gargling waiting for her appearance?
Was that grin on the face of Bradley Wiggins as he crossed the finish line 3rd on stage 17 an indication she should be singing very shortly?
It was a telling look on Wiggins’ face that he later admitted to when he said his mind had gone a couple of kilometres out…
The moment we crossed the Peyresourde, I allowed myself to drift and that was the first time I thought maybe I’ve won the Tour today. All the way up that last climb my concentration had gone, everything about performance had gone. Chris was egging me on to take more time and I was in another world, really.
There were almost tears in my eyes. Bradley Wiggins
It was the last attack of the day when Froome and Wiggins pulled away from their only real challenger left, Nibali – Cadel Evans was done on stage 16, he was falling further back here. It was meant to be the other way around, wasn’t it, the Italian was meant to attack them at the top of the last climb of this Tour.
But then he and others were meant to attack Wiggins on every climb, every climb came and every attack was seen off with ease and now the Brits, first and second in GC, were the ones doing the attacking pulling away and extending their leads, doing it the way winners should.
Yes Nibali was unlucky that he managed to get away from the Sky train but his presence in the breakaway wasn’t well appreciated, knowing it would mean Wiggins team would ride down the front group reducing their chance of the stage win.
Wiggins was in lala land as they were shouting between themselves that Nibali was nailed
, which of course lead to more media mischief with talk of Froome having to stay behind for Wiggins, yes he could maybe have won the stage but he was doing the job he signed up for. Would say to the second placed rider I’d take a second look at his girlfriend, she doesn’t seem to have any concept of loyalty.
Acts of gods, acts of idiots, flat stage, time trial and the roll into Paris, that’s all that stands between Wiggins and hearing that fat lady warble her tune. Whether that tune is a mod track or God Save the Queen.