A message for Cadel

Dear Cadel

I’ve been following your annual travels around France for a number of years now and in the lead up to tonight’s EPIC finale I (along with probably half of Australia) can’t help but feel that THIS IS YOUR TIME.

During the Lotto years, I gnashed my teeth in frustration. Raged at the lack of support you got from your team.

I have defended you to the uninformed and vocal. The ones who say:

“Oh he never attacks”

“Oh he’s not an inspirational leader”

“He’s a whinger”

“He doesn’t deserve to win the Tour de France”

Remember 2008? I rode every mountain stage with you. I tried to be the team mates you didn’t have. I marvelled at the way that Saxo Bank, sometimes four riders strong in the mountains Just. Couldn’t. Crack. You.

I wondered at the courage and strength you showed day after day. Covering all the breaks. Shutting down every attack. Chasing down mountain goats.

Till the Alpe D’Huez. One mountain too far. Too many days of physical and mental degradation. I just about cried as Sastre soloed to the top and then the next day rode the individual time trial of his life to take out the tour. By less than a minute.

Two years in a row you stood atop the second step on the podium – so close yet so far. Less than 2 minutes over two years separated you from the yellow jersey on that final day. Crazy. This is a crazy sport.

Then last year’s tour – an early crash, a broken elbow. Couldn’t. Believe. It. Finally you had the team, but again luck was not with you.

We all know it takes more than being a great champion to win Le Tour. It takes:

A great team

A lot of courage

And a bit of luck

This year, your BMC team is clearly behind you 100%.

In those first two weeks, for once, just for once (!!) Lady Luck seemed to be in your corner.

Then on Thursday, as Phil and Paul would say, you dug DEEP into your suitcase of courage and dragged a large and useless peleton up the Galibier. It was all up to you and you were up for it.

Then last night.

Early on in the stage Lady Luck decides to sub herself out of the game and gets replaced by Lady WTF. A mechanical JUST as Bertie jumped? Seriously …

Can only imagine what was going through your mind.

But you stayed calm and you marshalled the troops and once again, you did a power of work. And at day’s end, no damage was done. We hope.

Today’s the day Cadel. It’s incredibly poetic isn’t it? You, a two time runner-up. Andy, a two time runner-up. Last night you conquered the Alpe d’Huez – your former nemesis. The mountain that ended the dream in 2008.

Could it be any more knife edge? The gap between you and Andy is JUST enough to worry you. JUST enough to worry him. This will go down as one of the greatest Tours in recent years … history even. And here’s what I love and hate about sport.

Sport doesn’t care who ‘deserves’ to win more

Sport is not fair

On occasion Sport likes to let Lady Luck have her say

Sport doesn’t believe in ‘destiny’

As you have said – you can only do what you can do, and he can only do what he can do. So here’s my final message for you Cadel. I suspect this is stuff you know already though …