It would be fair to say it has been the year of the crash in cycling. And the 2011 Tour certainly hasn’t let us down in that department. But the race may have saved its best for Stage 9, a 208km spiky route between Issoire and Saint-Flour. A series of monumental crashes forced no less than 7 abandonments, while previous Vontoux winner Juan Manuel Garate failed to even make the start – finally succumbing to the toll of his crashes earlier in the race. Outside of the crashes the story of the day was Frenchman Thomas Voeckler, who turned back the clock to 2004 and grabbed the yellow jersey off the shoulder of Thor Hushovd after getting into the day’s break. With the peleton delayed by the carnage, the day’s break was succsseful for the second day in succession, with Luis Leon Sanchez taking the win ahead of Voeckler and Sandy Casar.
The big crash of the day came on the dsecent off the Pas de Peyrol. The abandonments weren’t minor riders with minor injuries either. GC hope Jurgen Van den Broeck broke his collarbone and had to abandon, again thinning out the field of potential rivals to what looks to be this years big three (Contador, A Schleck, Evans). Convicted doper Alexander Vinokourov finished his final Tour de France in the back of an ambulance (karma?) after breaking his elbow and his femur (fair effort). Former prologue winner David Zabriskie also had to withdraw after breaking a wrist in the pile up.
But the silliness was not confined to the main bunch either. Normally one advantage of being in the breakaway is that you can avoid the major pile ups that occur in the pack. But not today. As class professionals Johnny Hoogerland and Juan Antonio Flecha were minding their own business in the day’s break, out of nowhere a car from French TV swerved back onto the road clipping Flecha. Flecha tumbled onto the road right in front of Hoogerland, who hit him, and was sent flying off his bike and into a patch of barbed wire on the side of the road in a scene reminiscent of Steve McQueens’ capture in The Great Escape! At least Hoogerland ended up inherting the Polka Dot Jersey (and 30 stitches!) for his pains. Quite humoursly the two riders shared the Most Aggressive rider award on the stage – although I’m sure the driver in the French TV automobile will have been disappointed not to be nominated.
There was a race on up ahead though. And with the peleton cracking the sads about the crashes it was down to the breakaway to fight for the glory. Realising he pretty much only had to stay upright to get the yellow jersey, Voeckler worked tirelessly on the front of the escape to ensure it maintained its advantage. It did so, by over 4 minutes, but Voeckler had given it his all to do so. Sanchez was the freshman and dashed away over the final 200m to take the stage with ease. Philippe Gilbert led the bunch home to increase his lead in the points competition. Voeckler now has 1:49 lead at the top of the general classification from Sanchez. Cadel Evans remains of the best of the GC candidates, in 3rd, 2:26 behind Voeckler. Thor Hushovd’s brave defence of the yellow jersey ended – and he conceded over 2 minutes to the main men in the peleton on the day.
Yellow Jersey – Thomas Voeckler
Green Jersey – Philippe Gilbert
Polka Dot Jersey – Johnny Hoogerland
White Jersey – Robert Gesink
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