I love this photograph (nice job CorVos @ Pez Cycling). Why? Look at the shifters.
If you've been around cycling long enough, you learn that one of the perks of being the absolute top of the sport means you get stuff nobody else has. You get to test it out, give the manufacturer your opinions, and let the rest of the pros and eventually the consuming public sample what you thought was the better option.
Now admittedly, I was as big of a Lance-fanatic as anyone. Over time, that admiration dulled. To the point that I was pretty critical of this year's comeback and what it would do to the sport. But this photo brings back a part of the sport that has been sorely missing for the last three years. And that is the mind game.
During King Lance's reign, he constantly touted Mr. Ullrich as the favorite and strongest and most talented rider in the race. He beat the man before they even took the preliminary race drug screens. Now this isn't a new theory or unique opinion. Many professional journalists have written much better articles describing this aspect of the TdF than this one. But again I say, look at the shifters.
SRAM is an American company just like Trek. Both Lance and Alberto have custom paint jobs on their brand new Treks. But only one set of shifters is different than what everybody else is riding this year. It may purely be marketing on SRAM's part. It may be that the rift in Astana is more press over-speculation than actual fact. It may also be nothing at all.
But knowing how this race was raced and won for the past decade, I'm one to think this photo says it all. "There are no gifts."
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