TdF - ode to an unlikely champion

[jobob]

In honor of young Thomas Voeckler, the unlikely yet tenacious bearer of the yellow jersey for oh so many days, le Jobob Tour de Couch provides this pre-rest day special feature chronicling the evolution of Monsieur Voeckler's attire.

Stage 6 - just the jersey, ma'am (http://www.cyclingnews.com/tour04.php?id=photos/2004/tour04/stage6/S-VOECKLERGIALLO-0063)

Stage 7 - now for the matching shorts (http://www.cyclingnews.com/tour04.php?id=photos/2004/tour04/stage7/JD_tdf04_stg7_5)

Stage 9 - he's now acquired a jaunty yellow helmet (http://www.cyclingnews.com/tour04.php?id=photos/2004/tour04/stage9/12)

Stage 13 - he's even sporting yellow socks (http://www.cyclingnews.com/tour04.php?id=photos/2004/tour04/stage13/JD_tdf04_stg13_9)

Stage 14 - yellow shades, but where are the yellow gloves? (http://www.cyclingnews.com/tour04.php?id=photos/2004/tour04/stage14/9)

On the eve of his inevitable hand-off of the jersey to uh, whatshisname :D, I tips my hat to this cheeky monkey who, every time you'd think he was down for the count and falling off the back on the two ghastly Pyrenees stages, would take a deep breath and somehow catapult himself back up to the front.

The diva Crazy Jane (http://www.dailypeloton.com/displayarticle.asp?pk=6660) summed it up nicely:
There's just something incredibly compelling about watching a fresh-faced boy like Voeckler discover what he's made of, and race fans, this kid is made of some good sh!t. Voeckler is top quality, and class and heart like he's shown is about the most delicieux thing the Tour de France could ever have offered up. In short, my pretties, THOMAS VOECKLER RULES, and all of us at Crazy Jane's copy desk think we might be in love. It's the heroism, baby. :cool:

[aka_kim]

Thomas Voeckler rules, baby! And, bonus points, he's the only rider who looks good with his jersey unzipped!

<my own foaming rant: It's great to see someone *rise* to the occasion. Unlike others, who shall remain nameless, who drop out because they're not going to win. :( />

End rant and back to the ode -- go TV!

[fasteryet]

So if/when he loses the yellow yersey, does he have to give up all the other yellow items?

[jobob]

So if/when he loses the yellow yersey, does he have to give up all the other yellow items? LOL, geeze, I hope not - those glasses were mighty stylin' :cool:

At the very least maybe someday he could put them up on eBay to secure his financial future ...heck, the stuffed lions alone would probably fetch a tidy sum !

Not sure who would want a pair of well-used yellow shorts though :p

- Jo

[snapdragen]

I think he actually gets to keep the yellow stuff....a closet full of yellow jerseys. Can you see it when he has kids - gee Dad, whats the big deal, you've got a bunch of them......

He is a cutie, still has the body of a teenager, I can't wait to see him in a couple of years, when he gets his "man body"