14 DAY TRIAL // Besancon hosts the riders of the 2014 Tour de France for their first rest day, and as the peloton tries to find some fresh resources for the coming two weeks, I can evaluate my virtual performance in Le Tour de France and compare it with what has happened in the real world.
I had high hopes for the first stages in England, but with all the cyclists taking part in the race fresh, the action was fast and pretty furious, which meant that I failed to make the desired impact.
The cobbled stage, which recreated much of the route of Paris – Roubaix, was also well suited to my team’s abilities, and there I gave a good account of myself and managed to take a solid second place behind Tom Boonen.
The next Le Tour stage allowed me to take the Yellow Jersey after an audacious attack that the other teams ignored at their peril, which was a good situation for Trek Factory Racing to be in.
The stage after that allowed me to score a stage win with team leader Frank Schleck and keep my Maillot Jaunse without any problems.
Unfortunately, when we reached the higher mountains, my team faltered, part because they lacked the attributes to perform there and because I failed to deliver the needed water bottles to them in time, and I lost the Yellow Jersey and quite a bit of time when compared to the biggest rivals, including the likes of Froome, Contador, and Quintana.
In the real world, Le Tour de France 2014 has evolved a little differently.
Cavendish, the famous sprinter that was expected to be the biggest contender for flat stages, was forced to abandon early on after a major crash that he was at fault for.
Even worse for the British lovers of the sport, Chris Froome, the Sky rider who took the number one position last year, is also out of the race after falling badly three times, which led to fractures that no longer allowed him to control his bike.
And yesterday, Contador also came down with an injury and was forced to retire from the race.
Le Tour de France was action packed so far and a lot of riders surprised with their performance, with Nibali now the main favorite.
The Yellow Jersey belonged to a Frenchman on Bastille Day, but for now, Nibali is in control in the real Tour de France.