The Tour de France for the Rest of Us

STAGE 20: CAVENDISH TAKES PARIS

2010-07-25T13:14:00.002-05:00

He did it one more time. And on the world's biggest cycling stage.

Mark Cavendish, the young sprinter from Manx in Great Britain, showed for the fifth time in this Tour de France that he's the best sprinter currently competing in Pro Cycling, crossing the finish line of the final stage in Paris ahead of all rivals.

Cavendish did not win the Green Jersey for points amassed in sprints throughout the 20 stages of the Tour. That honor goes to Alessandro Pettachi, the Italian who won two stages and placed high enough in every other sprint finish to snag the jersey. But Pettachi and every other sprinter knows Cavendish is the best of the bunch.

As expected, Spaniard Alberto Contador has won his third Tour de France, his second in a row. Unexpectedly, he won it by the narrowest of margins over Andy Schleck of Luxembourg. Contador took advantage of Schleck (then wear the Yellow Jersey of the race leader) when Schleck's chain jammed at a critical moment on a mountain stage. Contador's action has raised controversy because it defied protocol: you don't attack the Yellow Jersey when he has a mechanical problem). Whether or not Contador played fair, he has been declared the champ and is due the honor.

Schleck settles for 2nd place and Best Young Rider recognition. Schleck is 25.

Team Radioshack wins the Best Team competition, with its top three finishers in each stage averaging a better time than any other team in the Tour. Radioshack is an American-based team that included three Americans of the nine-member squad: Lance Armstrong, Levi Leipheimer and Chris Horner.

For the last time, Lance Armstrong rolled onto the Champs Elysees as a participant in the Tour de France. Thanks for the memories and inspiration, Lance. Armstrong faced and fought through cancer, survived it, overcame its impact, and has given back like none other. He is a vigorous worldwide advocate with and for all who grapple with cancer.

Even on this last stage, Armstrong found a way for his team to highlight the challenge of fighting cancer. Team Radioshack all donned "28" jerseys for the start of the race. They were ordered to removed them (on TV) before the racing commenced. But the point was made: there are 28 million people in the world living with cancer and now's the time to intensify the fight to find cures and improve therapies.

It's been a fun three weeks. Nothing like the Tour de France. Hope you enjoyed the ride.

STAGE 19: 39 SECONDS

2010-07-24T19:17:00.001-05:00

Remember that number: 39.

It's the number of seconds by which Alberto Contador of Spain finished Stage 19 ahead of Andy Schleck of Luxembourg in the General Classification, or overall standings of this year's Tour de France.

It's also the exact number of seconds which Contador gained on Schleck when he took advantage of Schleck's mechanical problem in the first Pyreneean mountain stage. Following the Yellow Jersey-wearing Schleck on the last climb of that stage, Contador saw his chain come off, raced past him and did his best to leave Schleck in the dust. Schleck had led Contador by 31 seconds at the beginning of that stage; when it ended, he trailed the new race leader by 8 seconds.

Now, after stage 19's individual time trial, 39 seconds is Contador's margin of victory over Schleck for the Tour de France championship.

39 seconds that were gained in a way most professional cyclists disrespect. It is protocol to not attack the race leader, the wearer of the Yellow Jersey, if he (1) has a crash, (2) has a mechanical failure, or is (3) responding to the call of nature.

Though Contador has apologized for his actions and Andy Schleck has accepted his fate, the difference in the outcome of this year's Tour hinges on those 39 seconds.

Reminds me of the title of one of Lance Armstrong's books: Every Second Counts.

7 HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS TOUR DE FRANCE

2010-07-23T15:06:00.011-05:00

I guess all good things eventually have to come to an end. So, the third and final weekend of the 23-day spectacle in bicycle racing approaches. I find that my enthusiasm for this annual drama over hill and dale has not waned in a decade. It still fascinates, even though the originating interest--an unlikely American who is also a cancer survivor winning the event year after year--has faded from glory. Whoever takes top place on the podium on the Champs Elysees on Sunday, here are 7 things I take from this year’s edition of the Tour de France:

1. Anticipation that 7-time consecutive winner, last year’s 3^rd-place finisher, and 38-year old father Lance Armstrong could possibly win one more was a compelling storyline through the first week. However, when Armstrong punctured a tire at a critical moment on cobblestones in one stage and then crashed three times in another to lose significant time to the other race leaders, his dream ended. To his tribute, he stayed in the race and supported his teammates. He even led a breakaway group to the top of Col du Tourmalet on Tuesday. It’s been an incredible ride for the Texan. I hope he’s cheered resoundingly in Paris on Sunday.

2. Andy Schleck of Luxembourg and defending champion Alberto Contador of Spain have provided a great story of rivalry throughout these weeks. Their rivalry took a nasty turn on Monday when Contador took advantage of a mechanical failure on Schleck’s bike to wrest the Yellow Jersey from the 25-year-old. It took a better turn on Thursday when the two dueled valiantly on the second ascent of Tourmalet and hugged each other at the mountain-top finish line. Schleck may not win this Tour, but he has won the hearts of many cycling enthusiasts worldwide.

3. Alberto Contador is likely to win his third Tour de France on Sunday. He is currently ahead of Schleck by 8 seconds, but he is better at time trial racing, which is the venue for Saturday’s stage 19. If he has the ride of a lifetime and Contador is mediocre in that time trial, it is feasible for Scheck to overtake Contador, but not likely. For numerous reasons, I am not a fan of Contador, but he appears to be the man to beat in this chapter of the Tour de France and, in a way similar to Lance Armstrong, may be so for years to come.

4. Americans have had mixed results in the Tour de France this year. With Lance’s crashes, Levi Leipheimer had an opportunity to move into podium position (he’s placed third before). But his climbing did not kept pace with others in the top ten; on Thursday he crested Tourmalet 8 minutes after Schleck and Contador. American team leader for Garmin-Transitions Christian Vande Velde left the Tour early due to injuries in crashes. On the other hand, Chris Horner of Team Radioshack is now in the top ten and looks to hold the most promise for an American on the Tour de France podium next year.

5. French cyclists are experiencing a revival and celebration in their home country during this Tour. Together, they have won by far the most stages, particularly in the mountains. Of note are Sylvan Chavanel (two stage wins and a spell in the Yellow Jersey), Pierrick Fedrigo, Christophe Riblon and Thomas Voekler. Also, Anthony Charteau will win the King of the Mountains competition, wearing the Polka-dot Jersey into Paris. Glad to see French cyclists emerging again.

6. Mark Cavendish, the young and very talented sprinter from Great Britain, sputtered at the start this Tour de France, then began to dominate the stages that offered sprint finishes. He’s won four of the seven sprint-finishing stages. One more are on tap—the grand finale on the Champs Elysees on Sunday. He’s not yet wearing the Green Jersey, but a win in Paris could make him the sprint champ.

7. More than anything else, crashes defined this Tour de France. The first week saw numerous crashes and caused the exit of some of the top contenders and specialists, including Christian Vande Velde and Frank Schleck. Armstrong, whose crashes in previous Tours had been very few, was involved in no fewer than five crashes this year. What’s happening to cause that? A good question for Tour organizers as they plan next year’s course.

I will be watching on TV or the Internet as the Tour de France rolls into Paris on Sunday. Someday, I hope to be in France during July to follow the Tour stage by stage. Yeah, I’ll probably be one of those crazy people running alongside the cyclists as they toil to the top of Tourmalet or L’Alpe d’Huez. It’s on my bucket list. That, and to ride a few of the more difficult stages of this, the greatest spectacle in racing (sorry, Indy).

STAGE 18: GUESS WHO GETS HIS 4th SPRINT WIN?

2010-07-23T14:59:00.001-05:00

Out of the mountains, on to the flats and a sprint finish. And at the line it's... it's...

...the Man from Manx.

Mark Cavendish again out-powered all rivals across the finish line of Stage 18 for his 4th stage win in this year's edition of the Tour de France.

With the points garnered from this win, the Brit moved himself closer into contention for the Green Jersey. He has 197 points, Norway's Thor Hushovd has 203, and Italy's Alessandro Pettachi has 207.

So, the contest for bragging rights as the best sprinter will not be settled until Sunday in Paris on the Champs Elysees, where 34 points will be up for grabs. Cavendish can win it, but only if he finishes numerous places ahead of Pettachi and Hushovd.

Regardless of whether or not he claims the Green Jersey, Cavendish's four stage wins have clearly established him as the dominant sprinter in the Tour de France for the second year in a row.

There was no change in the General Classification standings: Alberto Contador has an 8-second lead over Andy Schleck headed into tomorrow's 52-kilometer individual time trial. It will be Schleck's last chance to win the Tour and Contador's chance to win with emphasis.

STAGE 17: EPIC

2010-07-22T19:43:00.003-05:00

It was epic. That's just about all one can say.

It all came down to this. The two main rivals, the two Tour de France leaders, dueling it out alone in the mist and fog during the last ten kilometers on never-before contested steeps of fabled Tourmalet.

All the other contenders seemed to know this was not about them. Their best efforts would be minutes short of what was taking place up the road from them.

No other cyclists witnessed what was going on between Andy Schleck and Alberto Contador. Just the fans. Just jubilant, frenzied, crazy, cycling-loving fans. Pressing in on the two leaders, running alongside them, waving flags, shouting encouragements, thousands of fans fueled the tandems' energy.

Schleck and Contador steadily, painfully threaded the human gauntlet. Schleck led the way, repeatedly looking back at Contador to see if there were signs of weakness, assessing how he might vanquish his rival. Contador did not waver.

Contador attacked. Within a hundred feet Schleck was at his side, glaring into Contador's eyes, and then leading again with Contador on his back wheel.

On that incline, after so long a climb, neither rider seemed capable of pulling away. Contador followed Schleck across the finish line, as if being dragged, just as he had been dragged by the Luxembourger the entire climb.

And then the magnanimous act. Schleck reached out to put his arm around his rival. And Contador reciprocated. Moments later, off their bikes, they hugged. Perhaps new mutual respect?

Schleck won the stage. Contador survived it.

Schleck proved his dominance in the mountains. Contador will, in all likelihood, go on to win the Tour de France, if by a handful of seconds.

At the end of this day, one has to simply pay homage to two great contenders who battled to the end and then shook hands.

LOVE THIS PHOTO

2010-07-21T20:27:00.000-05:00

Lance Armstrong holds a frowning Max, his youngest child, on a rest day break. Is this the look Armstrong gave Jan Ullrich back in the day?

REST DAY 2: LULL BEFORE THE STORM

2010-07-21T20:25:00.002-05:00

It was a quiet day in the resort town of Pau. Well, sort of.

No, the Tour de France didn't roll, but was that thunder we heard approaching from the distance of tomorrow?

Yes, the riders trained and tested and gave media interviews. but there must have been a pensive anticipation of Thursday: the last day in the mountains, an unprecedented second climb up a steeper pass of Tourmalet, and the question of whether, when and how second-place Andy Schleck would erase his 8-second deficit to Alberto Contador.

Thursday's stage 17 will likely determine the winner of this year's edition of the Tour de France. If Contador and Schleck finish the day together, then Contador will have it all but sewn up. But if Schleck bests Contador by 30 seconds or more on the Tourmalet, the scales tip toward the Luxembourger. The wild cards Denis Menchov and Samuel Sanchez could pull an upset on the day, but they would have to finish at least 2 minutes ahead of either Contador or Schleck to move up to second or first place.

So, watch and listen for a storm on the mountain on Thursday. And may the best man win.

STAGE 16: ONE MORE FOR THE FRENCH

2010-07-20T20:05:00.011-05:00

France's string of stage win's in this year's Tour de France continues.

Today it was Pierrick Fedrigo's turn to cross the finish line first among an impressive breakaway group of 8 that included one Lance Armstrong and fellow American and Radioshack compatriot Chris Horner.

Armstrong orchestrated and led the breakaway group over the highest category Tourmalet and on into Pau. The group finished together more than six minutes ahead of a strung-out peloton.

Armstrong's strength in the breakaway and power on these steps erased questions about whether or not the old man still had it in him for mountains like the Pyrenees.

Alberto Contador and Andy Schleck marked one another and there was no change in the top five standings at the end of stage 16.

Fireworks await, however Thursday's stage 17. Tuesday's rest day is the lull before the storm. It is very likely the championship of the 2010 Tour de France will be settled on the second and steeper climb to Tourmalet.

STAGE 15: CONTADOR'S TRUE COLORS

2010-07-19T14:24:00.004-05:00

Now we know what kind of a man Alberto Contador is.

The kind who throws race etiquette to the wind to get a little advantage.

The kind who attacks the Yellow Jersey wearer as soon as he sees he has a chain coming off on the biggest climb of the day.

The kind who would rather take the low road to be the race leader by seconds than one admired for becoming champion fair and square.

If Contador holds on to win this year's Tour de France, we will always remember him not as the deserving champion he might have been, but as the small man who took advantage of his rival's momentary misforturne to wrest the Yellow Jersey.

So, kudos to France's Thomas Voekler (pictured in a photo by Graham Watson), who scampered away from all cyclists on the last and highest category climb after being part of a day-long 10-man breakaway. Again, it's another stage win for France. The French are enjoying an unprecedented revival of stage winners (particularly in the mountains) this year.

And raspberries to Contador.

Andy Schleck of Luxembourg, who started the day in the Yellow Jersey and 31 seconds ahead of Contador, is now 8 seconds behind the Spaniard. But, more importantly, as a result of Contador's glory-grab, Schleck has instantly become the overwhelming favorite of more fans everywhere. He will have that morale-boost with him has he continues this contest to the finish.

Schleck has vowed to take his revenge in the mountains ahead. I hope he succeeds.

STAGE 14: FRENCHMAN WINS FIRST STAGE IN THE PYRENEES

2010-07-18T14:55:00.002-05:00

There were plenty of fireworks on the first two major climbs in the Pyrenees mountains. But no shake-up of the Tour de France leaders, as many had expected.

Instead, a 29-year-old Frenchman named Christophe Riblon made the most of his participation in a day-long breakaway and attacked his rivals on the steeps of the highest-category Port de Pailheres. Riblon cleared the peak first, flew down the mountain and held on to his lead during the steep climb to Axe3-Domaines.

Riblon solidified the impression the French riders are making on this Tour de France. Thus far, the French have won more stages than in any Tour in recent history.

Riblon stayed ahead of the cat-and-mouse game that was taking place between Yellow Jersey wearer Andy Schleck and second-placed Alberto Contador. Contador repeatedly attacked Schleck, who stuck to his wheel like glue. Ultimately, the two had to call a truce because fourth-place Denis Menchov took advantage of their epic duel to charge ahead and cut into their lead. At the end of the climb, Menchov and third-place Samuel Sanchez cut only a few seconds into the leaders' times.

USA's Levi Leipheimer's chances of a podium finish took a bit of hit, as he lost more precious seconds to Schleck and fell further behind Menchov and Sanchez. Nothing that can't be overcome, but Levi, currently in 7th place, is going to have to have a breakout stage to move up the standings.

I'm still anticipating, also, that Lance Armstrong will try to claim a stage in his last competitive ride through the fabled Pyrenees.

STAGE 13: EX-DOPER WINS A STAGE

2010-07-17T14:28:00.002-05:00

He was thrown out of the Tour de France three years ago for using illegal blood transfusions to give him the edge over his rivals. With him, the entire Astana team was expelled. He denied his guilt and has never confessed it. He served his two-year ban from professional cycling. The Kazakhstan-based Astana team he originally formed was prevented from riding in the tour in 2008, preventing Tour de France champ Alberto Contador from defending his 2007 title.

And yet there was Alexandr Vinokourov: admitted back into the Tour de France and riding alongside Contador. No one has ever denied his abilities. But no one will ever know which of his efforts were drug-assisted or transfusion-enabled. Since he never confessed what he did and since he never cooperated to help expose and end other doping, I must ask: why is he riding in the Pro Tour. And why is an "all's forgiven" approach taken by Tour organizers and the news media?

For me, it's not about forgiveness. It's about integrity of a sport with a dangerously-low integrity quotient.

All I can say is: on this day, an ex-doper won a stage of the Tour de France.

STAGE 11: CAVENDISH GETS 3rd STAGE WIN IN A WEEK

2010-07-15T19:00:00.002-05:00

It was a stage perfectly designed for a massive bunch sprint to the finish line. And it delivered.

After over 200 kilometers of riding, the front of the peloton accelerated to over 30 mph over its last five kilometers. All the contenders for the Green Jersey or a day's sprint glory lined up their teams. The cyclists jostled for position for themselves or for their designated finish man.

At the line, it was Great Britain's Mark Cavendish who used the advantage of a great lead-out and again clearly out-pedaled his rivals to claim his third stage win in a week during this Tour de France.

Without a doubt, Cavendish deserves the Stage 11 victory. However, he will be without the services of his lead-out man Mark Renshaw when the next bunch sprint opportunity occurs. Renshaw was overly aggressive during the final kilometer of the sprint and head-butted a competitor in his effort to make a way for Cavendish amid heavy traffic. Tour de France officials expelled Renshaw from the race for his actions.

Sprinter Alessandro Pettachi of Italy placed ahead of Thor Hushovd again today, giving him enough points to wrest the Green Jersey from Hushovd. Robbie McEwen is now third and Cavendish is 4th in the contest for the maillot vert. This battle within the Tour will likely not be settled until the Champs Elysees in Paris.

No change in the General Classification standings. All the top 10 finished where they started the day. It looks like the contest for the Yellow Jersey will not be tested until Sunday--the first day in the Pyrenees mountains.

TEAM RADIOSHACK -- BIDDING TO WIN BATTLES WITHIN THE TOUR

2010-07-14T18:06:00.003-05:00

Even though Lance Armstrong is no longer a contender to win this Tour de France, don't think for a minute Team RadioShack will concede anything until the race is over. Sergio Paulinho's Stage 10 victory indicates RadioShack is very much interested in stage wins and Paulinho's victory will spur the team on.

RadioShack are also embroiled with the Caisse-d'Espargne team in the Best Team competition. This contest measures the total times of all team members against other teams. In other words, who has the fastest overall team--top to bottom? Currently, RadioShack trail Caisse-d'Espargne by only 31 seconds. Pride's at stake and RadioShack has bragged it brought the strongest team to the Tour. We'll see.

And don't think for a second that Lance Armstrong and Team Director Johann Bruyneel won't do everything possible to get Levi Leipheimer at least a third-place podium finish in Paris. Leipheimer (from Montana) is in currently 6th place overall--3 minutes and 59 seconds behind race leader Andy Schleck. Leipheimer is a well-balanced cyclist, a proven team leader and champion of many multiple-stage races. He is able to stay with Schleck and Contador in the mountains. He will likely ride the Stage 19 time trial better than any of the top 5-placed cyclists. Getting to 3rd place is readily within reach. He needs a break, however, to erase the existing time gap to Schleck and Contador. Team strategy in the Pyrenees can make the difference. I anticipate seeing that.

I also anticipate seeing Lance Armstrong try to win a stage in the Pyrenees during this, his last, Tour de France. He's won many a stage in the Pyrenees over the years. I hope he will do so one more time. And, in the process, I can imagine him coming alongside Contador and challenging him to a duel to the top of Tourlemet. Wouldn't that be epic? Up and coming champ vs outgoing champ. I'm voting for that scenario.

STAGE 10: A PORTUGUESE VICTOR ON BASTILLE DAY

2010-07-14T17:15:00.003-05:00

Tradition says that a native son of France is supposed to try his best to win the stage of the Tour de France that falls on Bastille Day, July 14--France's premier national holiday.

So, Pierre Rolland and Jerome Pineau of France were in a breakaway group that pulled away from the peloton early in Stage 10. The breakaway group would stay clear of the peloton on the last day in the Alps. The main group of riders seemed completely disinterested in chasing down the escapees--none of which were a threat to the GC (overall) standings.

However, there's another tradition on Bastille Day. It's that as hard as a Frenchman will try to win the day, a son from every other nation will try just as hard to steal the show.

And that's what Sergio Paulinho of Team Radioshack did. The Portuguese rider outkicked his breakaway companions at the line to grab the glory for the day. It is Paulinho's first Tour de France stage win and the first stage win for Team Radioshack, the team Lance Armstrong put together after last year's Tour de France.

The best-placed Frenchmen for the day: Pierre Rolland crossed the finish line in 4th place. Perhaps more importantly, Jerome Pineau battled to the crest of several mountain passes during this stage to reclaim the Polka-dot Jersey designating its wearer as "King of the Mountains."

Looking ahead

The Tour leaves the Alps and makes its away across the southern section of France. It will cross a mildly hilly area called the Central Massif.

The next several stages will be opportunities for sprinters to duke it out over the last few kilometers to claim wins and points toward the Green Jersey. Currently, Norway's Thor Hushovd wears the maillot vert, but clings to it by only a few points. Italy's Alessandro Pettachi and Great Britain's Mark Cavendish are both vying to wear it by Tour's end. If the points are close, it could be a blood bath on the Champs Elysees on July 25.

All the pre-race speculators said this Tour de France would be won in the Pyrenees. These mountains offer steep, hot climbs on the border between France and Spain. The Pyrenees will greet the cyclists this weekend and again on Tuesday and Wednesday of next week. Each of these stages look withering.

Who knows what inspirations and humiliations the Pyrenees peaks will produce? Stay tuned.

STAGE 9: ANDY SCHLECK TAKES OVER

2010-07-13T11:48:00.002-05:00

It is clear now.

The best rider in the mountains, the one who is ready to put the pressure on and attack his rivals at will on the hardest climbs--not just once, but repeatedly, day after day--is Andy Schleck of Luxembourg.

Schleck led all General Classification rivals--including defending Tour de France champion Alberto Contador--up the Col de Madeleine and then led the chase to reel in remnants of the day-long breakaway group. Though Sandy Casar crossed the finish line first to win Stage 9 in the Alps, it was Schleck who defined the day--and perhaps the many days that follow.

Cadel Evans spent only a day in the Yellow Jersey. The Australian was unable to keep with the other contenders because of pain in the wrist he fractured in his crash with Lance Armstrong on Sunday's Stage 8. Evans is now likely out of contention for the Tour victory.

The top of the GC standings shuffled quite a bit with this stage (see the top 10 in the right sidebar). The contest for the Yellow Jersey really comes down to those who are within 3 and a half minutes of Schleck. Contador is 41 seconds behind Schleck. Another Spaniard, Samuel Sanchez, trails him. USA's Levi Leipheimer is in 6th place, a tick under 4 minutes behind Schleck.

The race is shaping up to a showdown between Schleck and Contador. Can Andy Schleck get enough time advantage on Contador to overcome Contador's superiority in the Stage 19 long Individual Time Trial the day before the Tour rolls into Paris? We'll see.

REST DAY 1

2010-07-12T08:45:00.000-05:00

Monday is the first Rest Day for the Tour de France competitors. "Rest" is relative. They WILL be on their bikes and on the roads for several hours. But it will not be like riding at break-neck speeds and attacking mountains in a rush to the top.

It's been a whirlwind of a week for the Tour. Crazy, really. I'll post some Rest Ray reflections a bit later today.

STAGE 8: 3 CRASHES END ARMSTRONG'S BID TO WIN 8th

2010-07-11T20:31:00.000-05:00

It was a bad day at the office for Lance Armstrong. A very bad day.

A crash with Cadel Evans within the first 6 kilometers of Stage 8. A fall when he got clipped going around a roundabout. And a third tumble trying to avoid another crash at a critical moment at the base of the last mountain climb of the day.

By the time he was back on his bike and pedaling, his rivals were long gone--way up the mountain. Some of his team members escorted him up the climb, but it was clear to Armstrong and to all: his bid to win an 8th Tour de France at the age of 38 was over. You can't make up that kind of time.

He finished the stage over 11 minutes after Andy Schleck won it, after Cadel Evans rolled across 10 seconds later to claim the Yellow Jersey.

Armstrong declared after the stage that the Tour is over as far as his own aspirations for a podium finish are concerned. He was quick to state that he will stay with the RadioShack team in support of teammate Levi Leipheimer. Leipheimer is in 8th place overall and a little over 2 minutes behind Evans.

So, the first pure mountain stage was a game changer. More difficult mountain climbs await the contenders--two more days in the Alps and four mountain stages in the Pyrenees. There will be more crashes. There will be more fireworks. There will be more heartbreak. There will be more glory.

I thought Armstrong demonstrated a good degree of grace, given his frustrations of the day and the loss of much that he has pursued over the past year. Good for him.

Since he is no longer a contender, might he go for one more mountaintop stage win? I'd like to see that.

FOUR TO WATCH

2010-07-10T20:50:00.001-05:00

Here are four to watch as the Tour de France begins to tackle the more difficult Alps mountains, left to right: Cadel Evans, Andy Schleck, Alberto Contador and Lance Armstrong. These are the top four favorites; the 2010 Tour winner will, almost without at doubt, be one of these. All have stood on the podium in Paris, either as champion, runner-up or third-place finisher. All are very solid mountain climbers. Their first opportunity to flex their muscle comes on Sunday. We'll see if they just mark each other or if one takes advantage of the others.

STAGE 7: SYLVAN CHAVANEL BACK IN YELLOW

2010-07-10T11:39:00.001-05:00

True grit gets Frenchman his second chance to lead

Apparently the taste and feel of the Yellow Jersey he wore on Stage 3 motivated him. Though two punctures on Stage 3 doomed his hopes of wearing the Maillot Jaune for more than a day, Sylvan Chavanel stayed within striking distance of the race lead over the next few stages.

Today, with the Tour moving into the Alps' first categorized climbs (not the monsters the riders will face in coming days), Chavanel took off on a breakaway on the last climb and propelled himself to the stage win.

With multiple-stage Yellow Jersey wearer Fabian Cancellara (no mountain climber) suffering off the back of the peloton, Chavanel's gritty stage win also earned him the coveted Yellow Jersey. How good it must feel for the Frenchman.

The heat seemed like it was unbearable, taking a toll on the peloton. Riders were spread all over the last mountain, trickling in for 30 minutes after Chavanel triumphantly crossed the line. Hope all these get a good night's rest and are ready for what greets them in the morning.

No significant changes in the General Classification competition.

Though Chavanel wears Yellow, he is not a threat for the overall Tour victory. Behind him, all the race favorites finished Stage 7 together: Cadel Evans, Andy Schleck, Alberto Contador, Lance Armstrong, Denis Menchov, Bradley Wiggins, Aleksandr Vinokourov.

Sunday is the first chance for a shake-up in this group of elite contenders. Five mountain climbs, including two Category 1 (next to highest category) monsters await. I look for at least one among these cyclists to make a run to the top to try to put some time on his rivals. Fireworks on Sunday!

STAGE 6: TWO IN A ROW FOR CAVENDISH

2010-07-09T13:30:00.003-05:00

Apparently, yesterday was no fluke.

Mark Cavendish of Great Britain is back on top of his sprint game. For the second day in a row, the Manx Missile beat all rivals to the line in a straight-up sprint finish.

Second to Cavendish at the Stage 6 finish line was USA's Tyler Farrar. Aussie Robbie McEwen was in the mix, finishing 4th in the longest stage of this year's Tour de France.

Cavendish's win is again compliments of great lead-out by his right-hand man Mark Renshaw. Without strong lead-out riders who get a single-file train rolling, allowing their leading man to tuck in behind them until he launches in the last 100 meters, there would be no glory for Cavendish or Pettachi or the others.

Imagine having anything left in the tank after pedaling over 125 miles at 27 mph, much less enough to crank the speed up past 35 mph in the last mile to contest for a victory. These guys live on adrenaline.

Yellow Jersey contest

All those contending for the overall race win were status quo for Stage 6. No shake-ups. Fabian Cancellara remains in the race leader's Yellow Jersey. Aussie Cadel Evans is still in 3rd place. Lance Armstrong, the 38-year old, 7-time champ and sentimental favorite of many, is still in 18th and within striking distance with mountains he loves approaching.

Looking forward

The finish-line fireworks are over for a few days, folks. There won't be another flat stage until late next week. Expect no fireworks at the line or on the climbs on Saturday's Stage 7. The Tour moves into the Alps. There are several categorized climbs, but nothing difficult enough to let a contender put time between himself and his rivals. Watch for the first fireworks to occur on Sunday. And then again on Tuesday and Wednesday. It's going to get very interesting in the Alps and Pyrenees!

STAGE 5: EMPHATIC WIN FOR A DESPERADO

2010-07-08T11:55:00.000-05:00

He dominated the sprint-finishes in last year's Tour de France. Heck, he's dominated pretty much every sprint possibility afforded him over the past two years.

He was the Man from Manx. The Manx Missile. A sensation from Great Britain.

Then there were a few near-misses. Then there was him flipping off his detractors as he won a race. Then there were a few crashes--even one in this Tour.

And there were his predictions of dominating the sprint-finishes in this Tour de France. And the expectations. And the pressure.

But so far on this grandest of stages...fizzle. Nothing.

In Stage 4, he actually got blistered by a 36-year old. Alessandro Pettachi blasted past him before the finish line as the Man from Manx dropped his head in defeat.

But that was yesterday.

Today, it seems, nothing and no one could have stopped Mark Cavendish from beating every other rival to the finish line in Montargis.

Cavendish beat the pack going away. Two bike links back to nearest rival.

Granted, he had a tremendous lead-out by his teammate Mark Renshaw (thank you, Mark!). But, whether it was the lead out, or anger, or shame, or desperation.... whatever, Cav roared definitively to all doubters (and even to himself): Hello!

Cavendish's win put more fun into the competition for the Green Jersey that is currently worn by Norwegian Thor Hushovd. The claim for being the best sprinter in the Tour is up for grabs among a handful of worthy rivals: Hushovd, Pettachi, Robbie McEwen, Tyler Farrar, Oscar Freire and Cavendish.

No change in the General Classification; the times and places of the contenders for the Tour victory remained the same. And they likely will tomorrow, too, as the Tour tackles this year's longest stage. It's got two Category 4 climbs (lowest category), but it's mostly a flat stage and will set up another sprint finish before the Tour heads into the Alps on Saturday.

HOPE FOR ARMSTRONG

2010-07-07T13:12:00.000-05:00

Formula for Lance Armstrong to be on the podium in Paris

Thinking it's not looking good for the 38-year-old 7-time Tour de France champ to claim an 8th victory, a friend asked me to offer him some hope about Lance Armstrong.

Losing precious time due to a flat tire on the cobblestones in Stage 3, Armstrong moved from 4th place and a few seconds advantage over arch rival Alberto Contador to 18th place and a 50-second deficit to Contador. Just as importantly, Armstrong is now nearly 2 minutes behind Australian Cadel Evans, who rode Stage 3 perfectly and is, it seems to me, in the catbird seat of the Tour.

So, yes, it's a tough situation for Armstrong.

But here's your hope, David: Lance will shine in the mountains!

Here's the formula for Lance:

1. Andy Schleck is good--no, great--in the mountains, but he's not a good time trialist. Lance will overcome any deficit to him in the Stage 19 Individual Time Trial.

2. Contador is individually strong; personally, he has no apparent weaknesses. But he does not have a very good team. In fact, he's got a weak one. Other than Alexandr Vinokourov (who will likely go for glory himself at some point; he's proven repeatedly that he's not a team player), he's got no help in the mountains. Cadel Evans, individually a strong mountain climber and time trialist, is in the same situation.

3. Armstrong, on the other hand, has the advantage of a GREAT team and he can use this strategically to his advantage in the Alps and Pyrenees mountain stages. RadioShack has excellent mountain climbers like Levi Leipheimer and Andeas Kloden who can be deployed in a variety of ways to isolate and wear down an opponent on long and steep climbs. They also serve to keep Armstrong fresh through most of a stage in order to launch him to the front at critical points in the mountains. No doubt, Armstrong will use his RadioShack team talent to his full advantage.

4. If Armstrong can pull within 30 seconds of Contador and Evans by the end of the Pyrenees stages, I'll put him not only on the podium in Paris, but at the top of it. Why? Because in the Prologue, he already proved he's got his Individual Time Trial capacity back. If victory is within reach at the beginning of Stage 19, Armstrong will make the ride of his life to win it.

Take heart, my friend. This thing won't be determined until the next to last stage. Until then, every stage matters and who knows what weird or wild turn of events will occur. There's nothing quite like the Tour de France!

STAGE 4: ALE-JET AGAIN AT THE LINE

2010-07-07T12:41:00.001-05:00

Alesandro Pettachi, a blast from the past, has reemerged as a sprinter to reckon with

Most thought of Alesandro Pettachi as a 36-year-old has-been of a sprinter. Great in the past. But that was seven years ago. Injuries, a ban for minor pharmaceutical infractions and team transitions have kept "Ale-Jet" out of the limelight since he claimed lots of sprint-finish stage victories in the Tour de France way back when.

But the Phoenix has risen. Pettachi's Stage 1 victory might have been suspect with most of the other sprinters sprawled on the ground in the biggest crash in Tour history. But on this day he beat some great sprinters at the line of a classic sprint finish. He beat Mark Cavendish, who was supposed to have dominated the sprint-finishes this year. Granted, USA's Tyler Farrar is still nursing crash wounds and wasn't in the mix, but Pettachi has asserted himself in this opportunity quite well. One thing's for sure, the battle for the Green Jersey will continue throughout the Tour.

All of the contenders for the General Classification tucked in and rode safely in the peloton in Stage 4. No shake ups, just status quo.

Looking Ahead

Two more relatively long and moderate terrain stages remain before the Tour hits the Alps. Stage 5 on Thursday should be another one for the sprinters. Let's see if Mark Cavendish challenges Pettachi. Or, it could be Robbie McEwen. Stage 6 is not flat and it is the longest stage of the Tour. Some have predicted Contador will make a move in Stage 6 (but I don't think so). Stage 7 moves into the Alps. Stage 8 is the first mountain-top finish before a much-needed rest day for the battered and bruised.

It's a long way to Paris. After the Alps are the Pyrenees--more treacherous than the Alps. And after the Pyrenees is the Individual Time Trial on the next-to-last stage. The Tour champion will emerge in the Pyrenees and confirm his lead in the ITT, I think. But who? Cadel Evans? Lance Armstrong? Denis Menchov? Alberto Contador? Bradley Wiggins?

STAGE 3: COBBLES SHAKE UP, SHUFFLE TOUR

2010-07-06T12:48:00.003-05:00

If it was a difference-maker the Tour de France Director Christian Prudhomme wanted from this stage, he got it.

Shuffled down the list was Alberto Contador and Lance Armstrong. Contador is now in 9th and Armstrong in 18th after a flat tire punctured his pursuit of glory on this day. Yellow Jersey wearer Sylvan Chavanel also got shuffled to 5th place. Shuffled up into the top 10 are Australian favorite Cadel Evans (now in 3rd) and Andy Schleck (now in 6th). Evans, Schleck and Contador are the only riders among the current top 10 who have the capacity to win the Tour de France. [See the right sidebar for top 10 in GC after Stage 3]

Stage 3 was won by Norwegian Thor Hushovd. He muscled to the front and out-sprinted five others for the victory. Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland placed 6th and reclaimed the Yellow Jersey (he has the lowest overall time accumulated in the Prologue and Stages 1-3).

In the carnage and separations that the cobblestones were to have created, it looks as if Cadel Evans and Andy Schleck emerge with distinct advantages that they will carry into the first mountain stages of next week. Alberto Contador is now over a minute behind Cadel Evans. Lance Armstrong, who had a chance to win the stage but punctured at a critical moment, is now nearly 2 minutes behind Evans.

Three other contenders who gained significant time in the Stage 3 melee include Russian Denis Menchov (now in 13th), Brit Bradley Wiggins (now in 14th), and Luis Leon Sanchez (now in 17th).

Crashes today claimed Frank Schleck, one of the Tour contenders and brother of Andy Schleck. American Christian Vande Velde, another contender for the championship, retired from the race after injuries suffered in Stage 2 on Monday.

Complete wrap-up of Stage 3 and latest standings and stats at this Cyclingnews link.

WHAT'S IN STORE ON STAGE 3

2010-07-05T20:18:00.002-05:00

View this video of Tour de France riders talking about Stage 3 (Tuesday, July 6) to get a hint of what they're in for. The route takes the cyclists through 7 sections of cobblestone roads (called "pave"), some dating back to Roman times. Lance Armstrong has said "there will be carnage." With so many crashes already...

By the way, USA's Christian Vande Velde is out of the race as a result of Stage 2 crashes. Christian was considered a top-10 contender for the overall win. I hope he mends well and has a chance to lead his team again next year.

STAGE 2: YELLOW FOR SYLVAN CHAVANEL

2010-07-05T11:04:00.003-05:00

Frenchman grabs glory after a long breakaway and break from peloton crashes

Sylvan Chavanel was part of a 9-man group that broke away from the peloton early in today's 200+ kilometer stage over rolling hills and 5 categorized climbs through Belgium. In the end, the Frenchman riding for Belgian-based team QuickStep was the only cyclist to stay clear.

It is rare for a breakaway to stay away. The escapees usually get caught by a determined peloton. But Chavanel's advantage was helped by multiple crashes in the peloton on a rain-soaked hill near the end of the stage. As a result, Chavanel crossed the finish line nearly 4 minutes ahead of the peloton.

Chavanel started the stage 59 seconds behind race leader Fabian Cancellara. He ended the day nearly 3 minutes ahead of Cancellara. So, Chavanel takes over the Yellow Jersey. Well deserved.

Crashes plagued the Tour de France for the second day in a row. This time it was rain-slick pavement on a steep downhill that caused lots of riders to hit the pavement. Favorites Frank and Andy Schleck went down. Lance Armstrong went down. Alberto Contador went down. It's unclear if any riders sustained race-ending injuries. But it was carnage again. Here's a a video link to some of the main crash. In the photo, USA sprint specialist Tyler Farrar of Garmin-Transitions team holds his elbow after a crash.

After the crashes and chaos with riders strung out over several kilometers, race leader Fabian Cancellara rode to the front of the group and slowed it down, permitting riders who had fallen to rejoin the peloton over the last 15 kilometers of the stage. It was, to my mind, an act of leadership and wisdom. Someone had to say: "This is too dangerous. This is too crazy. We've got a long Tour to go. Let's calm down. Let's ride this thing the right way." Cancellara prevented any sprinting at the finish line and the peloton rode calmly together to complete the stage. Kudos to Cancellara.

Full stage report and standings at Cyclingnews

I RIDE

2010-07-05T10:41:00.009-05:00

Poet Edwin Markham expresses the thrill of cycling

I do not know what Edwin Markham had in mind when he penned this poem. In my mind’s eye I see 198 cyclists virtually sailing the forest, meadow, and mountain in the Tour de France. I see misty hills of West Virginia, where I grew up. I think also of innumerable bicycle rides through the Indiana, where I’ve now lived for over 30 years. I ride in this spirit, with this sense of joy, and offer the poem in tribute to the TdF participants. May their pain be eclipsed by such joy.

I ride on the mountain tops, I ride;
I have found my life and am satisfied.
Onward I ride in the blowing oats,
Checking the field-lark's rippling notes --
   Lightly I sweep
   From steep to steep:
Over my head through the branches high
Come glimpses of a rushing sky;
The tall oats brush my horse's flanks;
Wild poppies crowd on the sunny banks;
A bee booms out of the scented grass;
A jay laughs with me as I pass.

I ride on the hills, I forgive, I forget
   Life's hoard of regret --
   All the terror and pain
   Of the chafing chain.
   Grind on, O cities, grind:
   I leave you a blur behind.
I am lifted elate -- the skies expand:
Here the world's heaped gold is a pile of sand.
Let them weary and work in their narrow walls:
I ride with the voices of waterfalls!

I swing on as one in a dream -- I swing
Down the airy hollows, I shout, I sing!
The world is gone like an empty word:
My body's a bough in the wind, my heart a bird!

STAGE 1: CARNAGE AT THE FINISH

2010-07-04T16:23:00.003-05:00

What was that?!

Unbelievable carnage in the last two kilometers of Stage 1 of the Tour de France. No less than 3 separate crashes in less than a mile in the high-speed drive to the finish line. View the replay at this link. And this followed an earlier crash caused by a dog straying into the group of 198 riders. Crazy day.

Italian sprinter Alessandro Pettachi emerged the winner of the stage as most of the other top sprinters were sprawled on the ground. Not sure yet who might be too injured to continue in the Tour. Let's hope all recover.

This was a long flat stage, a day for sprinters to shine. Instead, nerves overtook the peloton at the end of the day and the incredible crashes ensued.

An estimated crowd of over 2.5 million lined the streets and roadways of the Netherlands as the Tour made its way south toward Belgium. A wonderful response from the nation that has more cyclists per capita than any other.

Best recap of Stage 1 and full standings is by Cyclingnews.

PROLOGUE: CANCELLARA ALL THE WAY

2010-07-03T13:18:00.003-05:00

World champion time-trialist fulfills expectations; but look at contenders

Great Britain's got young talent in Tony Martin. He tackled the 8.9 kilometer Prologue course early before rain set in and set a fast mark that stood until the next to last rider of the day: 10 minutes, 10 seconds. Only heavily favored Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland bested Martin, finishing right at 10 minutes. Cancellara will wear the first Yellow Jersey as the overall race leader, but Martin will wear the first White Jersey for the best young rider (under age 26).

WHAT ABOUT THE CONTENDERS? Time trial specialists are expected to do well in the Prologue. But what about the cyclists who have their sights set on winning the Tour de France? Here's how some of those considered to vie for the best in the General Classification (GC, best overall time) finished the Prologue (place and time down to Cancellara):

4th - Lance Armstrong (USA) -22
6th - Alberto Contador (SPA) -27
8th - Levi Leipheimer (USA) -28
18th - Alexandr Vinokourov (KZK) -38
22nd - Cadel Evans (AUS) -39
23rd - Luis-Leon Sanchez (SPA) -39
68th - Carlos Sastre (SPA) -54
78th - Denis Menchov (RUS) -58

CONTENDER SEPARATION. Being down by 30 seconds or a minute or more to the race leader after the Prologue is not insurmountable for any contender. The Alps and Pyrenees mountains will quickly erase those distinctions for most contenders. But it still means that Armstrong and Contador--who will both do as well in the mountains as any other contender--have set themselves up as the race favorites and the other contenders will be playing catch up..

ADVANTAGE ARMSTRONG. As for the Armstrong vs Contador showdown in this 3-week long shoot out, it's Armstrong - 1, Contador - 0. Stay tuned. It's psychological warfare. It's now Contador's move. This is gonna be crazy!

LET THE PROLOGUE BEGIN

2010-07-03T07:26:00.001-05:00

Guess what day it is, people? Oh to be in Rotterdam today! Let the Tour begin! Live TV and Internet streaming begins at 11:30 am EST.

BICYCLE NATION. 198 of the best cyclists in the world will literally fly along the roadways of Rotterdam over an 8.9 kilometer Prologue course. Hundreds of thousands of local and international fans will line the streets. The Netherlands, with more bicyclists per capita than any nation and more bikes than fossil-fuel powered vehicles, will fully appreciate what they're seeing.

WHAT'S A PROLOGUE? The Prologue is unlike any other stage in a Grand Tour. It is a brief time trial. Each cyclist rides alone and against the clock. The purpose of the Prologue is to establish initial ranking among the many riders. It doesn't "separate the men from the boys," but it does give an indication of who's ready to fight for the championship. Some riders are specialists at time trials and this is their day to shine. Others will ride their best, but this format is not their forte. Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland is a favorite to win the Prologue.

HOW DOES THE PROLOGUE RELATE TO THE ULTIMATE RACE WINNER? The Prologue winner is rarely the champion of the Tour de France. However, if a cyclist intends to contend to be on the podium when the race rolls into Paris three weeks from now, he will do well in the Prologue and Stage 19 Individual Time Trial. Some cyclists are good time trialists. Some are good mountain climbers. Some are sprint specialists. Some are excellent at powering ahead of the group (peloton) for long distances. But to win the Tour de France, a cyclist must be good at all these aspects of the race. The Prologue gives a glimpse of the readiness of top contenders.

TIME TRIAL EQUIPMENT. The bikes, helmets and uniforms used in a time trial are different than what you'll see the participants use on every other stage. A time trial bike and helmet is wind-tunnel tested for the best possible aerodynamics. The uniforms and shoe covers are made of fabric to minimize wind resistance. Riders tuck down into the an aerodynamic position. The idea is to reduce every possible negative factor to maximize the power of a rider over a short distance. Is all this effort really necessary? Not sure. But it's the standard in time trial cycling.

JOY IN ROTTERDAM...AND THE TOUR HASN'T YET BEGUN

2010-07-02T14:53:00.001-05:00

The teams have been presented. The contenders interviewed on international TV. The anticipation is building. The last preparations are made. And there's...there's an uproar of jubilation. What? The Dutch are in Rotterdam's streets celebrating wildly. The Prologue is still 24 hours away and yet the city and country are ecstatic.

It's not about the Tour de France. It's about the Netherlands defeating World Cup favorite Brazil earlier today in South Africa. Go Orange! The unexpected win against the five-time World Cup champions puts Holland into the semi-finals where they will face either Ghana or Uruguay.

The soccer victory for the Netherlands will certainly brighten spirits and put levity into this already bicycle-crazy city and country. Rotterdam has more bicyclists than motorists. Anticipation is that more than a million people will line the route of Saturday's time-trial Prologue. It's going to be a great launch for a great three weeks.

Congratulations to the Dutch on their soccer victory! Now, with hearts lifted, let the Tour de France begin!

LIVE VIEWING/LISTENING VIA INTERNET

2010-07-01T12:41:00.005-05:00

Most folks in North America will watch the latter part of the Rotterdam Prologue and each of the 20 subsequent stages of the Tour de France on Versus TV cable channel. Commentators Phil Liggett, Paul Sherwin and Bob Roll (pictured) are quite entertaining and spot-on. Best view, best collective commentary. Versus' website has come a long way over the past year. I enjoy reading Liggett, Sherwin and Roll's post-stage commentaries.

But many of us will be working or away from home during the hours of the stages. I've found that Cyclingfans always has the best possible options for viewing and/or listening to each stage of the race online. Sometimes, I have had to view the race in one browser and listen on another, but I usually get a combination to work.

As for "ticker" type updates, I've found Cyclingnews to be the most interesting. Information about the latest happenings in each stage, from start to finish, update automatically about every three to five minutes. No voice, not photos--just the most current info and brief commentary to monitor. I usually use the Cyclingnews ticker for the first few hours of a stage, before the audio and video broadcasts become available.

In the right sidebar, I've posted what I've found are the best Internet sites for keeping up with the Tour. As I find others that are helpful, easy to understand, and credible (let me know sites you think are helpful), I'll post them.

Hope you get to experience as much of this grandest of the Grand Tours as possible.

THE FAN FACTOR

2010-07-01T08:28:00.005-05:00

Part of the fun of watching the Tour de France is seeing the hundreds of thousands of folks who turn out along the roadsides to cheer on the riders each day. I suppose this--along with the beauty of the French landscapes and villages and the intensity of the cycling competition--is what makes the Tour de France so interesting to me. It is a feast for the eyes.

Two years ago, 2 million Britons cheered the riders during the Prologue in London. But the villages, towns, countrysides and mountain passes are lined with people all along more than 2,000 miles of roadways.

Many fans wear their favorite rider or team's colors. Or their nation's flag. They dress up in costumes. Or dress down to...almost nothing.

They drive their campers or ride their bikes up the mountain climbs a day ahead of time. They camp out. They cook out. They paint riders' names on the roadways. They have a good time.

Tour de France fans are there in the hot sun and cold rain. Enduring the heat, waiting through the downpour. Searing or soaking.

Especially on the mountain passes, when the riders are tired and struggling and slow, thousands of fans press in close and do their best to inspire. Some run alongside, dangerously close.

And all for a few moments, a few glimpses, a brief engagement with glory.

I hope to do this sometime in the next twenty years or so. Just be there on the roadside for the weeks of the Tour de France. Of course, I'll take my bike.

All these photos -- and all photos on this blog -- are accessed from Yahoo! Sports Photos and are by the photographers of AFP/Getty

AN "OUTDOOR" INTERVIEW WITH LANCE

2010-06-30T18:51:00.006-05:00

Here's a link to a recent interview with Lance Armstrong by "Outdoor" magazine online: http://outside-blog.away.com/blog/2010/06/tour-de-france-lance-armstrong-video.html

"Outdoor" has Lance on this month's cover. The article on Armstrong is excellent.

Throughout this year's race, I will be posting links to online articles that I find particularly interesting on poignant.

IT'S THAT MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR...

2010-06-30T18:44:00.005-05:00

Not Christmas, silly.

Yes, it's time for the Tour de France. My annual mania is kicking in. I'll be updating "The Tour de France for the Rest of Us" over the next few days. Check back often.

I've followed Lance Armstrong's Twitter activity over the past year (me and, oh, 2.5 million souls!) and of course the big but not surprising news is that this will be Lance's last Tour de France.

Armstrong is a living legacy with seven consecutive victories and then a 3rd place finish at age 37 after a 3-year hiatus. Now, at age 38 (almost 39)--two years beyond the oldest Tour winner--can Lance pull the upset over former teammate and defending champion Alberto Contador?

The experts say "no." But I wouldn't write Armstrong off. In fact, with Lance written off by so many, that makes him all the more dangerous...and the underdog. I love pulling for underdogs.

Lance vs Alberto -- that's the leading story line. But it's certainly not the only one. The field of nearly 200 cyclists is packed with contenders for the overall win, along with the best sprinters and mountain climbers in the world. Many excellent cyclists will shine on different stages.

Given certain conditions as the race develops, I can think of 10 different cyclists who could ascend to the top of the podium for the General Classification (GC = best overall time) in Paris. I'll name these and tell why in a later post.

Watch for carnage on the miles of cobblestones (pave) in Stage 3. Watch for a long breakaway in Stage 6. See who claims the Col du Tourlamet on Stage 17. And observe who prevails in the Individual Time Trial in Stage 19.

It's going to be a great Tour!

WRAP-UP FOR 2009

2009-07-27T05:16:00.002-05:00

What an interesting race with compelling story lines:

1. The return of Lance Armstrong to the Tour after 3 years of retirement.

2. Lance and 2007 Tour champ Alberto Contador at the top of the strongest team.

3. The duel/rivalry between two American teams--Garmin-Slipstream and Columbia-HTC.

4. The incredible sprinting power of Mark Cavendish--who iced the cake with a 6th stage victory on the Champs Elysees.

5. The Schleck brothers, Andy and Frank of Luxembourg. Andy finished 2nd overall with the sacrificial support of Frank.

6. Epic climbs and mountain-top finishes, particularly at Verbier and Ventoux.

7. The stage George Hincapie should have ridden into the Yellow Jersey but was denied(by just 5 seconds) by now finger-pointing American teams and former teammates.

8. Contador's overall dominance confirmed but significant immaturity exposed.

9. Lance finishing 3rd overall, after sacrificing his chances of contending with Contador for top spot by staying back to mark Bradley Wiggins in Stage 18. Lance showed a grace in this race not previously known.

10. Fabian Cancellara's dominance in individual time trials.

11. Levi Leipheimer crashing out while in 4th place overall.

12. No doping scandals!

Great, clean, well-ridden race.

FIRST MOUNTAIN FALLOUT

2009-07-10T19:21:00.003-05:00

A few story lines from the first difficult mountain stage with a mountain finish (the most fun to watch/follow):

KUDOS TO THE ESCAPEES. Eight of a group of nine escapees made it to the line ahead of the select bunch who are in real contention for winning the Tour de France. Kudos to Frenchman Brice Feilleu who won Stage 7 and to Italian Rinaldo Nocentini for donning the Yellow Jersey as race leader. Both cyclists were part of a long breakaway group of nine riders who successfully stayed ahead of the peloton all day.

STYING IN CONTENTION. Every legitimate contender to win the race was in the group of cyclists who finished together over three minutes after Feilleu crossed the line: Cadel Evans, Lance Armstrong, Frank Schleck, Levi Leipheimer, Bradley Wiggins, Tony Martin, Denis Menchov, Carlos Sastre, Christian Vande Velde. Out of this group (plus one) will come the 2009 Tour de France champion.

CONTADOR MAKES A POWER GRAB. And 20 seconds ahead of this group of contenders was 2007 Tour winner Spaniard Alberto Contador. Contador attacked this select group in the last kilometer, going against this team's plan, to erase his 19-second deficit to teammate Lance Armstrong. The move was likely calculated to give him the Yellow Jersey, but it failed. It moved Contador from third to second place in the overall standings and puts him two seconds ahead of third-place Armstrong.

TIT FOR TAT. Those few seconds may have cost Contador much more. His move was a power grab and a direct assault on/insult to Armstrong. We'll see how Armstrong responds. Contador may have "fired a shot across Armstrong's bow" (to quote VeloNews), but he may have lost the confidence of his teammates and ensured that Armstrong is now free to attack him whenever he feels like it. Interesting team dynamics, eh?

CANCELLARA'S REIGN ENDS. Fabian Cancellara, who has worn the Yellow Jersey since Stage 1, gave it up and will not wear it again in this year's Tour. The Swiss is not enough of a mountain climber to compete with the elite ones. He may win a few more stages, but his leadership of the Tour is over.

JERSEY, JERSEY, WHO WANTS THE JERSEY? Look for the Yellow Jersey to switch backs quite a few times over the next two weeks. Whoever is wearing the Maillot Jaune, watch for the ultimate winner to come from the group listed above. I think it's going to come down to Armstrong and Contador. And my sentimental favorite Armstrong.

CONFESSION OF A MANIA

2009-07-09T05:54:00.000-05:00

I'm addicted to the Tour de France. There. I've said it.

EVERY JULY. I try to keep a lid on my enthusiasm. I know most folks really don't care to hear about it. They But they hear about it from me anyway. I bend my schedule around it. I read everything I can and tune in to little online video windows to watch early in the morning. I buy expanded cable access for one month to watch the specter. For ten years running now, I've had a mania for the Tour de France.

BEYOND BIKE HIKING. I enjoy bicycling nearly every day, either on my road bike or mountain bike. I participate in regional group cycling events like the Hilly Hundred and NITE Ride. I guess I'm what you'd call a bicycling enthusiast or advocate. I've even ridden 2,000 miles on a bicycle through India. But none of this explains to me the mania that emerges full force when the Tour de France rolls around each July.

FIRST WATCH. I began following the Tour closely after reading an article in Bicycling magazine about Lance Armstrong's bout with cancer and his upcoming attempt to ride the Tour de France. I followed that first post-cancer campaign with real interest, unaware of the nature of the Tour de France, the terms the announcers used (peloton, escape, breakaway, wheel sucker, bonking, etc.), or the real test of stamina and power it represented. By the end of it, however, I was hooked.

TEN-YEAR ADDICTION. It's been a decade of this July enthusiasm. Who would've imagined Lance Armstrong winning seven Tours in a row? Even after the American disappeared from the scene, my intense interest held. No doubt, the presence of real American contenders in the Tour like Levi Leipheimer and Christian Vande Velde, kept me particularly interested. But now the return of Armstrong to the Tour heightens my interest significantly.

SEARCHNG FOR SOURCES. My mania must be some combination of love for cycling, recognition of the pain and struggle of being in the saddle long hours and struggling up steeps, the complexity of the Tour's diverse stages and format, the incredible beauty of the countrysides, villages, and mountains of the Tour, the team strategies, the unexpected breakthroughs and turns in the drama of the race, the presence of Americans in a European-dominated sport, and the post-cancer feat of Lance Armstrong. It all adds up.

GOTTA GO... I'd write more, but Stage 7 is underway. I don't want to miss what could be the defining stage of this year's event. It's the first day in the mountains. The long stage has a Category 1 mountain climb in the middle and a Hors Categorie--beyond categorization--mountain climb at the end. Armstrong said yesterday that this stage "separates the contenders from the pretenders." We'll see where he stands in that assessment. If he's a real contender, he could be wearing the Maillot Jaune--the yellow jersey of the overall race leader--at the of the day. We'll see!

NOVELTY NO MORE

2009-07-07T22:51:00.009-05:00

FAUX STORY LINES. Lance Armstrong's return to the Tour de France was thought to be a novelty. The story had nice lines to it. A has-been champion coming out of retirement to once more ride in the race he once dominated. A senior on the PGA tour. Michael Jordan trying to get back in the game. A publicity stunt for cancer research. What harm could it do? You really couldn't take him too seriously. He was along for the ride.

THE JESTER STRIKES AGAIN. Some of these are story lines Lance himself has perpetuated since announcing his intention to come out of "retirement" last fall. And once again, the Texan with an unquenchable desire to dominate and a chip on his shoulder half a mile wide, along with a seasoned ability to seduce his rivals and the press with bait-and-switch tactics, has turned the tables. The jester strikes again.

TO BE RECKONED WITH. Four stages into the 21-stage Tour, Armstrong has emerged as the virtual leader and positioned himself as the man to beat. Again. Whether or not he ultimately wins is beside the point. The point is, Lance is back in full force, full physical capacity, full intimidating control. He is the man who will be reckoned with. Like it or not.

MAKING ADVANTAGE. By taking--or making--advantage in an opportune breakaway in Stage 3, Armstrong put himself into serious contention, moving from 10th to 3rd place. After Team Astana's dominating ride to win the Stage 4 Team Time Trial on Tuesday, it moved five riders into the top ten positions and severely diminished the chances of some of the Tour's top contenders. More importantly, it brought Armstrong to within 2 hundredths of a second of donning the Yellow Jersey.

THE WAY IT IS. Fabian Cancellara will wear the Maillot Jaune for a few more days. But Cancellara cannot climb mountains well. The Swiss champion is not in contention to win the Tour. Armstrong is the virtual Tour leader. Any doubts about that will only fuel his anger and bring humbling consequences to the riders and teams who seek to prove otherwise. Apparently, that's just the way a Tour with a healthy Lance Armstrong in it is.

FORGET ONE STORY LINE. No doubt, several main story lines remain. The rivalry between Armstrong and Alberto Contador is real and will play out. Astana's ability to hold together amid that rivalry is real. Armstrong's ability to respond to attacks in the mountains from contenders is a question mark. But forget the story line about the old man who made a cameo appearance in the most demanding sporting event in the world.

CAVENDISH AND ARMSTRONG MAKE THEIR MARKS

2009-07-06T18:30:00.004-05:00

So, we have several stories developing after just three stages of the 2009 Tour de France.

CAVENDISH ROMPS. One story is of a young British sprinter named Mark Cavendish: He's won, hands down, the first two sprint finishes of the Tour. He's the man to beat when it comes down to a bunch sprint for the line. Will anyone rival him for the Green Jersey?

LANCE INTO 3RD PLACE. Another story is about you know who...Lance Armstrong. By getting into a successful breakaway of two dozen or so escapees about 30 km from the finish in a particularly windy section of the course in Monday's Stage 3, Armstrong gathered about 40 seconds from his rivals. He leapfrogged from 10th place to 3rd place in the General Classification contest (the rider with the best time).

RIVAL TEAMMATES. What's more, Armstrong took an 11-second lead over his own teammate and former Tour de France winner Alberto Contador. There is speculation of an intense intra-team rivalry between Armstrong and Contador, and today's action on the course did nothing to diminish that. Who will lead Astana into the mountains? We'll see.

TTT ON TUESDAY. Interesting scenario: Tuesday, Stage 4, is a Team Time Trial. Astana is expected to win it. If they do, and if their time is at least 40 seconds better than that of Columbia-HTC and Saxo Bank, then Lance Armstrong will be wearing the Yellow Jersey tomorrow evening. We'll see if it happens.

POST STAGE 1 REFLECTIONS

2009-07-04T17:12:00.003-05:00

AND...THEY'RE OFF! Great start to what will be a dramatic Tour de France. American Lance Armstrong set the early pace in this individual time trial through beautiful Monaco. Teammate Levi Leipheimer set the mark to beat. And only the top contenders, riding last, met and beat the challenge. As expected, Switzerland's Fabian Cancellara bested everyone. 2007 champion Alberto Contador finished strong, as did Cadel Evans of Australia, last year's 2nd-place finisher. The ITT did its work of separating contenders from supporters.

TOP TEN. Here's the top ten after Stage 1:

Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team Saxo Bank	0:19:32
Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana	0:00:18
Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Garmin - Slipstream	0:00:19
Andreas Klöden (Ger) Astana	0:00:22
Cadel Evans (Aus) Silence - Lotto	0:00:23
Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana	0:00:30
Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas	0:00:32
Tony Martin (Ger) Team Columbia - HTC	0:00:33
Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas	0:00:37
Lance Armstrong (USA) Astana	0:00:40

LANCE WATCH. I think Lance will finish in the top five of the Tdf, for sure. He rode conservatively today to a 10th-place finish. If the dude gets angry (and it won't take too much to make him angry), he can win it.

HOW IT WILL DEVELOP. Don't look for anything to happen in the first week, except for sprinters to duke it out on fantastic finishes. Don't expect much separation among the contenders in the second, which includes climbs through the Pyrenees mountains. The third week...will be wild. The Alps will tell all. And the next to the last stage (the day before Paris) is the climb to Mount Ventoux. This is the queen stage of this year's route. Hearts will break. Legs will fail. Men will cry. Heroes will be made. This is what makes the TdF the legend that it is.

ASTANA: GREAT...OR FRAGILE? Astana is loaded. Four riders are placed in the top 10 after Stage 1. Leipheimer, Armstrong, Contador, and Andreas Kloden each could be leaders on any other team. Each can time trial, each can climb, each is a proven winner. But can they work together? Will they? A few years ago, Ullrich, Kloden and Vinokourov (each capable of winning) were stacked on a team and they blew up in division in the mountains. No good chemistry between Contador and Armstrong. Armstrong's loyalties lie with...Armstrong. I'll be very surprised if we see him work for Alberto. Watch that rivalry.

'09 TdF JUST THREE WEEKS AWAY

2009-06-17T22:01:00.003-05:00

Hard to believe it's that time of year again. School's out, summer's beginning, June is half over, and the best endurance athletes in the world are gearing up for the greatest sporting event in the world. Yes, I am biased. Yes, I'm a little bit crazy. But, no, I am not kidding. It's time for the 2009 Tour de France. We'll celebrate Independence Day on July 4 in America. In France, July 4 kicks off the first of 21 day-long stages that will take over 180 professional cyclists across more than 2,000 miles of terrain. The rider with the least accumulated time will don the Maillot Jaune, the Yellow Jersey, as the best of the best.

This year's Tour de France is a wide open race with lots of legitimate contenders, four past winners, and the returning presence of seven-time TdF winner Lance Armstrong. Over the next three weeks, I'll share what I'm reading and gleaning from professional cycling journals and news outlets to set up the race. After each stage, I'll share my own reflections and comments and updates. I hope to make a few more fans of the Tour de France out of this little mania of mine. If nothing else, it's an outlet for my own enthusiasm for the event. Stay tuned!

CALIFORNIA DREAMIN'

2009-02-21T14:50:00.002-06:00

I've been tracking the Tour of California...and wishing I were there

ON SUCH A WINTER'S DAY. While we're dealing with the continuing winter with freezing temperatures in the American Midwest, cyclists have been racing through sunny California. It hasn't all been warm and sunny--take last Sunday's Stage 1 day-long downpour, for example. But it certainly has been a beautiful Tour of California to follow online and on Versus TV.

LEIPHEIMER TO THREEPEAT? American Levi Leipheimer leads the race heading into its final stages. Should he hang on to the lead, it would be his 3rd straight ToC victory. Lance Armstrong's comeback bid is playing out well; the 7-time Tour de France champion is in 6th place after the prologue and five stages.

MAYBE NEXT YEAR. Wish I were there. It would be great to be in Pasadena on Saturday afternoon when the best cyclists in the world roll in from an 89-mile ride from Santa Clarita. Maybe I can plan a vacation for this week next year and follow what has become America's premier professional cycling race (folks who oversee the Tour of Georgia may argue with me about that). Follow the Tour of California and Lance Armstrong's comeback at http://www.cyclingnews.com/.

In the spirit of dialog, I welcome comments and/or questions. Click on "responses" below to post. They're moderated only to reduce incivility. Shalom!

LANCE IS BACK

2008-09-13T08:53:00.003-05:00

DRAMA DEVELOPING. You've likely heard one of leading stories in sporting news this week: Lance Armstrong is planning to make a comeback as a professional cyclist, hoping to ride and win the Tour de France in 2009. This will be a dramatic story to follow as it develops.

AGE FACTOR. Is he crazy? Is he too old? Will he actually win? I will post developing story lines and comments here.

NUMBER EIGHT? Armstrong is a phenomenon already. The Texan came back from a devastating range of cancer, surgery and chemotherapy to win the grueling three-week, 2,000-mile Tour de France an unprecedented seven consecutive times. After his 2006 win at age 34, Armstrong "retired." But, apparently, he still feels like he's got a win in him. Certainly, he's got a cause burning within him. He's dedicating his effort to raising further awareness and funds for cancer research.

WHO'S NOT CONTESTING THIS YEAR'S TOUR

2008-07-25T05:41:00.005-05:00

EMERGENT CROP. In the most recent years, Carlos Sastre has been a consistent also ran. Cadel Evans has been lurking, but not ripe for a podium finish in Paris. Christian VandeVelde rode support, as did Denis Menchov. These capable riders have moved forward as the Armstrong-era strongmen have, for one reason after another, moved aside.

LEGITIMATE CHAMPION. Every Tour de France is raced without at least a few "should have been there," "could have won it" cyclists. But they were injured. But their team wasn't invited. But they were under suspicion of doping. But... The eventual champion of this year's Tour de France will be a legitimate winner because he rode the full 21-stage course over 2,000 miles better and faster than anyone else who had equal opportunity to ride it. So, cheers to the eventual champion and every contestant who crosses the finish line in Paris.

ABSENT FROM THE FIELD. On the other hand, look who's not in this year's race: Alberto Contador, the defending champion. American Levi Leipheimer (in photo), last year's runner-up. Contador and Leipheimer's team wasn't invited to this year's race. Then there's Alexander Vinokourov, proverbial dark horse who was kicked out of last year's Tour for doping. And Floyd Landis, 2006 winner, stripped of his title for doping. Michael Rasmussen--out for doping. The list goes on. Some of the "not present" contenders should be there. Some should not. Perhaps some of them will have another opportunity to contest the Tour before they're too old. Others, tainted by doping, should just stay away for their sport's sake.

STAGE 18: STATUS QUO UNTIL SATURDAY

2008-07-24T17:25:00.005-05:00

TRANSITION STAGE. This late in the race, it's hard to get focused on the goings on within a transition stage. Finished with the Alps, the Tour is moving back into central France--transitioning from the mountains to the flatlands. Today, a series of breakaways and jockeying for points over minor climbs produced, at the line, yet another stage win for American-based Team Columbia with Germany's Marcus Burghardt prevailing. The sportswear company is getting great mileage out of its recent choice to sponsor a team!

IT ALL COMES DOWN TO SATURDAY. The spotlight for the overall win--the General Classification--remains on Saturday's individual time trial (ITT) showdown between current Yellow Jersey man Spaniard Carlos Sastre and pre-tour favorite Australian Cadel Evans. The Tour championship will be won and lost based on the ride of these two worthy riders. Trailing Sastre by 1 minute, 34 seconds, Evans must ride the time trial of his life and hope his time is at least 1 minute, 35 seconds better than Sastre's. Sastre will be the last rider on the ITT course. It will come down to the very last second. Hang on to your hats!

STAGE 17: SASTRE TAKES YELLOW ON L'ALPE d'HUEZ

2008-07-23T14:52:00.007-05:00

MAGIC NUMBER FOR EVANS. Cadel Evans' magic number: 1 minute, 16 seconds. That's how much faster he was than Carlos Sastre in the first Individual Time Trial (Stage 4). After Sastre's scamper up fabled L'Alpe d'Huez to a Stage 17 win today, Cadel now trails Sastre 1.34. Barring unexpected and unforeseen shake-ups on Thursday's Stage 18 and Friday's Stage 19, the championship of the 2008 Tour de France looks to come down to Saturday's Stage 20 ITT.

EVANS VS SASTRE ON SATURDAY. After Sastre's CSC-Saxo teammates helped launch him to a powerful attack and win on L'Alpe d'Huez today, the Spaniard took over the Yellow Jersey and a 1 minute, 34 second lead over Evans. Frank Schleck of Luxemburg and Bernhard Kohl of Austria are also ahead of Evans, but neither of them have proven that they can time trial well enough to maintain their advantage over him. Cadel Evans is, by far, the best time trialer of all the contenders. Evans is substantially faster in a time trial than Sastre. But is he THAT much faster than Sastre?

EPIC FINISH. So, it will come down to whether or not Evans can overcome the 1.34 he's behind Sastre on Saturday. This looks to be an epic finish. Don't count out American Christian VandeVelde as a possible podium finisher. It will be either he or Russian Denis Menchov in 3rd place.

REST DAY 2 UPDATE: IT'S UP FOR GRABS

2008-07-21T13:29:00.005-05:00

LAST WEEK, THIS WEEK. My twice-a-day speaking schedule at the West Virginia camp, along with trying to get in some afternoon road and mountain bike riding in those beautiful mountains and limited Internet accessed shut me out of daily updates on the last week's stages of the Tour. But I'm "back home again in Indiana" and ready to track the last week of the closest Tour de France in recent memory!

CHAMPIONSHIP UP FOR GRABS. Who'd have thought that less than a minute would separate the top six contenders after 15 stages? More than that, only eight seconds separate race leader Frank Schleck of Luxemburg, Bernhard Kohl of Germany and Cadel Evans of Australia. Back only 38 seconds is Denis Menchov of Russia. Down only 39 seconds is American Christian VandeVelde. Spaniard Carlos Sastre is at 49 seconds. And there are three others within still within striking distance. We're looking at a very exciting week at the top of the leaderboard.

TWO MORE MOUNTAIN STAGES. The outcome of this year's race rests on two more mountan stages and then, on Saturday, an individual time trial. Tomorrow, the cyclists tackle two highest category (HC) climbs, including the highest point in this year's Tour. On Wednesday they face three HC climbs, including a mountain top finish on the fabled L'Alpe d'Huez. While there are categorized climbs during Thursday and Friday's stages, nothing's there to separate the contenders. Wednesday is do or die day! It will be epic!

INDIVIDUAL TIME TRIAL ON SATURDAY. If Cadel Evans can remain within 30 seconds of the lead going into Saturday's Stage 20 Individual Time Trial, he could well be this year's winner. He's, by far, the best time trialer of the top ten contenders. Only Denis Menchov and Christian VandeVelde can match his time in the ITT. Frank Schleck and Bernhard Kohl finished minutes behind Evans in the Stage 4 ITT. But, you never know...

DOPERS OUT. Emerging Italian phenom Riccardo Ricco, after winning two stages in this year's Tour, is out--along with his whole Saunier-Duval team--after his urine test revealed EPO. A Barloworld rider got caught, too. No room for cheaters in the Tour de France. Let's keep cleaning it up, leveling the playing field, and restoring integrity to the sport.

MARK CAVENDISH - FOUR STAGE WINS. The young British rider riding for American Team Columbia made quite a name for himself by winning four sprint-finishes stages in this year's Tour. Few cyclists can do this. Let's see if he repeats the feat next year.

STAGE 10: SPREAD THE GLORY AROUND

2008-07-14T12:24:00.004-05:00

EVANS IN YELLOW. Two highest category mountain climbs brought the first real fireworks of this year's Tour. Two Frenchmen crested the first mountain, Tourmalet, well ahead of the peloton--something of a French victory on Bastille Day. The second mountain, Hautecam, brought a first-time stage victory for Italian Leonardo Piepoli (Saunier-Duval). More importantly, it brought the Yellow Jersey to Australian Cadel Evans, and put distance between him and contenders like Alejandro Valverde, Damiano Cunego, and Kim Kirchen.

AMERICAN VANDE VELDE INTO THIRD. There was something for Americans to celebrate, too. Christian Vande Velde, leader of the Garmin-Chipotle team, finished the stage alongside Evans, moving him up to third place in the General Classification rankings. This was a breakthrough for Vande Velde, who can now be considered a dark horse for the Tour win or podium finish. Vande Velde has lots of experience and tends to ride more strongly in the last week of a 3-week tour.

RESTING, REVELING, PREPARING. Tomorrow is a much-needed rest day for the cyclists. Evans can revel in his good fortune, since he crashed badly on Saturday and raced with bandages today. He is the race leader, but he is just one second ahead of Frank Schleck of Luxemburg. Schleck is a bonafide contender. The riders will consider the mountains that are ahead of them. The heart of the Tour de France has yet to be raced.

CATCHING UP ON BASTILLE DAY

2008-07-14T08:40:00.003-05:00

MOUNTAIN RETREAT. So, I've been a literal TV and Internet blackout for the past two days. Only by cell phone have I kept track of the Tour progreess. I'm at a camp in the West Virginia mountains and Wi-Fi hotspots are miles away. So, tracking and comment may be patchy this week.

KICKING TRAILS, STEEP ROADS. On the other hand, I'm getting in some great rides, both on my road bike and mountain bike. The trails around here are awesome. They kick me, humble me. The road biking is dangerous. Roads are narrow, windy and steep. Treacherous, really. But it is the most challenging terrian I've ever attempted. No complaints ever again about the climbs in the Hilly Hundred.

STAGE 7: SANCHEZ WINS STAGE; CUNEGO CRASHES

2008-07-11T15:34:00.003-05:00

The end of the first week of the Tour de France keeps bringing surpises (not the least of which is that the cyclists have two more days of riding before their first rest day). Luis Leon Sanchez (shown leading the stage) dug deep on the long descent and beat all the leaders to the finish line by six seconds. Kim Kirchen retains the Yellow Jersey, but Italian contender Damiano Cunego crashed and damaged his chances to be on the podium in Paris.

STAGE 6: SUPER BESSE SHAKES IT UP

2008-07-10T13:39:00.006-05:00

GLORY AND DISAPPOINTMENT. A mountain stage in the first week is rare, not that Super Besse was an HC or Category 1 climb. But, apparently, the constant up-and-down terrain all day took its toll and the final climb up Super Besse really separated the Tour de France peloton. It brought glory for a few and disappointment for others. At the end of the day, the race leadership was shaken up (again).

ITALIAN ROOKIE TOPS. Tour rookie Italian Riccardo Ricco beat all the contenders to the top of Super Besse. Right on his heels was top contenders Alejandro Valverde and Cadel Evans, and, right behind them, Frank Schleck and Kim Kirchen. Unfortunately, race leader Stefan Schumacher crashed in the final kilometer and lost the Yellow Jersey. Kirchen takes over as the race leader.

STAGE 5: ONE FOR THE BRITS!

2008-07-09T12:52:00.004-05:00

YOUTH MOVEMENT. Mark Cavendish of Britain out-sprinted the best of the best sprinters at the finish line of the longest day of this year's Tour de France (232 km) to claim a striking win. The charging peloton swallowed up a day-long breakaway group of three within the last kilometer. Several teams worked to set up to spring their best sprinter across the finish line. Oscar Freire was there. Thor Hushovd was there. Eric Zabel was there. And there, also, powering ahead of these sprint greats, was a 23-year old from England riding for American team Columbia.

A STAR IS BORN? This was the first Tour de France stage win for Cavendish. Racing folks took note of him in the Giro d'Italia, in which his sprinting ability stood out. It was the first stage win for a British rider since David Millar won a stage in 2003. He's one to watch for the rest of the sprint finishes in this race and for the future.

THOR IN GREEN...FOR NOW. With his fourth-pace finish in the stage, Norwegian Thor Hushovd took over the Green Jersey from Kim Kirchen. Hushovd has won the Green Jersey competition before, but he will certainly have to fight to keep it amongst a carnivorous group of capable sprinters. Yet to win a sprint finish: Australian Robbie McEwen (though he out-sprinted all others behind the 3 breakaway riders in Stage 3).

STATUS QUO. No significant changes in the General Classification (overall standings).

NOW THAT'S AMERICAN!

2008-07-08T14:54:00.006-05:00

I love this wide angle photo of American Christian Vande Velde riding in Tuesday's Stage 4 Individual Time Trial of the Tour de France. You know, Vande Velde didn't HAVE to put the image of an American flag on his American-made Zipp wheels (made in Speedway, Indiana, actually!), but he did! I think that's cool. I usually don't go in for flag-waving expressions of patriotism, but every now and then some graphic strikes me as fitting and fun. This is one. Vande Velde finished well enough to put himself in the top ten overall for the race after four stages.

STAGE 4: INDIVIDUAL TIME TRIAL SHAKES IT UP

2008-07-08T13:24:00.005-05:00

CHANGE, CHANGE. First it was Spain that celebrated. Yesterday the French could celebrate. Today, it's the Germans. Tomorrow?

SCHUMACHER BURNS UP THE COURSE. Today's Individual Time Trial was a short 29.5 kilometer ride that called for a sustained blast of energy. Most riders finished the course in about 40 minutes, but the winner, Stefan Schumacher of Germany completed it in 35.44 minutes, averaging 49.534 km/h. Schumacher's time was not only good enough for the Stage 4 win, but good enough to put him in the Yellow Jersey as the third leader in 4 stages of this year's Tour de France. Switzerland's Fabian Cancellara was heavily favored to win this stage, but he finished fifth. What happened?

SHAKE UP. The ITT shook up the leadership of the Tour, making the race leadership look more like it would have looked like had there been the usual Prologue prior to Stage 1. It looks good for Cadel Evans and Kim Kirchen, even Christian Vande Velde. On the other hand, it looks like Alejandro Valdverde is not yet strong enough in time trials to stamp his leadership on the Tour.

AMERICANS. Two Americans, George Hincapie and Christian Vande Velde finished in the top ten in the ITT. Danny Pate was in the top 15. The Americans have learned from Lance Armstrong that a key ingredient to a successful Tour is to work hard on and ride well in individual and team time trials.

TOP TEN. Here are the top ten times in the race after Stage 4 (name, nation, team, time):

1 Stefan Schumacher (Ger) Gerolsteiner total lapsed time: 14 hrs. 4 min. 14 sec.
2 Kim Kirchen (Lux) Columbia -0.12
3 David Millar (GBr) Garmin Chipotle -0.12
4 Cadel Evans (Aus) Silence-Lotto -0.21
5 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) CSC-Saxo Bank -0.23
6 Christian Vande Velde (USA) Garmin Chipotle -0.37
7 George Hincapie (USA) Columbia -0.41
8 Thomas Lövkvist (Swe) Columbia -0.47
9 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas -0.58
10 José Iván Gutierrez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne -1.01

OTHER CONTENDERS. Here's where others considered contenders to win this Tour are placed after Stage 4:

11 Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank -1.12
16 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre -1.26
17 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne -1.27
18 Andy Schleck (Lux) Team CSC-Saxo Bank -1.29
23 Carlos Sastre (Spa) Team CSC-Saxo Bank -1.43

SIX TO WATCH. After four stages, the race appears to be up for grabs among six riders. Count David Millar and Cancellara out of the running; they are not mountain climbers. Hincapie and Lovkvist will sacrifice themselves for Kirchen in the mountains (too bad for Hincapie, because I think he's got the stuff to lead Columbia and be on the Paris podium). Nibali and Gutierrez, likewise, are support riders. Team leaders Denis Menchov, Damiano Cunego, and Valverde are great mountain climbers and they can readily erase 90-second deficits. But can they put enough time ahead of Evans, Kirchen and Vande Velde in the mountains before the second Individual Time Trial to keep the lead, should they capture it? We'll see.

HOW TO LOSE IT IN THE FIRST WEEK. Lance Armstrong was quoted recently as saying (repeating): "You can't win the Tour in the first week, but you can lose it." How to lose it: (1) wreck in the peloton, (2) do a poor Individual Time Trial, (3) fail to respond aggressively to breakaways. It looks like Evans and Kirchen are following his formula closely.

STAGE 3: LONG BREAKAWAY GETS AWAY WITH IT

2008-07-07T16:57:00.010-05:00

WHO'D HAVE THOUGHT? I wonder if American Wil Frischkorn (left in picture) really thought he'd actually get away with it when he sprang forward at the start of the 208-kilometer Stage 3? Of course every rider always hopes to get enough distance and out-last the pack of 170+ riders who eventually try to chase down and overtake any escapees before the finish line. Rarely does a breakway succeed.

ONE THAT GOT AWAY. But this is one that succeeded. This is a breakaway that got away. Joined by a handful of riders the peloton leaders decided were "safe" enough to let go, Frischkorn worked with two Frenchmen, Samuel Dumoulin and Romain Feillu and Italy's Paolo Longo Borghini through rain, wind and shine to out-wit and out-pedal the peloton. The group finished 2 minutes and 3 seconds ahead of a wreck-divided peloton. Australian Robbie McEwen beat all other sprinters to the line, finishing 5th in the stage.

NEW RACE LEADER. Their achievement shook up the leadership of the 95th Tour de France. Dumoulin won the stage. Feillu was presented the Yellow Jersey. That's two good reasons for France to be celebrating tonight! In addition, Feillu took over the White Jersey as the best-placed rider 25 years of age or younger. For the record, Frischkorn, an American riding his first Tour for Garmin-Chipotle, finished second in the stage and moved up to 3rd in the General Classification (overall time)--a minute behind Feillu and Borghini and just a few seconds ahead of former race leader Alejandro Valverde.

FURTHER GAPS. A wreck occurred on the rain-drenched road as the peloton was trying to chase down the escapees. As a result, the main peloton slip up into three groups. Several of the contenders for the General Classification (Yellow Jeresy) found themselves in the second group that finished about forty seconds behind other contenders. The later finishers included: Denis Menchov, Riccardo Ricco, and Jose Cobo. But Valverde, Cadel Evans, Carlos Sastre, and Damiano Cunego all finished in the lead group and maintain prominence in the overall standings.

THREE AMERICANS IN TOP 25. Don't look now, but Frischkorn, George Hincapie and Christian Vande Velde are all placed in the top 25 after three stages of this Tour. Not bad for USA having only four riders out of 180 selected for the race.

TWO AMERICAN TEAMS IN THE TOUR

2008-07-06T15:29:00.007-05:00

TEAM COLUMBIA. Kim Kirchen of Luxemburg, now wearing the Green Jersey of the sprint leader and who finished 7th in last year's Tour, is riding for an American team. Team Columbia (the sportswear company) is based in the USA and includes American George Hincapie (pictured in helmet), the former faithful lieutenant of Lance Armstrong. Columbia recently became the name sponsor of the team that has been known as Team Highroad.

GARMIN-CHIPOTLE CYCLING. There is another American team in the Tour--Team Garmin-Chipotle, formerly known as Slipstream. That's Garmin GPS products and, yes, Chipotle gourmet burrito restaurants. Team Garmin-Chipotle features team leader Christian VandeVelde and two more Americans.

POST-DISCOVERY OPPORTUNITIES FOR AMERICANS. These two American teams have been emerging on the national and international bicycle racing stage impressively over the past several years, but this is their first appearance in the Tour de France. This is quite encouraging, particularly after the demise of the Discovery Channel cycling team (formerly U S Postal) of Lance Armstrong at the end of 2007. It's good for American cycling, giving a platform for young racers to aim for. Though only four Americans are in this year's Tour de France, each is part of a highly-competitive team.

AMERICANS IN FRANCE. The four Americans racing in this year's Tour are: George Hincapie (Columbia), Christian VandeVelde (Garmin-Chipotle), Wil Frischkorn (Garmin-Chipotle), and Danny Pate (Garmin-Chipotle). Unfortunately, the American most likely to have been on the top-three podium in Paris, Levi Leipheimer, joined the Astana team which was subsequently suspended as further discipline for Alexander Vinokourov's doping in last year's TdF. Usuals also missing from this year's Tour squads, Americans Bobby Julich, Fred Rodriguez, and David Zabriske. It remains to be seen whether or not Tyler Hamilton or Floyd Landis ever ride professionally again after disciplinary action for apparent doping.

STAGE 2: THOR THROWS IT DOWN AT THE LINE

2008-07-06T13:45:00.008-05:00

NORWEGIAN POWER. After over 100 miles of undulating Brittany terrain and a breakaway--involving Frenchman Thomas Voekler for the second straight day--that almost succeeded, Norwegian sprint specialist Thor Hushovd outkicked Luxembourg's Kim Kirchen at the finish line to win Stage 2.

SPRINTERS EMERGING. What a great name: Thor! It's almost as if, with a name like that, you've got a psychological edge on the competition. Hushovd had the edge today, just like he's had in five other Tour de France stages in previous years. Kirchen finished just a nose behind Hushovd, but the Luxembourger took over the Green Jersey as the sprint leader. Watch for Hushovd, Kirchen and Australian Robbie McEwen to compete for the Green Jersey throughout the tour. Sprinters will likely dominate the first week of racing.

VOEKLER PUSHING IT. Thomas Voekler is making a habit of breaking away. The Frenchman stayed away most of yesterday and today. Though he and his compatriots were eventually reeled in, Voekler's efforts have garnered him a commanding lead in the "King of the Mountains" competition. He'll wear the Polka-dot Jersey for the second day in a row when the cyclists line up on Monday. He may be noted well as the most combative, too.

WHOA! VALVERDE HAMMERS AT STAGE 1 FINISH

2008-07-05T10:12:00.005-05:00

POWERFUL UPHILL FINISH. Alejandro Valverde made a strong statement about his intentions for winning the 95th Tour de France. On the 1 km uphill finish of a rolling 197.5-kilometer race, the Spaniard broke out of the leading group, powerfully out-kicking all competitors to win Stage 1 going away. Tour contenders Cadel Evans and Kim Kirchen were in the leading group, but they were no match for Valverde's explosion of power on this day.

STAKING A CLAIM. So, Valverde, the only rider in this Tour de France to have previously won a stage in a head-to-head mountain climb against Lance Armstrong, stakes his claim in this year's Tour. The recently-crowned Spanish national champ and winner of this year's Dauphine Libere, dons the Yellow Jersey of the overall race leader. Will he be able to keep it throughout the next 20 stages? Or was it enough, for now, to serve notice on Evans, Kirchen, Sastre and other contenders? We'll see.

SOLER RECOVERS, BUT HIS BID IS JEOPARDIZED. One of the top contenders was involved in a crash that jeopardizes his chances of winning the Tour. Maurico Soler of Columbia was able to finish the stage, but rolled across the line over 3 minutes after Valverde and the peloton. He may have reinjured a wrist broken in the Giro d'Italia. Soler was last year's Polka-dot Jersey winner, indicating he was the best climber--King of the Mountains.

EIGHT ESCAPEES CAUGHT. The stage featured a day-long breakaway by 8 solid riders, including a few former stage winners like Thomas Voekler and Stephen Auge. Working together, they sprang ahead of the peloton by as much as 8 minutes at one point. But the peloton picked up the pace and steadily reeled the last of the escapees in within 2 km of the finish line. That's a classic maneuver you will repeatedly see during the Tour. Under certain conditions, the peloton will allow a few riders to spring ahead (escape) early in the stage. However, the team leaders in the peloton will decide when it's time to chase the escapees down. It's carefully calculated to catch the escapees before the finish line. Sometimes, however, the peloton waits too long or the escapees work together or are strong enough to stay away and win the stage. It's interesting strategy to observe.

ON THE EVE OF THE '08 TOUR

2008-07-04T07:40:00.007-05:00

REFRESHING CALM. All has been relatively quiet before the start of the 2008 Tour de France. No major doping revelations. No last-minute suspensions. Sniping between professional cycling sanctioning and doping oversight authorities has subsided for the moment. After the last two years, it's refreshing to get to this point to be able to talk about the race and cyclists in positive terms. The "Tour Depart" is tomorrow, July 5. Hope you will be able to follow it on TV or on the Internet.

NO PROLOGUE. For the first time in over 30 years, the Tour de France will not start with a time-trial Prologue. Instead of the usual time trial to set up an initial time separation between the riders, Stage 1 takes the cyclists 197.5 kilometers (that's 122.7 miles) from Brest to Plumelec and over four Category 4 climbs. The finish in Plumelec (hometown of Tour de France legend Bernard Hinault) is an uphill climb known locally as the "Breton Alpe d'Huez,"--named for the monster mountain climb that has challenged cyclists time and again.

THERE WILL BE A NEW CHAMPION. No cyclist has yet taken the place of Lance Armstrong, who could be named the hands-down pre-tour favorite to win the overall classification Yellow Jersey every year after his first win. No one since has emerged with such dominance. And since last year's Tour de France champion Alberto Contador is now riding for a team (Astana) which Tour de France organizers suspended for a year after it was kicked out of last year's tour for doping, there WILL be a new champion this year. American Levi Leipheimer, who finished 3rd in last year's Tour also now rides for Astana and he, too, will miss this year's event.

[And, yes, I think the suspension of Astana is unfair, since the entire team leadership and most of the team is new, and since the decision to suspend Astana from the 2008 Tour de France was made AFTER Contador and Leipheimer, along with team director and former Lance Armstrong director Johann Bruyneel, joined the team as part of its rebirth. If Astana is out, why is Rabbobank in? Answer me that!]

FAVORITE: CADEL EVANS. While no racer seems ready to dominate, there is a favorite to win the Yellow Jersey. It's Australian Cadel Evans (in photo) who placed 2nd last year, just a few seconds behind Contador. Evans has the right combination of climbing ability, time trial skills, and a strong and supportive team to win it. Does he have the explosive power and ego strength to assert leadership? Yet to be seen. Should he win, he'd be the first Aussie Tour de France champ.

FOUR MORE. Evans isn't alone, however, as a top contender to win this year's edition of the Tour. Alejandro Valverde of Spain, Damiano Cunego of Italy, and Denis Menchov of Russia are easily conceivable as leader/winners. All three have the complete combination of developed skills, demonstrated leadership and wins in multiple-stage races and the savvy necessary to win the race. Some pundits also include Spaniard Carlos Sastre in the mix, but Sastre has never made a serious move in the Tour de France.

UP FOR GRABS. Cyclingnews' sub-headline reads: "Unknown predators could swoop in on Paris prize." I think they're right. Reading through the list of riders, I recognize many who have ridden the Tour de France, Vuelta Espana, and Giro d'Italia in past years, sometimes with flares of brilliance. I wouldn't be surprised if some of these, like Christophe Moreau of France, make a move to lead or win. It's up for grabs and that, along with the Tour's daily dramatic twists and turns and boiling sub-plots, will make for a very interesting race.

SIDEBAR & SITE LINKS UPDATED

2008-07-03T09:29:00.002-05:00

I've updated the right sidebar, including fresh/live links to essential TdF sites. These are some of the tools you'll need to follow the Tour closely:

1. Internet radio or Internet TV to follow the Tour live. Live TV or radio feeds are provided whenever possible by Cycling Fans for each stage much earlier than the Versus channel, which joins in relatively late in the day.

2. Cyclingnews and Velonews, along with the official TdF site, provide two- to five-minute updates and commentary from start to finish of each stage. These are usually accurate, insightful and fun. This is the way to learn most about the race.

3. Daily summaries, analysis, commentary, and finishing order follows each stage at Cyclingnews.

4. Velonews, Versus, and Cyclingnews offer good video clips each day. Some feature history, rider profiles, or aspects of the race, some are highlights of the day's stage.

5. Metric to miles conversion chart. Mostly for us Americans...some of the last humans on earth to go metric.

6. French weather reports.

7. Versus TV channel. Don't miss the great commentary and play by play of Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwin. These guys, along with Bob Roll, are great to listen to and their combine experience and insight gives the Tour great perspective. They also provide good commentary with posts after each state.

"CHECK, CHECK, HELLO...IS THIS MIC ON?"

2008-06-23T08:43:00.005-05:00

TEST, TEST. Time to brush the dust off The Tour de France for the Rest of Us. "Check, check. Hello, hello? Is this microphone on? Can you hear me now?"

CATCHING UP. Lots to catch up on in the coming days and weeks leading up to the 2008 Tour de France. I'll be coming up to speed steadily. Check back frequently for current 2008 TdF info, team and rider situations, fresh links, and an early take on "the contenders"...like Australian Cadel Evans.

SETTING THE TABLE. As is the custom, the world of professional road cycling is a whirlwind of upheaval and intrigue, though I can sense it settling down somewhat. But the stretch from September 2007 through May 2008 deserves a good summary/briefing in order to appreciate the Tour team and rider participation. The leading line will be that Alberto Contador, last year's Tour de France Champion, will not be in this year's Tour (barring last-minute changes). I'll have that post in a few days.

TECH STUFF. I'll also offer whatever tech/equipment and/or rules changes that may impact the Tour and its outcome. I'll include a doping update. That will be an upcoming post.

POSTING FROM WEST VIRGINIA. I am living in Indianapolis, but will be posting TdF for the Rest of Us from deep in the hills of West Virginia from July 10 to20, as I will be participating in a camp near Grafton during the heart of the Tour de France. Not sure yet what my Internet and cable TV access will be. We'll see. I will find a way to follow the Tour! I plan to take my road and mountain bikes with me to West Virginia--a great training ground for mountain racing and riding. Lance refers to training there in It's Not About the Bike.

TOUR PREP VIA DVD. Nothing can get your Tour de France blood pumping like watching a DVD or video of a past Tour. These are readily available at libraries. Lots of clips are online at various cycling sites, too. I like to watch a couple of bike racing movies before the Tour. I'll watch Breaking Away (for the love of Indiana!)...again. I found a wonderfully fun, low-budget movie titled "The Tour Baby!" a few years ago. An avid fan takes a video camera and goes behind the scenes of the Tour de France (maybe in 2002?) and gets great insights and interviews with the great ones. It's fun to watch.

GET ON YOUR BIKE! So, check back. Every year the Tour de France produces more drama and achievement than expected. There will be great feats and heart-crushing defeats. It may even inspire you to get on you bike and ride! So, why aren't you riding your bike for all it's worth?

Photo: That's me in 2007, lifting my Cannondale touring bike at India Gate in New Delhi after a 2,000-mile ride through the heart of India. We started at the southern tip of India and rode north to New Delhi. Someday, perhaps, there will be a Tour de India! I blogged the 6-week trek at http://bicycleindia2007.blogspot.com. Lots of photos and local info.

YOU SAY "GOODBYE" AND I SAY "HELLO"

2007-08-12T19:26:00.000-05:00

A few reflections on developments in professional cycling since the Tour de France 2007 concluded - Post 1

LIGHT AT THE END OF THE DOPING TUNNEL? Believe it or not, the revelations of a few dopers in this year’s Tour de France (Alexandre Vinokourov, Cristian Moreni, Iban Mayo) went a long way to drain doping of its viability even for the stealthiest of cyclists. It’s become harder and harder to dope under the radar (Michael Rasmussen left the TdF "guilty by avoidance" of pre-race anti-doping tests). Doping’s also become unacceptable to more and more cyclists and teams. High profile doping exposures have toppled some once-thought great riders (Ivan Basso, Tyler Hamilton, Jan Ullrich). I won’t be surprised if a few more recognizable riders are implicated and banned. In the long run, cycling is cleaning up its act in a strong move toward integrity. Let's see some American-oriented professional sports do the same (MLB, NFL, etc.)!

DISCOVERY CHANNEL TEAM SUNSETS. Can you believe that the team that Lance Armstrong built, that won the Tour de France 9 of the past 10 years, that won the Tour de France this year and placed two riders on the podium in Paris, will call it quits at the end of this season? Tailwind sports had U.S. Postal Service as its main sponsor until four years ago, when Discovery Channel picked up the $45 million + per year tab. Discovery Channel announced in February that it is ending its sponsorship and team leaders have been unsuccessful in finding a new American or international sponsor. Can this be chalked up to a year's worth of ugly revelations of doping among top pro cyclists? I think so. So, the only American-based team in the elite Pro Tour cycling circuit is gone. Sigh! So, 27 of the world’s best cyclists, including a number of Americans, will be looking for jobs come October...or sooner.

HELLO, SLIPSTREAM! The good news is that another American-based team is on the horizon. Former top-notch cyclist Jonathan Vaughters, a Tour de France veteran, has been coaching and building Team Slipstream to European-level respect. He’s signed American Tour de France veterans David Zabriskie and Christian VandeVelde, along with Scotsman David Millar. Other internationally-respected riders are lining up. Importantly, Team Slipstream has established model anti-doping procedures and ethical guidelines that will likely become a model for all of professional cycling--something that is critical for the future of competitive cycling. Team Slipstream may eventually fill the void left by Discovery Channel in ProTour competition. We may even see Slipstream at next year’s Tour de France!

VUELTA a ESPANA, ANYONE? Anyone up for one more cycling epic this year? The Vuelta a Espana (Tour of Spain) begins September 1st. The triple crown of road cycling includes the Giro d'Italia (Tour of Italy), the Tour de France, and the Vuelta a Espana. All are three-week epics that include the elements of bike racing we witnessed in the Tour de France—grueling time trials, breathtaking breakaways, epic climbs, harrowing bunch sprints, terrible crashes, incredible beauty, and great fans. All are ultimate tests for the complete cyclist, pushing the limits of human capability. Unfortunately, the Giro and Vuelta are somewhat less of an international field; they tend to feature and favor sons of their own respective nations

HOW TO TUNE IN TO THE VUELTA. Also unfortunately, the tours of Italy and Spain are not available on American TV. But the Vuelta a Espana can be followed with online TV (http://www.cycling.tv/) and by live minute-by-minute updates on http://www.cyclingnews.com/ or http://www.velonews.com/. I don't think I'll blog the Vuelta daily, but I hope to offer a few updates and highlights, particularly if an American is among the contenders (okay, that's my bias).

CAN THEY STILL WIN ALL THREE? Historically, the greatest winners of the Tour de France also raced--and won--the tours of Italy and Spain, riders like Bernard Hinault and Jacque Anqetil. But not recently. As the demands of today’s racing have increased (speed averages, degrees of difficulty), the toll of riding all three epics prevents most top riders from attempting all three. Lance Armstrong never attempted to win the tours of Spain or Italy, focusing, instead, only on the crown jewel of cycling. I wonder if Alberto Contador, a son of Spain and this year’s Tour de France winner, will try to ride and win the Vuelta? Find out more about the Vuelta here or check back here on tdf-bikehiker for links to the Vuelta a Espana.

SEPTEMBER: MY OWN RETURN TO BIKING. Personally, I just hope to be back on a bike in September. All summer, I have been jealous even of kids on banana-seat bikes in our neighborhood. But an MRI on September 5 will determine whether or not my torso torture chamber--er, brace (helping to keep me still while 17 fractures suffered in really bad MTB accident in June)--comes off and I am cleared to move toward physical re-conditioning. I have a goal of riding the Hilly Hundred in October, so that will just give me about a month to tune up. The Hilly is not a race, of course, but it is 100 miles of plenty of heart-pumping climbs around southern Indiana. It's a fun ride over two days and manageable by most half-serious cyclists. Get in on it at http://www.cibaride.org/.

TOP TEN MOMENTS OF THE '07 TdF

2007-08-01T15:25:00.000-05:00

WHAT WE'D LIKE TO FORGET. If you followed it closely or even sporadically, I'm sure you've got your own ideas or memories of this year's Tour de France. None of us can forget the downers: Patrick Sinkewitz, Alexandre Vinokourov, Cristian Moreni...and now Iban Mayo testing positive for doping and Michael Rasmussen being kicked out by his team for what appears to be lying about his pre-race whereabouts to avoid drug testing. Also, the Astana and Cofidis teams exiting the Tour because of their guilty teammates. Unfortunately, these scandals will hang over the 2007 Tour de France forever.

UNFORGETTABLE MOMENTS. But I'm going to name what are, for me, the Top Ten Moments of this edition of the Tour de France. It won't include the downers or the feats accomplished by the apparent dopers. I'll expand more on these as I have time:

1. The Prologue in London. A beautiful day on a grand stage before 2 million Britons. London was a grand village departe. In the photo, Scottsman David Millar rides past Big Ben. They've got to do this again...soon!

2. Alberto Contador putting Michael Rasmussen to the test with repeated attacks in the Alps and Pyrenees. The 24-year old Spaniard emerged as the dominant climber among the contenders...and had enough in the ITT to seal the overall victory.

3. Fabian Cancellara (in photo) winning Stage 2 in the Yellow Jersey, blasting past the sprinters to beat them at their game. Not only did Cancellara win the Prologue and Stage 2, he carried the Yellow Jersey into the Alp mountains before yielding it. After that, he worked hard for his CSC.

4. Robbie McEwen coming back from a crash in Stage 1 to beat the sprinters to the line. The old Aussie still has it in him to hang with the young guns, at least when he's healthy. His injuries from his crash in Stage 1 took their toll, but he would not abandon the race.

5. Levi Leipheimer's incredible Individual Time Trial in the penultimate Stage 19. He saved the best for last and sealed his place on the podium in Paris. Leipheimer proved a lot to naysayers and underestimaters this year.

6. German rookie Linus Gerdemann winning the first stage in the Alps. It was the ride of his young life. Let's hope we see more mountain gallops (back to back) by this outspoken anti-doper.

7. Daniele Bennati's two stage wins. The Italian won the first one as the only sprinter in a breakaway. He won Stage 20 on the Champs-Elysees surrounded by the best sprinters in the world on the biggest cycling stage in the world.

8. Discovery Channel's teamwork and Johann Bruyneel's strategies throughout the weeks. After a dismal showing last year, the Disco boys made their own post-Lance impression on the Tour. May they find a good, new sponsor and keep fueling American cycling hopes.

9. Tom Boonen and QuickStep's dominance in the sprint finishes. The best, hands down. You were surprised if Boonen or one of his boys didn't win a sprint at the line.

10. Robbie Hunter, Mauricio Soler, and South Africa's Team Barloworld for their effort and accomplishments as a wild card team. I hope they're back next year.

STAGE 20 - NO CONTEST; THE ROAD WEARY WARRIORS ROLL INTO PARIS

2007-07-29T14:40:00.000-05:00

NO FIREWORKS. Well, there were no fireworks to end the closest 1-2-3 finish in the history of the Tour de France. What might have wound up to be a free-for-all with 2nd-place Cadel Evans trying to wipe out a mere 23-second deficit to race leader Alberto Contador did not materialize. The boys behaved, followed historic race protocol, and rode into Paris orderly and in order. Contador in first, Evans in second, and American Levi Leipheimer in third.

Get full race results and wrap -up at Cyclingnews

WHY EVANS DIDN'T CHALLENGE CONTADOR. For Americans, that's hard to imagine. We see every stage of a race as an opportunity to compete. It doesn't matter what happened in history, if there's still a chance to win a race, go for it! The Australian may have been thinking the same way, but Cadel also had to consider that if he tried to breakaway, Contador's Discovery Channel team would check and counter his every move. With rainy weather closing in, the risk of losing it all must have been considered too high.

SPRINTERS DUKE IT OUT. Of course the sprinters did not hold anything back once the course entered Paris. The final circuits around the Champs-Elysees saw the sprinters jockey for position and set up a bunch sprint finish. Italian Daniele Bennati held off Eric Zable and Robbie Hunter at the finish line to win his second stage of this Tour de France. After the dust settled in the points contest, Belgian Tom Boonen became the new sprint champion and claimed the last Green Jersey.

RELIEF ON THE CHAMPS-ELYSEES. I can't imagine the relief most of the cyclists must have felt to roll across the finish line today. Relief! A three-week long epic that saw three cyclists and two teams abandon the Tour because of doping issues must have worn them down emotionally as it did physically. Let's hope we don't have another Tour this tumultuous.

CONTADOR DESERVES THE WIN. Alberto "Kid" Contador (here with Discovery Channel team director Johan Bruyneel) demonstrated the balance that is needed in a Tour de France champion. Solid in the time trials. Safe in the flat stages. Strong in the mountains. Steady in the last week. Cooperative with team strategy. I thought Evans would beat him in the Stage 19 individual time trial, but he rode that "test of truth" with inspiration. At age 24, the Spaniard becomes one of the youngest Tour champions in many years. He's the first Spanish champion since the great Miguel Indurain. Does Contador have four more wins in him?

EVANS NEXT YEAR. Cadel Evans is the runner up by just 23 seconds. So close! The Australian did everything right and elevated the standing and hopes of Australian cycling. He will continue to improve and his team will continue to improve in order to give him more help in the mountains. I hope he wins the Tour de France next year.

AMERICAN INSPIRATION. Third-place Levi Leipheimer (on right in photo) deserves a place on the podium. His incredible ride yesterday in the individual time trial proved his abilities and erased doubts of many--perhaps even his own. And that could set him up for being a potential race winner next year. Levi's placement is good for American cycling and the strength of the Discovery Channel team is also encouraging for American bicycle racing development.

PLEASE, GET RID OF DOPING. All of this is wonderful and all of this critically threatened by the continuing specter of doping. This is a problem that needs to be addressed and solved ASAP--long before the next Tour de France comes around. In 2008, the biggest stage of bicycle racing needs to be completely clean. In addition, the sanctioning bodies and anti-coping entities need to show complete cooperation to end doping in the sport. I think the riders are the critical voices and component in making this happen. I hope they assert their will in this important challenge.

VUELTA, ANYONE? Are you up for one more cycling epic this year? The Vuelta a Espana begins September 1st. That is, the Tour of Spain. The triple crown of road cycling includes the Giro d'Italia (Tour of Italy), the Tour de France, and the Vuelta a Espana. All three are three-week epics that include all the elements of bike racing we witnessed in the Tour de France. Unfortunately, the tours of Italy and Spain are not available on American TV, but can be followed online. Historically, the greatest winners of the Tour de France raced the tours of Italy and Spain. As the caliber of racing has increased, the toll of riding all three competitively prevents most top riders from attempting all three. I wonder if Contador will try to ride and win the Vuelta? Find out more about the Vuelta here.

STAGE 19 - LEVI WINS...AND SO CLOSE TO YELLOW

2007-07-28T11:05:00.000-05:00

ERASE ALL DOUBTS. He rode the time trial of his life. Erase all doubts that Levi Leipheimer (in photo) was never a real contender for the Yellow Jersey. Stop all talk about him not having a killer instinct. Strike the word "mild" from your association with "Leipheimer." Stand down all you doubters. Behold the unheralded, quiet American who just rode the 4th fastest time trial in the history of the Tour de France.

CALIFORNIA DREAMIN'. Going into this penultimate stage, I was thinking primarily about how Cadel Evans would likely overtake Alberto Contador for the Yellow Jersey by just a few seconds. I was not thinking that Levi Leipheimer would ride a significantly faster time trial than the Australian. I was not thinking he could erase a 2-minute 49-second gap between himself and Contador. But the Californian stole the show. What an inspired 55.5-kilometer ride clocked at an average of 32.99 mph.

1-2-3 FINISH. Result? Levi wins his first stage of the Tour de France and solidifies an honored place on the podium in Paris tomorrow. Contador (in photo) lost time to both Evans and Leipheimer, but holds on to a 23-second lead over Evans and a 31-second edge over Leipheimer. With this ride, Leipheimer came within 8 seconds of moving into second place and just over half a minute from the Yellow Jersey. Incredible!

CLOSEST EVER TdF FINISH. If neither Evans (in photo) nor Leipheimer pull a fast one tomorrow, it will be the closest 1-2-3 finish in the history of the Tour de France. If the Australian or American decide to contest for the tour championship in Stage 20, the final times could be even closer. Levi won't challenge, for sure; he won't try to upstage his 24-year old Discovery Channel teammate. But if I were in Cadel Evans' shoes, just 23 seconds out of the championship... it may not be just the sprinters who are jockeying for points on the Champs-Elysees.

PARIS ON THE HORIZON. For all the disappointment due to doping and deception in this edition of the Tour de France, today did not disappoint. All 141 cyclists rode themselves that much closer to Paris. Some, like Leipheimer, left everything they had on the road--a complete kenosis. Leipheimer may not stand at the pinacle of the podium in Paris, but he proved today that he belongs on the podium--no doubt about it.

TOUR DE FRANCE - MY LAMENT, MY HOPE

2007-07-27T18:50:00.001-05:00

Click to read my post "Tour de France - My Lament, My Hope" on my bikehiker blog. It pretty well captures my range of emotions about the Tour de France and the current state of professional road cycling. My naivete has been stripped away and I'm struggling...but still hopeful.

A MATTER OF TRUST

2007-07-27T14:17:00.000-05:00

WAS HE HERE OR THERE? Former race leader Michael Rasmussen (shown arrving in this Italian home) is now claiming he was not in Italy and that he did not confess to not being in Mexico during the time his whereabouts were not known and he was being sought for out-of-competition drug tests on May 8 and June 28.

SHOW ME YOUR PASSPORT STAMP. Rasmussen told a Danish news outlet on Thursday that an entire Mexican village could atest to his whereabouts in June. Some have suggested that he simply produce the passport stamp indicating his location in Mexico in June. That seems logical.

THE LAST STRAW. But even a stamped passport is not the issue, really. Whether or not Rasmussen admitted to his Rabobank team director that he was not in Mexico or that he was in Italy (where a former professional cyclist and now TV commentator claims he saw him), the team director and Rabobank apparently felt like Rasmussen's pattern of evasion, deception and misleading had gone beyond reasonable levels of trust. Team personnel and the lawyer who defended Rasmussen to the hilt during a Tuesday rest day press conference were no longer defending him Wednesday evening after his June whereabouts were further called into question. Rasmussen was withdrawn from the Tour de France by his own team and later fired.

STAGE 18 - A STAGE WIN FOR FRANCE

2007-07-27T11:02:00.000-05:00

CASAR GETS ONE AT HOME. Great for Sandy Casar of France. He took off in a breakaway early in the race, crashed into a straying dog, got back on his bike, received medical attention all along the way, and still had enough wits and power at the end of the stage to kick away from his three escapees. It was Sandy's first stage win in six years of competing in the Tour de France. It's only the second French stage win of this year's Tour, but how fitting.

VIVA LE TOUR! Lots of signs and banners reading "Viva le Tour!" A great show of passion by the people for the race that has been marred by doping revelations and the removal of the wearer of the Yellow Jersey. Some French newspapers are saying the Tour is dead, but the fans are certainly taking a different perspective.

TEST OF TRUTH. Again today, the peloton didn't care to reel in the four escapees. The peloton finished over seven minutes behind Casar and company. The riders conserved their energies for tomorrow's individual time trial, what commentators are calling "the test of truth." We'll see if Cadel Evans or Levi Leipheimer can unseat young Alberto Contador from his hold on the Yellow Jersey. Ironic that the ITT should be called "the test of truth" because the last person who won a TdF ITT turned out to be a doper. The test of truth for Vinokourov came in the form an after-stage drug test.

STAGE 17 - THE LAST LEG BEGINS

2007-07-26T13:01:00.000-05:00

THERAPEUTIC RIDE. It seemed like the riding today started like the sidebar--not the main thing, but the thing you just needed to do. As the peloton got underway and rode awhile, Stage 17 seemed more like something therapeutic the cyclists needed to do to clear their heads and search their hearts, something the support staff, directors, sponsors, broadcasters, the press, and fans needed just to have happen without incident or revelation.

CYCLING IS PARTLY SPIRITUAL. This is one reason I ride--to process things, to get perspective, to bring things that are troubling me into focus, to bring the things that seem to loom large down to size. My cycling jaunts around and outside of Indianapolis are not merely recreational, they are spiritual. There's more than a bit of simple and sophisticated contemplation on life that goes on while I pedal through the streets and countryside. Cyclists don't just ride for recreation or competition; they ride as a way of expressing and processing life. So, I think today's Stage represented that processing a bit more than usual. Not an ordinary day at the office.

MENCHOV'S DECISION. Denis Menchov must have come to some conclusions during his ride today. The Rabobank rider from Russia entered this Tour de France as his team's leader; he could have contended for the Yellow Jersey. But he was relegated to ride for Michael Rasmussen after Stage 8. Since then he's been working hard as a domestique. And for what? So, while Menchov started today's stage, about half way through he stepped off his bike, gave up his numbers, and got into his team car. For him, it must seem like there is nothing left to ride for this year. Such is the impact of cheating. He'll need time, but he'll be back.

BREAKAWAY STAYED AWAY. A breakaway got away and stayed away today. The peloton didn't seem to have the heart or motivation to chase it down. The four riders grabbed some glory for themselves and their sponsors and the top sprinters still had some points to chase for as the peloton pulled into the destination town. Italian Daniele Bennati won the stage (in Lampre pink in the photo). A similar scenario could occur tomorrow. Contenders are saving themselves for the individual time trial, the sprinters are grabbing points as they can, and the pack is pedaling in a bit of a fog that we can only hope will lift before they pour onto the Champs-Elysees on Sunday.

END OR NEW BEGINNING? It's hard to fathom how the past 48 hours has changed this Tour de France, or professional cycling. Some are saying it is the death of the sport. Others are saying it is the birth pangs of its renewal--a difficult renewal that bears new commitments and accountability for clean riding. I was glad to see so many folks from France and all over the world along the roadways today. They seemed quite positively animated, in good humor even (as in this photo) in a different mood than the booing we saw and heard yesterday. Who knows, this may well be the beginning of a new era.

RASMUSSEN OUT

2007-07-25T17:09:00.000-05:00

ANOTHER SHAKE UP. Cyclingnews is reporting that Michael Rasmussen has been pulled from the Tour de France by his own Rabobank team for lying about his real whereabouts during out-of-competition training--the time in which he was unavailable and unaccountable for UCI drug testing. He told his team leaders and the press that he was in Mexico (where his wife is from); apparently that wasn't the truth. He was, in fact, in Italy.

Here's the Cyclingnews story.

Wow. Like David Millar said about Vinokourov's doping and Tour departure yesterday (was that just yesterday?): "I'm speechless." Well, not for very long.

NEW TOP THREE. Well...that moves 24-year old Spaniard Alberto Contador into the Yellow Jersey, Australian Cadel Evans into 2nd, and American Levi Leipheimer in to 3rd.

STEADY EDDIE. I've said several times that Leipheimer is going to be a podium finisher by attrition, if nothing else. So, there you go. Levi hasn't won a stage (unless Rasmussen is stripped of today's stage win, which I doubt) or been with the stage winner, but he's never been far behind. No flash. No Lance dance. He's just there as a top-notch cyclist. He deserves a podium (top 3) finish.

AUSSIE CHAMP? And atop that podium will likely be...Cadel Evans. He is the superb time trial rider of all contenders. He should win Stage 19 by several minutes over Contador and Leipheimer and ride into Paris the champion...

...unless we have ANOTHER revelation.

IT COMES DOWN TO THE TIME TRIAL

2007-07-25T16:43:00.000-05:00

WHO'S THE BIGGEST THREAT? Let's suppose the Tour de France championship comes down to how the top four contenders do in the Individual Time Trial on Saturday. Levi Leipheimer is an above-average time trial rider, so is his Discovery Channel team member Alberto Contador. Both are better at ITT than race leader Michael Rasmussen. But Leipheimer is not better to the tune of six minutes and Contador is not better to the tune of three minutes--the deficits to Raz they must make up in order to overtake him. Unless they pull a rabbit out of that hat on Saturday (and I think I can safely say that NO ONE wants to see or think about any more rabbit tricks in this race!)...

AUSTRALIAN POSSIBILITIES. But Cadel Evans...that's another story. Checking the results of last year's results of the two TdF Individual Time Trials, Australian Cadel Evans (photo) finished about 5 minutes faster than Michael Rasmussen of Denmark in each. That's about the current time differential between 3rd-place Evans and Rasmussen with four stages remaining in the 2007 Tour de France. Hmmm...

TIGHTER THIS YEAR. However, this year Cadel finished just over 100 seconds ahead of Michael in the Albi ITT last week. That's enough to vault him into second place, but short of what's needed to take over the Yellow Jersey.

X-FACTORS. Take out the rainy weather factor, does Cadel ride better? Examine the terrain of Stage 19; which rider does it favor? It is 55.5 kilometers, a bit shorter than the Albi ITT. Will Cadel ride win, risking a crash for the sake of gaining the Yellow Jersey? Will Michael ride to preserve, hoping to protect his advantage? Will the doping cloud over Michael finally take an emotional/morale toll on him? Or will it just anger him to an inspired ride? I wonder...

STAGE 16 - LAST CHANCE IN THE PYRENEES

2007-07-25T10:54:00.000-05:00

LAST OF THE MOUNTAINS. The stage provided a mountain climber's greatest challenge: a category 3, two category 1, and two "beyond categorization" climbs. Perfect for one final showdown among the contenders in the Pyrenees before the Tour de France heads into its final flat stages, the individual time trial, and the parade into Paris.

THEY SPENT THEMSELVES. And it looks like every contender threw himself onto these mountains. Each team worked hard for its leaders. Each rider drove himself heroically. On the last few kilometers of the Col de Aubisque the last of the contenders spent themselves. "It was the hardest day of the Tour de France I've ever ridden," said an exhausted Levi Leipheimer (in center of photo). It sure looked that way.

1, 4, 2, 3, 5. Result? Michael Rasmussen pedaled across the finish line first, followed by Discovery Channel teammates Levi Leipheimer (23 seconds later) and Alberto Contador, then Cadel Evans, then Carlos Sastre--who are placed 1, 4, 2, 3, and 5 respectively. Though they tried, none of these could break Rasmussen on the climb. He survived.

CHICKEN STILL IN YELLOW. The Chicken looks like the best climber, albeit a man with a cloud of suspicion of doping hanging heavy over him, a man who the Tour de France director said yesterday "should never been allowed to enter the race" because of his suspicious pre-race behavior regarding doping (reported only after the race was well underway), a man who has been dropped from his Danish national team, a man who was booed at the start, finish, and all along the way of Stage 16 (photo), and a man who may well wear the Yellow Jersey into Paris on Sunday.

CLEAN TEAMS PROTEST. Before the start of Stage 16, some French and German teams staged a protest (photo). These teams are coming together to form a coalition of teams for clean racing. They vow to make accountability comprehensive, transparent and a priority for the sake of restoring integrity to the sport. Ironically, at the conclusion of the stage, a member of the Cofidis team was ousted from the Tour for testing positive for exogenous testosterone in a random test administered at the end of Stage 11. Christian Moreni is gone...so is the entire Cofidis squad. Such is the nature of the cycling game right now. By the way, show me ANY other professional sport that is doing that!

WHAT'S AHEAD. Barring very strange happenings (and some very strange things have happened in this edition of the Tour de France), the next two stages are predictable. Both are long, flat rides northward in the direction of Paris. All the contenders will hide in the peloton and conserve energy for the last individual time trial on Saturday. Breakaways and sprinters will rule on Thursday and Friday. It will be a day of glory for a few. But the final showdown will occur on Saturday. Will Cadel Evans or Levi Leipheimer or Alberto Contador be able to dislodge the Chicken from his grasp on the Yellow Jersey?

GOODBYE, VINO AND ASTANA

2007-07-24T11:56:00.000-05:00

Alexandre Vinokourov has tested positive for a banned blood transfusion, is suspended, and his Astana team is asked to leave the Tour de France.

Read it and weep at cyclingnews.

Dear Vino,

You provided us quite a show. We all picked you as a favorite to win this Tour de France. We pulled for you after you crashed. We celebrated your time trial. We were disappointed when you fell behind in Stage 14. And we were amazed at your tenacity to comeback and win Stage 15; a great consolation prize, we said.

Now we know one of the reasons for your resilience. Was that tenacity and power really yours, or was it the blood transfusions you were receiving? We'll never know. Neither will you, since you apparently chose to cheat and deceive...and got caught.

Enjoy your retirement.

P.S. Please, as you leave the Tour de France in shock and shambles, do your best to challenge all other cyclists who are cheating to come clean right now. This is an opportune time. Let the professional cycling house be completely swept clean--right here and now. Challenge those who looked up to you or who were complicit with you to 'fess up. That's one redemptive thing you could for the sport, don't you think?

DOWN TO 160 CYCLISTS

2007-07-23T12:32:00.000-05:00

STEADY ATTRITION. And then there were...160. Two weeks in, twenty-nine proud starters of the Tour de France have had to abandon the race for one reason or another. Today's most difficult stage claimed Stage 5 winner Filippo Pozzato of Italy and American sprint specialist Fred Rodriguez. Rodriguez was involved in two major crashes in earlier stages.

INJURIES & TIME. Most riders abandon because of injuries. Some of these wounded warriors soldier on as long as they can. Some cyclists are disqualified because they cannot finish the stage within the allowable time. This is typical of pure sprinters during the toughest mountain stages. This happened to Robbie McEwen during the Alps, though he was already suffering from his Stage 1 injuries. I can't imagine the disappointment of being in either situation. Maybe next year, gentlemen...

ALL WORK HARD; DOPERS HAVE HELP

2007-07-23T11:24:00.000-05:00

A WORD ABOUT EFFORT. Hey, all these cyclists work hard. Make no mistake: multiple-stage road bicycle racing is one of the most physically and emotionally demanding of competitive sports. It requires maximum focus, dedication, discipline, and effort. All train incredibly. All are gifted. All are disciplined. All put forth maximum effort. All use every possible permissible advantage. All are elite. You will see every last one of them suffer and give their all on the roads of the Tour de France.

A WORD ABOUT DOPING. To boost their high effort and to give them any possible advantage, some cyclists choose--or are seduced--to incorporate unapproved or banned power-boosting substances or methods in their training and preparation regimen. Oxygen-enriched blood and testosterone produces more power and endurance. Some riders who choose to use drug test-avoiding tactics or lab-masking substances or other unethical advantages will still not have enough power to be among the race leaders. But some cheaters who are also exceptionally gifted will win stages and be among the race leaders because of the extra advantage their deception gives them.

IT'S NOT JUST CYCLING. Such doping occurs in numerous sports, not just cycling. It is because cycling is trying hard--if not hardest of all professional sports--to wipe out doping that cheaters and cheating techniques are such a big deal. EPO, blood transfusions, bovine blood products, etc. can make the average well-disciplined athlete perform better and above-average well-disciplined athlete perform great. But it demolishes any concept of a level playing field.

GAMES THAT ARE PLAYED. There is a bit of a game of cat-and-mouse going on, as well as games of "everyone's doing it," "witch hunt, " and "let's be fair-handed." Cat-and-mouse is the game played by "physicians" who develop and distribute performance enhancing formulas that cannot be detected by existing blood and urine tests. "Everyone's doing it" is the athlete's choice to dope to simply level the playing field in the knowledge or suspicion that a competitor is doping. "Witch hunt" is the game played by anti-doping authorities that cry foul at anything mildly questionable in cyclists or team behaviors or tests (lab testing is NOT an undisputably exact science, which is why a balance of testing and accountability methods need to be incorporated). "Let's be fair-handed" is the game played by cyclists and teams who suspect drug-testing procedures, tests, labs, methods, and intent of anti-doping authorities.

A DESTRUCTIVE CIRCUS. It's a bit of a circus, actually; a circus that if continued will eventually destroy professional and amateur athletic competition. For now, around again we go...hoping for the best.

FOR THE RECORD: All cyclists thus far controlled (or drug tested) during this year's Tour de France are evidently "negative" for use of banned subtances. But, of course, that's what we were told as last year's Tour proceeded...until that after-race surprise regarding Floyd Landis.

STAGE 15 - MORE PYRENEAN DRAMA

2007-07-23T10:23:00.000-05:00

VINO INSPIRED. He's back. He's down. He's back. He's...Alexandre Vinokourov. Has the Tour de France ever seen more inspiration and heartbreak than the saga of this pre-tour favorite? Vino charged up the Col de Peyresourde, the final climb of Stage 15, with the same kind of passion--possession?--that he demonstrated in the individual time trial on Saturday to claim the stage victory. Because of a crash and poor finish on Sunday's first stage in the Pyrenees, the Kazakh is out of contention for a podium finish. But, my, what a spirited display of heart!

CONTADOR & RASMUSSEN. The severest stage to date did not much rattle the contenders. Alberto Contador tried hard to shake Michael Rasmussen during the final kilometers of the stage, but the Yellow Jersey Dane doggedly followed the outstanding young Spaniard all the way to the line. Both put time between themselves and the other contenders, who finished in a group about a minute later--Cadel Evans, Levi Leipheimer, Andreas Kloden, etc.

HINCAPIE. Again, American George Hincapie rode well, finishing third on the stage. Has there ever been a better contributor to Tour champions and contenders?

DISCOVERY. Again, the Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team rode well, with Contador, Hincapie, and Leipheimer among the stage's top finishers. Hopefully, Disco's goals for the Tour will be reached: (1) Alberto Contador as the best young rider, the White Jersey--he's been wearing it for days; (2) a stage win--achieved by Contador a few days ago; and (3) a podium finish--a top-three finish is possible for both Contador and Levi Leipheimer. Not bad for a "rebuilding" team that is also looking desperately for a new sponsor, eh?

WATCH FOR WEDNESDAY FIREWORKS. Tomorrow's a well-deserved rest day. It's needed to recover from two herculean stages and to prepare for the next monster mountain stage. Rasmussen may be wearing the Yellow Jersey, but I don't think he's got the race in hand. Still, the opportunities for Cadel Evans, Levi Leipheimer, and Andreas Kloden to reduce his lead before Saturday's race-defining individual time trial are now very few. Watch for fireworks on Wednesday.

STAGE 14 - SHAKE UP IN THE PYRENEES

2007-07-22T16:10:00.000-05:00

NOTHING LEFT IN VINO'S TANK. Well, that didn't go as planned for Alexandre Vinokourov. I guess he spent himself in the Individual Time Trial yesterday. As valiant as his effort has been, his game plan seems to have been exploded by the pace set by Discovery Channel in this first day in the Pyrenees. In addition, he took another spill during the stage.

DISCOVERY CHANNEL IN CHARGE. Can you say "Team?" How about Discovery Channel? Wow! They set a tepid pace the blew up the peloton. In a charge reminiscent of the Armstrong years, George Hincapie sacrificed himself on the mountain for the sake of his team members. They launched skyward on the Plateau-de-Beille, drawing the race contenders into a duke-it-out free-for-all. When the dust cleared, Alberto Contador (in photo) was sitting on top of the heap with a stage win over Michael Rasmussen, and Levi Leipheimer had leap-frogged into fourth place overall. Yaroslav Popovych wasn't far behind. Contador is now in second place overall and he's on his way to a top-three finish if he doesn't have a bad day.

KLODEN HANGING IN. Astana, which shined on Saturday, took major hits on Sunday. Now in 5th place, Andreas Kloden is still in the hunt, but his climbing companions didn't or couldn't help him much and he lost time to Rasmussen.

AUSTRALIAN HOPES ALIVE. Australian Cadel Evans arrived at the top of the Plateau-de-Beille 1'12" after Leipheimer and dropped into third place overall behind Contador. Evans, whom I think will win the Tour, is now 3'04" behind Rasmussen. If Evans can close some of that gap in the next two mountain stages, he'll be poised to beat Rasmussen in the Individual Time Trial on Saturday.

DO THEY HAVE ANYTHING LEFT? Do any of these guys have anything left in their legs? Today seemed like they left it all on the mountain. They've got to be spent. And yet the toughest stage is tomorrow -- two Category 2, two Category 1 and one Beyond Category (toughest) climbs. And then another monster mountain day after Tuesday's rest day.

EVANS AND LEIPHEIMER. I'm pulling for Evans and Leipheimer tomorrow. Given the corroborated evidence implicating Rasmussen in doping, I no longer consider him legitimate, even if he miraculously hangs in for a win (in this case "miracle" would be spelled "c-h-e-a-t-i-n-g"). Evans wants the Yellow Jersey in Paris very much. Leipheimer is intensely committed to a podium finish, too. These two riders, in their own unique ways, have the tenacity and steadiness to reach their goals.

STAGE 13 - VINO'S BACK

2007-07-21T10:28:00.000-05:00

KAZAKH CLAWS BACK. Alexandre Vinokourov clawed his way back into contention for the Tour de France with a blistering ride on a very wet Individual Time Trial that saw some contenders lose significant times. Vinokourov's been riding with nearly 60 stitches in his elbow and leg since a crash last week. But he showed no signs of pain as he unleashed his anger on the course with a time 1 minute and 14 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher. He's now in 9th place overall, 5 minutes and 10 seconds out of the lead.

EVANS INTO SECOND. Australian Cadel Evans, placing second, moved his way up to second place in the overall standings and now sits just one minute behind Michael Rasmussen. Rasmussen rode the best time trial of his life to hang on to the Yellow Jersey for a little while longer.

AMERICAN INTO FIFTH. American Levi Leipheimer improved his overall position from 9th to 5th with a solid time trial. He benefitted from poor performances by Iban Mayo, Alejandro Valverde, and Carlos Sastre. Leipheimer is now just 3 minutes and 35 seconds out of first place.

DISCOVERY CHANNEL LOOKING GOOD. American-based Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team now has riders in 3rd and 5th place in the chase for the Yellow Jersey. Alberto Contador placed 7th and Levi Leipheimer finished 9th in today's time trial while other contenders turned in slower performances. Contador is 2'31" off the lead and Leipheimer is one minute behind him. Yaroslav Popovych, Vladimir Gusev and George Hincapie also finished well today.

NEXT TWO DAYS. The Individual Time Trial shook things up among the contenders but did not displace Michael Rasmussen as the Tour leader. He survived, but his lead is reduced to one minute. The mountain stages on Sunday and Monday now loom large for all the contenders. The Pyrenees will keep things very interesting at the top, which seems to me now to be a five-man hunt (Rasmussen, Evans, Contador, Kloden, and Leipheimer) with a few wild cards like Vinokourov, Valverde, and Mayo still able to crash the party.

RASMUSSEN ON THE HOT SEAT

2007-07-20T14:55:00.000-05:00

Well, here we go again. A Yellow Jersey of the Tour de France is on the hot seat.

SUSPENDED BY DENMARK CYCLING ORGANIZATION. On Thursday evening, the Danish Cycling Federation announced that they were suspending Michael Rasmussen from representing Denmark in the world championships in the fall and the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Why? For not turning in his travel itinerary as required (for the purposes of carrying out random anti-doping tests) in a timely manner. Rasmussen could not be found for two such anti-doping tests because UCI officials did not know his whereabouts.

WHY NOW? The Danish cycling officials knew of this problem at the end of June yet permitted him to ride in the Danish national championship race then chose to announce his suspension at this particular time. Why now, in the middle of the Tour de France when he is wearing the Yellow Jersey? Is it an insult to the Tour de France, which is trying it utmost to cooperate with UCI and WADA to wipe out doping? Was Rasmussen coyly dodging UCI doping controls or was he just negligent? Has Rasmussen passed the blood and urine tests that have been administered throughout the Tour de France? Is this a smear, a witch hunt, or are we just waiting for the other shoe to drop?

2002 DOPING STORY SURFACES. In addition, VeloNews is reporting a story today that squarely implicates Rasmussen in past doping activities. A friend and once-competitive cyclist related a detailed, corroborated story to VeloNews that Rasmussen tried to trick him into carrying a cycling shoe box full of blood doping substances from the United States to Europe in 2002. Asked about the story today, Rasmussen admitted to knowing the man but would not comment further about the shoe box situation. So, is it true? If so, what does Michael have to say for himself?

CYCLISTS: DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY. It seems to me that it's time for the Tour de France participants themselves to demand answers. I suggest that all the riders stage a sit-down boycott at the start of Stage 13 until Rasmussen clearly tells them what's really going on. If the Tour de France and the integrity of professional cycling is to be restored, it won't be by Christian Prudhomme and ASO. It won't be thru UCI and WADA. It won't be thru the press. It will be restored by the cyclists themselves who demand truth and accountability from each other.

STOP THE RACE. So, cyclists, stop the race! Don't mount your bikes. Demand answers from Rasmussen. Don't let him wear the Yellow Jersey one more day until you are satisfied the whole truth is told. Don't get on your bike until either you're satisfied that the Yellow Jersey is innocent of doping or that he is guilty of it. If he's innocent, ride boldly. If he's guilty, don't ride until he adandons the Tour you love. It's come down to this. I don't think anything less will save the sport.

STAGE 12 - LULL BEFORE THE STORM

2007-07-20T12:37:00.000-05:00

PREDICTABLY UNEVENTFUL. That had to be the most uneventful and borderline boring of stages to date. A long breakaway that gets chased down and swept up within the last kilometer, followed by a bunch sprint perfectly set up for Tom Boonen by his QuickStep blue train. Next.

SOME WHO WEREN'T BORED. I'm sure it wasn't boring for the two escapees. Or for any rider in the peloton just hoping to remain safe and conserve something for the Individual Time Trial tomorrow and the Pyrenees mountains ahead. Or for Boonen and his boys, who've claimed three of the sprint finishes within their squad. Or for sprinters Eric Zabel and Robbie Hunter, who were at the line with Boonen, and who are now within striking distance of the Green Jersey.

RASMUSSEN ON THE HOT SEAT. And it certainly wasn't boring for Yellow Jersey wearer Michael Rasmussen, who had all day to think various thoughts about the Danish cycling officials suspending him from national competition at this particular moment in time because he did not properly turn in his spring travel schedule (for purposes of availability for random drug testing) last month. Some are saying it is mean-spirited and intended to harm the Tour de France. On the other hand, VeloNews is reporting a story today that squarely implicates Rasmussen in past doping activities. Here we go again...?

I LOVE YA, TOMORROW. But this, above all other such transitional stages, was a lull before the storm. The storm begins tomorrow. Tomorrow's Individual Time Trial will shake up the Tour. And whoever remains in contention at the end of Stage 13 will be sorely tested and attacked by all others over the next three mountain stages. Today was a quiet day at the office. Tomorrow it's every cyclist for himself. Today was uninspiring. Tomorrow...hang on to your helmets.

HOW THE TWO INDIVIDUAL TIME TRIALS WILL CHANGE THIS RACE

2007-07-19T16:33:00.000-05:00

HOW WILL THE ITT's IMPACT? I was wondering... with times among the top 8 contenders for the Yellow Jersey within four minutes of each other after 11 stages AND with two big Individual Time Trials coming up (this Saturday - Stage 13 and next Saturday - Stage 19), what difference might these ITT's make in the GC?

HOW THEY FARED IN 2006. So, I just did a bit of checking on how the current contenders fared in last year's two Individual Time Trials. Last year's ITT's were 52 km and 54 km rides. Combining the results (and, trust me, there may be error in my adding and subtracting hours and minutes, but it's relatively close), here's some of our current contenders' combined 2006 TdF ITT times, starting with the fastest and showing the deficits from there. 2007 contenders current place in the GC is in ( ):

(2) Andreas Kloden 2 hrs. 11 min. 52 sec.
(13) Oscar Pereiro 2.14.48 -2'56" behind Kloden's time
(4) Cadel Evans 2.14.58 -3'06"
(18) Denis Menchov 2.15.44 -3'52"
(6) Carlos Sastre 2.16.11 -4'19"
(14) Christophe Moreau 2.17.01 -6'19"
(9) Levi Leipheimer 2.21.35 -9'43"
(10) Mikel Aztarloza 2.21.52 -10'00"
(1) Michael Rasmussen 2.24.48 -12'56"

HOW THEY FARED WITHOUT COMPLETING. A few of this year's contenders started last year's Tour but weren't around for the first or second Individual Time Trial. Some didn't ride in last year's Tour. Here's how they've fared in TdF ITT situations in the past:

(2) Alejandro Valverde - finished 5th in the 2006 Prologue, 4.49 behind Thor Hushovd's winning time. Valverde crashed out of the 2006 Tour before reaching the first ITT. He abandoned before the 2005 TdF ITT, too.

(3) Iban Mayo -5.36 behind the Stage winner for 82nd place in the first 2006 ITT. Mayo abandoned the Tour before the second ITT. Mayo is a past podium finisher, however.

(5) Alberto Contador - did not race in the 2006 TdF, but finished in the top five in the 2005 Prologue, 1.51 behind the winner. He finished the 2005 ITT -6.12 behind the stage winner -- Lance Armstrong.

(19) Alexandre Vinokourov - did not race in the 2006 TdF, but in previous Tours, his time trial finishes are consistently in the top ten. Here's where Vino can make up significant time in 2007.

LURKERS WHO COULD FACTOR. Some of the GC lurkers and long shots like Frank Schleck, Chris Horner, and Yaroslav Popovych have good times in past TdF ITT's, but not the kind of times that could move them from their current placements into contention...unless they literally fly while others falter.

X-FACTORS. Have any of the current top contenders vastly improved their time trialing since last year? Levi Leipheimer, supposedly; but his Prologue time was mediocre. Christophe Moreau, supposedly; but he dropped lots of time today. Cadel Evans? Who else? Also, consider: the first Individual Time Trial comes on Saturday, after these flat transition stages and prior to the punishing Pyrenees. The second ITT comes the day before Paris, after the riders have had a few more flat transition stages. After the Pyrenees, some will be very motivated for the second ITT; some will be crestfallen.

IN CONCLUSION...

Andreas Kloden is the best-placed to benefit from the ITT's. He can take over the lead with consistently strong ITT's.

Cadel Evans can move on up to the top, too. Who wants it more?

Alberto Contador's a wild card, but his ITT times indicate he could move from 5th place into the top three. Will this Discovery Channel team member be permitted to contend for the Yellow Jersey along with team leader Levi Leipheimer, or will his prowess be sacrificed to assist Leipheimer onto the podium? Or, will Levi serve Alberto? What will team director Johann Bruyneel do? These are the Days of our Lives...

The ITT's will prove a challenge for current Yellow Jersey wearer Michael Rasmussen. I know he thinks he's still a contender, but history says the Dane can't compete in the ITT's with the company he's currently keeping. To be fair, his ITT last year was simply disastrous, including a wreck.

Levi Leipheimer, too, needs to prove his mettle with these upcoming ITT's. He's finished well enough, but not with championship-winning exploits. If ever you've sensed the moment, Levi, this may be it! Carpe diem (or something like that...)!

Alejandro Valverde? Inconclusive; consider it a wash. Let's just hope he actually finishes the Tour this time.

Iban Mayo? Less than stellar; a wash at best. If he's not leading coming out of the Pyrenees, his second ITT will be critical.

Oscar Pereiro? This poor guy is getting no respect, even though he placed 2nd in the 2006 TdF. But his ITT finishes indicate he will improve his chances before Paris.

Christophe Moreau? It's a dream, but not out of reach. Can you put the hammer down for France, Christophe? You know the lay of this land better than anyone. Claim it!

Alexandre Vinokourov? Vino may well cruise to the top five times in both ITT's, putting him back into the mix. If Vino does very well on Saturday, he'll be motivated to climb like a wild banshee in the Pyrenees. If he does well there, he'll smoke the last ITT and glide into Paris.

So, what do you think? Weigh in...

STAGE 11 - ONE FOR SOUTH AFRICA

2007-07-19T10:04:00.000-05:00

SURPRISE, SURPRISE. Oh, my! A day that was supposed to be routine turned into disaster for Christophe Moreau, but glory for Robbie Hunter of the Republic of South Africa.

SAY IT AIN'T SO, MOREAU. Moreau crashed early in the race and then got caught off guard when the Astana team-driven peloton suddenly surged. Before Moreau, riding at the back of the peloton, realized what had occured, he was playing big-time catch up. Moreau's group tried hard to chase, but ultimately finished 3'20" after the stage winner crossed the line in Montpelliar. Some will say Moreau's hopes for a podium finish are fading. But Moreau is capable of wiping out such a deficit with a one-day romp in the Pyrenees. Let's go Moreau!

ROBBIE HUNTER'S DAY TO SHINE. The winner of this flat stage was none other than the only South African in the Tour de France. Robbie Hunter, a sprint specialist from the South African-sponsored team Barloworld, outgunned his rivals--minus those who were caught up in a last-turn crash--on a twisting final kilometer to claim a victory. It was the second stage win for Barloworld in this Tour; Colombian Mauricio Soler won a mountain stage four days ago. It was the first stage win for a South African in the history of the Tour de France. With the win, Hunter also moves up to 2nd place in the sprint points; he could challenge for the Green Jersey!

LEIPHEIMER MOVES UP. Moreau's bad luck translated into a move-up in the standings for American Levi Leipheimer. Moreau falls from 6th to 12th place in the overall standings. Leipheimer, riding for Discovery Channel, moves from 9th to 8th place. Attrition is certainly an allowable way to improve your chances. Howver, Levi is no closer in time to race-leader Michael Rasmussen and the contenders placed 2nd thru 7th.

VINO RALLIES; LOOK OUT! Pre-Tour favorite Alexandre Vinokourov showed signs of ferocity today. Injured in an early-stage crash, Vino has seemed to be barely hanging on...until this stage. The Kazakh put his Astana team on the front of the peloton and pushed the pace to a painful rate. He even tried an escape within the last 3 kilometers. Vino was caught by the sprinters, but it was a show of tenacity, saying: "Don't count me out, boys! I'm back!"

STAGE 10 - FRENCHMAN FINALLY WINS IN FRANCE

2007-07-18T15:18:00.000-05:00

VIVA LA FRANCE! Cedric Vasseur won one for his host nation, crossing the finish line of a 142.6-mile ride from the Alps into Marseilles just a nose ahead of fellow countryman Sandy Casar. This was Vasseur's second TdF win in 10 years of riding the Tour. It was the first stage win by a Frenchman in this year's Tour de France. Now, let's have Christophe Moreau on the podium in Paris! Viva la France!

LET THEM GO. Vasseur and Casar were part of an 11-man breakaway group that finished 10 minutes ahead of the main peloton containing all the contenders for the Yellow Jersey. Since none of the 11 escapees' placements were a threat to the overall standings, the peloton took it relatively easy. No changes in the Yellow, Green, and Polka-Dot Jersey contests. But I failed to note yesterday that the White Jersey for the best-placed young rider changed backs. Discovery Channel's Alberto Contador of Spain now sports white.

RELATIVE EASE IS STILL DIFFICULT. I say the peloton took it "relatively easy." I've ridden 154 miles in a day a few times, in the Ride Across INdiana. Even though the RAIN is strictly a tour and not a race, I can assure you that riding intently and briskly for that distance is tedious and draining. I was numb after 110 miles. My hat's off to these guys even on "relatively easy" days in the saddle.

MORE TOMORROW? Looks alike a similar day tomorrow in a long, flat stage. It holds an opportunity for breakaway glory for a handful of risk-takers with nothing to lose, followed by a bunch sprint finish, as well as a chance for the Tour favorites to conserve and renew energy for the Pyrenees mountains on the weekend. These transition stages are like putting the Tour on "auto-pilot." Except that, as sure as you turn away...surprise!

DOWNER OF THE DAY. The downer for the day was the German press pulling the plug--a boycott--on German coverage of the Tour de France after German rider Patrick Sinkewitz, who already crashed out of the Tour, was found to have high levels of testosterone in a June 8 drug test. Germany is fed up with doping, particularly after its much-heralded cyclist Jan Ullrich has been revealed as a doper. Not sure if they'll plug back in for the sake of all the riders who ride clean, or if they'll just rant, rave, and stew awhile. Too bad for the German fans and too bad for the impact of this on cycling in Germany. On the other hand, put yourself in their shoes: who wants to cover something that passes itself off as "pure sport" when it keeps turning up as "pure dope?" I should note: all riders thus far tested during the Tour de France have turned up clean.

STAGE 9 - COLOMBIAN CONQUERS GALIBIER

2007-07-17T13:37:00.000-05:00

SOLER SOLOS. Relatively unknown and unheralded and riding in his first Tour de France, Mauricio Soler of Colombia (in photo) challenged the best on Mt. Galibier to finished 38 seconds ahead of an elite group of mountain specialists and Tour favorites on the last and most difficult stage in the French Alps. It was glory for Colombia and a dream for Soler's team, Barloworld, a South African squad featuring Robbie Hunter that made it into the Tour de France as a wild card.

THE CONTENDERS TOGETHER. Behind Soler was a small group of the main contenders for the Tour de France, minus Alexandre Vinokourov, who fell over 8 minutes behind the race leader. Of note: Alejandro Valverde finished second and showed he is in great form for a top three finish in Paris. Levi Leipheimer finished in the top ten, moved up to 9th place in the overall standings, and demonstrated he's truly a contender. My sentimental favorite from France, Christophe Moreau finished well, too, climbing to 6th place in the GC.

DISCOVERY CHANNEL TEAM ROCKS. Team Discovery was, by far, the best team on the day. The American-based squad featured Yaroslav Popovych and Alberto Contador (in photo) in a great breakaway and Leipheimer in the group of contenders. Contador finished 4th today and is in 5th place overall. He's proving to be the best climber on Discovery, so far. Leipheimer, however, carefully marked his main rivals. He indicates he'll make his move in the Pyrenees and in the individual time trials in the week to come.

GALIBIER VISTAS. I love to watch the fans! Hundreds of thousands of enthusiastic fans turned out, as usual, for the climb up to Mt. Galibier. Many camped out overnight or rode their bicycles up the grand mountain to take in the vistas and to cheer on the Tour de France participants as they struggled up the hairpin turns and steep grades. Among today's observers of the Tour was new French President Sarkozy, riding along in the Tour Director's car. There is no sport that provides such immediate and intense fan access like this. I've got to do this...sometime in the next twenty years or so.

MOREAU IMPROVES HIS POSITION

2007-07-16T17:22:00.000-05:00

WITHIN STRIKING DISTANCE. French national road champion Christophe Moreau improved his chances for a podium finish in Paris with an agressive ride in Stage 8. He's now in 7th place and within easy striking distance. Shown here training during today's rest day, Moreau said in an interview today that he plans to be more agressive in the mountain stages that follow in the Alps (tomorrow) and the Pyrenees (this weekend). Like Michael Rasmussen, the current Yellow Jersey, Moreau needs to make time in the mountains to counter relative weakness in two upcoming individual time trials.

OLD MAN MOREAU. At age 36, Moreau is one of the older riders in the Tour, an age many might consider "too old" to win. Still, Moreau is having the best year of his professional cycling career that began 12 years ago. Moreau was caught up in the the team Festina doping scandal ten years ago and has since renounced doping and ridden clean. May his efforts be rewarded.

REST DAY - OR A LULL IN THE STORM?

2007-07-16T15:42:00.001-05:00

...AND ON THE NINTH DAY THEY RESTED. The Tour de France riders get two rest days in three weeks of intense racing. Today is the first, coming after 9 days of racing that ended with two difficult Alp mountain stages. Next Tuesday will be the second rest day, coming amid the steeper climbs of the Pyrenees in southwestern France.

WHAT TO DO ON REST DAY? What do riders do on rest days? They ride, for one thing. Each team will spend several hours in the saddle, just to keep in condition and rythmn. They'll visit with friends and family. Teams will hold press conferences. And they'll rest and sleep. The extra 24 hours is a brief respite to gather one's strength and wits for the rest of the Alps and Pyrenees over the next 8 days.

REFINING PREDICTIONS. Of course, rest day means fans and experts alike will be refining their predictions and figuring out what their respective favorite must do to make onto the podium in Paris. Like we haven't seen in recent years, this Tour seems to be wide open to the most wisely aggressive rider. I don't think this one will be won by playing conservative. Nor do I think it will be won by a rider who spends himself before the last Pyrenean stage. It's up for grabs. We'll see who grabs it.

STAGE 8 - A DAY FOR DANISH GLORY

2007-07-15T16:25:00.000-05:00

RASMUSSEN ASCENDS. "Chicken legs" Michael Rasmussen of Denmark overwhelmed all climbers and overall race contenders on the last of three Category 1 climbs today to take over the Polka-dot Jersey AND the Yellow Jersey. Rasmussen's won the "King of the Mountains" competition twice before and showed that he's ready to claim it again. He may well have hopes for the maillot juane, though he will have to build up a very substantial lead in the mountains to make up for his time trialing weakness. That's the main story, but there are other compelling stories from this incredible Alp mountain stage.

Stage 8 wrap-up and complete results

ROGERS OUT. Michael "Mic" Rogers of Australia was leading on the road when he crashed into a barrier, broke his collarbone and exited the race. Tough, tough break for Rogers, T-Mobile, and Australia. Aussie Stuart O'Grady crashed out, too. Now Australian cycling's hopes are pinned on Cadel Evans, who ascended well and made his way into the Top Ten.

SELECT GROUP, NO FAVORITES. Today's climbs confirmed the contenders for the Yellow Jersey. It's a select group, to be sure, but I am not sure any one of them will emerge as the Tour favorite until after the last mountain climb and individual time trial the day before the Tour rolls into Paris. Iban Mayo's back in the hunt after a few years of bad luck. Alejandro Valverde's there. Christophe Moreau's there. So is Levi Leipheimer. This thing is wide open.

TOO CONSERVATIVE OR PLAYING IT COOL? Today, American Levi Leipheimer stayed with the main group of Alexandre Vinokourov and Andreas Kloden. I suppose that was a safe thing to do, to stay with the favorites and let a few escapees go. But those were no mere escapees; they were rival contenders. I am wondering if Levi is playing it too safe, too conservative. In a post-race interview he indicated he is still riding into peak form and will likely make a move in the Pyrenees next weekend. This Tour is quite a chess game, isn't it?

FRENCH BEAUTY

2007-07-14T18:22:00.000-05:00

Those who originally conceived of the Tour de France could not have imagined the vast impact an annual bicycle tour of the nation would eventually have. Each year as I watch the Tour weave its way around the country, passing through vineyards and mountains, villages and cities, historic landmarks and contemporary sites--in addition to observing its people, I marvel at the beauty of France. Is there any place in the world that enjoys such annual and generous exposure of its natural and developed assets?

STAGE 7 - GERMAN YOUTH STEALS BASTILLE DAY

2007-07-14T10:24:00.000-05:00

YOUTH MOVEMENT. A 24-year old German youth named Linus Gerdemann sped away from 15 escapees and out-climbed all the Tour favorites on the Category 1 Col de la Columbiere to win the first Alp mountain stage and claim the Yellow Jersey. It was Gerdemann's (T-Mobile) first stage win in the Tour de France. His only other professional stage win was in the Tour de Suisse in 2005, his rookie year as a pro. The Tour continues to surprise and create opportunities for emerging champions.

TOP CONTENDERS TOGETHER. The pre-race favorites all finished in a bunch together about four minutes after Gerdemann crossed the line. This group of 20 did not make it into the GC top ten, as I expected they would, but they distinguished themselves from the rest of the field as a select group out of which the eventual Tour champion will emerge. This group included Christophe Moreau (my sentimental favorite to win the race), Alejandro Valverde, Levi Leipheimer, Cadel Evans, Carlos Sastre, Iban Mayo, Michael Rasmussen, Frank Schleck, Yaroslav Popovych, Vladimir Gusev, and Vladimir Karpets.

Stage 7 wrap-up & complete results @ cyclingnews.com

SPRINTERS FALL BACK. As expected, all the sprinters fell out of the top ten in the General Classification today, including Fabian Cancellara, who preserved the Yellow Jersey for eight days. He will now work for his CSC teammates to keep their best climber in the hunt for a podium finish.

SORRY, GEORGE. One of my predictions for the day did not fare well. American George Hincapie fell behind the main group and is now officially considered out of contention for the Yellow Jersey. He will work to keep fellow American and Discovery Channel team member Levi Leipheimer's podium hopes alive. I hope George will still go for a stage win a bit later in the race.

COMEBACK KIDS. I'm impressed that Astana teammates Andreas Kloden and Alexandre Vinokourov have recovered from injuries suffered in big crashes a few days ago. I thought Kloden would be long gone and Vino limping along. But both finished in the main group today. Those of us who counted them out counted wrong.

TOUGHEST DAY (SO FAR) TOMORROW. Today was mild compared to tomorrow's stage. Today featured one Category 1 climb. Sunday's Stage 8 features three Category 1 climbs, including a mountain-top finish. Further distinction of the Tour contenders will be featured. It should be a very dramatic day in the Alps. I look for another shake up in the General Classification top 10. Those who made it into the top 10 based on their breakaway today will not likely be around at the finish of that monster stage. The serious contenders for Yellow Jersey and "King of the Mountains" contests will rise to the occasion.

OKAY, HERE'S MY SENTIMENTAL FAVORITE

2007-07-14T06:31:00.000-05:00

NOW'S THE TIME TO PICK A WINNER. Since the eventual winner of this Tour de France seems wide open at this point, and since that perception will likely change over the next three stages, now's the time to pick a winner. After Tuesday, it will likely be too easy or obvious, and what's the fun in that? So, here's my take. It's not based on much more than sentimentality and a wish.

WHAT FRANCE REALLY WANTS. What has France been wanting for years? What's been fueling the French press's journalistic stretches to try to discredit Lance Armstrong and invalidate Floyd Landis' victory? Here's what I think: The French need a local champion. They deeply believe and desire that the Yellow Jersey should return to French soil. Maybe that would be a good thing. Maybe that would curb some of the mud slinging. Maybe that would restore order in the cycling universe. So, I say let's have a French champion. Let there be an heir to Bernard Hinault, France's last Tour de France champion.

BASTILLE DAY GLORY? And there's real potential for a French champion in Christophe Moreau. He's currently lurking among the top contenders, trailing Fabian Cancellara by just over one minute. He does well in time trials. He performs even better in the mountains. Moreau is the current national champion and he's having the best year of his professional career, having won the Dauphine Libere this spring. And now the Tour is heading into his backyard--the Alps of southeastern France. So, I'll cheer for Moreau. Saturday is Bastille Day, so let's see Christophe and company shine. Viva la France!

Who's your pick to be wearing the Yellow Jersey in Paris...and why?

EL DIABLO CASTING A SPELL?

2007-07-13T12:24:00.000-05:00

It woudn't be the Tour de France without seeing El Diablo along the roadside of every stage. It's German Didi Senft, the Tour's #1 fan, or at least #1 most recognizable fan. But is Didi casting a spell that's causing all these crashes? Maybe the Tour needs a few more angels, instead...

(Photo: JOE KLAMAR/AFP/Getty Images)

STAGE 6 - BOONEN ASSERTS HIS SPRINT SUPERIORITY

2007-07-13T11:41:00.000-05:00

WITHOUT McEWEN. Well, my question is: why wasn't Robbie McEwen one of the top five sprinters at the finish line in this wide open bunch sprint finish at the end of Stage 6? It was not a surprise that Tom Boonen was there. It was not a surprise that Eric Zabel was there, or Oscar Freire. But where's the Aussie who usually thrives in such a chaotic, 50-mph charge to the line? The answer may be in injuries suffered during Stage 1. We'll see.

BOONEN IN GREEN...AGAIN. Boonen's back in the Green Jersey with today's win. It's shaping up to be a contest between he, Zabel and Hushovd at this point. McEwen's points are adding up; Boonen and Zabel's points are multiplying. I'm pulling for Robbie, but wouldn't mind seeing Boonen take the Green in Paris. Regarding the sprinter in the Tour de France over the past few years, my quip has been: "Anybody but Pettachi." Of course, Pettachi is sidelined from this Tour because of some discrepancies in the amount of prescription medication in his blood.

BIDING THEIR TIME. Where, o where, are the mountains? The cyclists who are contending for the overall win (General Classification, Yellow Jersey) must be going stir crazy riding along in the peloton. They tuck in and try to stay out of harm's way. They let a few escapees grab momentary glory. They dismiss the sprinter who will surely fall far behind in the mountains. They bide their time. They conserve their resources. They antcipate their opportunities...which begin tomorrow and Sunday. Sunday will decimate many. My, how this race is about to change.

PREDICTIONS FOR STAGE 7. Let me go out on a limb and make a few predictions for how things will look at the end of tomorrow's Stage 7, which includes a Category 1 climb toward the end of a long trek:

Fabian Cancellara will yield the Yellow Jersey. It's been a nice ride, Fabian; you wore it well.
American George Hincapie will don the Yellow Jersey. Andreas Kloden (currently 2nd GC) is injured and the rest of the top ten are not climbers. All Hincapie (currently 6th GC at 43 seconds behind Cancellara) has to do is hang with the main group at the finish to emerge with the maillot jaune...at least for the day. If not Hincapie, then possible his Russian teammate Vladimir Gusev, current wearer of the White Jersey.
Frenchman Christophe Moreau, American Levi Leipheimer, Australian Cadel Evans, Russian Denis Menchov and Spaniards Oscar Periero and Alejandro Valverde will move into the Top Ten in the General Classification. This will begin the real selection of who will be on the podium in Paris.
Alexandre Vinokourov will move closer to his rivals, making up time lost in Stage 5. I look for him to make his real moves next week.

We'll see...

WHEN I SEE THESE CRASHES

2007-07-13T08:29:00.000-05:00

I see these crashes in the peloton and I not only wince, I feel their pain. I relive a bit of my own recent fall.

Taking a big spill while mountain biking on an oft-ridden trail last month, I ended up with 17 fractures and I'm relegated to six weeks in a torso brace. Before this, I'd never had so much as a scrape in 4,000+ cycling miles a year for 25+ years. But now I know the feel of a bad fall. I know now that two crashes which look similar can have dramatically dissimilar results.

I also know that I cannot wait to get back on both my Cannondale road bike and my Raleigh mountain bike. I hope to have great time in some fall tours. I cannot predict at this point, however, what I will be thinking about potential hazards on the road and trail.

For now, I watch and empathize with the guys who hit the pavement and ditches.

THAT'S THE SPIRIT

2007-07-12T19:56:00.001-05:00

Just be glad this cow, showing its udder love for the Tour de France, is behind a fence. Having bicycled 2000 miles thru India back in January, I am trying to imagine cows and all kinds of animals wandering the French roads amid this high-speed cycling race. We're talking major carnage.

Explore my ride thru India. I daily blogged the 2000-mile trek - Bicycle India 2007

STAGE 5 - ONE WILD RIDE

2007-07-12T19:01:00.000-05:00

CANCELLARA STILL IN YELLOW. No one would have predicted that Fabian Cancellara would still be wearing the Yellow Jersey at the end of this first mountain stage. But there he was, at the head of the peloton heading into Autun. And there he was, missing a downhill turn, going off into the grass (he quickly corrected and finished with the lead bunch). And there he was, donning the maillot jaune for the sixth day in a row.

VINO FALLS BEHIND. No one would have predicted that race favorite Alexandre Vinokourov would lose over minute against his main rivals on this 182.5-kilometer stage that provided no less than eight categorized climbs. But there he was, sprawling beside the road, badly scraped and bleeding. And there he was, charging hard the last 30 kilometers of the course, trying to catch the main peloton. The Kazakh fell 1'24" behind his main rivals this day. That's a significant gap he will likely work hard to erase in the Alps beginning on Sunday.

POPPO AT THE LINE. No one would have predicted another bunch sprint finish in this mountain stage. But there they were, charging toward the line at over 50 miles per hour after 113 miles and eight climbs. The day's glory went to a 25-year old Italian who made a public prediction yesterday that he would win today's stage. Filippo Pozzato out-manuevered and out-kicked his fellow sprinters to win the stage by a wheel. It was his first stage win in the Tour de France.

TOO FAST, TOO FURIOUS. There were lots of wrecks and injuries during today's stage; more than usual. Several contenders were involved in crashes. Andreas Kloden, last year's third-place finisher, crashed and may have fractured his arm. The pace was also very fast, which does not bode well for tired legs heading into the mountain stages. Those cyclists who can recover well will be ready for Sunday's monster stage 8; those who have spent themselves on the flats will fall far behind. Anyone thinking this year's Tour de France would be lackluster because some of the "big names" aren't present were sorely wrong.

STAGE 4 - SPREADING AROUND THE SPRINT GLORY

2007-07-11T20:50:00.000-05:00

McEWEN HAS COMPANY. Well, my thought that Robbie McEwen would dominate the limited number of sprint finishes available in the Tour de France has gone out the window. After the Aussie came from the back of the peloton after a crash and blew the field of sprinters away at the end of Stage 1, I thought he'd follow that up with subsequent stage wins this week.

GREEN JERSEY CHANGE. Instead, the other great sprint contenders have taken their turn in the spotlight. Gert Steegmans and Tom Boonen crossed the line in a one-two Belgian finish for Quickstep in Stage 2. Boonen grabbed the Green Jersey from McEwen and has kept it ever since. Yellow Jersey wearer Fabian Cancellara surprised all hopeful sprinters at the end of Stage 3, powering the last 1ooo meters to solo Swiss glory at the line.

CAN YOU SAY "THOR?" And today it was Thor Hushovd's (in green in photo) turn to shine as he outpowered the field in as long and wide and open a bunch sprint finish you could ever witness. The finish was perfect for the big Norwegian, who was led to the line perfectly by his teammates, each spending themselves on the point while he trailed in their slipstream until the last most crucial moment. Hushovd's stage win gave him enough bonus time to move him into third place overall in the race.

SPRINTERS WILL STAND DOWN. The sprinters will not likely be in the mix at the end of tomorrow's Stage 5. There are several categorized climbs spread out through the course. When the race heads into the mountains, the sprinters yield to the mountain climbing specialists. Some sprinters won't make it thru to the end of the race, such a toll the Alps and Pyrenees will take. Those who DO survive through the mountains will live to have a few more chances to shine on some flat stages and Paris.

STAGE 3 - CANCELLARA'S SERIOUS

2007-07-10T16:04:00.000-05:00

UNEXPECTED. Sure, the reigning world time trial champ had a good day in the London Prologue last Saturday, winning the 5.7 mile jaunt to don the Yellow Jersey. That could have been expected. But this...this wasn't expected.

LIKE A ROCKET. Nobody expected Fabian Cancellara to contend for a stage that rolled on endlessly--237 kilometers, 147 miles; not a stage that was designed to feature the world's top sprinters pushing and shoving each other for glory. But with the finish line in sight as the peloton gobbled up four day-long escapees, the big Swiss overwhelmed eveyone--shooting ahead of the pack like a rocket.

MAKING A STATEMENT. It's not usual for the wearer of the Yellow Jersey to try to win such a stage, since he would have received the same time as the first-place finisher even if he'd been the last rider in the main bunch. But Fabian Cancellara is apparently not interested in just "protecting" the maillot jaune. He's interested in asserting his hold on it as long as he can. Today's finish was a strong a statement as he could make. Awesome!

GO, DOG, GO! As I watched part of the race, the peloton was moving along about at 20 miles per hour for most of the course. I was thinking, "I could do that!" Commentators said they were "loafing." It's not racing, that's for sure. Now, come on, 20 mph certainly isn't loafing, at least not for amateurs. But when the peloton got serious about chasing down the four escapees, they put the hammer down, flying between 35-40 miles per hour for the last 25 miles. Whoa! I was thinking, "I cannot do that!"

FIVE RACES WITHIN ONE

2007-07-10T09:12:00.000-05:00

WHICH ONE TO WATCH? If you're new to following the Tour de France, there's more to it than watching who's wearing the Yellow Jersey of the overall race leader. Granted, the Yellow Jersey is the one that gets most of the recognition, but watching four other contests makes the Tour all the more interesting. Here are the five main contests within the Tour.

YELLOW JERSEY. The Yellow Jersey (maillot jaune) is the most-watched contest within the Tour de France. The overall race leader is the one with the lowest accumulated time from stage to stage. This is called the General Classification or GC. Whichever rider has the lowest accumulated time gets to wear the Yellow Jersey. The one wearing it at the end is considered the Champion.

GREEN JERSEY. The Green Jersey (maillot vert) is for sprinters and the points are awarded for intermediate and finish-line sprints during stages. This called the Points Classification. The sprinter with the most points at the finish line in Paris wins this contest. Robbie McEwen is the defending Green Jersey champ.

POLKA-DOT JERSEY. The Polka-dot Jersey (maillot pois) is for mountain climbers and points are awarded for the first three to five riders over each mountain top. This is called the Mountains Classification. The climber with the most points by the time the Tour reaches Paris wins this contest.

WHITE JERSEY. The White Jersey is awarded to the best-placed cyclist who is under age 25. This recognizes and awards up-and-coming riders. The average age of Tour de France cyclists is 30.

TEAM CONTEST. Each team of 9 cyclists also contest for the best overall time for its riders. The team with the best time averaged among its top riders wins the Team Classification.

STAGE 2 - BELGIAN WINS IN BELGIUM

2007-07-09T11:01:00.000-05:00

STEEGMANS PREVAILS. The trek from Dunkirk, France to Ghent, Belgium was long, flat, and wet in parts. Three escapees spent most of the day trying to stay clear of the peloton. But, as usual, they were gobbled up about three kilometers from the finish. This set up a dramatic bunch sprint finish that was marred by a major crash and pile up. At the line, the Belgians prevailed today where they faltered yesterday. Gert Steegmans of QuickStep crossed the line just ahead of his team captain Tom Boonen, also a Belgian. So, there's joy in Belgium tonight. But we'll wait to find out the extent of injuries to the many riders caught up in the big crash.

BOONEN MOVES UP. Tom Boonen, the most highly-regarded athlete in Belgium, moved into the overall Top Ten based on bonus time for his second-place finish. He also moved one point ahead of Robbie McEwen for the sprint championship contest represented by the Green Jersey. One of the things to watch throughout the Tour's flat stages is this context for the Green Jersey, maillot vert.