Why Levi Will Never Win the Tour - 07/23/07

Yesterday's epic mountain stage - the first in the Pyrenees - showcased the talents of those who are really hungry to win the 2007 Tour de France. The throw down on the Plateau de Beille was awesome to watch. I kept waiting for one or more of the attacking riders to fall off the bike - literally - the way they were relentlessly attacking. Cadel Evans' implosion was amazing. He kept fighting but eventually his body said, "Fuck off!" and shut him down. He snapped like a twig. But that's what it takes if the goal is to win the Tour de France.

In watching Levi ride, in stark contrast to Evans, Rasmussen, Soler and Contador, my assertions about him were further validated. He will never win a grand tour. He doesn't have it in him. When the pace really heats up, he looks lethargic, like he's biking in slow motion or trying to bike through jello. He's got no explosive power. And he's not aggressive by nature. He's got no outward aggression at all. At least none that I've ever seen.

After the stage, Robbie Ventura (quite possibly the worst interviewer ever) asked Levi for his thoughts on the stage and how it went personally. To paraphrase, Levi said something like, "I felt strong, but could not go with the accelerations. I don't ride that way (or maybe he said he "can't" ride that way), so I kept it steady . . ." blah, blah, blah.

Well, guess what, Levi? If you can't accelerate and take the race to the others, then you will never, ever win a grand tour. If you're not taking it to the competition, then the competition is sticking it to you. Winning a grand tour is not about riding steady and strong, it's about ripping apart the competition with attacks that demoralize and dishearten them. So, "sure-n-steady Levi" will be a pretty sure bet for a Top 10, but a waste of money to those who bet on him for the win.

Nice guy, though.

Just my 2 cents . . .