Alpe d’Huez and 1st Day of Open
After such an enjoyable World Cup, I feared the After The Party syndrome but yesterday afternoon’s sport watched on the Pargiter sofa was as good as it gets.
I settled on the crucial mountain stage of Alpe d’Huez. With its 21 hairpin bends and steepling ascents it would surely determine at the high mountain finish who will be the winner. In fact no, Sky team look nailed-on but will it be their Chris Froome or Geraint Thomas, current holder of the yellow jersey?
My fancy Vincenzo Nibali fell at the last colliding with a motorbike and damaging his vertebrae.
He rode on but is out of the race after an examination.
It’s not just mealy-mouthed Pargie robbed of his bet, but the intrusion by spectators with no barriers till the finish constitutes a clear and present danger to riders. Nonetheless, it was enthralling stuff with Bardet, Froome, Thomas and Dumoulin all jockeying for the lead in the most exciting and exacting of conditions.
The golf was equally fascinating.
The Beast of Angus was more toothless in this summer heat. This created its own problems as the fairways being bone dry had carry making club choice difficult to evaluate.
The bombers – McIlroy, DJ Johnson and Joe Rahm – might have to choose irons off the tee. In the end a lesser known American Kevin Kisner finished atop the leader-board but expect thrills, spills and surprises in the 3 days to come.