There is nothing that gets a sprinter up and running than a flat course. The 100-kilometre route for the Tour de France was devoid of any uphills. It was a course on which the sprinters made hay while the sun was out along the Bandra Reclamation on Sunday.
Argentine Juan Jose Haedo of Team Saxo Bank overcame extreme heat and outwitted other sprinters to pocket the top prize of $50,000. He pipped Dirk Muller of Team Nutrixxion-Sparkasse in a last lap dash to the finish, at 80 kilometres per hour, which provided for an exciting climax.
Given the flat terrain it was clear that the sprinters would be feared the most. There was hardly any wind to disrupt their rhythm. Sprinters have well-planned strategies. They stay within the pack, conserve energy and wait to launch an attack. Once these sprinters breakaway there is little the rest can do.
Two Indian teams — national and development squad — got a taste of how devastating these sprinters can be. The Indian national squad formed a three-way breakaway with Rajender Bishnoi, Bikram Singh and Sabu Ganager opening up a 25-second lead over the peloton.
But their joy was shortlived, as the foreign cyclists started to flex their muscles and increased their pace. Within a matter of a couple of laps, most of the Indian team members were struggling to stay with the lead bunch and were left behind at the back of the field, losing time with each passing lap.
To sustain the breakaway the sprinters have to support each other and the six — Haedo and his teammate Baden Cooke, Muller and his teammate Philipp Mamos, Jaan Kirsipuu and Tobias Erler did exactly that, pedalling hard to break the peloton’s resistance.
The peloton included the most decorated cyclist of the race, Stuart O’Grady, who is known for his sprinting skills, but the pace set by the leaders was too hot for him to handle on the day.
Meanwhile, with 13 laps to go the inevitable happened. Of the 14 Indian riders compromising of two teams, 12 were told to pull over as they are about to be lapped. Only two, Amandeep Singh and Harpreet Singh of the national squad, were good enough not to get lapped.
So with the threat from the other riders dying down, Haedo and Muller began their duel with four laps to go.
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