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| Get the butt out! |
As Lance Armstrong retired from pro cycling, dethroned Tour Down Under champion Andre Greipel, who did not manage a stage win in his title defence, accused Argentinian sprinter Juan Jose Haedo of headbutting him and Robbie McEwen in an aggressive bunch sprint finale yesterday. Greipel likened his clashing with Haedo to the headbutting that led to a former teammate, Australian Mark Renshaw, being thrown off the Tour de France last year. And while he shook hands with Haedo after racing yesterday, the German did not refrain from criticising him subsequently.
Asked whether he thought Saxo Bank's Haedo had crossed the line, Greipel, who has switched from HTC-Highroad to Omega Pharma-Lotto said: ''I think yes. I mean, Renshaw was disqualified in the Tour de France for shit like this. We went into the last corner and he was pushing and headbutting me. I'm not the judge. I mean, it doesn't change anything now because I couldn't do my sprint and that's it. He did the same with McEwen, I think, from what I saw.''
A UCI commissaire (international cycling referrees who oversee the races) said last night there was limited television footage for judges to review such incidents at the Tour Down Under - which would have made it difficult for race officials to issue punishment - but he suggested several riders appeared to have contravened rules in the final furious moments of stage six, and that they looked to have offended seriously enough to have warranted expulsion from the race.
Despite the numerous incidents of heavy rider contact in the finish that determined the 2011 champion, no team laid an official complaint. In a land of full contact rugby and crocodile wrestling, a little head contact doesn't seem actionable.
The finish yesterday in downtown Adelaide was particularly hot given it was the final chance for some of the Tour's biggest names to score a stage victory. McEwen had stated it as his aim and was well in contention to pull it off in the final kilometres yesterday. For Michael Matthews, the 20-year-old Australian and reigning under-23 world road race champion contracted to professional outfit Rabobank, it was the first experience of an elite road race and yesterday's conclusion proved hair-raising. Matthews could have become the overall Tour Down Under champion had he won the final sprint.
''Everyone was pushing me everywhere,'' he said. ''Just going that fast, and the way these guys push around a bit is a bit different to the under-23s. In the under-23s there are a few elbows and stuff, but in this league it's definitely headbutts and full body movement, so, yeah, it's almost like a wrestling match in the last lap. Being a little guy trying to sprint, it's a bit hard being pushed around by the big guys. But I guess you've got to push them back and see how you go. I just couldn't quite push them back.'' We'll see how he fares in the 2011 Tour de France.
While he didn't feel he was manhandled illegally (enjoy that innuendo), Matthews said he saw riders who were. ''In front of me and around me guys were getting headbutts, but that's racing I guess. I'm not going to name names because it's not for me to do,'' he said. Hopefully Matthews won't be manhandled in front of Spyns clients during our 2011 Tour de France trips.
Spyns is an active travel company based in Whister, BC (Canada) and Beaujolais France. Spyns specializes in 2011 Tour de France packages for both riders and non-riders. We specialize in providing clients with Tour de France bike and non-biking packages with Paris grandstand seats and VIP access. Spyns offers active holidays to Europe including trips to the 2011 Tour de France. For more information about Spyns 2011 Tour de France tours, please go to http://www.tdf-tours.com/ or http://www.spyns.com/. You can also call us toll-free at 1.888.825.4720.
