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Losing Another Favorite?
Andrew Talansky (Garmin Sharp) kept dropping further and further off of the pace, opening up a large gap, nearly four minutes behind the peloton. The American who had won the Criterium Dauphine on the very last day, out climbing Alberto Contador (Tinkoff Saxo) and Chris Froome (Team Sky) shocking everyone, including myself, was in obvious pain. He eventually pulled off the road and climbed off of his bike. His mechanic, director and team doctor all talked to him. He spent four minutes leaning against the guard rail talking over the pain. His director, Robbie McEwen, a recently retired pro tour cyclist, left the decision to Talansky, saying, "I can be in your body, only you know how much pain you are in." When I painted this, I was sure the third pre-race favorite was about to climb into the team car. But to nearly everyone's surprise, he got back on the bike and went on up the road, with only the second team car and the Broom Wagon as company, now over eight minutes behind the peloton. He faced forty miles of a very lonely road with the very real possibility of being eliminated on time at the finish line despite the courage to keep riding.