Landis secures Yellow

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Floyd Landis has won the 93rd Tour de France. The tour started off on rocky grounds with some top names being suspended off racing by their teams. Since then, the entire race seems to have been turned on it’s head, with no real structure to the teams or the race. Many people claimed that since Basso and Ulrich were out, the tour had been handed to Landis, I was not too sure about this and could not get behind the Phonak team leader. Looking back at it now I think I know why it is so difficult to really feel for the American, he comes from a quiet background and, as such, he is not used to the media attention and talking in public; well, that’s the feeling I got. With someone like Armstrong, he deals with the media, talks openly to the camera’s and just as much of the PR as the cycling. This year thou the yellow jersey was slung around between riders and teams and when Landis obtained it he was not comfortable, the Phonak team is not yet as strong as the other big names and looked a bit lost at the front. I guess that was why they let Oscar Pereiro get a 28minute lead and the jersey. However, when Landis, who was back in yellow, bonked at the end of stage 16 the competition took advantage, pushing Landis back to 11th place. The next day, stage 17, saw some of the American’s best riding. It was also a reason to actually believe in the cyclist. So far, there has been no passion with his riding, the take it or leave it attitude to the yellow jersey was strange and for me, was another reason not to root for him. But after storming past the main field and making up his time and shooting back up to a podium finish was just remarkable. He knew he messed up on the last mountain, well, it happens to us all, but his never give up approach to the stage converted me for life. He might look a bit weird and those glasses are something else, but put on the spot, this man can ride a bike. All he needs now is a hip replacement, and let’s see if he makes a comeback after that.