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Freddy R and George H chattin' at the back of the group.

6:00p.m. (local time) Telekom's Erik Zabel is celebrating his stage win and Festina's Christophe Moreau retains the overall leader's yellow jersey. Today's top five:1. Erik Zabel (Deutsche Telekom)2. Romans Vainsteins (Domo-Farm Frites)3. Jimmy Casper (Française Des Jeux)4. Jens Voigt (Credit Agricole)5. Jaan Kirsipuu (Ag2R) Check back for complete results, a stage wrap-up from VeloNews Senior Writer Bryan Jew, commentary and preview from VeloNews editorial director John Wilcockson and compelling images from this first stage by VeloNews photographers Graham Watson and Casey

Making history was the last thing on Rob Hunter's mind as he became the first South African to ride in the Tour de France in Dunkirk Saturday. The 24-year-old Lampre rider, who relocated to Europe three years ago in a bid to join the pro ranks, was pre-occupied with the demands of the opening 8.2km prologue than etching his name in the record books. Hunter could only manage a "disappointing" 68th from 189 riders on the first day of the 3454km race, 32sec behind French prologue winner Christophe Moreau. But despite that setback, his comments prior to becoming the first South African to ride

Today's 194.5km stage from St. Omer to Boulogne-sur-Mer has started under cloudy skies and sporatic light rains. All 189 riders contesting the 2001 Tour de France have left St. Omer. Festina's Christophe Moreau is the man in yellow after winning yesterday's prologue time trial in Dunkirk. Be sure to check VeloNew's Tour de France page for up-to-the-minute news as today's stage develops.

U.S. Postal cycling team officials vigorously defended the team’s star rider Lance Armstrong over links to drug-tainted Italian sports doctor Michele Ferrari before the start of the Tour de France’s first stage proper in St. Omer on Sunday. Armstrong was quoted by Italian press on Saturday as saying he had sought the help of Ferrari - who has been charged with dope offences - with a view to an attempt on Chris Boardman's world hour record. The revelation was picked up by French media on Sunday, leaving U.S. Postal team officials to field questions as Armstrong gears up for his bid for a

U.S. Postal cycling team officials vigorously defended the team’s star rider Lance Armstrong over links to drug-tainted Italian sports doctor Michele Ferrari before the start of the Tour de France’s first stage proper in St. Omer on Sunday. Armstrong was quoted by Italian press on Saturday as saying he had sought the help of Ferrari - who has been charged with dope offences - with a view to an attempt on Chris Boardman's world hour record. The revelation was picked up by French media on Sunday, leaving U.S. Postal team officials to field questions as Armstrong gears up for his bid for a

The story of Stage 1 of this year’s Tour de France seems typical enough for an opening road stage: a slow early pace; a long, eventually unsuccessful breakaway; a mass field sprint; and a stage win by one of the star sprinters of the Tour, Telekom’s Erik Zabel. Routine enough, but the 194.5km stage from Saint-Omer to Boulogne-sur-Mer in the very north of France was anything but an ordinary, flat, sprinters stage. The stage began in the town of Saint-Omer, about 50km inland from the North Sea. Under gray skies and a light drizzle, 188 starters rolled out of town. Lotto-Adecco’s Fabian De

Complete Results from stage 1 of the Tour de France

The story of Stage 1 of this year’s Tour de France seems typical enough for an opening road stage: a slow early pace; a long, eventually unsuccessful breakaway; a mass field sprint; and a stage win by one of the star sprinters of the Tour, Telekom’s Erik Zabel. Routine enough, but the 194.5km stage from Saint-Omer to Boulogne-sur-Mer in the very north of France was anything but an ordinary, flat, sprinters stage. The stage began in the town of Saint-Omer, about 50km inland from the North Sea. Under gray skies and a light drizzle, 188 starters rolled out of town. Lotto-Adecco’s Fabian De

The man in Yellow gets attention, but so do those in bandages. Scenes from Stage 1, start to finish.

Flat tires are the worst enemy of any cross-country racer, but the happenings on Sunday at World Cup No. 4 at Grouse Mountain in British Columbia took things to a new level of anguish. For seven of eight laps Roland Green couldn’t have looked any better. The native of nearby Victoria pulled away from his nearest challengers almost immediately after the start, and then built a gap that hung in the 1:20 neighborhood for most of the race. All along the course the buzz was unmistakable. The local boy, who already this year became the first Canadian male to win a World Cup race, was going to make

Defending Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong has issued a written statement acknowledging that he has been working with Michele Ferrari, but denying suggestions that he has sought illegal help from the Italian physician. Armstrong’s statement came in response to articles that appeared Saturday and Sunday in several European papers, including a lengthy piece in the Sunday Times of London questioning the Tour champion’s commitment to racing in a drug-free environment. Several newspapers in Italy reported on Saturday that Armstrong has recently visited and worked with Ferrari. The

Defending Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong has issued a written statement acknowledging that he has been working with Michele Ferrari, but denying suggestions that he has sought illegal help from the Italian physician. Armstrong’s statement came in response to articles that appeared Saturday and Sunday in several European papers, including a lengthy piece in the Sunday Times of London questioning the Tour champion’s commitment to racing in a drug-free environment. Several newspapers in Italy reported on Saturday that Armstrong has recently visited and worked with Ferrari. The

U.S. Postal Service general manager Mark Gorski, the 1984 Olympic sprint champion, said he was almost speechless when he read Sunday morning the accusations made by one of the team's early physicians, Prentice Steffen, in the London newspaper article authored by staff sportswriter David Walsh. Steffen told Walsh that "two of my riders approached me saying they wanted to 'talk about the medical program.'" Walsh then wrote, "Steffen is sure he was being asked to help two riders to dope." In commenting on those statements, Gorski said Sunday evening at the Postal team's hotel

U.S. Postal Service general manager Mark Gorski, the 1984 Olympic sprint champion, said he was almost speechless when he read Sunday morning the accusations made by one of the team's early physicians, Prentice Steffen, in the London newspaper article authored by staff sportswriter David Walsh. Steffen told Walsh that "two of my riders approached me saying they wanted to 'talk about the medical program.'" Walsh then wrote, "Steffen is sure he was being asked to help two riders to dope." In commenting on those statements, Gorski said Sunday evening at the Postal team's hotel 25 miles east of

Durand and Oriol stayed away for more than 100km

Durand and Oriol stayed away for more than 100km

Race officials forced the peloton to stop for a couple of minutes

Moreau

Millar, sporting the prologue abrasions

Freddy R's bike, with its post-Philly paint

Festina ready to roll

Weather brought to you by the North Sea

Blatter tackles the tough finishing climb up Grouse Mountain.

The agony of defeat shows on Green’s face.

Sauser was steady all day and took advantage of opportunity.

Green looked exceptionally strong all day.

Redden moved up to second when her teammate flatted.

Heavy rain blew in from the English Channel overnight, and the 189 starters in Saturday’s prologue will likely have a damp opening to this 88th Tour de France. A wet course for the 8.2km prologue will certainly put caution at the top of everyone’s mind, particularly race favorite Lance Armstrong, who will be happy to concede a few seconds of overall time in exchange for a safe ride. The Dunkirk course has one short stretch of cobblestones, on a chicane outside the medieval-style city hall, just 1.6km into the race. There’s another chicane as the course turns onto the seafront for the final

Heavy rain blew in from the English Channel overnight, and the 189 starters in Saturday’s prologue will likely have a damp opening to this 88th Tour de France. A wet course for the 8.2km prologue will certainly put caution at the top of everyone’s mind, particularly race favorite Lance Armstrong, who will be happy to concede a few seconds of overall time in exchange for a safe ride. The Dunkirk course has one short stretch of cobblestones, on a chicane outside the medieval-style city hall, just 1.6km into the race. There’s another chicane as the course turns onto the seafront for the final

As of 1:20p.m. (Eastern time - U.S.) The French are celebrating in Dunkirk. They have a new race leader. Festina's Christophe Moreau has turned in a 9:20:59 (52.71kph), giving him the win in this Tour de France prologue U.S. Postal's Lance Armstrong finished in third with a 9:24.64 and Telekom's Jan Ullrich took fourth with 9:27.76. As of 1:08p.m. (Eastern time - U.S.) Defending Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong is on the course. Looking relaxed and confident, the U.S. Postal Service star, smiled, checked his radio earpiece and charged off the line, one minute after Telekom's Jan

The prologue of any three-week tour is unlike any of the other stages. On Saturday, the Tour de France’s 21 teams were cloistered together in the parking lot of the municipal swimming pool in Dunkirk, with riders spending most of their day hanging around the team buses, warming up, shuttling back and forth from team hotels, and smiling for the media. Crowds gather around each team’s area, which is marked off by police tape. And judging by the masses gathered around the U.S. Postal and Telekom camps, there are two overwhelming favorites for this year’s Tour: American Lance Armstrong and German

Getting underway at the Tour de France is always a nerve-wracking ordeal. Having to arrive early for health exams and the team presentation means we all spend the final days leading up the start cooped up in our hotel rooms. And although this probably forces us to rest like we should, it also leaves us with lots of time to consider the job ahead. And with this being my fifth start, I know all too well the pressure and the pain that lies ahead. But every challenge worth facing starts off a bit daunting I guess - so I'm hoping the contemplation is a good sign. The team presentation was a

The prologue of any three-week tour is unlike any of the other stages. On Saturday, the Tour de France’s 21 teams were cloistered together in the parking lot of the municipal swimming pool in Dunkirk, with riders spending most of their day hanging around the team buses, warming up, shuttling back and forth from team hotels, and smiling for the media. Crowds gather around each team’s area, which is marked off by police tape. And judging by the masses gathered around the U.S. Postal and Telekom camps, there are two overwhelming favorites for this year’s Tour: American Lance Armstrong and German

Despite heavy rains overnight, riders had basically dry roads for the 8.2km prologue on July 7 in Dunkirk. No matter the weather, the fans turned out in force.

If Mario Cipollini were riding this Tour de France -- as he and his Saeco team should have been -- he would be rubbing his hands with glee right now. He would have done well in Saturday’s prologue, as it was just the type of time trial he likes: enough turns to make use of his turn of speed, and long straightaways where a big rider like him could churn a big gear with great effect. Indeed, going into Sunday’s second stage, the Lion King would have been within a few seconds of race leader Christophe Moreau, and ready to take over the yellow jersey with a 20-second stage-win bonus. Cipollini

Complete prologue results

The first day of racing at the World Cup stop in Grouse Mountain proved two things: short downhills are exciting and dual is not. In the downhill it was a pair of French riders, Fabien Barel (GT) and Anne-Caroline Chausson (Volvo-Cannondale), walking away with the winner’s points. For Chausson that meant an even tighter grip on the World Cup overall lead. For Barel that meant overtaking teammate Steve Peat, who missed Saturday’s race after suffering a separated shoulder in a training crash on Thursday. Barel’s win was a slim as can be. The gregarious Frenchman nipped Aussie Chris Kovarik

Lance Armstrong and Roberto Heras arrived on scene in a special Postal team car, rear windows tinted black, and the two stars were quickly ushered out, past the crowds, and into the Postal team bus parked at the prologue start in Dunkirk. A classic, rock-star arrival. Meanwhile, just a few meters away, Fassa Bortolo’s former world No. 1 rider, Francesco Casagrande, would later warm up for the race practically unnoticed, just one young fan poised against the Italian outfit’s taped-off team area. That was all just part of the curious scene in front of the Piscine Municipale Paul Asseman, the

US Postal Service1. Lance Armstrong (USA) 2. Roberto Heras (Sp) 3. Viatjeslav Ekimov (Rus) 4. Tyler Hamilton (USA) 5. George Hincapie (USA) 6. Steffen Kjaergaard (Nor) 7. Victor Hugo Peña (Col) 8. Jose Luis Rubiera (Sp) 9. Christian Vandevelde (USA) Telekom11. Jan Ullrich (G) 12. Udo Bölts (G) 13. Giuseppe Guerini (I) 14. Jens Heppner (G) 15. Andreas Klöden (G) 16. Kevin Livingston (USA) 17. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) 18. Steffen Wesemann (G) 19. Erik Zabel (G) ONCE 21. Joseba Beloki (Sp) 22. Santos González (Sp) 23. Alvaro González de Galdeano (Sp) 24. Igor González de Galdeano (Sp) 25.

Tour de France: ready to roll

Tour de France: ready to roll

Armstrong was relaxed and confident.

The offending post.

Armstrong was relaxed and confident.

Postal's Vande Velde

Rain? Lingering drug allegations? It doesn't matter to these folks!

Postal's Heras

Lawyers probably won't allow this model at September's InterBike in Las Vegas.

Postal's brain trust

Getting ready for the team cars

Barel on his way to the win.

Chausson won her third straight downhill of 2001.

Huge crowds showed up at Grouse to take in the downhill.

Lopes pulls away from Carter in the dual finals.

Donovan picked up the first dual win of her career.

The rock-star ride

Armstrong

The Telekom compound

Casagrande

Moreau

Beloki (center)

The wait is over. the 2001 Tour de France starts in just one day, with the race favorites trying to ride safe until the first big tests in the mountains: L'Alpe d'Huez and the uphill time trial to Chamrousse. Here's a look at how the final-month preparations panned out for the top guns, as well as a look at some faces that will be missing from this year's race. Lance Armstrong (U.S. Postal Service) No crashes, no new media accusations and twin babies on the way (Kristin Armstrong is expecting in December); everything seemed to be going right for the Postal Service boss as he headed toward

Just two days before the start of the 2001 Tour de France, two-time defending champion Lance Armstrong (U.S. Postal Service) met the media at the start in Dunkirk, on the northern tip of France, along the North Sea. In his press conference on Thursday, the American assessed his competition, as well as his own form, while stating that he’ll be starting this year’s race with "the strongest team I’ve come to the Tour with." On the heels of his overall victory at the Tour of Switzerland last week, Armstrong said he was pleased with his form coming into the Tour de France, and was confident that

Just two days before the start of the 2001 Tour de France, two-time defending champion Lance Armstrong (U.S. Postal Service) met the media at the start in Dunkirk, on the northern tip of France, along the North Sea. In his press conference on Thursday, the American assessed his competition, as well as his own form, while stating that he’ll be starting this year’s race with "the strongest team I’ve come to the Tour with." On the heels of his overall victory at the Tour of Switzerland last week, Armstrong said he was pleased with his form coming into the Tour de France, and was confident that

Hello Tdf Fans: The days are long, the weather is warm, the riders are fit, and the excitement is in the air. Yes, it’s time again for the Tour de France. It just really hit me when I arrived in France last night that there are only two days remaining before the start of the Tour. On the one hand, I’ve been anxiously awaiting its arrival for some time, and on the other, I can’t believe it is already here. June and July are my favorite racing months of the year. I always seem to overcome the slight drag weighing on my overall fitness that seems to hang around for a fair share of the spring.

Quick, name the only team to place three riders in the top 21 of the men’s cross country at NORBA national No. 1. Here’s a hint: It’s not Trek-Volkswagen, Subaru-Gary Fisher, Giant, GT, RLX Polo Sport or any of the other big-time teams you’re probably thinking of. The answer is Café de Costa Rica, the squad of mountain men from Central America. Before you start thinking "fluke," consider this: The guys from Costa Rica also placed two riders in the top 25 in the short track — including one on the podium — and had four riders in the top 15 at the Iron Horse cross-country. So who are these guys

Start times for the prologue of the 2001 Tour de France, an 8.2km course in Dunkirk, France.Individual competitors will start at one-minute intervals, with 2000 Tour winner Lance Armstrong scheduled to start last. (All times U.S. Eastern Daylight Time). 10:00: Talabardon 10:01: Knaven 10:02: Durand 10:03: Bertogliati 10:04: Chavanel 10:05: Vidal 10:06: Trastour 10:07: Blaudzun 10:08: Botcharov 10:09: Del Olmo 10:10: Hushovd 10:11: Odriozola 10:12: Leysen 10:13: Atienza 10:14: Van Hyfte 10:15: De Groot 10:16: Pozzi 10:17: Perez 10:18: S.

The race officially starts tomorrow, but Tour hype can happen any time of year. It builds, of course, to the team presentations the day before the opening stage. Riders face a host of requirements in the week leading up to the start: medical exams, team meetings, swarming fans, and those pesky people wearing the press credentials.

The World Cup mountain-biking circus makes its return to North America Saturday, as the world’s best gravity riders take on the steep vertical of Grouse Mountain just outside Vancouver, British Columbia. Action commences at 11 a.m. PST with the downhill semifinals. The downhill finals follow at 2 p.m., then it’s the dual finals at 6 p.m. The downhill course, which was designed by North Vancouver native and Ford-Devinci rider Andrew Shandro, is short by World Cup standards at just 1.5 kilometers, but that doesn’t mean it will be an easy ride. Already the twisty, tree-lined track has claimed

Armstrong

Casagrande

Beloki

Moreau

Julich

Final Countdown

Armstrong at Thursday's press conference

Armstrong

Armstrong at Thursday's press conference