The Tour de France begins Saturday

Interesting stage. Astana had some serious problems and Vino might be in trouble for the rest of the tour after losing this much time.

I really thought Cancellara would fade, but he's right there at the lead of the pack with 10k to go. Great ride by him.

 

Very entertaining stage, especially with the couple times riders went into the grass. Come on, chaps, you're pros. Handle like it. Vino looks like he'll be back in there, but not without wasting a bunch of energy he'd like to have for later.

 

Looks like he crashed. As he was passing some riders I thought I saw a flash of butt cheek showing through a torn team kit.

There will be crashes on this descent. Tight turns, 150-plus riders.

 

Cancellara lost it on a turn.

He might have won the stage if not for that gaff

 

Good finish to a great stage. Apparently, Filippo Pozzato said this was the stage for him to win. I'm not sure that's a Babe Ruth-style prediction, but it's a good win for Liquigas, the UN of tour teams - aside from the two Italians on the team, everyone else is from a different country.

The interesting issue coming out of this stage is what will Astana do. Vino lost over a minute, and will probably feel the effects of his crash in the next couple stages. Kloden, I don't believe, lost any time, though he did crash. Who will the team support? Everyone but Kloden helped Vino try to get back, only one when Kloden was behind.
It's kind of the same situation as T-Mobile a couple years ago, with Kloden and Ullrich. Kloden had better form, but Ullrich was the team leader.
I wouldn't be surprised to see some animosity emerge from that Astana squad.

 

Give it another stage or two and the team strategy will swich to Kloden if they feel it prudent.

Vino, while banged up, is still within striking distance.

 

And with today's stage, Vino is 8+ minutes back, behind a rider named Tadej Valjavec of Lampre. Vino is probably an afterthought as this point, even on his own team, unless he shows really good form on the first Pyrenees stage.
It only adds to the random mayhem of the past few days - Discovery having more options than just Levi, Rasmussen's unbelievable solo, two newbies winning stages on their own breaks.

At this point, obviously there is no favorite. I would love to see any of the following things happen in the GC:
Rasmussen not totally failing at time trials, and winning.
Moreau finding his legs again and winning the last stage, and the overall, in front of his countrymen.
Leipheimer and Contador battling for the yellow jersey.
Valverde winning the first Tour he ever finished.


And....cue the crickets.

 

Since I ditched the cable and my co-workers won't indulge my Tour jones, all I can contribute to the thread is this:

http://www.liggettfan.com/

Phil Liggett is the best, most literate play-by-play man out there right now, and I will not argue the point. It's like George Vecsey's gift with the English language has been given a voice. On a triathlon board I frequent there's usually a Liggett-isms thread every year about this time. Good stuff. And enjoy.

 

Leipheimer is in a really good spot.

He's an excellent time trial guy and will make up all the time he is behind Rasmussen (who sucks at TT) and then be ready to attack in the Pyrenees.

That'd be a hoot. The french would go bonkers if another American won.

 

Former friend of Rasmussen dropped a doping bomb today at VeloNews.com.

 

I root for Levi, all five feet, four inches of him, every year. He and his wife are huge animal rights activists. They have a phenomenal number of dogs they've rescued at their ranch. Gotta love a man who loves dogs like that.

 

Yeah, this stuff on Rasmussen isn't too encouraging. I really find it hard to disbelieve the claims when specifics like a shoebox full of blood doping supplies are involved. Rasmussen will be out of the picture soon enough, anyway. He hasn't even paid much attention to time trialling this season, so Valverde, Kloden, and Evans will probably leapfrog him. Levi will be there as well, and this snake in the grass stuff might get him on the podium.