Hi gang,
I am pretty much at my limit of sleep deprivation, hardly missing a stage of this year's tour to this point.
After staying up till 2 am on Friday morning I still ended up watching the highlights at 6 pm then the extended highlights at 7.45 before settling in to watch the stage last night, a pattern I have followed for most of the past 3 weeks, apart from the nights where I could not stay awake no matter what I tried or drank and on the nights of the time trials which however pure, don't do much for me from a spectators point of view.
I think it has been a great tour with something of a changing of the guard and some great new talent showing how it's done.
I have unsurprisingly loved what the Australians have done, particularly the efforts and conduct of Richie Porte and Simon Gerrans but also the hard work the rest of the lads put in at getting the big names to the finish, Mick Rogers also comes to mind here.
It has been great that the sprints have been open to all comers with a nice spread of winners and you've gotta love seeing the Jensie in a breakaway and Stuart O'Grady smashing down the pedals.
I like the fact that these guys have struggled after a big stage, it has made them look human, it makes them look clean.
Yeh, I still like to think these guys can do it drug free. Whether it's true or not I can't say but I won't be watching every winner or breakaway and suspecting them just because they do something special, I still want to enjoy the damn thing.
It's been a shame poor old Mathew Keenan has had to sit under the cone of silence so early every night but I enjoy Phil and Paul's commentary (mostly) and it's great that we are safe from watching it on one of the big channels as SBS has it under it's wing for another 10 years.
There's a ride on tomorrow, 9 am from Lancefield.
Hope to see you there.
Steve
