They say that the Tour de France can be won by mere seconds, but that’s only what Cadel Evans’ friends tell him to cheer him up. No, the cold, cruel truth of the matter is that second place is just #1 loser. With that in mind, here are my predictions for 2nd places at the 2009 Tour:
Yellow Jersey (General Classification): Though Evans (Silence-Lotto) seems to have a stranglehold on the step on the podium one down from the top, I’m gonna have to tip my hat to Schleck (Saxo Bank) this year for 2nd place. Which Schleck brother, you ask? Well, um, Andy Schleck, I think…I don’t know…all Luxembourgers look alike to me.
Polka Dot Jersey (King of the Mountains): For the jersey that no one cares about, second place is less bitter if only because people don’t keep asking how it felt to come so close to winning the climbers’ award. On the other hand, you can probably get away with claiming you were second and then were later awarded the polka dot jersey when 1st place was busted for blood doping. Who’s gonna really remember? My 2nd place climber pick is David Moncoutié or some other French dude.
Green Jersey (Sprinter): My pick for second is Tom Boonen. Even if he has discovered a renewed passion for finish lines before coke lines, Cavendish (Columbia) has taken the sprint crown for big bunch finishes.