Jean Vois, and Andy Slaps A Fan!

Oh, Jean Vois! Gasps of horror/amusement as he emerged from the bushes part-way down the Port de Ler,  waving his bike in one hand, and operating his radio with the other ("I need some bike parts") (can only imagine what the tufty-headed mechanic was thinking - "some" bike parts?  What has he done now?), then howls of "Noooo!" as he hit the deck hard at that following corner.

He said that his back tyre had popped on the descent, hence the dive down into the greenery, but he didn't know what happened the second time. Brave Jean!

Alas, I have no photos of any of the action: I have been thinking that my photos of the TV screen aren't exactly wonderful, but now I realise that they are much better than nothing! Will try again, I promise.

Well, things are progressing a little: Andy and Frankie did the Schleck Sandwich and Conti didn't like it one bit: he was looking much stronger today than he did earlier in the Tour, but luckily he still couldn't quite attack, and Andy was the stronger brother today, making up a couple of seconds on Conti.

It's still quite annoying to hear the commentators all saying how they were expecting more from the Schlecks, and prophesying that Conti is getting stronger every day and is going to be back on top form in the Alps.

But I guess we have to admit that Conti really is the best, strongest Tour rider of the current period: Andy himself said so a couple of years ago, he, commented "Alberto is a simple guy, with both feet down on Earth. You can laugh a lot when you're with him, he's a nice guy and we get on very well. Unfortunately he's also a very strong rider, perhaps the greatest talent of the last 10 years. It's a pity that I've had to come across him during my career. Anyway, he's not unbeatable".  (With thanks to Miss Fede for the translation of that interview.)

So, just briefly, I had to make a quick post while you all still have videos of the recent stages.

Anyone else spot it? Andy slapping a fan?  (*laughs*) Not really a slap, I don't know if there's a word for it. They do it a lot in comedy shows. Read on.

Stage 12, when the race was about 1.5kms from the end, Frankie and Andy had done the Schleck Sandwich on a not-quite-with-it-Contador, and Frankie had pinged off the group and came in 3rd.

Andy was just going under the 2km-to-go banner.

He was just behind Conti, and in my opinion was just about to swing to his left round Conti for another attack, now that Frankie was safely out of the way up ahead, when a fan came running up alongside. You know, one of those annoying spectators who think it's somehow encouraging to show the riders that they can run faster uphill than these guys can cycle....

Look out for him, he's wearing a blue top, red shorts, and black leggings.

He runs alongside Andy, and Andy does that lovely thing where he puts the palm of his (left) hand on the guy's face, then pushes him away.

Not a punch, that would be aggressive and painful. Not a slap, that would be pouffy and spiteful. Just a simple hand-off in the face, and the fan goes spinning off the road, probably in embarrassment.

Hilarious!

I'm hoping that someone will get this up on Yootoob, but for now you'll have to rewind the videos for yourselves.

Lovely to see OGL defending himself for once.

Actually, he was quite funny on the after-stage interview from Stage 14 in the Pyrenees: after politely answering the usual questions, he had to ask the interviewers to "give me some space here, please"  as there were a dozen or more hands shoving recorders and mobile phones (how unprofessional is that?) in his face. (*smiles proudly at OGL standing up for himself in the face of intrusive, pushy, and stupid-questioned journos*)

Right, that's all for now, time to rush back to LLB's to watch Stage 13 which should be mostly flat and a bit dull, but is on the coast so there might be (*spine-chilling chords*) WIND which might be fun.

I still think that Andy and Frankie should swap jerseys, as Conti is clearly sticking with Andy no matter what. Unless L-T have decided to decoy Conti altogether, and are actually planning for Frankie to go for the GC?

We shall see.... enjoy the racing, everyone.