2009 Tour de France - Stage 5.

I was up all night painting my team time trial figurines. I already flicked off Evans and Sastre. Their uniforms were too hard to paint anyway. I wonder who might be flicked today. I wonder if Cavendish will take another stage win. No worries Mark, I have plenty of green paint!

It’s not too hot or humid today but it is too windy. I know a racer who is never happy with the conditions. It’s either too hot, too cold, too flat, too hilly, too windy, or too calm. That way, there’s always an excuse for a poor performance.

I can add one more excuse to that list. There are too many trains. Seems as though a choo choo has held up the peloton. Good time to go to the “library”. After the train passes and the “paperwork” is finished, six racers create a gap of 9:35. Voeckler is one of the six. You know he will make a go of it.

Uh oh, the too windy, calm, hot, cold, hilly, flat, train filled stage has split the peloton into groups. I’m going to pick out one excuse and say it was the wind. It looks like the big boys are in the front group, but other big names may be flicked off! I’m going to give Cadel another chance as he’s in the lead group.

The six leaders are cooperating and have increased their gap. Good job boys! They have 10 km to go. Let’s see if they’re smart enough to keep working together and not get greedy for a stage win. The cold war must not be over as Ignatiev is the first to get greedy and attacks with 6.5 km to go. Voeckler counters and surges ahead. He’s got the steam! Choo choo, chugga chugga chugga! Voeckler does it with plenty of room to spare. WTG Thomas!

I’m always happy when someone from the break is victorious. Thomas has tears in his eyes. I do too but only because the wind blew dirt in them.