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Vuelta a España, Spain

Stage 16, León - Valladolid, 162.5K

13 September

The Dust Devil's Daily Wrap
Il Grillo the Giant Killer

Stages and Maps, The Dust Devil's Daily Wrap

Wow! To beat Alessandro Petacchi in a sprint, when he had five lead out men with 2K to go, requires some speed and knifing. I don't think anybody besides Robbie McEwen or Paolo Bettini could pull off such a feat. But given that Bettini is not even a sprinter, it makes it all the more impressive. The wily little cricket jumped clear on the slightly uphill drag into the finish. He used his street smarts, as much as brute strength, to take the victory from the mighty Petacchi.

You have to tip your cap to Bettini for being such a punchy resourceful rider. To me, it looks like he is always riding on pure heart. I will never for as long as I live forget the look on his face in the 2003 Worlds Road Race in Hamilton. Igor Astarloa had just broken clear and Bettini's group realized he was likely to be gone for good. I was standing on the side of the road screaming my head off when Bettini, Van Petegem, etc chased by. The look on Bettini's face was everything all at once! He could see the race slipping out of his hands as he rode out of his skin to chase along with the optimism they may catch Astarloa. Everything else he was experiencing were all on his sleeve at that moment! And for me, that moment is frozen in time.

Bettini has made a career out of being an opportunist and riding with his head as much as his legs. I also recall an interview with him when he was still in Michele Bartoli's shadow. You could hear the youthful optimism in his words regarding all the aspirations he had for his career. He caught himself daydreaming a bit much and reeled it back in, remembering that he was at the service of Bartoli. That was a few years ago and I do believe he may have usurped his former leader for career palmarès.
- The Dust Devil