Just got home and watched the stage on my TiVo (well, Zon Box
) after spending the day away and desperately trying - and succeeding - to avoid all possible spoilers (and also learning whiskey isn't for me. Is 12 year Ballentine's a good benchmark?). Just read through the thread and I couldn't help quoting this.
What a stage.
First of all, massive chapeau for the Portuguese riders. A reminder to everyone else: Cardoso and Mendes are the only two in the Vuelta. But what A ride. I expected (well, hoped) Cardoso to do well - see that lonely vote for him in the poll? - , but Mendes was a moderate surprise. Even then, both in the top ten in the Angliru? If anything, Elissonde's win proves a victory would have been possible. But at this point, I can't say anything other than I'm proud of them.
Massive chapeau to Elissonde as well. Yeterday, I said I thought we'd never see the day a break succeeded at the Angliru (can't really count Simoni). I'm glad to have been proven wrong. Granted, it was the perfect break: strength in numbers, climbing quality, and a decent gap at the foot. But would anyone have predicted Elissonde out of that bunch? My French doppelganger, maybe, but not many more. And at 22 he nails something most riders can't even dream of, capping off a spectacular Vuelta for France's youth. Brilliant.
And obviously, chapeau to Horner. How could I not after that ride. Certainly not spectacular - and I love a good show - , but you could hardly ask for more than that. Congrats on the ride, and congrats on the Vuelta. I'm not a particular fan of him, but I'm glad to see him win. Let me get one thing out of the way - and I know this will earn me the Clinic's eternal hate, but so be it - : I hate "normal". Every time I nail a great result with my fantasy teams, I feel... rather empty. Everything went as expected. Nothing out of the ordinary. And that's utterly, appealingly... sad. So I love a good surprise. And it goes beyond the underdog factor - hell, who
doesn't suffer from that. As someone rightly says in their sig, cycling is only fun because the line between the improbable and the unattainable isn't clear - sorry if I didn't memorize your name. Andy in the '07 Giro. Horner and Elissonde today. Not breaking the standards - because it wouldn't be fun without them - but showing they're a median line, not a cage.
I don't put my hands in the fire for anyone. Not these days. But cycling wouldn't be the same for me without what you some call abnormal - in expected performance of course, not in any other factors.
But the chapeaust of all chapeaus today goes to Nibali. That was absolutely fantastic and took massive guts to pull off. You do not attack on the Angliru - that's what all vets say. But he had to, and he did. He fought to the bitter end and deserves nothing but the highest appraisal for it, and he would have been more than a rightful winner as well. I already liked him before. Consider me a fan now.
And... chapeau to the fog, I guess?
What. A. Stage.