Team RadioShack manager Johan Bruyneel has conceded that this year’s Tour has been a very disappointing one for him, with the Belgian expressing sadness at Lance Armstrong’s crash and at the fact that the Texan has not been able to perform at the level he was aiming for.
“After the saddest days of my career as team manager in the Tour de France, I look forward more optimistically,” he wrote in his blog in De Telegraaf, choosing to remain upbeat and to chase results for the remainder of the event.
“I will not forget the journey to Avoriaz on Sunday. Lots of thoughts went through my head when I was driving behind Lance Armstrong and saw him climb slowly. That was a very strange sensation. It was very different from how I rode in front all those other years. All those many memorable moments came back to me. I knew very well that this is the end of an era.”
Armstrong is 38 years of age but had expressed confidence prior to the Tour that he was in good shape. He was second overall in the Tour de Suisse and went close to his best ever time on the Col de la Madone, his traditional testing ground.
However once in the Tour things didn’t go to plan, with several crashes, a puncture and then a drop in form putting him back in 32nd place overall.
“For Lance, it is very sad,” continued Bruyneel. “He was really busy [working hard]. After Switzerland, he went on training camp and did some stages. I am sure that without his fall in Avoriaz that he could have stayed in the top ten. He so badly wanted to compete as one of the best in his last Tour.”
The Belgian said that Armstrong reassessed and decided to help the team to chase the best possible results. Sergio Paulinho showed what can be done when he won into Gap two days ago, and the riders will continue fighting.
However he believes that the final yellow jersey is beyond RadioShack, and that Alberto Contador appears to have the upper hand.
“Winning the battle for the Tour is a struggle,” he conceeded. “Andy Schleck and Alberto Contador are truly riding above the level of the others. The rest can only compete for third place. Leipheimer has a good chance. I think the battle between Contador and Schleck is in favour of the Spaniard. I see that in this race he is usually better in the Pyrenees than in the Alps.
“With a lead of 41 seconds, Andy has too little for the time trial. Contador will be a class apart on the flat 52 kilometres around Bordeaux. Also, Alberto has two Tour victories in his pocket and that experience makes him stronger.”
Today’s stage finishes in Mende, and the final climb gives both Schleck and Contador a chance to go head to head and to try to steal a few seconds over the other. It will be a good gauge of strength in advance of the Pyrenees.