It took 24 seconds of the leading group of tour de France athletes to pass our guests the Scott/Sharples family. Down the road the sounds of the crowd gradually became louder as the cyclists approached. Despite the N20 to Ax being closed from 14hrs - 19hrs it seemed very easy for spectators to come and watch. Some even camped by the road side to secure thier place. It is possible to catch the train from Tarascon sur Ariege to Ax for next time....
I've always thought that the Tour de France athletes are some of the fittest around. To check out more on the final stages see: http://www.letour.fr/2010/TDF/LIVE/us/1500/etape_par_etape.html
Christophe Riblon – Stage winners comment - “Last night I would not have bet a euro on me…”A year ago he helped a team-mate race into the yellow jersey on the first mountain stage of the Tour de France, today Christophe Riblon found a few answers to questions he was asking himself in Andorra after stage seven 12 months ago.
“I was really disappointed with my start of the Tour, because I wanted to do something overall, and it did not work. Especially the last two days were very difficult, and I was almost depressed. Then [AG2R La Mondiale’s directeurs sportif] Vincent Lavenu and Julien Jurdi talk to me at length, explaining that I’m usually in good shape by the third week of a Tour, so I had to take my chances and go in a breakaway. They gave me morale, but last night I would still not bet a euro on me.
“In the final I did not want to say ,‘I won’. I constantly repeated to myself, ‘I’m going to win’, but I did not want to be sure, not until the last kilometer. I remembered last year when I wondered how Brice Feillu had done what he did to win the stage to Andorra Arcalis. We were behind, and I do not understand how we failed to reel him in – how could he have stayed ahead when there were riders chasing him down. Now I realize why he could do it. When you’re alone in front, with a few kilometers to the finish, the support of the public helps to carry you and it encourage you, it transforms you and gives you strength. I gave everything and I felt I could not lose.”
Top Five Of General Classification Remains The Same
With his fourth place in the stage, Schleck has maintained his lead in the general classification. There are no changes to the top five.
Big thanks to Alistair for the images and video clip!
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