Tour De France 2010: The Decisive Moment is Here

The race that started at Rotterdam in Netherlands on 3^rd July is about to conclude tomorrow along the historical avenue of Champs-Elysees in Paris.

The 52 km Stage 19 time trial today will be the ultimate deciding factor as Alberto Contador and Andy Schleck race to the finish line with only eight seconds of difference between them. Alberto Contador is in the lead with 88h 09′ 48″.

It’s interesting to learn that the first ever Tour de France took place on July 1, 1903 on a 471 km route with 60 riders, 21 of which reached the finish line! This year, the tour covered 3642 kilometres with 22 teams comprising of over 200 contenders participating from around the globe.

Le Tour’s inception took place in an office meeting of French magazine L’Auto. To thwart the falling sales of the magazine, journalist Géo Lefèvre, suggested a six-day nation-wide cycle race, an unprecedented event at the time. The editor, Henri Desgrange, was bold enough to believe in the idea and to throw his backing behind the race. Today, over 500 towns and villages have hosted the Tour (about 2,000 stages and prologues). More than 10,000 riders have taken their chance on the Tour and over 6,000 have completed the race.

An entire century ago, in 1910, the tour included the treacherous and demanding range of mountains – The Pyrenees. Commemorating the 100 years since their inclusion, the Pyrenees held a special focus this time around. 4 of the 20 stages this year crossed through the Pyrenees with an uphill finish on stage 17. And true to form, the week was full of thrills and controversy. The stage passed through the Col du Tourmalet, considered to be the toughest part of the route, covered in dense fog with thousands of fans struggling to get a good vantage point and cheering on the racers.

The talk of the stage was Alberto Contador who took advantage of a mechanical fault in Andy Schleck’s bike to gain lead on him. Contador was heavily criticised for breaking a cardinal Tour rule – you don’t attack the yellow jersey when he has a crash or a ‘mechanical’. The stage ended with Schleck fuming as Contador gained 39 seconds and got ahead of Schleck by 8 seconds, a lead which could very well bring the title home for Contador.

For Lance Armstrong, 7 times Tour De France winner, this was his last run. Doping allegations, illnesses, age and a key accident at stage 8 have all been working against the cycling star. But there was no dearth of supporters wearing his yellow band supporting the Lance Armstrong foundation for cancer and cheering their star through his last feat.

Even though his last effort for a stage win on the Pyrenees at Stage 16 didn’t show result, his performance on one of the most challenging routes and his determination to get one last stage win did win a million hearts. Even at an unbecoming 23^rd position, there is no denying that Armstrong still remains king of the roads with a remarkable career that scans almost 2 decades.

Another favourite at the tour has been Mark Cavendish. Even without his most important teammate and lead out man, Mark Renshaw, Cavendish showed yet again that few can touch him when it comes to sprinting. Stage 18 was his 4^th stage win this year and his 14^th in just 3 years in the Tour. He won the stage with a stunning sprint with time enough to turn back to look at the other riders and raise his fist into the air as he crossed the finish line.

Stage 19 of Tour de France 2010 started today in Bodreaux. It takes the racers through the streets of the beautiful city and the heart of France’s wine country. With the time trial today, all eyes are on Schleck and Contador. But Contador’s lead is only expected to increase as Schleck has lost to Contador in every time trial in which they have competed. The mountain stage was considered a decisive factor for the entire tour. With Contador gaining an eight second lead on the stage, can Schleck catch up?

Fans around the world would be waiting today for this very answer. The riders are to race in inverse order of their standings, which means Contador will be the day's final rider to take the road, just after Schleck. Alberto Contador’s win would hoist Spain into an unbeatable sport nation what with the FIFA 2010 win, Nadal’s Tennis World No.1 as well as Spanish wins in rugby and Formula One.

So who will the fans be cheering on along the Champs-Elysees this Sunday? As the decisive moment arrives, we wait with bated breath.

CRICKET IN USA

A ball, a bat and hearts full of enthusiasm. America’s favorite game, baseball, is not far in definition from the World’s second most favorite sport, Cricket. And believe it or not, the ties between this “gentleman’s game” and the United States of America go back 3 whole centuries!

Let me begin by telling you some interesting yet less known facts about the sport of cricket in USA:

· Cricket came to USA for the first time in the 1700s through the British.

· The first ever international cricket match was played between USA and Canada! It was held on 24 September 1844 by the St George's Cricket Club at the former Bloomingdale Park in Manhattan.

· The first intercollegiate tournament in America was a cricket tournament.

· There is anecdotal reference that the game of cricket (then called “wicket” at times) was popular amongst the troops of Valley Forge and that George Washington himself enjoyed a game of “wicket”.

· As late as 1855, the New York press was still devoting more space to coverage of cricket than to baseball.

But here’s the Big Irony.

Cricket used to be one of the most popular sport in America during the 1700s, 1800s and even early 1900s. After the United States Civil War the baseball team, Cincinnati Red Stockings brought a talented young bowler from the St. George's Cricket Club in New York to serve as a player and manager of the team. Harry Wright applied the "scientific" batting and specialized placement of fielders that he had learned in cricket to his new sport, a major reason for the Cincinnati team's undefeated 1869 season. Ironically, this was also instrumental in declining the popularity of cricket and securing the place of baseball as one of the most popular sports in the country.

But today the situation has changed drastically. Cricket, with all its similarities and disparities with Baseball, is gaining popularity in USA.

The reasons for this are varied.

USA has a population of 16 million immigrants from various Commonwealth countries like India, Pakistan and West Indies, where cricket has been extremely popular over the years and they have been a crucial factor in increasing cricket’s popularity in USA.

There is more interest and enthusiasm for the game today with the advent of 20-over matches and tournaments like the Hong Kong Super 6’s which suit the American style more.

Many believe that the game is a natural for American TV because of the ready-made breaks at the end of over for advertising. The limited over game also fits well into the four-five hour attention span of the public.

A significant point is that cricket is the second most popular sport in the World. The international governing body of the sport, International Cricket Council or ICC, has 104 member countries. With a huge fan-base and ever-increasing popularity, the sport has huge potential for a sport-crazy country like America.

The team that represents the United States of America in international cricket is called The United States National Cricket Team. The team became an associate member of the ICC in 1965.

The United States participated in the ICC Trophy when the tournament started in 1979. They have been successful and have continued to improve ever since.

A Short History of American Cricket

In the 1800s, cricket enjoyed its greatest popularity along the east coast corridor between Philadelphia and New York. A contemporary report notes that upwards of 5,000 people played the game in those cities.

In 1833, students at Haverford College established what is generally accepted as the first cricket club exclusively for Americans. This club was short-lived, but helped to keep interest in the sport alive in Philadelphia leading to the foundation of the Philadelphia Cricket Club in 1854 and the Germantown and Young America clubs in 1855. By this time, Philadelphia had become the unofficial "Cricket Capital of America."

The Philadelphian cricket team was a team that represented Philadelphia in first-class cricket between 1878 and 1913. In Philadelphia, the sport was always very popular and from the end of the 19th century until the outbreak of World War I, the city produced a first class team that rivaled many others in the world.

American Cricket Today

Some of the cricket clubs playing across the country are Edison Cricket Club, Commonwealth cricket club, British officer’s cricket club and York cricket club.

The Houston Cricket League is slowly gaining popularity as it provides young players with a platform to play organized cricket and endeavors to create an international team to compete with the best in the world.

Ever heard of the Bay Area Badshahs, San Francisco Blasters, DreamCricket Fooglies, Fresno Falcons, NCCA Vice Presidents XI, Santa Clara Cricket Club, Union City Cricket Club and WIN? These teams contested for the 20-20 USA Independence TANA Cup tournament which made its debut in Santa Clara, California on July 3 hosted by the North California Cricket Association (NCCA) and sponsored by the Telugu Association of North America (TANA).

The Compton Cricket Club or CCC is a cricket club based in, Compton, Los Angeles County, California. The CCC is an all American-born disadvantaged exhibition cricket team. The team includes Latino and African American ex-gang members. Founded in 1995 by US homeless activist Ted Hayes and Hollywood movie Producer Katy Haber to combat the negative effect of poverty, urban decay and crime in Compton, the club uses the ideals of sportsmanship, and the particular importance of etiquette and fair play in cricket, to help players develop respect for authority, a sense of self-esteem and self-discipline.

Recent Developments

Developments in recent years suggest that fortunes are changing.

In recent times, USA participated in the 2004 ICC Champions Trophy. Even though they were beaten in matches against Australia and New Zealand, this involvement in the 2004 cup as well as their decent performances in the qualifying matches for the World Cup does show a rapid increase in the popularity of the sport.

The team recently played in 2010 Division Five (World Cricket League) and won promotion to 2010 Division Four. If they are able to get placed in the top two in 2010 Division Four, they will be further promoted to 2011 Division Three. This will increase their chances of qualifying for 2015 Cricket World Cup.

A current development in the ties between Cricket and America is the exhibit called “Swinging Away: How Cricket and Baseball Connect”, hosted jointly by the Marylebone Cricket Club and the National Baseball Hall of fame. The exhibit celebrates the similarities and differences between the two sports. It is currently being displayed at the museum at the Lord's cricket ground in London and will be held next April by The Baseball Hall of Fame, based in Cooperstown, New York.

This wonderful article by John Burns of The New York Times, explores the historical connect between Cricket and Baseball. "Cricket and Baseball Find Common Ground in Show"

Today, there are 30,000 registered players and about 200,000 people who play cricket of some sort at weekends in USA, says Don Lockerbie, chief executive of the USA Cricket Association. Throw in an estimated 15 million fans, 950 clubs and 48 leagues, and the game probably hasn't been this healthy since that famous match in 1844.

The first international-standard stadium has been completed in Florida, at a cost of $15m (£9.3m). A pilot scheme in New York, in which 32 schools play cricket, is in its third year, for pupils aged 15 to 19. And in Atlanta, 35 schools have introduced the sport into their physical education class.

Cricket's supporters in the US have also been finding themselves in the media spotlight. Joseph O'Neill's highly-acclaimed novel Netherland, which has been championed by Oprah Winfrey and President Barack Obama, tells the story of cricket-playing immigrants in New York and is to be made into a Hollywood film.

With such emerging trends, there is no doubt that Cricket is fast becoming a major sport in America. 20-20 cricket is especially believed to capture the attention and passions of the American public. As different forms of the game gain momentum through the world and capture American attention, USA seems all set to scream “Howzzat!”