the line a second or two behind Froomey and history had been made.  He became the first Briton to wear yellow for 4 days in a row, an amazing achievement on a day that also saw Froome move up into 2nd position, just over 2 minutes behind Wiggo, with Nibali a further 20 seconds or so behind in 3rd.

Team Sky in first and second.  Britain in first and second.  What would the odds have been of this happening before the Tour started.  You just have look down the 'predictions' of the pundits and experts to realise that this was not a scenario that too many of them had anticipated.  Wiggo had been most people's favourite for the Tour given his winning performances in both the Paris-Nice Classic in March and the Criterium du Dauphine last month, but very few had tipped Froome to back Wiggo up quite as impressively as he has despite his second place overall in last years Vuelta de Espana.

Froome leads Wiggo up the final climb to La Toussuire (photo from Sky Sports)

For me Froome has been a revelation and must surely be a strong contender for the overall title next year.  But he will still be at Team Sky then?  For a team to have 2 leaders is unheard of and Froome must be entitled to have the support of a team of his own given his performances.  This is not a scenario I would relish however.  Team Sky is predominantly a British based team, with British team management, British sponsorship and I would love to have Froomey stay put.  But will he feel the same when he reflects on his performances after the Tour is over?

But for now, I'm just floating on a patriotic cloud.  Wiggo has been a hero of mine for many a year.  To be honest I never thought he had in him to become the climber he has undoubtedly become, but he has happily proved me wrong and has shown the dedication, the strength and the qualities of a true Champion whilst remaining true to himself and keeping his feet firmly planted on the ground, a fact brought home to me yesterday as he crossed the line together with Nibali, both their faces etched with the pain and agony of the stage, so that when Wiggo reached across to his Italian rival and embraced him I had the feeling of watching a man who had not only done what no other Briton has ever done, but has done it in a style of his own making, and done it with no sense of superiority about him, just a sense of his own ability and a firm, unshakable belief in himself and that this is his year.

Well done Wiggo.

P XXXXX

Bradley Wiggins.....man of the moment!

Hiya!

I just have to comment on the amazing performance by one of my heroes yesterday.....Bradley Wiggins destroyed the field in the second of three time-trials at the Tour de France taking almost 2 minutes out of Cadel Evans, the man currently in second position overall (behind Wiggo) and last years winner.  The only man capable, it seemed, of staying with Wiggo was his room-mate and colleague Chris Froome who moved up from his overnight position of sixth to all the way to third. 

Figure 1.  Young Brad in yellow!

But for me, it wasn't just the scale of the victory, it was the manner in which he did it.  The holder of the maillot jeune always sets off last in the time-trials.  This does of course this have its' advantages - you know exactly what you have to do in order to maintain or even strengthen your position - but, on the flip side the wait must be almost unbearable.  Especially for a man tipped to not only win the stage, but win the Tour overall.  Wiggo, ever the professional, kept his cool and set off at a blistering pace and by the first time-check at around 15km he was a staggering 20 seconds up on Froome, who was in turn another 20 seconds or so up on Mr Time-Trial himself, Fabian Cancellara.

Anyone who knows cycling cannot help but to have been impressed by Wiggo's performance and (without trying to jinx him in any way) provided he recovers from the Tour well enough, it was a performance that marks him out as the man to beat in the time-trial come at the London Olympics next month.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves.  To win the Tour is enough right now for any man to deal with.  The Olympics, at which Wiggo is currently the 4000m Individual Pursuit Champion, will be here soon enough, and no doubt, I shall be on the case when it does!

Back at the Tour Froome's performance was similarly outstanding and has put the management of Team Sky in a very interesting position - a unique position in my short-lived experience of the Tour - in that one team now has two men who each are capable of winning the Tour.  Froome's job of course, is to protect and 'lead' Wiggo to overall victory, to shepherd him up the final part of the climbs once his other team-mates - such as the unquenchable Edvald van Boassen-Hagan, the immense Michael Rogers, and the pocket-rocket, Wiggo's 'shadow', the irrepressible Richie Porte - have done their work in the early part of the climbs and to take over as the last man shepherding Wiggo to overall victory. The problem arises, interestingly, if Froome out-climbs Wiggo and starts to close in on him as a challenger for yellow.  Will he, should he, still work for Wiggo or should he be given free rein to ride his own race and go for yellow himself?

In interviews Froome comes across a very decent fellow and a thoroughly nice bloke, one who would, no doubt, do exactly what is expected and no more, if that was what was required of him, and not say a harsh or negative word about it afterwards.  But is that right or fair?

Well, I think that is fair.  And right.  That is, after all, what he is paid to do.  It's his job.  Having said that though, I don't think the management of Team Sky will impose too much stricture on Froome and his incredible climbing abilities.  I think we shall see him shepherding Wiggo as always and if, when they get to the finishes, he has anything left in his legs I believe they will free him to go for whatever he can get.  Don't forget last year Froome out-paced Wiggo in the mountains of Spain in the Vuelta de Espana on more than one occasion, although in Wiggo's defence (is defending him what I'm doing?) I don't believe he was at his peak after his horrible crash in the prologue (the first stage) of last years Tour.  That said, this year and so far in the Tour, Wiggo's climbing has been first class and he has never looked like being dropped or even in trouble on any of the mountain stages, whether it has been Froome, Evans or anyone else who has been beating the path.  The big tests are, though, still to come.  The Pyrenees and the Alps have yet to be tackled and the answer to these and many more questions will have been answered by the time the riders get to the final time-trial and penultimate stage of the tour in just under two weeks time.

As you probably know an Englishman has never won the Tour and the pressure now on Wiggo's shoulders must be immense, but if there were anyone's shoulders on which I would dare to heap such pressure, it would be those slender deltoids and trapezoids of Wiggins.  He now has what is surely a winning margin and I, for one, will be watching each of the next stages in to Paris with much more than baited breath.  This could be history in the making and I won't be missing a second of it.

C'MON WIGGO!!  YES YOU CAN!

Back soon....

P XX