You're looking at the Liquigas Team, who have just been presented to the crowds in Monaco and are riding away from the podium, throwing toys at the audience. You can see one in Franco Pellizotti's hand in the small photo. Yesterday, this courageous man won the red
'combativity' jersey, which is awarded at each stage by a committee.
Yes I didn't know there was anything other than the Yellow Jersey but in fact there are other coloured jerseys too.
Personally I've never had any interest in the
Tour de France before it came to Monaco. I'd read about doping, of course, I loved to see Lance Armstrong on the podium in Paris but that was about it. Now I'm a daily addict. First of all, whether you are interested in cycling or not, turn on the television - French or Eurosport - or whatever you get, because the feed is the same - if you want to see France in all its glory, you'll see it here. You get amazing helicopter shots of monasteries on the top of inaccessible mountains, you see rivers and villages as you've never seen them before - alongside a potted history. You get restaurant recommendations, what to do, where to go - but of course that's during the less exciting parts of the ride.
Yesterday's stage was 160 kilometres in the
Pyrénées, with two high peaks to climb, one at over 2000 feet and a long and very dangerous fast descent to the Finish. After 12 ks four riders pushed ahead, but later, just two remained and one is the guy you see here. For much of the ride they were around 4.5 minutes ahead of the peloton, but a few kilometres before the finish line, the peloton started to catch up with the two leading riders until there was only 45 seconds in it but they kept going - goodness knows how? And then at the end, there was a final crazy lunge by the two of them. Pellizotto was 2nd and the winner was the other guy, Frenchman, Pierrick Féderigo, who won by about a wheel length. So it's no surprise to know that Pellizotto took the Combativity jersey. I was exhausted just watching...
Today is a rest day when the riders are flown to their next starting point.
Photos & Text Copyright 2009 Monte Carlo Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.
What is so interesting about this year's display in Monaco is that it's not only in the Casino Gardens, but is all over the Principality. In addition, whilst all the eagles have been decorated by artists, some, like this one, have been decorated by a commercial company. Here you see 'Eagle Eye' decorated by the Studio de Creation of Cartier, the jewellers and displayed outside their Monte Carlo shop. You'll note, being Cartier, the diamond eye (well, alright, perhaps not a real diamond).
