Tour de France Stage 14 2013

Tour de France Stage 14 2013

A power break eighteen men strong

Sets a scorching pace from opening gong

Jen Voight is there and Albasini

The ETA  thirty minutes early!

The peloton is keeping close tabs

The breakaway is breaking bad

Le Tour one oh oh is fulfilling its' promise

A rollicking free-for-all is upon us

The sprinters are seeking a last chance for gloire

Saxo-Tinkoff sees an open door

For their wily climber Albert Contador

A good yesterday makes them hungry for more

Sky seems fragile with two men gone

The super break just keeps flying along

Van Garderen is there for BMC

with fellow Yank Andrew Talansky

Rojas takes the sprint and the cash prize

a bit of redemption for Movistar guys

Expect the unexpected seems this year's motto

Betting the outcome like playing the Lotto

Hoogerland and Cunego break out from the pack

Chasing the break it's not courage they lack

Thirty eight miles to go today

Still lots of juice in the breakaway

And just in case I forgot

to mention

Oh La La!  A testosterone  convention

Andrew Talansky is doing fine

A champ in the making he's biding his time

The break splinters to  goals individual 

Gone are the miles of tapping convivial 

A Frenchman Julian Simon

would love a win in Lyon

But in the end it's Mateo Trentin

an Italian on Quick Step

We'll hear much from this lad yet

Ditto Talansky, A

He moves up to 12th Place today!

And don't forget van G,Tejay

He well repped the USA

Tour de France Stage 13 Post Script

It is très très sweet

From a view psychologique

To watch Mark C

Come back to earth 

On his own two feet

He started believing

His own publicity

How nice to see

A return to simplicity 

He took his win with sincere gratitude

Nice to see he's adjusted his attitude

Tour de France Stage 13 2013

Crosswinds and Ingenuity 

Split the pack

Apparently 

Kittel in the latter group

Finds his smile begin to droop

OPQS spotted an opp

To keep their guy on top

They tacked smartly towards the wind

Using brains to help them win

A bold move echelons created

OPQS must not be underrated

Now their will is concentrated

On keeping Cav 

In the running

Argos-Shimano must be bumming

Phil puts it down to inattention

Also, necessity, I would mention 

I guess everyone is aware

Of which way the wind is blowing

But how to turn that to a plan

Is something well worth knowing

Will echelon two close the gap?

Valverde flats and struggles back

 Never regained the leading pack

Saxo-Tinkoff  grabs the slack

Alberto perks up and leads

Belkin shows surprising speed

Sagan and Cav remain in front

They are gonna have to thump

Saxo speeds in a muscular manner

Carrying Albertos' banner

Valverde's race is deflated

Froome's position complicated

Chris struggles in a box

Sky just can't pull up their socks

Crumbling under heavy tolls

Towards the finish  

Marky rolls

To road victory two-five

Our golden lad is still alive

Marky rebounds from diva rumbles 

For this win he's truly humble

Doubtless Peta read the riot act

In any case, we're glad Mark's back

Chris loses a minute nine

Much for Sky to bear in mind

Tour de France Stage 12 2013

A fast first hour of Stage 12

Quick Step works like Santa's elves

A five man break of non-contenders

a romance language win

would be drought-ender

Not Italy, nor France, nor Spain

has won a stage

We feel their pain

In spirit of complete reporting:

German riders four wins sporting

Drying out from fan attack

Mark will want his innings back

Chris Froome proudly wearing Yellow

proves he is a winning fellow

Half the race is history

The end result a mystery

Sagan keeps his grip on Green

Every result remains to be seen

Kwaitkowski and Quintana vie for White

two talented youngsters with lots of fight

A tailwind helps the pace stay high

At 45 plus KM they fly

Their ETA ahead of schedule

The peloton reveals its' mettle

Cav takes points in sprint intermediate

Just in case he might be needing it

10 miles to go

I'm fading fast

A latish night

Takes me to task

A nasty crash

Kittel takes it by a hair

Giving Cav his derrière 

Yikes! Real life, not a 

rehearsal 

Are we watching fortunes' reversal? 

Tour de France Stage 11 2013

Time Trials

Tony Martin flies through the time trial

He'll be hard to beat

Even Mercury himself

Is not so fleet

Tony's time 36:29

He flew across the finish line

Mark Cavendish, on the other hand,

raised the ire of a fan

Who showered him with urine

"to take the piss out of him", I reckon

Or some other form of perverted fandom

Sadly, it does not sound random

Now Cav really has reason to fuss

As he returns to the tour bus

Who could blame him for being pissed

Le Tour one oh oh shouldn't be like this

So far to comment Mark's refused

I'm sure he must feel quite abused

Usually l'homme of the hour

 target now of golden shower

Spectators, please, 

limit your commentary

to civilized means 

for this centenary !

Now awaiting the ride of Froome

I'm totally cozy in my room

Sagan does well

At Mont-Saint-Michel

The bwoy's just begun to bloom

Ditto Andrew Talansky

This young yank caught my fancy

in Cali Tour two years ago

He's got lots of skills on show

The winds may have changed

They have for Cav

Adoring fans now breaking bad

The fickle finger of fame beckons

his heroic status questioned

by some naysayers rude and loud

Bad behavior from the crowd

Officials have not censured him

some fans have their own opinion

Chris Froome zooms through check one

Hoping to win stage one one

Tony M sits in the hot seat

Will he win or know defeat?

Contador, Cadel, and Schleck fall behind

Can anyone beat Chris Froomes' time?

Flying like a bird of prey

Skys' bright boy does well today

padding his place in the GC

Tony Martin wins TT

For him the day ends happily

Tour de France Stage 10 2013

In the rolling hills of 

Northwest France

Andre G performs his  prance

Takes the sprint  intermede

Making a great show of speed

Pete and Cav pick up points, too

Under kite flying skies of blue

The wind picks up at 60 K

Complicating things today

A race for the sprinters

The last 'til Paris

Lotto and Quick Step OP

Hold the front of the Peloton

Hoping their lads can get it on

Compared to stage 9

Today is a cakewalk 

But Westra causes a bit of talk 

Sensing weakness in the breakaway 

It seems he'd like to spoil the day

For several super hungry sprinters

As winds tear the bunch to splinters

The lightweight lads who climb like goats

May wish for heavy overcoats

Or Velcro to keep them on their bikes

As  crosswinds create a new fight

Sky must defend their man in yellow 

A nervous day for Team Sky fellows

Everyone wants a place at the front

As coastal winds begin to taunt

Andre and Kittel are tapping big gears

Trying to counter crosswind fears

Lotto fancies an ape with wings

Wearing the jersey which winning brings

At 23 K the group turns a gauche

Which teams' dreams will blow to toast?

Battered on the Emerald coast

Break earns the right to boast

A collective Don Quixote

Brave lads all

( and you can quote me)

Kittel  takes  it by a whisker 

Argos-Shimano's winning risker

He sprints to take a stage times two

With such results you can't argue

Cav takes three

and cheekily

stares down a reporter

Come now, bwoy

it's nice to win

but in losing well don't falter

Tour de France Stage 9 2013

My alarm did not go off at three

I guess I can't be too angry

But when I pried open my eyes

What met them was a big surprise

Chris Froome completely isolated

Trying to catch up Team Sky

Unable to assist their guy

Two climbs gone three to go

Froome is in a chase group

One minute back

All assistance he does lack

Rolland, Ryder, Bardet, De Cieroq

Climb the Peyresourde--

a Cat One rock

Behind them are the heavy faves

Contador, Valverde, et al

Three minutes down is Team Sky

Giving Froome reason to cry

Sky's expectations are shattered

The odds makers are battered

This stage has the feel

of a free-for-all

With so many climbs 

 many ways to fall

Leave it to Phil Liggett

To restore a sense of calm

calling the landscape "boonies"

as they speed along!

Garmin had a plan today

To put Hesjedal in the breakaway

Riding with a cracked rib

I wonder if he's glad they did

Joining him in the lead group

is Bakelants, J

Does he have eyes to win today?

MovieStar has one goal in mind

Make sure Froome has a terrible time

Col de Val de Louron-Azet

The steepest Cat One to be climbed today

MovieStar still playing spoilers

Porte pushes on--a heavy toiler

Simon Clarke is at the head

Ryder has been put to bed

While munching on a morning meal

it's hard to know what the lads feel

One more climb holding a threat

I'd ask 'Are we having fun yet?'

La Hourquette d'Ancizan

will show who is an also ran

Porte is going in reverse

Sorry, Rich, it could be worse

From the comfort of my room

I commiserate with Porte and Froome

Heavy the head which wears the crown

With no domestique help around

Exhausted from effort stage eight

Sky's guys have much to contemplate

Valverde looks cool

Contador near by

Quintana attacks

Dan Martin as well

Froome must respond

This must be hell

Andy Scleck is near the front 

Waking up from three years' funk?

MovieStar has lost control

Their efforts took a heavy toll

Dan Martin flies 

with Fuglslang, J

 2 km to go today

Dan Martin wins

For Garmin Sharp

Both riders showed a lot of heart

Porte's day has been a bummer

And so goes these fast days of summer

A rest tomorrow begins le semaine

A blessed break for tired men