Tour Tidbit du Jour - 7/5/10

Patron, Spanish for boss, is the title given by acclimation to the "boss of the peloton," the rider looked to by the rest of the 200 riders to uphold the customs and unwritten rules of the professional cyclists during a stage race. Sometimes, the patron will even negotiate with the race director to nullify results of a stage to protect the safety of the riders. Since Lance Armstrong retired the first time, there has not been an agreed upon Patron of the Tour de France, but with a crash marred stage today, which saw over half the peloton crash down a slippery descent off the Stockeu, in addition to many race motorcycles, we saw that Fabian Cancellara has become the most respected rider in professional cycling today. First, by asking and directing the few riders who did not crash to slow up and wait for their team leaders to rejoin. This was necessary since most of the race support vehicles, which would normally relay information and watch over the safety the riders, were all stuck behind in the aftermath of the crashes. And second, when Cancellara reached an agreement with race official and lead referee Jean-Francois Pescheux, who himself had slipped on the slippery road while assisting riders back on their bikes, to nullify the sprint finish and award sprint points only to the breakaway winner Sylvain Chavanel from Quick-Step.