OT: That sound? McEwan's head exploding! TDF Notes
Greg Sloop, Portland Oregon
>Just a OT mention, since OLN has lost their namesake this year.
(For those non cycling types, everyone joked that OLN stood for the "Only Lance Network" last year...)
"The explosiveness of McEwen is something extraordinary," said Cipollini who followed the stage in the Liquigas team car on Tuesday. The route was covered at an average speed of 47.214kmh was the fastest stage so far this year.The sprint was a hurly burly affair that did not leave Cipollini as the only agog in awe for the brilliant bike handling, brazen tactics and speed with which it was contested.
For McEwen, who was up to 12th wheel back with about 350m to go it was a case of doing what he does best, which is making the best out of a situation that many others would think impossible to profit from.
"I was just starting to really accelerate when we hit the line. I hadn't even got into top gear yet," said McEwen. "That's what happens on the Tour. Sometimes you need a bit of luck to get out and I didn't think I was going to get out at all, so in the last 40 meters I rescued a few points.
"It would have been nice to win another one but that's how the Tour goes. You don't win every day. Maybe if I won it would get a bit boring - not for me, but for everybody else."
In other news; McEwan, after suffering a rapid head expansion, followed by a grotesque swelling and explosion, had to withdraw early from the Tour.
From Velonews:
http://www.velonews.com/tour2006/news/articles/10345.0.html
It's been an interesting Tour so far this year, and things may start to heat up when the REAL tour starts tomorrow, and even more in the Alps next week. (The real tour happens in the mountains and the sprinters week is just to get us all ready for the win/lose part of the tour!)
To keep this on topic...I'm sure if you watch the tour carefully, you'll see some handmade wood work on the side of the road...
Cheers,
Greg