3rd of July: Vergnaud burries wife 4th of July: De Gendt: "I want to leave the team" 23th of July: Chris Froome wins his third Tour. Nibali a close second. 12th of August: Vergnaud not back for the Vuelta 27th of August: Van Impe worries about Vergnaud's mental health 9th of September: World Champion Vergnaud spotted on Mallorca, training 11th of September: French National Selection: Vergnaud on team sheet! 18th of September: Rossi: "Vergnaud will not start in the World Championships" 19th of September: Vergnaud starts in GP Wallonnie! 20th of September: GP Wallonnie: Vergnaud abandons: "Not Ready" 24th of September: Duvivier panics: "Will Vergnaud start?" 24th of September: Team Celesio wins World Championship Team Time Trial 25th of September: De Gendt: Team Time Trial was my last race with Team Celesio 27th of September: Der Pantzerwagen back, Martin wins World Championship Time Trial! 30th of September: Day of Truth: Will Vergnaud start in the Road Race today?
Edited by Ian Butler on 07-02-2014 10:15
Indeed, hard times for Henry and so little headlines are maybe the best way to describe his emotional emptiness and other feels. Hope he will race and that it gives him all the strength he needs to cope with his loss.
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
Welcome to the World Championships. You are listening to Pierre Young, your host for today! We have arrived at the most exciting one day cycling race of the year: the World Championships! The profile is one of the toughest we have seen for decennia.
The tempers are rising dangerously high here, too. The Colombians have practically declared a war against the Spanish and the French. With a team full of strong climbers, they have a big chance of winning that war, for sure.
There must have appeared more than a thousand articles about it, and we have been speculating on this ever since the Tour de France, but he is here and he is at the start. Of course, we are talking about the Champion of 2015, Henry Vergnaud!
We eagerly await the start. And there it is!
Only a kilometer into the race and we have a first attacker. Warren Barguil tries to break away for France!
The peloton has no intention of letting him go, however. The American team works hard now... And they caught him! A fresh start.
A new attack is launched! Will this one last longer than the last?
[...]
We're 30 kilometers into the race now, and it's attack after attack. The peloton is bringing back everyone right now. The pace is very high and I wouldn't be surprised if the first riders start dropping off the peloton's tail already.
[...]
With 100 kilometers to go, the four leaders are only 4 minutes ahead of the bunch. Nobody here will be fighting for the Rainbow Jersey, that's for sure. The names are Cunego, Majka, Vorganov, Thomas.
[...]
We have been waiting for this. For months, we waited to see a flash only he can produce. Henry Vergnaud on the attack!
Wiggins and Costa make the jump forward. He doesn't look too sharp right now, though.
As the peloton creeps up to them, Vergnaud goes for another attack! France is collectively crossing its fingers for him. After all the misery this year, a World Title would mean a lot to the, still only 25 year old, Vergnaud.
But there is the peloton. It looks over. Or is it? He has shown mental strength before. Come on, Henry!
[...]
The pack has totally disintegrated now. Vergnaud is cracking, though. A group of five has taken quite a distance, Vergnaud is unable to bridge the gap and is losing his jersey right now!
[...]
And it's a sprint. What a show of force by Nibali, oh but Quintana pushes him into the side, Nibali struggles to stay on the bike, now! The title will go between the others. And it's... Belgian Van Den Broeck!
And Vergnaud has cracked completely now. After a disaster year, he is unable to keep his Rainbow Jersey.
After what seemed like forever, his struggles end here for today. Crossing the line 11th, Vergnaud has every right to be disappointed.
Hmm...
That surely is a disappointment.
It was to be expected though, he didn't have an ideal preparation. Next year maybe?
Edited by Jesleyh on 07-02-2014 13:28
I thought this would be a Stybar's style win but I guess we'll have to wait. Don't worry, if Travis Newton can make the number of Comebacks that he wants, so Henry.
It's alright. It was courageous to start here and try to defend his world champion title. In a way it must be therapy. He will find new goals and ways of remembering Becca with love.
Loved the report, and nice to see Van den Broeck win it.
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
Another breathtaking report! With all this background and all those sad moments this season, I think it was the race of his life, doesn´t matter he didn´t win it.
To see a World in a Grain of Sand
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower,
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
And Eternity in an hour.
Every Night and every Morn
Some to Misery are Born.
Every Morn and every Night
Some are Born to sweet delight.
Some are Born to sweet delight,
Some are Born to Endless Night.
- William Blake -
The Smile of a Child
It was like a dream. It seemed when the world was at its toughest, we had a place to turn. Come home in the dawn to a fire burning warm. In all those years I had felt nothing, a mere shadow of the light in which we lived. The winter ceased to exist and in our midst it was always there. A hope of some kind. A certain love and a warmth to keep us through the night. Burning right through my heart, the world will fall.
I had been at my most happy then. It was you and I around the fireplace. The cold wind outside and the snow collecting on our doorstep. We owned the night. It was a December night when I realized I had not lived fully before, feeling more alive and yet so close to death.
I left you behind. You clutched my hand but I let go and went away. It is a regret I'll have to live with. Your final breath in the wind whispered to me, it was time to let go. You have fought your fight. But you died alone. And left me a shadow.
How can I keep at this?
We were at our best. Now there's nothing left except the smile of the child that reminds me of the sparkling light you had in your eyes.
I'm picking up life again, we'll go from here. You and I, our seperate ways. We're moving on, moving out.
I'll be traveling south,
Trying to get away, my dear.
Trying to break away.
Now I can look up to the sky
It's the only rainbow
that the heart of the woman I love
holds in the palm of life
The only rainbow I want to see
Oh my days man, I'm tearing up So beautiful, so fitting, and I believe, the right decision. Thank you for such a roller coaster, you should try being an author sometime.
