Vuelta a Espana - Blazin' Saddles: Farrar... finally!
Eurosport - Sat, 12 Sep 19:39:00 2009
On the day Big Mig Indurain visited La Vuelta, Tyler Farrar at last broke his Grand Tour duck.
Farrar was ecstatic as he crossed the line Caravaca de la Cruz - and who can blame him? The American and his team are used to dining out on sloppy seconds.
Garmin-Slipstream had nine second places in cycling's Big Three prior to Wednesday's victory - and Farrar himself was responsible for five of those: two in each of the Tour and the Giro, and one earlier in this race.
Blazin' Saddles has not been shy of having a pop at Farrar in the past, both for his nearly-man tendencies and his revolting hula-hoop earring.
But now that all has to stop. The 25-year-old has finally got his maiden Grand Tour stage scalp; and for that, we must in unison sing Farrar's A Jolly Good Fellow.
It must be a huge relief for the former Jelly Bean Team rider to know that he can finally mix it up on the big stage and beat some of cycling's very best sprinters in, er, Philippe Gilbert and Marco Marcato.
Meanwhile, in Missouri... Oops, BS knew something wasn't quite right there.
Anyway, Farrar's team-mate Jean Vande Velde, recovering from a broken hand back in the States, was suitably impressed and congratulated his compatriot for "shaking the monkey off Garmin's back".
BS can't help but think that more thanks are in order to Fabian Cancellara for disrupting the sprint in the first place and paving the way for Farrar, but hey, we'll leave it at that.
----
On a separate note, it was exhilarating to see the Vuelta's answer to Jens Voigt, Vacansoleil's Johnny Hoogerland, reacquaint himself with his new best friend David Moncoutie off the front of the peloton again.
The Dutchman, who looks more like a DJ fresh from Ibiza than a class A cyclist, has now ridden in two breakaways in Spain with Moncoutie, a renowned recluse who could have been a professional footballer and who also dabbled with being a postman at an early age.
They make a very unlikely pair but there is evident chemistry. Johnny only had eyes for David during the ride to Aitana a few days back, watching the homeopathy-loving Frenchman intently on every bend of every climb.
It's a great collaboration of the old and new: one rider reaching the end of his career and another on the verge of doing something special.
With Vacansoleil having snared the Feillu brothers for the new season, expect an invitation to the Tour for the Continental Pro team. BS is sure he's not alone in relishing the prospect of seeing Hoogerland and Moncoutie renewing their explosive partnership in France.
Follow Blazin' Saddles throughout the day on www.twitter.com/saddleblaze
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Comment 1 - 5 of 5
It may be puerile, but that, at times, is what BS is... And it's not just Cadel's dimple and Farrar's earring - there's also Cancellara's chin, Fedrigo's nose, Cav's sunglasses... lighten up fotodleicto - they're all grown ups and have to deal with more pressure on the road than being called names!
Guys - it is all tongue in cheek. At least Felix is an equal opportunity offender and can take a dig at everyone's favorite rider w/o leaving anyone out. Let's just enjoy it for what it's worth - a quick chuckle at lunch break for cycling fans.
I can't think of a more snide, snivelling, petty and malicious writer than BS at times. Sometimes I really like the articles and they can be very funny. But the personal digs at the riders is completely unnecessary and unprofessional.
I don't like Cadel Evans as a rider and i find his antics laughable. But I'm not going to make fun of his chin dimple because that's something that school bullies do. Same with having a go at Farrar's ear-ring. So what? Get a grip, those sorts of digs are so purile.
Fresh Johnny's done his team a real service in this race. We know why they're there, but nothing prevents them seizing the moment. It's a relief to see the lesser teams actually mixing it up, contributing towards making the race the success that it is. It would be a lesser one without Fresh Johnny.
Vacansoleil for sure deserves an invitation in TdF..they will do a lot more than Skil-Shimano has done this year
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