The Tour de France used to be all about arch-rivalry, bitter disputes, fierce contests and doping scandals.This year's version was so well-behaved that some even found it a little dull.Although there were stories and minor controversies, from crashes on the cobbles to a peloton strike on slippery Belgian roads, for many ex-champions and cycling experts the only deciding moment was a minor mechanical incident.Andy Schleck's chain-slip on the 15th stage to Bagneres de Luchon cost him 39 seconds, exactly the time by which he lost the Tour to Spain's Alberto Contador.The peloton immediately took sides.Half of them -- mainly the Spaniards and the old guard -- found it perfectly natural that Contador should have attacked Schleck that day.The other half believed that the Spaniard had broken unwritten Tour rules by assailing the yellow jersey in such circumstances, rules that had, however, been totally ignored when France's Sylvain Chavanel, then Tour leader, crashed once and punctured twice on the cobbles on stage three.Even more than the chain incident itself, the instant reconciliation of Contador and Schleck, the two leading players in the race, angered and disappointed traditionalists."This is not cycling, it's the TV Tubbies," said FDJ team managing director Marc Madiot, twice winner of Paris-Roubaix classic.GOOD FRIENDSContador apologised, Schleck forgave and both insisted they were and would remain good friends, regardless of the action on the road."I never fell in the arms of Bernard Hinault or Greg LeMond. When you're rivals, you can't like each other, you shouldn't like each other," said France's Laurent Fignon, the 1983 and 1984 Tour winner.Many deplored the lack of attacks by either Tour favourite.Schleck did surge on stage eight to Morzine-Avoriaz, but only in the last kilometre and only to take 10 seconds off his good friend.Contador replied in similar fashion in Mende and took the 10 seconds back.On the Tourmalet, seen before the Tour as the real test, they finished hand in hand. Literally.Ultimately, the Tour was decided on the final time trial and it went not to the rider who shone the better, but to the one who most limited the damage. Contador finished an embarrassing 35th and Schleck a lowly 44th.Even the Spaniard admitted that if their overall duel was closer than the previous year, it was not due to their respective qualities."It's not Andy who was stronger this year, it's me who was weaker," the Spaniard summarised in a rather ungallant comment.However, Tour director Christian Prudhomme found the Tour thrilling."It's my most exciting Tour since I arrived in 2004 alongside (predecessor) Jean-Marie Leblanc," he said. "Things happened almost every day, it was trouble-free and there were no accidents."That is precisely what the critics bemoaned.(Editing by Dave Thompson; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)News posted by www.newsinfoline.com
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