A TOUR de France full of surprises was all but decided yesterday, with the Spaniard Carlos Sastre producing the time trial of his life to hold on to the yellow jersey he claimed with a devastating attack at Alpe d'Huez on Wednesday.
Today's stage to Paris is traditionally a procession, with an end-of-term feel to proceedings until the peloton reaches the Capital, when the first glimpse of the Eiffel Tower is usually the cue to begin racing. Then it tends to be a stage that ends
in a bunch sprint, with no changes to the overall standings. It is an unwritten rule that the overall contenders don't attack each other on the last day, and, despite the closeness of the gaps between the top three, the unofficial rule book seems unlikely to be re-written today. Which means that, barring an accident, Sastre will return to Spain tomorrow as winner of the 2008 Tour de France, becoming the third Spaniard in a row – after Oscar Pereiro and Alberto Contador – to claim the title.
Before yesterday's stage few backed the Spaniard to hold off the challenge of Cadel Evans, the Australian who was placed fourth. The time trial, or 'race of truth' as it is known, was expected to see Evans overturn his one-minute, 34-second deficit on Sastre. His record against Sastre is 14-0, and these haven't typically been narrow wins, but crushing defeats. Yesterday, though, was not Evans's day. His dream of becoming the first Australian ever to win the Tour died as he struggled to find his rhythm on the rolling roads of central France. It seemed that, in the end, the pressure got to him. He was a shadow, yesterday, of the rider who blitzed the penultimate day's time trial in last year's Tour, running Contador close. At 31, he knew that this year was one of his last chances to win. And having appeared to be close to breaking point for much of the Tour he cracked, reacting emotionally to his defeat. Mind you, Evans might draw comfort from the success of his rival, Sastre, who at 33 is one of the oldest first-time winners in history. The Spaniard has finished in the top ten on five occasions, placing fourth last year, third in 2006, but it is fair to say that he has never previously resembled a Tour winner in waiting. Consistency is one thing, but, until his attack at the foot of the Alpe on Wednesday's stage, he had never ridden with such confidence or panache.
He also benefited enormously from being part of the strongest team in the race, CSC, whose Frank Schleck wore the yellow jersey for several days, absorbing some of the pressure from Sastre, allowing him to bide his time.
Today's podium will be completed by Bernhard Kohl, the 26-year old Austrian who has been a revelation in this year's Tour, winning the King of the Mountains and, yesterday, proving he can time trial, too. His performance over the 53km was enough to claim third overall behind Sastre and Evans, thus denying Schleck a place on the podium, with the Luxembourgeois dropping from second to fourth. With Stefan Schumacher winning yesterday's stage – his second time trial success in this year's Tour, with David Millar also producing a strong performance, finishing fifth – 12th was enough for Sastre. He even had time to cross himself and kiss the sky as he approached the line.
Yesterday's denouement was appropriate for a race that, since its start in Brest three weeks ago, has lived up to the race director Christian Prudhomme's aim that it should be unpredictable and full of suspense. Prudhomme, an authoritative and enormously charismatic figure, deserves huge credit. Although there was a huge slice of luck in the fact that five riders remained in contention on the penultimate day, it is equally clear that Prudhomme's vision for the race has been realised. His decision to dispense – not permanently, he has promised – with an opening prologue time trial, and to include hilly stages in the first week, including an excursion to the Massif Central, certainly produced unpredictable, exciting racing.
Prudhomme's first Tour in full charge was last year, but with his innovations this year he has really stamped his mark on the race, from his tinkerings with the route to his impressive handling of the three doping cases on this year's Tour. "I don't regret a single second," he said of the route. "The event needed the arrival of a stage where everyone could say to himself: 'I can win.' You mustn't be linear as regards to the course profile, so that there will be surprises."
As the race delved into the Massif Central, including a handful of flat stages, which unearthed a major new talent in Mark Cavendish, then traversed the Pyrenees and the Alps, it has fulfilled Prudhomme's ambition that it be "full of suspense, surprises, and a beautiful battle.
"I'm expecting serenity," he added, "and the confirmation that there is a world in change, where the sport will resume its rights." This last reference was to the doping problem, which no one imagines to be heading to a permanent solution, but which, despite the three doping cases at this Tour, seems at least to be heading in the right direction.
With all three positive tests – involving Spaniards Manuel Beltran and Moises Duenas, and Italian Riccardo Ricco – coming in the first two weeks it has been something of a surprise that none have followed in week three. Even Prudhomme, talking last weekend, said he expected more. And there could indeed be more, with samples taken from the final week still to be analysed.
Yet, barring a Floyd Landis-style catastrophe – when, in 2006, it was revealed four days after the end of the Tour that the winner had tested positive for testosterone – it seems this year that the race can cope, deal with the problem, and move on.
Next year's Tour will start in Monaco, almost certainly with the return of the prologue time trial. Prudhomme will know already what changes he will ring in 2009; what innovations he will come up with to ensure "suspense, unpredictability and a beautiful battle." It will have a difficult act to follow.
The full article contains 1051 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
