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Stage 9

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cyclingday

I'm the Wiz, and nobody beats me!
July 15th 2018 was a day to make Henri Desgrange proud of the classic bike race he created.
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To say that the road conditions were rough, would be an under statement.
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The French city of Roubaix would be the destination.
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Some guys weren't going to make it though.
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This race is a battle of attrition.
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Body surfing asphalt was the order of the day.
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Dust was a poor substitute for oxygen.
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In the end, it would be the German rider, John Degenkolb, riding for the American team, Trek, that would be victorious.
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He'll get some sleep tonight, and be back on his bike for the first alpine stage on Tuesday.
Rest assured, this classic bicycle race is alive and well.
Vive Le Tour de France!
 
Well, Stage 9 gave way to three days in the Alps that were worthy of the late great Fausto Coppi.
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The first to win on the climb to Alpe D Huez.
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Definitely, not for the faint of heart, or lungs.
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It was a beautiful day for a ride in the French countryside.
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But, when this is where you're going, I hope you ate your Wheaties.
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21 switchbacks to the top!
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Sometimes, it takes the Devil to instill some inspiration.
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I'd like to say it was me, who claimed the yellow jersey at the finish line.
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But no, the man to make it through the Alpes with the best time, was the British rider, Geraint Thomas, from the Sky team.
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In the end, the ride across the finish line of Alpe D Huez, wearing the yellow jersey, will be the Rosebud moment of his life.
July 19th, 2018.
Tour de France.

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And now for a few days of flatter stages, and then on to the Pyrenees for a few more days in the high mountains.
 
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Stage 16 had a nice gentle roll out from the ancient French city of Carcassonne.
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The fields of Sunflowers always look perfect in the month of July.
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Past the old ruins and on up into the Pyrenees, for three more days in the mountains.
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Belgian rider Philippe Gilbert was out in front and flying down the mountain roads.
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Until he over cooked the corner, and literally went flying off the mountain road.
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But, cyclists are a tough breed, and he would get back on his bike and ride on.
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Then, the British rider, Adam Yates would take the lead, but that didn't last long either.
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Hitting the deck at 50 mph with nothing but a few microns of Lycra between your flesh and the asphalt is definitely a rude awakening.
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French rider Julian Alaphilippe proved to be the true, King of the Mountains.
He made the treacherous decent faster than anybody else, and took the stage.
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To the victor go the spoils.
Well, for today anyway. There are still two more brutal days in the mountains and an individual time trial, before they head for Paris on Sunday.
 
Well, after three weeks of racing and a few thousand miles under the wheels, all roads eventually lead to Paris.
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Team Sky was masterful in their pursuit of another Tour de France championship.
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Only this year, the mantle was passed between team mates Geraint Thomas and former champion, Chris Froome.
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The best young rider was awarded to Pierre Latour. The climbing points award went to Julian Alaphilippe. The Sprit points award went to Peter Sagan, and the overall champion was Geraint Thomas.
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Of the 218 riders that started, 30 didn't make it to Paris.
The 105th Tour de France was definitely a classic!
 
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Loved it, watched every stage, sometimes 2 or 3 times, it was just on the TV while I was working. I find Paul & Phil's commentary to be a comfortable & soothing backdrop. Tops for me this year was the Most Aggressive Rider or Super Combativity prize (or Le Prix de la combativité) for Dan Martin (UAE Team Emirates) for his aggressive, attacking style over three weeks of punishing racing, Merckx holds the record with four Aggressive wins. Dan win's Stage 6; had a bad crash late in stage 8 with 16k to go and lost 1:16; had a flat tire at a poop time on stage 14 with 5.5 km to go and lost more time; finished 2nd on stage 17; and finished in the top 10 overall (8), was always in the mix and fighting for it every day, my favorite this year....the 'super combativity' award to the Tour's most aggressive competitor is worth $31,000.

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Da iawn Geraint!!
Allez Maindy Flyers!
I agree, Dan Martin, what a great rider!
Great race this year, I hope to get to a stage (or two) next year.
 
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