Sprint Finish Surprise

Sprint Finish Surprise

The sport of cycling continues to surprise me. I thought I loved the sprint finish because of the elegant displays of teamwork. Like a flock of birds gently flying over the ocean, or an orchestra coming together for the perfect symphony, teams winning a sprint finish coordinate their efforts seamlessly. They are beauty in motion. But not today. Today, at the Tour of California, I enjoyed the mess.

In the last two years, San Luis Obispo-based HTC-Highroad has dominated sprint finishes. Squads including Garmin-Cervelo gave them a run for their money, but HTC seemed to have mastered the lead-out train. That is the team’s coordinated effort to control the pace in the final kilometers, stay at the front, and take turns in cutting the wind. They shepherd their big finisher, the one with the most explosive final drive, to the last possible moment. Then he is launched to cross the line on his own for the stage win.

Thanks to this combination of teamwork and explosive power, HTC sprinter Mark Cavendish quickly racked up the most stage wins of any Brit at the Tour de France. The squad was pocketing sprint wins all over the world. Soon enough, they looked unstoppable. I would watch those final K’s hypnotized by that lead-out train, following their white jerseys drive at the front, pull off, next one at the front, and again, and now the next guy is at the front, and then comes the launch, the big finish, and the win. Gently hypnotizing and exhilarating at the same time.

But not today. Mark Cavendish and other members of the infamous lead-out train are competing in Italy, and back here in California, the HTC team featured Matt Goss, who won a great sprint finish earlier this year at the Tour Down Under in Australia. Goss just missed the win yesterday, bested by Team Sky’s Ben Swift. Swifty won the day, making him the overall leader of the Tour of California.

Given today’s stage profile, another sprint finish was anticipated. Ben Swift and Team Sky Procycling aimed to defend his overall lead and rake in another stage win on top of that. ProTour squads including HTC, Garmin, and Liquigas also focused on the stage win and snatching the leader’s jersey for themselves. Game on.

But in the final kilometers, Canada’s Team Spidertech was at the front of the race. When they ran out of steam, no solid lead-out train emerged. The birds were not flying in formation! A string broke on the cello and the flutist lost her place in the score! Swift’s teammate Greg Henderson was trying to lead him out for the win, but Swift got separated in the confusion. Henderson kept pushing forward and with about 100 meters to go, he realized no one, not even his teammate, would catch him. He pushed all the way to the win.

Team Sky is thrilled. They keep the overall jersey, and Henderson gets the stage win. Not what anyone expected, but they kept in all in the family. HTC (and everybody else) is thwarted again.

I have been accused of being a perfectionist, and I am surprised that I didn’t miss a classic, precise lead-out train. I enjoyed the unexpected win from Henderson, and I look forward to watching HTC get it together. Today’s sprint finish wasn’t a symphony, but it was a pleasant surprise.