It wasn’t the most animated race I’ve ever seen and despite the stage finishing on Mt Diablo, a 17km climb, there was really no decisive action until the last 800 metres or so, Wiggins having ridden most of the climb on the front of the race, keeping a high tempo, trying to discourage attacks with his high pace.
Dennis, lying second overall sat near the back of the 20 man leading group for most of the race and I was concerned that he was perhaps feeling the strain borne of Wiggins’ metronomic cadence but I don’t think the gradient was that steep until they hit the last kilometre and his teammate, Acevedo, attacked. Wiggins responded, upping the pace and catching the Colombian but I think it must have knocked the top off him as when the final assault came with the finish line in sight, he was unable to respond and Rohan Dennis finished it off, taking back 20 seconds of his previous 44 second deficit. Not an insubstantial gain in such a race. With two more mountain stages to go and Wiggins’ team looking a little shaky when the road starts to climb, it may be an interesting week for the irritable British champion.
Wiggins is a great rider no doubt but he leaves a bit to be desired with attitude at times and he looked surly enough on the podium when he received his new yellow jersey to suggest he wasn’t pleased with the way things turned out. That’s bike racing.
Of course soaking myself in the fun of the Tour of California meant that I avoided all the news of the budget which was handed down last night and it made me wonder if people actually watch the television broadcast of the budget being delivered? An hour of the bloated windbag which is Treasurer Joe Hockey labouring on, lying, cutting, slashing and manipulating for an hour is more than I could bear but he makes my skin crawl at the best of times and I can’t even watch him do a morning television interview without changing the channel such is my disdain for the man. But then, that’s just me.
It was a tough budget and there is a lot of gnashing of teeth in the community about the massive cuts to services for those who can afford it least and it does appear to be a very ideologically driven document. I guess the government will try to wrap it up in a scare campaign about budget emergencies and a crashing economy which, depending which side you sit on the political fence is either the truth or a blatant lie. Personally, I think we should be able to do better than what was handed down last night but given the standard of politician in this country at the moment, both at Federal and state level, I think it is lucky that we are doing as well as we are.
But, back here in the real world it is time to start moving for the day. I hope, if you still have a job after last night, that you are able to take some succour from the magnificent autumn day which it appears to be outside and are not driven crazy by the recalcitrants, idiots and fools who seem to infest most workplaces.
Until next time. Have a nice day.
Strange Notations From a Laborious Life 