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There really is no such thing as a “routine” stage of the Tour de France. Following the fireworks of Sunday's first stage, when Levi Leipheimer and Tyler Hamilton were the primary victims of a dangerous high-speed crash, everyone was hoping just for that. As far as Tour standards are concerned, Monday's 204.5km second stage from La Ferté-sous-Jouarre to Sedan in the French Ardennes region was relatively calm. Long, but surprising hilly in places, the day more or less followed the script of what's expected from a Tour stage in the first week: early attack by French riders that falls just

The Postal train

The officials have a very nice ride in this fleet of Lancias

“Thanks for riding.” – the subject line of an e-mail sent to Tyler Hamilton, who closes his VeloNews diaries with “Thanks for reading,” after the CSC rider started stage 2 of the 2003 Tour with a broken collarbone Athletes are not always sportsmen, a term Webster’s New World College Dictionary defines as “a person who can take loss or defeat without complaint, or victory without gloating, and who treats his opponents with fairness, generosity, courtesy, etc.” Indeed, the sports page is starting to look less like a chronicle of inspirational achievement and more like a police blotter. Los

Armstrong and the ONCE boys

Podium staff at the Tour.

1. Baden Cooke (Aus), FDJeux.com, at 5:06:332. Jean-Patrick Nazon (F), Jean Delatour, at 00:003. Jaan Kirsipuu (Est), Ag2R Prevoyance, at 00:004. Erik Zabel (G), Telekom, at 00:005. Thor Hushovd (Nor), Credit Agricole, at 00:006. Robbie Mc Ewen (Aus), Lotto-Domo, at 00:007. Paolo Bettini (I), Quick Step-Davitamon, at 00:008. Stuart O'Grady (Aus), Credit Agricole, at 00:009. Fred Rodriguez (USA), Caldirola, at 00:0010. Mikel Artetxe (Sp), Euskaltel-Euskadi, at 00:0011. Oscar Freire (Sp), Rabobank, at 00:0012. Gerrit Glomser (A), Saeco, at 00:0013. Luca Paolini (I), Quick Step-Davitamon, at

Rider supplies at the start from Aquarel

Lance and Ekimov

Commemorating the 1903 Tour with a bike that was old even back then.

Cafe 'Le Reveil Matin' in Montgeron

The first break of this Tour.

Editor's Note: Because the major crash at the end of this stage took place within the final kilometer, all 198 riders in the peloton were awarded the same finishing time. No riders had been dropped by the field prior to reaching site of the crash, about 600 meters from the line.1. Alessandro Petacchi (I), Fassa Bortolo, 3:44:332. Robbie Mc Ewen (Aus), Lotto-Domo, at 00:003. Erik Zabel (G), Telekom, at 00:004. Paolo Bettini (I), Quick Step-Davitamon, at 00:005. Baden Cooke (Aus), FDJeux.com, at 00:006. Thor Hushovd (Nor), Credit Agricole, at 00:007. Oscar Freire (Sp), Rabobank, at 00:008. Luca

Passing the Paris's Place de la Republique

Rabobank's Mark Lotz

This was not a good day at the Tour de France. In fact, it was a downright dark day for Americans competing in the centenary Tour and one that even angered eventual stage winner Alessandro Petacchi, who said a massive pile-up in the closing meters of the 168-kilometer stage from Saint Denis to Meaux was the fault of unthinking organizers. No matter who is at fault, the bottom line is that both Tyler Hamilton and Levi Leipheimer are probably out of the 2003 Tour de France, while four-time defending champion Lance Armstrong and teammate George Hincapie also went down in the field-splitting

Olaf Pollack of Germany carries his bike as he crosses the finish line after the crash

McGee still in yellow

Fassa Bortolo's Alessandro Petacchi resumed his winning ways by taking the first stage of the Tour de France Sunday, a 168km ride from the outskirts of Paris to Meaux.Australian Bradley McGee will spend his second night in the Tour de France leader's yellow jersey after the crash-marred first stage Sunday in which compatriot Robbie McEwen came second to take the green points jersey. A crash just inside the final kilometer of the 168km ride from the outskirts of Paris to here looked to have snagged 27-year-old fdjeux.com rider McGee but moments later he crossed the finish line with

Armstrong and Hincapie avoided the worst

The Tour de France can change dramatically in a matter of seconds. Crashes can lead to field splits that cause contenders to lost valuable time to their rivals, or much worse, injuries that send riders home early. Lance Armstrong was very fortunate today in that he avoided being injured in the massive pileup just 600 meters from the Stage 1 finish line. Unfortunately, several other riders were not so lucky. Today’s crash occurred within the final kilometer, and all of the main contenders were either caught up in the tangle or just behind it. Tyler Hamilton came down hard on his left shoulder

On the road to Meaux

Tech talk: Manufacturers love Tour time

A special tile for every TDF winner around the monument in front of the Le Reveil Martin

Tech talk: Manufacturers love Tour time

Some 20 cyclists, including members of the St. Pete Mad Dog Triathlon Club and the St. Petersburg Bicycle Club, were injured Sunday morning when a car plowed into a regular weekly group ride in St. Petersburg, Florida. Witnesses said a man driving a Lincoln Continental westbound on 30th Avenue suddenly crossed the double-yellow line and struck a pack of about 40 eastbound cyclists, according to the St. Petersburg Times. Nine riders were taken to Bayfront Medical Center, four with serious injuries. Four others were taken to Northside Hospital and St. Anthony's Hospital with lesser injuries.

Tech talk: Manufacturers love Tour time

I've got one big hope for tomorrow as the centenary Tour de France (and my first) continues with stage two: That the peloton relaxes a bit. Then again, maybe I'm dreaming. The ground is pretty hard, as the massive crash in today's finish at Meaux showed. If riders keep racing like they did today, I think everyone is going to go down at some point this Tour. Me? I was right in the middle of the spill, at about 30th wheel. I don't know what happened, except one important fact: I didn’t go down.I was just lucky I didn't. I’m still not sure why, but I managed to avoid the worst of it, while

Tech talk: Manufacturers love Tour time

They may speak of the phenomenon that is the Tour de France organization; of how well-oiled an engine the operation is; of how smoothly and coordinated every action is. What they don’t usually talk about are the times on the Tour when one person - given his or her authority for a day (if that) - can throw the whole thing into total disarray. Fortunately, it is usually further down the 3400km road that the frustration of these hiccups test the patience of a Tour suiveur (follower). Unfortunately, that was not the case today, on stage No. 1 to Meaux. The 168km stage had not even officially

Millar looked really good until his chain popped off ...

While the racing action at the Tour has deservedly taken the headlines, we’ve been keeping one eye peeled for glimpses of the latest in team equipment and what manufacturers hope you'll be riding in the not-too-distant future. Campy confidentialWhile it's certainly not the official unveiling, make sure to keep your eye on Campagnolo-sponsored riders at the Tour this year. Look closely enough, and you might catch a glimpse of Campagnolo's secretive 2004 product line. First off is Campagnolo's new-and-improved carbon Record crankset (a Chorus version will also be available in 2004).

Hamilton emerges from medical

... was it the chainring, or the lack of a front derailleur?

David Millar has blamed his Cofidis team and its manager, Alain Bondue, for the mechanical incident that cost him victory in the Tour de France prologue. Millar, who won the Tour prologue in 2000, looked set to win the Tour's 6.5km opener in Paris on Saturday when his chain came off before the last curve. He reached down and replaced the chain, but the delay cost him - he finished second, just 0.8 second behind Australian Bradley McGee. Team sources said Cofidis riders were using new aerodynamic chain rings that had caused problems in the Tour of Catalunya. Other Cofidis riders, like Luis

Hamilton and concerned Riis leave for hospital

Not the way Hamilton wanted to finish the Tour

Marc Lotz crosses the finish line after the crash

George and Lance out on the road

Riis and Hamilton on their way to the hospital

Lance Armstrong of the USA arrives

Petacchi wins, but was not happy about the finish

The race is only 48 hours away from the Alps, and this stage and the following one to Lyon see increasingly hilly terrain. Only a couple of the climbs on this 196km stage have categories, but this is by no means a simple “flat” stage. 7/10/2003 Start Time: 12:35:00pm7/10/2003 Estimated Finish Time: 5:30:00pm HISTORYWhile the Tour men of 2003 will have raced 811.5km (the prologue and five stages) to reach Nevers, the 60 pioneers of the first Tour came through Nevers only halfway through their opening stage of 467km from Paris to Lyon. In 1903, Nevers was one of the race control points where

Still the favorite

Speed is of the essence

At 230km, this is the longest stage yet, and with the first Cat. 3 climb of the race (71km from the finish) it is also the hilliest of the opening week. Students of the Tour will note that halfway through the stage, the riders will pass through the village of Le Guidon (the French word for handlebar), the birthplace of two-time Tour winner Bernard Thévenet. 7/11/2003 Start Time: 11:45:00am7/11/2003 Estimated Finish Time: 5:30:00pm HISTORYIn memorializing the Tour of a century ago, the race organizers based the course around the original six stage towns, but only this stage into Lyon bears

Millar: So close and yet....

The VeloNews staff carries out its own quiet protest at the Tour de France (L-R - Andrew Hood, John Wilcockson and Rupert Guinness)

At 230.5km, this is the longest stage of the 2003 Tour, and includes four climbs that have never been used. The toughest is the Col de la Ramaz, which tops out at 1619 meters (5311 feet), 22km from the finish in Morzine. More than 14km long and averaging almost 7 percent, the Ramaz is a significant obstacle. By coming so late in the long day, and being followed by a steep descent, a 4km climb to Les Gets and another downhill, it will give a first indication of who will be challenging for the yellow jersey. 7/12/2003 Start Time: 11:10:00am7/12/2003 Estimated Finish Time:

Hincapie really is feeling better.

This long stage across the plains and hills of Provence should have a spectacular conclusion. After racing downhill into the sprawling port city of Marseille, the race heads to the Vieux Port, the old dockside quarter, and then makes a 13km circuit around the city streets. 7/15/2003 Start Time: 11:46:00am7/15/2003 Estimated Finish Time: 5:16:00pm HISTORYLooking at the mostly downhill profile of this stage, one is reminded of the dramatic 1971 stage from the ski resort of Orcières-Merlette (just above Gap) to Marseille. Two-time defending champion Eddy Merckx had suffered one of his worst

Hamilton was top American

Riders woke up to absolutely perfect weather for Saturday’s opening prologue. After a few days of unseasonably cool weather and showers, temperatures eased back into summer-like numbers with highs in the upper 70s. There were already fans lining the course early Saturday morning, some five hours before the first rider was scheduled to go off. Big crowds are expected throughout the Tour, more so even in Paris. The prologue course drives right the heart of Paris, starting at the base of the Eiffel Tower, crossing the River Seine, passing the Place du Trocadero, hitting the Place de la

Judging by the results of Saturday’s prologue time trial, this centennial Tour de France is going to be full of surprises. And a race of surprises is a race of excitement. That should be the case on Sunday, when half-a-dozen sprinters have a great chance of taking over the yellow jersey from prologue winner Brad McGee. With time bonuses of 20, 12 and eight seconds at the Stage 1 finish in Meaux, and six, four and two seconds on offer at the day’s three intermediate sprints, the stage winner could pick up a minimum of 20 seconds and a maximum of 38 seconds. The chief candidates to take the

Zubeldia set an early standard

So much for all of those pre-scripted prognostications about the 2003 Tour de France. If Saturday’s surprising and exciting opening prologue is any indication, maybe Lance Armstrong’s comment that “anybody can win the Tour” might prove true. Australian Brad McGee (Fdjeux.com) survived a late-race puncture to take the 2003 Tour’s first yellow jersey by less than a tenth of a second ahead of hard-luck rider David Millar (Cofidis).Full Results Posted Tens of thousands of fans lined the 6.5km course as it started under the Eiffel Tower, hit a short, steep climb after crossing the River Seine

Ullrich showed he's back

Bold=U.S. RiderItalics=U.S. team1. Bradley Mc Gee (Aus), FDJeux.com, 07:262. David Millar (GB), Cofidis, 00:003. Haimar Zubeldia (Sp), Euskaltel-Euskadi, 00:024. Jan Ullrich (G), Bianchi, 00:025. Pena Victor Hugo (Col), U.S. Postal Service, 00:066. Tyler Hamilton (USA), CSC, 00:067. Lance Armstrong (USA), U.S. Postal Service, 00:078. Joseba Beloki (Sp), ONCE - Eroski, 00:099. Santiago Botero (Col), Telekom, 00:0910. Vjatceslav Ekimov (Rus), U.S. Postal Service, 00:1111. Michael Rich (G), Gerolsteiner, 00:1112. Levi Leipheimer (USA), Rabobank, 00:1113. George Hincapie (USA), U.S. Postal

There is nothing like a media scrum on the first day of the Tour de France, especially when you find yourself at the epicenter and face-to-face interviewing the day’s winner. But after waiting for the best of the day for the prologue to start, that’s where I was within a minute of Australian Brad McGee taking out the 6.5km “race of truth” in Paris. As soon as McGee dismounted, he lay on the cobblestones. He then sat up to find himself surrounded by a phalanx of probing microphones and television cameras. The first push’n shove, press of the flesh and huff’n puff of the centenary had been

Can you think of a better place to start a Tour de France?

While following the sporting phenomenon that is the Tour, make sure to keep one thing in mind: It's all one big advertisement. Sure, there's plenty of heated racing drama to be had, but remember, the reason the race exists is to promote the goods and services of a countless number of businesses. And while the majority of us aren't particularly interested in European cement products (Fassa Bortolo) or the French national lottery (fdjeux.com), we can't wait to see the torrent of new bicycle technology unveiled throughout the race. Most manufacturers get awfully tight-lipped about exactly

The Tour de France is the biggest race in the world. Everyone knows that. But today, as it celebrated the start of its centenary edition, I really found out first-hand how big it is. First off, there’s organization and the number of people. Although when you’re racing, you can’t really hear them. I saw them, but inside myself I was in a zone. The number of media here is another thing altogether. In the days leading up to the start there are so many interviews, so many questions. It all takes a bit out of you. It is clear to anyone who races the Tour how winning a stage can change your

Leipheimer took 12th, at 11 seconds

Only 6.5km long, the course for this time trial through the heart of Paris is in the shape of a squashed question mark. It starts at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, crosses the Seine River to make a short climb around the Chaillot Palace and then drops back to the river at the Place de l’Alma, just across the street from the Crazy Horse nightclub. The course then parallels the river to the Place de la Concorde, crosses the bridge and heads back on the Left Bank before heading south to the finish on the Avenue de la Motte- Picquet — across the Champ de Mars Park from the Eiffel Tower. 7/5/2003

The prologue to a major stage race always seems to be watched with more interest than all but the most difficult mountain stages. No one knows who will be riding well until this first little test gives its hints. But how accurate are these hints as to the form of a rider when it comes to pursuing the overall title? And how can we use the prologue as a crytstal ball to see what's to come? Well, despite all the talk of a prologue just being a little warm-up, and not really meaning much for a three-week tour, I think it's an excellent indicator of overall form. No, I don't think Brad McGee will

Jan is back... and riding green

Medical officials at the 90th edition of the Tour de France have declared that all 198 cyclists in the race are “fit to ride,” following hematocrit tests earlier this week, but some experts in the field of doping are not so sure that the results mean much. Since the infamous “Festina scandal” almost brought the Tour to its knees in 1998, cycling has been at the forefront of the fight against doping and tests extensively for the banned endurance-booster erythropoietin (EPO). Officially, the entire Tour peloton started the race clean Saturday after their hematocrit levels, or the volume of

Cervelo went all out for the Tour

PARIS -- After a long week of getting ready and all of the pre-race hype, the Centennial Tour de France got under way today. There usually comes a point when I'm anxious to get rolling, because, believe it or not, things almost always calm down after the race begins. This will be my seventh Tour de France, which is no small detail with my wife. Seven is her favorite number. She also likes that my race number is 71, which is the year I was born. I wouldn’t be surprised if she high-fived herself when she heard my start time for the prologue was 7 p.m. sharp. I’m waiting for her to remind me