Too Much Hype

Sorry to the one person who reads the blog that I haven't been posting.  I've had a rough week of work, and will probably go back into stealth mode for the next week because I've got another busy one coming up.  Which is unfortunate since the mountains are coming.

I was able to watch today's TTT live since I had a stupid o'clock call this morning and at this hour (+6 since call time) they haven't done anything.  I don't like to post if I can't watch the stage live.  Social media really makes it impossible to not know the outcome of the race soon after it finishes.  I prefer my post to be raw reactions to what I watch.

I have been listening to the hype on NBC about Tejay possibly getting the yellow jersey after today's TTT.  They've been hammering that possibility home for the last couple of days.

I didn't buy one word of it.

I get it, NBC is the American media presence at the Tour, they have to pander a bit to their views (most of which are American).  But it was really too much and very misleading.

I wonder how many new fans, or less than knowledgeable fans, are disappointed that Tejay didn't get the jersey today.  I wonder how many of them think they didn't try hard enough, or blame the 4 riders who tailed off the back before the finish leaving only 5 to pull up the final hill.

I, for one, knew there was a very slim chance of him getting the jersey.  It is not wise to discount Team Sky.  They too are a well oiled machine who I'm sure have been practicing the TTT.  Haven't they finished near the to top, if not the top step of the TTT in races past?

In any case, congratulations to the boys of BMC for getting the win, if only by a whisker.

The real revelation, Movistar.  You look at that roster and aside from Alex Dowsett and Adriano Malori, you are pressed to find a time trial specialist.  And yet, they finished 4 seconds off the pace.  Impressive.  Very impressive.  They put Quintana in a very good position coming into the mountains.

I fell asleep last night to the NBC boys in studio with Alex Dowsett discussing today's stage.  It was refreshing to hear Alex state that he knew the TTT was the entire reason he was on the team to begin with.  After tomorrow, his job is to get Quintana safely to the bottom of the mountain and then try to finish within the time cut.  That's what I like about cycling, it is a team sport and everyone has a role to play.  You aren't all going to be winners, and your finishing time and place is not as important as just finishing the race in Paris. 

Rest day tomorrow.

See you on the road.