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High five, dude!

To no one's surprise the first individual time trial of the 2007 Tour de France proved a decisive affair. What was unexpected was the ride of yellow-jersey holder Michael Rasmussen. Instead of cracking under the weight of ongoing doping allegations and questionable time-trialing abilities, the beleaguered Rabobank leader had the ride of his life on Saturday, ceding only 2:55 to stage winner Alexander Vinokourov during the 54km race against the clock in and around Albi.

COURSE: Following right after the time trial, this is the first of three demanding stages in the Pyrénées. It opens with an immediate 9km climb over the Black Mountains, but the first real obstacle is three hours down the road: the hors-catégorie Port de Pailhères climb (17km at 7.2 percent). Then, following a tumbling descent to Ax-les-Thermes, the riders race 16km down the Ariège valley before reaching the fi nishing climb to Plateau de Beille (16km at almost 8 percent). HISTORY: The only men to win Tour stages atop the Plateau de Beille have been Lance Armstrong (in 2002 and 2004) and

The Tour is one big moving circus. The smallest portion of the whole thing is the peloton; 180-or-so guys on bikes. Even when you add all of the staff and gear from the teams themselves that still only makes up only 10 percent of the Tour caravan. Add in journalists, police, publicity caravan, the dudes who put up the barriers... and you easily bump that to more than 5000 people who cover the Tour from start to finish. Some are more visible than others and some are taken for granted. Like the guys who put up the signs for race? When do they do that? Or the guy who paints the finish line

The yellow jersey should take on a significantly more sporting hue on Sunday when the Tour de France peloton tackles the first of three stages in the feared Pyrénées mountains. Denmark's Michael Rasmussen has worn the race's fabled yellow jersey since his stage victory at Tignes in the French Alps last Sunday, but in recent days the Rabobank climber has been subject of doping suspicions. Following three days in the Alps, the race's 14th stage will herald the second segment of climbing in this year's race, and Sunday's 197km race from Mazamet to Plateau de Beille

Results - Stage 13 (Albi - Albi)1. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kz), ASTANA, 1:06:342. Cadel Evans (Aus), PREDICTOR - LOTTO, 1:143. Andréas KlÖden (G), ASTANA, 1:394. Andrey Kashechkin (Kz), ASTANA, 1:445. Bradley Wiggins (GB), COFIDIS CREDIT PAR TELEPHONE, 2:146. Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr), DISCOVERY CHANNEL TEAM, 2:167. Alberto Contador (Sp), DISCOVERY CHANNEL TEAM, 2:188. Sylvain Chavanel (F), COFIDIS CREDIT PAR TELEPHONE, 2:389. Levi Leipheimer (USA), DISCOVERY CHANNEL TEAM, 2:3910. Mikel Astarloza (Sp), EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI, 2:42 11. Michael Rasmussen (Dk), RABOBANK, 2:5512. Vladimir Gusev (Rus),

Tour de France chief Christian Prudhomme said Saturday that organizers could have refused to allow Michael Rasmussen to compete in this year's race if they had known that he had missed several random doping tests in the past two years. The Danish Rabobank rider is leading the world's most prestigious cycling race. But it emerged this week that the Danish Cycling Union (DCU) decided in June not to select Rasmussen for September's world cycling championships and the Olympic Games in 2008 because he missed out-of-competition tests. Rasmussen has had several warnings from the UCI

Maintaining his two-second advantage over DFL Cyclingnews' Daniel Lloyd, overall victory in China’s Tour of Qinghai Lake is all but assured for Italian climbing veteran Gabriele Massaglia. For the second day in succession, a breakaway before the day's main climb worked in his favor, and once on the mountain, the 36-year-old was strong enough to fend off his adversaries. "I wasn't the strongest - that was Relax - but I worked with my head, because I knew the others did not want to risk everything," said Massaglia of the events on Daban mountain, who was shivering so badly at the

Weather: Rainy and cool in morning, early afternoon, highs in 60s; rain easing off in afternoon, 10kph northerly winds. Stage winner: Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana) - who nearly abandoned after crashing hard on both knees in stage 5 - won in a remarkable display at 1:14 ahead of an equally impressive Cadel Evans (Predictor-Lotto). The victory was Vino’s fourth career Tour stage victory and his first Tour time trial. “For me, the Tour begins today,” he said. Race leader: Michael Rasmussen (Rabobank) retained the yellow jersey after what he described as the best time trial of his life. The

Astana’s Alexander Vinokourov continued an impressive comeback from injury, winning the 13th stage of the Tour de France to re-launch his yellow jersey hopes Saturday. Vinokourov, still nursing injured knees from his fall in the fifth stage, moved up to ninth overall at 5:10 behind leader Michael Rasmussen after claiming his fourth stage win and first ever time trial win on the Tour. Given his relative weakness in the race against the clock, Rabobank team leader Rasmussen was expected to relinquish the yellow jersey which he has worn since winning the second Alpine stage to Tignes last

The first long individual time trial of the 2007 Tour de France, as always, provided a few surprises — not least of which was Michael Rasmussen's strong defense of his yellow jersey. Casey Gibson was on hand to capture all the action.

The veneer of invincibility returned to Astana on a soggy Saturday in Albi a week after their armor suffered near-fatal chinks when Alexandre Vinokourov and Andreas Klöden both saw their Tour hopes take a dive in a pair of crashes in stage 5. Just four days after collapsing in tears at the finish line in Briançon, his morale as shredded as both of his knees, Vinokourov proved he has more Tour lives than a cat with a stunning victory in Albi. The Kazakh attacker powered over the undulating course along a foggy Tarn Valley and clawed his way to ninth at 5:10 behind race leader Michael

Cadel Evans, a rider from Astana and a rider from Discovery Channel. That’s how the Paris podium could look in a week’s time. At least, that’s what a selection of team directors and riders is thinking after Saturday’s highly anticipated stage 13 time trial in Albi. However, whom the Discovery Channel and Astana riders might be, and the order each might finish, is far from certain. With the Tour’s first long TT in the books, the battle for the general classification became clearer as the riders brace themselves for three difficult stages in the Pyrénées, beginning with Sunday’s

Maine native Adam Craig (Giant) used his impressive technical skills to score a decisive victory in Saturday’s 2007 USA Cycling national cross-country championships race, held at Vermont’s Mount Snow resort. The 25-year-old Craig wheelied his bike across the finishing line a whopping four and a half minutes ahead of a cramping Jeremiah Bishop (Trek-Volkswagen), who finished second.

Alexander Vinokourov was clearly feeling better during stage 13’s individual time-trial. He had been suffering through a weeks worth of stages after a brutal crash on stage 5 that left him with dozens of stitches in his knees and elbows. Vino and the rest of the Astana team raced on a brand new time-trial machine from BMC. The new bike seemed to pay off. It allowed the team to place three riders within the top four in the first race of truth in this year’s Tour. While it’s hard to improve upon a custom time-trial bike that’s custom made to complement the unique physique of each Astana

Stage 14- Mazamet to Plateau de Beille (197km)

Stage 14- Mazamet to Plateau de Beille (197km)

The gendarmerie is the peloton's own biker gang.

Vino' cranks out the winning ride

Spectators perched high above Daban mountain.

Rubiera and Ludewig lead the race.

Chechu Rubiera takes out Stage 8.

China's Haijun Ma became the new best Asian rider.

Victory a virtual certainty for Gabriele Massaglia.

Evans giving it the gas for second

Klöden takes third

Rasmussen tries to catch his breath after riding the ITT of his life

Cancellara gets a close going over by TV shortly before crashing

Contador blazing back to Albi

Prepping the road for CSC early in the morning

Evans throws down en route to second on the day and overall

Fans head for their favorite places two hours before the start

Hincapie rolling along

Does this man ever frown?

Kloden put in a stellar ride today

Leipheimer wasn't quite up to snuff

What do moto drivers do in the rain? Catch up on their sleep

Bet these guys have seen a few Tours

Rain, schmain: Vive le Tour! Allez, allez, allez!

Is this a long race or what? I'm pooped

Vino' ripping it up

Graham Watson checks to see if the rain has buggered his camera

Vino' roars back to life

Rasmussen turns in a strong defense of his yellow jersey

Wiggins set the early mark to beat

Leipheimer said he didn't quite have that spark

Kashechkin did — he finished fourth

Contador rode strongly, finishing seventh on the day

Vino' and his boys are ready to put everyone in the pain cave

The podium

Kashechkin’s first generation BMC Time Machine.

BMC’s custom time-trial crank.

Kashechkin’s second generation BMC Time Machine.

A good look at the new carbon fiber finish.

The new seatpost.

Another look at the new seatpost.

Campagnolo’s time-trial shifter.

Vino’s special Selle Italia saddle.

Belgian superstar Tom Boonen grabbed his second stage win of the 2007 Tour de France on Friday, nailing a perfectly executed sprint at the close of stage 12's 178.5km ride form Montpellier to Castres. The victory was the fourth this Tour for Boonen's blue-kitted Quick Step-Innergetic team, and solidified his lead in the chase for the green jersey. Boonen is first with 195 points, with South African Robbie Hunter (Barloworld) second (175), and German Eric Zabel (Milram) third (174).

COURSE: Similar to the first long time trial of 2003, when Lance Armstrong suffered from dehydration at Cap’Découverte, this long, hilly time trial on the edge of the Massif Central is likely to be contested in burning heat. The course leaves Albi to the east on long, straight roads that climb gradually to the first time check at Villefranche d’Albigeois (18km). There it follows a sharp descent to the town of Ambialet (29km), where the riders turn left along the Tarn River valley before tackling the main climb (560 vertical feet in 3km) to the second time split on the Côte de la Bauzié

The rooty, rocky trails at Mount Snow Resort in West Dover, Vermont, are hosting the 2007 USA Cycling national mountain-bike championships July 17-22. An estimated 2000 off-road racers will contest national titles in cross-country, short-track, downhill, dual slalom and super D. And co-sponsor X-fusion suspension has put up $20,000 in prize money for the professional events.

Results - Stage 12 (Montpellier - Castres)1. Tom Boonen (B), QUICK STEP - INNERGETIC, 4:25:322. Erik Zabel (G), TEAM MILRAM, s.t.3. Robert Hunter (RSA), BARLOWORLD, s.t.4. Daniele Bennati (I), LAMPRE-FONDITAL, s.t.5. Thor Hushovd (N), CREDIT AGRICOLE, s.t.6. Bernhard Eisel (A), T-MOBILE TEAM, s.t.7. Chavanel Sébastien (F), FRANCAISE DES JEUX, s.t.8. Nicolas Jalabert (F), AGRITUBEL, s.t.9. FÖrster Robert (G), GEROLSTEINER, s.t.10. Andrey Kashechkin (Kz), ASTANA, s.t. 11. Freddy Bichot (F), AGRITUBEL, s.t.12. Martin Elmiger (Swi), AG2R PREVOYANCE, s.t.13. Cristian Moreni (I), COFIDIS CREDIT

On a day all the GC favorites watched each other, waiting for a move that never came, four men decided to play their own game of chance up the 3792-meter-high, hors catégorie Daban mountain. The way things have turned out the past few days during the Tour of Qinghai Lake, they didn't really stand much hope. But in cycling, hope, however small it may be, is enough to drive someone to success — and on Friday in Menyuan, success became a reality for 24-year-old Martin Mares. "Every time I hoped," said the Czech rider from PSK Whirlpool, who was in fact the overall winner from 2005. "It was

A former amateur mountain-bike racer alleged Thursday that Tour de France yellow-jersey holder Michael Rasmussen (Rabobank) attempted to trick him into carrying illegal doping products to Europe in 2002. Whitney Richards, 38, a one-time Colorado-based cross-country racer, told VeloNews that in March of 2002, Rasmussen asked him to transport a box containing cycling shoes. But the shoebox, according to Richards, actually contained bags of an American-made human blood substitute. None of the information Richards provided VeloNews involves allegations of current doping. Asked by VeloNews

Everyone loves a parade — so Casey Gibson obliged us with a few snaps of the wacky Tour caravan today. Enjoy

Weather: Sunny but cooler in morning, brewing clouds and cooler temperatures at finish, highs in the low 70s, brisk headwinds. Stage winner: Tom Boonen (QuickStep-Innergetic) won after a textbook perfect lead-out from his train ahead of Erik Zabel (Milram) and Robbie Hunter (Barloworld). A two-man breakaway was caught with just over 1km to go to set up the sprint in the final sprint-friendly stage until next Thursday. Race leader: Michael Rasmussen (Rabobank) retained the yellow jersey after finishing 47th with the front pack. There were no major changes in the GC as the peloton seemed

If having a good night’s sleep is key to doing well in Saturday’s stage 13 time trial of the Tour de France, then the advantage is with the Discovery Channel riders Alberto Contador and Levi Leipheimer over the other yellow-jersey contenders. The Disco boys are lodged this weekend at a country hotel in the foothills of the Black Mountains about 45 minutes south of the Albi TT start, while their rivals are staying at chain hotels with small bedrooms or in plusher digs in the busy center of Albi. The ones staying at the budget hotels are race leader Michael Rasmussen of Rabobank and Astana’s

After a rough and tumble first half of the Tour de France, Astana is hoping things will go their way in Saturday’s decisive time trial. Team captains Andréas Klöden and Alexander Vinokourov were battered and bruised and nearly abandoned the Tour, but the team is hoping the pair will be able to finally shake off the effects of a nasty crash in stage 5 to assume what everyone thought would be their position atop the Tour peloton. “We had a crisis physically. We never gave up,” Astana manager Marc Biver told VeloNews. “We never had tensions or a bad mood on the team. We always had a good

Mary McConneloug (Seven-Kenda) took her third-career national cross-country title on Friday, outlasting defending U.S. champ Georgia Gould (Luna) and Subaru-Gary Fisher rider Willow Koerber at Mount Snow resort in West Dover, Vermont. McConneloug took an early lead in the three-lap race and never looked back. The 36-year-old, who took the one-day national championship win in 2005 and earned the title in 2003 by finishing as the top-ranked American in the NORBA series, finished nearly 1:30 up on Gould. “I perform better when I’m not chasing, but when I’m on my own head finding the perfect

Stage 13 - Albi, Individual time trial (54km)

Stage 13 - Albi, Individual time trial (54km)

Boonen blasts across the line

SK Whirlpool's Martin Mares comes home a winner in Menyuan

Congrats to race leader Gabriele Massaglia

The early break of 16 hit the lower slopes of Daban mountain

Rasmussen took over the jersey on Sunday.

Ongarato hit the deck

Verdugo and Fedrigo off the front

Liquigas chasing

Boonen gets it