Team Discovery rider Alberto Contador pedaled into history in Paris today, winning the 94th Tour de France by a margin of 23 seconds over Cadel Evans and 31 seconds ahead of teammate Levi Leipheimer.
The twenty-four-year-old came back from dangerous surgery to remove a massive blood clot in his brain, which was discovered after a crash in the 2004 Vuelta a Asturias, to win the most prestigious bicycle race in all of International competitive cycling.
The final 146-km stage, into and around Paris, snaked through small towns and past ancient cathedrals at a rather leisurely pace. Most riders knew about where they would place, and the team title was firmly in the hands of Team Discovery, with a 19:31 advantage over Caisse d'Epargne.
Barring accident or multiple mechanical failures, Team Discovery's Alberto Contador was guaranteed to win the Tour, having a comfortable 23-second lead. Team Lotto-Predictor rider Cadel Evans held second place by eight seconds over Levi Leipheimer, also of Team Discovery.
The Tour started three weeks ago in London, England, crossed the Channel to France, snaked south through the Alps, crossed to the Pyrenees on the Spanish border, and finished with a ride into Paris and eight circuits of the heart of the city. The total length is 3,653.6 km. The tour stated out with 198 riders; 141 made it to the final stage.
Racing into Paris
Team Discovery led the peloton through the countryside, playfully demonstrating their dominance in the standings. Every rider knew that no real racing would occur until the peloton reached Paris.
When the riders reached the final eight laps of downtown Paris, with 58 kilometers to go, Team Discovery led out in a break to protect Contador's lead. Discovery, with eight strong riders, planned to wear out the peloton, to stifle attacks at the end of the stage.
Freddy Bichot (Agritubel) broke away briefly with 49 km to go, but no one responded. When Chris Horner of Predictor-Lotto took off a kilometer later, Team Discovery took off after him; they did not want a teammate of Cadel Evans making a move. At 43 km, a fifteen-rider break took off, but couldn't shake the peloton. The break did stretch out the field out, but the break dissolved into repeated small attacks, as riders who hade no chance of winning the Tour competed for glory before the French fans lining the streets of Paris.
With 33 km to go, the break of ten riders had a 28-second lead over the peloton. The race leaders were unconcerned. The final stage of the Tour tends to be dangerous, as the cobble-stoned roads of Paris are slick and the peloton can get crowded; crashes are not infrequent. Race leaders are generally pleased to see a group break away, as this stretches out the pack and makes for safer racing.
The Sprint
On the final lamp, Team Lampre led the peloton to catch up the breakaway riders.
With 250 meters to go, Team Quick Step tried to lead out for Tom Boonen, but Lampre's Danielle Bennati took advantage and snuck behind the final Quick Step leadout rider.
Then Bennati broke out with an amazing kick, streaking down the left with Stage Four winner Thor Hushovd on his shoulder. Milram's Erik Zabel took off after Bennati chasing on Hushovd's right. Barloworld's Robert Hunter broke solo down the far right side, but could not hold off the leaders.
At the line the order was Bennati, Hushovd, and Zabel, with Hunter and Boonen in fourth and fifth.
Contador finished in 36th position, just behind Cadel Evans and just ahead of Levi Leipheimer.
Doping Scandals Again Mar Tour
Many people looked to this year's tour to redeem the reputation of this nearly century-old event. After last year's winner Floyd Landis was found to have abnormally high levels of testosterone, the legitimacy of the Tour was thrown into question. (Landis's case is still under appeal.)
This year's tour was again marred by doping scandals, as favorites Alexandre Vinikourov and Cristian Moreni, and then Tour leader Michael Rassmussen, were kicked out of the race. Rassmussen did not tested positive for any banned substances, but refused to take many of the regularly scheduled blood tests to which riders are required to submit.
Rassmussen lied about his whereabouts, saying he was with his wife in Mexico, but a reporter saw him training I the Pyrenees. It is suspected that he may hae trained using illegal drugs at high altitudes to increase his blood oxygen, then returned after his blood was clean.
Regardless of whether he tested positive, his team, Rabobank, fired him. Teams, in order to protect the reputation, popularity and profitability of the Tour, have decided not to toleraste even the appearance of impropriety. Team Astana, Vinokourov's squad, and Moreni's Team Cofidis, both withdrew from the tour after learning that their lead riders were suspected of using banned performance-enhancing substances.
Vinikourov denies taking any performance-enhancing chemicals. He has been accused of having his blood replaced with the blood of another person before a test. "I have always raced clean", Vinoukorov said in a prepared statement released by his lawyer. Vinokourov's B-sample also tested positive, however.
Moreni has admitted to using testosterone.
Tour Splitting with UCI?
Christian Prudhomme, director of the Tour de France, has stated that the tour will no longer work with international cycling organization UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale,) complaining that UCI has not aggressively pursued anti-doping policies.
Most of the anti-doping measures were instituted by individual teams, not the UCI; some experts have posited that the UCI is afraid of expensive legal challenges. Most riders and teams are afraid that professional cycling will lose its popularity if it loses credibility.
Until American Greg Lemonde brought interest from across the Atlantic, professional cycling, though wildly popular in Europe, did not attract big-money sponsors or global television coverage. Lemonde and seven-time winner Lance Armstrong attracted attention from the lucrative American market, which gave the whole sport a boost.
Still cycling pays much less than most major league sports (the average salary for an entry-level pro cyclist in France is about $2200 per month—barely living expenses.) Lance Armstrong was initially signed for $215, 00 per year; his final contract paid him 4 million per year, and advertising and promotional revenue might have earned him twice that. However, Armstrong was certainly an anomaly.
ProTour riders make a guaranteed minimum $36,000 per year. By contrast, the starting NFL minimum salary is $285,000 per season. Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick signed for $130 million for ten years, averaging $13 million per season.
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