Le Tour - Stage 4

Last night saw the team time trial stage (absent from the tour since 2005) which at times resembled an episode of 'Its a knockout' or 'Wipeout'. 

The crashes were spectacular (see team BBox) and comical (see Menchov, Ballan and Van Den Broeck), and ultimately affected some of the serious contenders, namely Evans, Menchov and Sastre.

What the stage also illustrated was the potential rift that could undermine Astana's tour aspirations. During the warm up the tension between Armstrong and Contador was more obvious that Dolly Parton's cleavage in a bikini.  Whilst you cannot argue with Armstrong's desire to succeed, you have to empathise for Contador who must be feeling like the black sheep with so many people cheering for his 'number 2' rider Armstrong. It will be interesting to see if Armstrong continues with his surge at the expense of his own team mate or whether he learns to take a back seat and do the role that he was apparently hired to do, that is, help Contador to win the Tour.

Last nights results were:

1. Astana 46 minutes 29 seconds
2. Garmin-slipstream + 18 secs
3. Saxo-Bank +40 secs
4. Liquigas +58 secs
5. Columbia + 59 secs

Overall standings:

1. Cancellara (Swi/Saxo Bank) 10 hrs 38 mins 7 secs
2. Armstrong (US/Astana) same time
3. Contador (Spa/Astana) +19 secs
4. Kloden (Ger/Astana) +23 secs
5. Leipheimer (US/Astana) +31 secs

http://www.letour.fr/us/homepage_courseTDF.html

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/more_sport/cycling/article6659958.ece

Le Tour - Day 1

Well the Tour beginning lived up to the hype.

Of the pre-race favourites Armstrong started very well, as to did Contador and Evans. There was, however, no surprise with the winner of the stage. Swiss time trial maestro and reigning Olympic champion Fabian Cancellara blew away the field, racing around the challenging circuit in 19mins 32 secs - a massive 18 seconds faster than 2nd placed Contador.

The top ten were as follows:

1. Fabian Cancellara (Swi/Saxo Bank) 19mins 32sec
2. Alberto Contador (Spa/Astana) +18 secs
3. Bradley Wiggins (GB/Garmin) +19 secs
4. Andreas Kloeden (Ger/Astana) +22 secss
5. Cadel Evans (Aus/Silence-Lotto) +23 secs
6. Levi Leipheimer (US/Astana) +30 secs
7. Roman Kreuziger (Cze/Liquigas) +32 secs
8. Tony Martin (Ger/Columbia) +33 secs
9. Vincenzo Nibali (It/Liquigas) +37 secs
10. Lance Armstrong (US/Astana) +40 secs

Tonight we head to the Provence region. Can Cancellara hold on to the yellow jersey or will the his team surrender it after just one day.....