SPOLER ALERT: The Alpe squared.

Alpe D'Huez. There are few mountains that inspire excitement in a cycling fan like L'Alpe. It may not inspire fear like other riders, but the 21 hair pin turns are not only a path to victory...they are a path to glory for any rider who is first to the top. 

Spoiler alert: The winner of todays stage is revealed after the break. 

What time is it?

Chris Froome on a cheetah...what else would you expect? Don't know who to credit this image to, but I'd wish I did.

Time trials. Many consider them to be the purest form of bicycle race there is. No drafting, no teammates, no lead outs, just you and your bike for what seems like eternity. There are tactics to be sure,  like when to push, when to rest, which bike to ride...sometimes you have to decide that one multiple times. The ability to sustain a nearly full effort for upwards of an hour on varying grades of road is ultimately the only thing that matters. The strongest man wins and everybody else is left wanting, and wondering how to beat a man who seems to have no weaknesses. Today's race was not your ordinary time trial, it had nearly a thousand meters of climbing, far more than your normal race of truth. This meant that the pure climbers actually had a shot to podium, or at the very least to limit their losses. They took full advantage of the profile and managed to claim the top ten spots on the leaderboard. 

The Norwegians are very comfortable in their own skin - TDF 2013 stage 17 - Photo Credit: Casey B. Gibson

This centenary tour continues to provide some of the best racing in years and today's time trial was no exception. There may be little question as to how the race will end up in Paris, but nearly each days race - taken on it's own - has been phenomenal in the amount of drama and excitement it has gifted to those of us who love this race. 

In no particular order here are my thoughts on today's amazing day of racing:

Froome in all of his rail thin glory - stage 17 - Photo Credit: Christophe Ena/Ap photo

Chris Froome is good at bicycle racing: On today's stage he had to dig down deep to win. It wasn't a surprise that he won mind you, but he really had to work for it...and work he did. He was 2 seconds back of provisional leader Alberto Contador at the first check and 11 seconds behind at the second check. When you throw in the bike change that he made (I don't like that they allow bike changes, but that's for another post) and he had to make up around 15 seconds on Contador. He did that and more, winning by a full 9 seconds and strengthening his already vice like grip on the general classification. 

Alberto Contador sucking through an invisible straw (I hope) - stage 17 - Photo Credit: Bike Radar

Contador is coming into great form in week 3: He may feel that it is too little too late and he may be reeling with disappointment at coming so close today, but Alberto's racing has really improved as the tour has gone on. It bodes well for his chances to maintain his second place in the GC through the high mountain stages that are coming in the next 3 days. He struggle a bit compared to his teammate Kreuziger last weekend, and it will be interesting to see how it plays out for Saxo Tinkoff with only 17 seconds separating their two top riders.

Dirty beard - stage 17 - Photo Credit: Laurent Rebours

Dirty rode the TT of his life: Alejandro Valverde is not known for his time trial abilities, and actually is probably better known for his horrible time trial performances in the past. His fifth place finish only 30 seconds was a revelation for the Spaniard. Dirty stepped it up today. I'm still not a fan, but I can respect a good ride when I see one. 

Purito's pain face - stage 17 - Photo Credit: CorVas/Pez Cycling

JRod might have saved his podium chances: Like Valverde, Purito is not known for his time trialing prowess. Though he's not been horrible in his career, he has given away a lot of time in previous time trials - including the first TT of this tour. Today was a different story however, third place and only 10 seconds behind Froome pushes him to within only two minutes and thirty seconds behind the current third place holder. With plenty of vertical feet to ride, he has a shot to gain that time back between now and Saturday...expect fireworks from the Spanish climber. 

Roman Kreuziger Stage 17 - Photo Credit: Bike Radar

Kreuziger kept the pressure on: Roman's ride to fourth place kept his podium dreams alive, and as I stated earlier, the tension in the Saxo Tinkoff team bus at a moderate level. He finished only 13 seconds behind his team leader on the stage and though he'll no doubt be saddled with the responsibility of riding for Contador, should the Spaniard falter in the mountains, he'll be ready to step up. 

Bauke on his way up the hill, and down the leaderboard - Stage 17 - Photo Credit: Roadcycling UK

Bauke bombed: Much like his Belkin teammate Laurens Ten Dam did yesterday, Bauke Mollema blinked on the big stage and was the days big loser.  He rode shaky and even crashed into a retaining wall within 1 km of the finish. The result was that he dropped second place down to fourth. He still has a great chance to gain it back thanks to his climbing abilities and having the support of a teammate like Ten Dam who can climb well in his own right. He'll have his hands full with a group of Spaniards intent on disrupting things over the next three days. 

The young guns - totally forgot to get the photo credits and now it's late and I'm tired - apologies if these were yours.

The future is bright: Nairo Quintana in 6th, Michal Kwiatkowski in 7th, Andy Talansky in 9th and Teejay Van garderen in10th place are all riders aged 24 years old or less. After todays stage only Teejay sits outside of the top 15 in the overall GC. These kids are for real and they are very arguably riding clean - it speaks volumes about the direction the sport is going and the amazing racing that we'll have presented to us fans for years to come. 

Cadel Evans reading the writing on the wall - stage 17 - Photo Credit: Christopne Ena/Ap photo

It's over for Evans: Cadel had another awful day on the bike. The pride of Australia finished over eight minutes behind the winner...it was so bad for him that even Mark Cavendish bested him... and he was just trying to make the cut. I don't know if Evans will retire after this year, but if he does he can depart the sport he loves with head held high and secure in knowing that he did great things for the sport as the first tour winner from down under. He also would leave with what would appear to be a clean conscience of having ridden clean...not something too many of his peers can claim. 

Couldn't find a good picture of Andy from today, so I used this one from the 2010 TDF where he's riding next to some dude wearing a yellow bikini - Photo Credit: Bernard Papon/POOL

Andy is alive: Last but not least there was a Shleck sighting in the top 15 of a stage for the first time in I can't tell you how long. It would seem that he is finding a sliver of his old form and that the challenges of the broken pelvis are finally fading into the past. There's no telling exactly how much of the old Andy will be able to be reclaimed, but at only 28 years old he still has time on his side. 

What's his name breaks from the break.

Rui Costa and all his names going over the line on stage 16 - Photo Credit: Laurent Rebours

Rui Alberto Faria da Costa has a lot of names. I wonder how long it took him to learn how to write them when he was a kid. I had a hard enough time learning to spell two names, but five? Ok, I guess the "da" isn't really a name, but you still have to spell it...but I digress. Rui Costa as he is more commonly and efficiently known put together a great ride today and slipped away on the days last climb to claim his first stage of this years tour. The Portugese grimpeur has been overshadowed by his teammates Quintana and Valverde this month...but he showed today that Movistar is more than a two man show.

A strong climber and consecutive winner of 2 Tours de Suisse, Costa played his hand perfectly today working his way into the 26 man breakaway which grew its lead to over 12 minutes at one point. When the road started up the Col de Manse he attacked and separated from the others. His move was measured but effective and as he rode over the summit he had 48 seconds on the chasers and over 11 minutes on the field. Once on the descent he put his time trialing skills to the test (he is the national time trial champion of Portugal) and maintained the lead and down the hill and all the way to Gap. 

Meanwhile, back in the GC group the sparks were flying. Contador may have conceded that Froome was stronger in this years tour, but he will not go down without a fight. It was vintage Contador as they raced up the category 2 Col de Manse and he attacked over and over again in an attempt to put Froome under pressure. Froome did not panic, and why would he with his strongman Porte still there to protect him? Porte again put in a brilliant ride in support of his team leader and managed to cover every attack the the Spaniard threw at them. At one point he even had to slow up a bit so Froome could grab back on to his wheel and then he led him back up to Contador. 

With just over 5 km to go, Porte finally cracked and Froome was left alone with a select group of GC podium contenders. As he had in every other stage, the leader of the race neutralized every attack thrown at him by the movistar boys and then the chase was on down the other side. Contador remained on the rivet and flew like Paolo Savoldelli in attempt to break away from Froome and the others. His exuberance got the best of him however, as he lost his wheel and slid out on a right hand bend. His crash force Froome off the side and into the grass where he had to unclip to maintain his balance. It was an eerily similar situation to the famous crash of Joseba Beloki as he tried to break from Lance Armstrong in the 2003 tour. The results were not nearly as bad for Contador as they were for Beloki (who broke his hip in the crash) and he was able to get back into the group and continue to fight as they rode past the spot where Beloki lay in agony on that fateful day a decade ago. Contador and Froome worked together and bridged up to the rejuvenated Richie Porte who again pulled his leader back to the other 6 riders...another MVP performance by the Australian.

The attacks came fast and hard for the rest of the race but Froome had no problems covering all of them and the group finished together over 10 minutes back of Costa. There was some finger wagging (or rather thumb upping) and discussion between Contador and Quintana, who did not attack after Contador's crash. The Spaniard did not believe it however and ruffled a few feathers with his animated response to the reaction from the other riders in their select group. He took big chances today on the descent and props to him for doing so, but to expect every one else to wait when you make a mistake is pushing it a bit...more than a few riders let him know it. 

The big loser of the day was young Laurens Ten Dam who missed the cut on the Col de Manse and dropped out of the top 5 in the overall standings. Quintana took his place and Purito moved up to 7th on the eve of the final individual time trial. With three challenging mountain stages remaining from Thursday to Saturday, tomorrow's stage will be crucial to those who aren't as strong on the climbs to try and stretch whatever leads they may have on the 30 km ITT. With a thousand meters of climbing on the stage, there will also be a chance for the non time trial specialists to keep their losses at a minimum before the final big stages in the Alps. 

I couldn't help but notice the resemblance...

When I saw this pic of Froome grimacing in Wednesday's individual time trial, I couldn't help but think he looked like Ridley Scott's Alien. Even his ungainly position on the bike resembles the brutal, emotionless killing machine from the movie series... elbows out, shoulders hunched and long lanky legs that seem to bend in multiple directions. 

I'm guessing right about now that most of the peloton would probably agree that there is more than just a passing resemblance. His performance has been nothing short of an otherworldly effort. He has shown no sympathy, no remorse, given no quarter and has in fact ferociously attacked his rivals at every turn.

On the climb up to Mont Ventoux it appeared that he would be the benevolent tour leader and let Quintana have the stage in exchange for working together...then he promptly chewed him up and spit him out over the last 1.2 km. No gifts... The Badger must have been loving it. 

I just hope his blood doesn't contain acid like the move monsters does...or any other unnatural substance for that matter.

There seems to be a nickname here somewhere, but I haven't come up with one yet - when I do you'll be the first to know. 

The First Annual Bike Life Second Rest Day awards.

Let's do this:

OPQS leading the pack - Photo credit: Graham Watson

Best team - Omega Pharma Quickstep: A win for Martin in the Time trial, A second sprint victory for Cavendish and a great breakaway triumph for the young Matteo Trentin all in the second week prove without a doubt that they were the best team. 2 of the wins were on consecutive days and all 3 were within four days. Add to their success the amazing overall performance of Michal Kwiatkowski and they may hold this prize all the way to Paris. 

The famous locks of Marcel Kittel - Photo credit: Bryn Lennon/Getty Images Europe

Best young rider - Marcel Kittel - Team Argos Shimano: Two more sprint victories against the best of the best - including one in a head up sprint against Cavendish - bring his stage tally to 3 for the race, the most of any rider to this point. In addition to his performances on the bike, his hair has become something of a celebrity of it's own...

Chava looking cool pre stage - Photo Credit: Cycling Weekly

Most Combative - Sylvain Chavanel - Omega Pharma Quickstep: While Bakelants has still been taking the fight to the peloton, this week Chavanel was constantly out front bringing pain to his competition. Though none of his work resulted in victories for himself, 2 of the wins for his teammates can definitely be traced back to his selfless riding. Also - his valiant attempt to break away and win on the slopes of Mont Ventoux will not soon be forgotten. 

Let's get together - Photo credit: NOS

Best Crash - Tom Veelers - Team Argos Shimano: Easily the most talked about crash in the race. Veelers drifted right as Cavendish veered left and with a hard shunt from the Missiles upper body Veelers was down - hard. Debate raged on the internet about who was at fault, with most of the pros calling it just an unfortunate accident. The fans however had a different opinion with most spitting vitriol at Cav. One idiotic fan took things too far however and threw urine on him as he waited for the time trial start on Wednesday. An awful act and one of the only black marks on the tour thus far. 

The lankey leader at the summit of Mont Ventoux - Photo credit: ASO

Best Climber - Christopher Froome - Team Sky: Only one choice here. Others have ridden well but Froome's dominance has been unquestioned. His historic ride up Mont Ventoux to win on the Giant while wearing yellow will go down in history as one of the best rides in modern times. He is simply in a class by himself so far in this year when the roads start to rise. 

Froome looking a bit like an alien - Photo Credit: Getty images

Best Rider - Chris Froome - Team Sky: This week Peter Sagan was doing his best to upstage the new Boss of le peloton by upping his podium total to 7, but there really is only one choice for the best rider of the last week and of the tour so far. With a second place in the ITT and the resounding victory on stage 15 to Mont Ventoux, he claimed the polka dot jersey as best climber to go along with another Maillot Jaune to add to his growing collection. His performance was masterful and should go down as one of the best ever. I say "should" because as his lead in the GC increases, so does the speculation about how such performances are possible. It's a sad state of affairs that is the reality of the current culture of cycling. You simply cannot help but be skeptical... I hope for him and for the sport that what we are witnessing is a victory for the history books, and not another awful chapter in a beautiful sport that has been riddled by cheats for years.

Update - July 17th, 2013: I can't believe I forgot about the toughest rider award when did the second rest day post on Monday. Without further ado, the hardest man in the peloton for week two is:

GT, still riding with a pulverized pelvis - stage one 2013 TDF - Photo Credit: Eric Gaillard/Reuters

Geraint Thomas- Team Sky: He's still riding and his pelvis is still broken - 'nuff said.

Feux d'artifice pour la fete national

Fireworks at the Eiffel Tower - Photo credit: Celeste Hutchins

For those who don't parler Français, or don't have access to Google translate like I do, the title of this post is 'Fireworks for French National Day" - or Bastille day as it is known in the English speaking parts of the globe. It happens every year on July 14th and is meant to commemorate the 1790 Fete de la Fédération - not the storming of the Bastille as most people today think. There are major celebrations all over the country, and none bigger than where ever Le Tour happens to be on that day. Every year hundreds of thousands of revelers line the stages in the hopes that one of their countrymen will slip away and claim the top step of the podium on the biggest holiday of the year.

Bjarne Riis taking a moment to connect with the fans! - Fans on Mont Ventoux - Photo credit: B.Blade/ASO

This year was no exception - over three hundred thousand rowdy fans lined the final 20 km of the route hoping to see one of the french riders pass through at the téte de corse and reach the summit first to the raucous cheers of the adoring French fans. Would every French houswive's favorite - Tommy Voeckler be the one to come by bobbing and weaving like a boxer with jersey filleted and tongue flapping in the wind? Or perhaps one of the young climbers who show so much promise - Gadret, Rolland, Pinot or Bardet? 

The always impressive strongman Sylvain Chavanel showed promise and lit up a break with Peter Sagan and 8 others from very early on. their lead stretched to over 7 minutes at one point before Europecar upped the ante and the gap started to fall. By the feedzone the lead had shrunk to 4:35 and it looked like the group would be caught before the real climbing even started. At 29 km to go Chavanel took matters into his own hand and broke from the group. chases ensued but he hit the foot of the Giant of Provence clinging to a 28 second lead. Peter Sagan was the first of the leaders to fall back to the field and the Slovakian took a second to delight the fans with one of his patented wheelies as the peloton bore down on him:

Chavanel continued his valiant effort but once the road turned skyward and the true climbers started to get antsy his dreams of Bastille glory quickly faded, much like the fireworks that would soon be lighting up the night sky. The first to attack were Portugal's name collector - Rui Alberto Faria da Costa and Belgium's feisty Jan Bakelants, Costa faded back quickly but then Euskatel's Mikel Nieve bridged up to Bakelants and he and the Belgian worked together. 

That's when the real fireworks started...for the next rider to take his shot was the newest pride of Colombia, Nairo Quintana. He rode away with 12.4 km to go smoothly, effortlessly and with no visible emotion on his face...a trait that is making him famous all across the social media world. There was almost no response from the field, but I'm willing to bet there was a collective gasp from living rooms all over the world to the effect of "too soon Nairo!". 

Behind him the devastation to the field was well underway. In a sadly too common sight these days, Andy Schleck and Cadel Evans were the first big names to be unhinged. More followed including Valverde, Fuglsang and Nieve (who could not maintain Quintana's pace) as Team Sky took to the front and started the charge that would be the decisive move of the day. Peter Kennaugh and Richie Porte - in what I consider the ride of the day - turned themselves inside out for Froome and decimated the field. Within a few kilometers only the maillot Jaune, Porte and a struggling Contador were left together to chase down the Colombian Quintana. With 7.5 km to go Porte's heroic effort ended and Froome made his move. the lanky South African who spent his first 14 years in the thin air of Nairobi, Kenya showed the mettle of a man who wanted to not only cement his place at the top of the leaderboard, but to make history while doing it.

Porte with the ride of the day - photo credit: Christiophe Ena/AP photo

He quickly caught Quintana who struggled for a moment before catching back up to his wheel. It stayed that way for the next 2 km as they continued to distance the chase group which included just about everybody else who still had a shot a podium. Then there was a clear conversation between the two leaders which ended when Nairo took to the front and pushed the pace again. The twittersphere erupted with talk of an agreement being made and the stage being gifted by Froome to the Colombian for his help in extending the lead over the others.

The twitter experts could not have been more wrong however, as Froome began working to drop Quintana and finally did so with 1.2 km to go. He continued the torrid pace and finally crossed over the line, striking a triumphant (if somewhat awkward) pose a full 29 seconds ahead of Quintana who had been on his wheel only a thousand meters before. Then the wait was on to see how much time Contador would lose. As the camera steadied in anticipation of the Spaniards appearance around the last curve the surprise of the day occurred. It was not Contador that came into view next, but a resurgent Nieve and the previously M.I.A. Purito - A.K.A. Jaoquim Rodriguez. Another 17 seconds later the Saxo Tinkoff jersey finally appeared, only it was Kreuziger first with his team leader (for now?) clinging to his wheel in an effort to stay relevant in the overall GC.

A jubilant Froome doing the safety dance as he crosses the line - Photo credit: Doug Pensinger/Getty images

The parade of the days best riders continued, as the impressive tours of Belkin duo Bauke Mollema and  Laurens Ten Dam came through in in 8th and 9th place. Jean Christophe Peraud took home the honors as the best Frenchman on Bastille day with a great effort to come in 10th, just over 2 minutes down. Richie Porte's amazing day finally ended with a 15th place ride that added to the already strong impression he is making this month as a future contendor for the Maillot Jaune.

Just a little over 2 minutes separated the 18 riders who came in from 3rd place to 20th, but the riders reactions might as well have been from different worlds depending on your standing in the peloton. For riders such as Michal Kwiatkoski, Dan Martin and Laurens Ten Dam, their placings were further confirmation of the bright futures in store for these young men. For others like Contador and Valverde however, the minutes lost and places counted ahead were bitter indications of GC hopes that are fading further and further away...not only for this year, but perhaps for their careers as well.  This race is a cruel mistress to those who try to tame her, she continues to send one brutal stage after another to shatter the hopes and dreams of the men who give everything, every day for that one fleeting victory.. and for the accolades that define the winner as one who beat the best up the lonely road to Mont Ventoux.   

The Giant.

This amazing print was created by Le Rouleur Lent - you can buy it here and here.

                           

Mont Ventoux is and isn't one of Le Alps. Geographically it is considered part of the Alps, but  many consider it separate because there are no other mountains of similar height any where near it. It stands seemingly alone to the north of the Luberon range with a perfect peak reminiscent of a typical child's drawing of a mountain. There is nothing childish about this mountain however and it in fact has served to separate the boys from the men every time it has been ridden as part of Le Tour de France. 

Tomorrow's stage 15 of this centenary tour will be no exception. Taking the harder route via Bedoin to the summit, the race is a long one - 242.5 km, with the final ascent to the summit being the only really tough climb of the day - but what a climb it is. From that side it is 21 km of climbing that rises 1912 meters from the valley floor. Though the average gradient of 7.43 percent may not seem so challenging when compared to some of the steeper climbs in the Alps... it is the totality of the experience that grinds you down. 

It is a war of attrition for 21 km where there are no hairpins to break up the relentless climbing, for the 11 km up to Chalet Reynard the average gradient increases to nearly 10 percent. There is a slight let up at the chalet but then it kicks up again the rest of the way to the finish. Adding to the demoralizing experience is the fact that the summit has no vegetation or trees - only a barren limestone landscape with one road leading to the peak which is highlighted by the strange coexistence between a 500 year old Holy Cross chapel and a 50 year old 60 meter high telecommunications mast. An additional hurdle are the devilishly strong winds that hit you once you come out of the trees and hit the bald slopes. The direction of the wind is crucial, with a tailwind helping to lighten both the physical and mental loads - or a headwind hitting you in the face like a ton of bricks. 

Tom Simpson - photo credit: Krieger Roger/L'Equipe

But perhaps nothing is more unsettling than the history of what this climb has done to others in the past. Most notably Tom Simpson, the British cycling legend who's life tragically ended on the slopes of the Giant during stage 16 of the 1967 tour. To be fair to the mountain it has been widely reported - and generally accepted - that Simpson was using amphetamines on the day of the climb. He was reportedly seen ingesting pills at the start of the climb to counter act a lingering sickness he had been battling that week and one km from the finish fell of his bike for the first time. His team mechanic tried to tell him that his race was over, but Simpson would have none of it. He simply said "on, on, on" and they sat him up and strapped him back in. He rode a further 460 meters before collapsing again for the last time. A nurse and others took turns giving him mouth to mouth until a helicopter arrived to take him to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. Sadly, they found in his jersey pockets two empty tubes of amphetamines and a third that was half empty. 

The official cause of death was listed as heart failure due to dehydration and heat exhaustion with the addition of drugs being a contributing factor. There are a number of factors that would drive one to act so recklessly, for some it was an obsessive desire to be the best, for others it is simply a need to perform at a certain level to keep ones job and food on the table. In the 60's cycling was not a profession that would yield a pot of gold for most riders. Only the best were rewarded so handsomely and many others  may have felt the need to do whatever possible to get the most out of their short careers on the bike  - Simpson was not immune to this stress. An interesting side note: The words "put me back on my bike" are widely accepted as Tom Simpsons last words, but they were not. Those words were actually invented by a British reporter following the race and reporting for The Sun who was not actually on the scene. The aforementioned "on, on, on" was actually the last sentence he uttered and was confirmed by the two men who were actually there with him.

Whatever he said the outcome was the same, and there is now a solemn memorial at the very spot where he fell - 1 km from the summit of the Giant in his honor. It is somewhat of a shrine to road racing fans who leave tributes to the fallen rider after making their own cycling pilgrimages up the slopes of the Mountain. Though Mont Ventoux is not responsible for the death of Simpson, it is one more part of the myth that surrounds the Giant of Provence and should be a warning to today's young riders who push themselves beyond their limits for success - sometimes naturally and sometimes artificially - that it is just not worth it. 

Tom Simpson memorial - Photo credit: MARKA/Alamy

I can't imagine the level of anticipation the riders must be feeling right now. They are prepared for sure - prepared for the intimidation that the sight of the Giant brings. Prepared for the physical toll it will take on their bodies. Some are prepared only to survive, while others are prepared to grab glory in their hands and stand on the top step of one of the most sought after podiums in the history of cycling. Tomorrow's racing coverage starts at 5:00 a.m. in my neck of the woods and when it is done we will know a ton more about where this tour is heading...and who will be leading it to that destination.