Warning: Dead sheep can bite!

I can only assume that Andy Schleck reads my blog. Only a couple of days after I called said that the Schlecks were underwhelming at delivering killer blows the boy Andy goes on an epic solo effort and pulls it off. This was stuff of Tour legend. In 1947 Tour Albert Bourlon (below) launched a solo attack of 253km on the road from Carcassone to Luchon, then there was Hugo Koblet's legendary stage from Brive to Agen in 1951.



But just because there has been a long solo ride it does not mean it is a commanding one. If you want a big time gap between the winner and the next finisher then Jose Luis Viejo is the king. In 1976 he finished 22 minutes and 50 seconds ahead of the next man. Then there are stage wins in terrible conditions such as Charly Gaul (below...believe it or not. He lived life as a hermit in a forest for years before coming back to the sport as a VIP) heading to Bourget-en-Aix in 1958. L'Equipe described the conditions as "a curtain of water, a deluge without an ark".

So okay Andy Schleck is not going to enter the Tour records for his effort but the panache and sheer unexpectedness of it makes it the most exciting Tour move I can remember. And hats off to Cadel Evans for his determination to pull as much time back as he good. As for Voeckler keep going, I hope you make it...somehow!