News

Davis confirms why is race leader at this point

Sparkling vintage for the stage winner...

Davis holds the jersey

Readying for another day of marketing before the peloton rolls through

Rasmussen gets his first-ever yellow jersey. Can he keep it?

Seeking divine intervention to boost those climbing legs?

Rasmussen took advantage of his strength on Sunday, but concedes the Tour is far from over.

Robbie Ventura holding the mike for Versus network.

The village departe in one of it's most beautiful settings ever.

COURSE: Following a rest day at Tignes, the favorites will prepare for what should be one of the Tour’s major climbing days. This stage features the Tour’s highest mountain pass, the Col de l’Iseran (9085 feet) right from the start, which is followed by 70km of downhill and flats before the very long ascent via the Col du Télégraphe to the rugged Col du Galibier (8678 feet). After 35km of descending from the Galibier, the 2km climb to the finish in Briançon averages almost 7 percent. HISTORY: No less than 32 Tour stages have finished in Briançon, the most recent in 2005 and 2000. Two years

Gerdemann rode well and remains in second on GC

Stapleton talks about life... before disaster hit T-Mobile on Stage 8.

Stage 8 results1. Michael Rasmussen (Dk), Rabobank, 4:49:402. Iban Mayo (Sp), Saunier Duval-Prodir, at 02:473. Alejandro Valverde (Sp), Caisse d’Epargne, at 03:124. Christophe Moreau (F), Ag2r Prevoyance, at 03:135. Frank Schleck (Lux), CSC, at 03:136. Cadel Evans (Aus), Predictor-Lotto, at 03:137. Andrey Kashechkin (Kz), Astana, at 03:138. Alberto Contador (Sp), Discovery Channel, at 03:319. Denis Menchov (Rus), Rabobank, at 03:3510. Carlos Sastre (Sp), CSC, at 03:3511. Haimar Zubeldia (Sp), Euskaltel-Euskadi, at 03:59 12. Levi Leipheimer (USA), Discovery Channel, at 03:59 13. Cobo Acebo

O'Grady suffered three broken vertabra, five cracked ribs and a broken scapula.

Stage winner Rasmussen is a picture of concentration.

Australian cycling fans may be drowning their sorrows in a cold Foster’s Monday after learning that not one but three of their nation’s top riders were out of the Tour after Sunday’s critical climbing stage. First to leave the race was CSC’s Paris-Roubaix champion Stuart O’Grady, who was taken to the hospital after a crash on the fast and tricky descent of the Cormet de Roselend. According to hospital officials O'Grady suffered fractures to five ribs. “For the moment he is in the hospital and is getting a scan,” said CSC team director Kim Andersen. “It is difficult to say more than

Rogers' dislocated shoulder meant the Tour contender was forced to withdraw.

Moreau and Evans lead the chase.

Discovery Channel played its joker card Sunday and sent Spanish phenomenon Alberto Contador on the attack. The 25-year-old Paris-Nice champion took flight and easily marked accelerations by Christophe Moreau and Iban Mayo up the Cat. 1 Tignes finale, but saw a puncture with about 4km to go take the wind out of his sails. “I tried to get back but I lost my rhythm. I was going well and it’s unfortunate to have this bad luck,” said Contador, who finished eighth at 3:31 back. “Things were going OK and you have to remember there’s a lot of racing ahead of us, but when you lose time like this

Vinokourov showed a crack in his armor on Sunday, but with Kloden's help, he fought back to stay in contention.

An intense Contador on the final climb.

What a difference a day makes. Less than 24 hours after celebrating Linus Gerdemann’s Tour de France stage win and capture of the yellow jersey, T-Mobile found itself down three riders, including team captain Michael Rogers, who crashed and dislocated his shoulder while riding as the virtual yellow jersey on a stage-8 descent. Mark Cavendish’s abandonment had been planned for today to prevent exhausting the young sprinter in his first Tour. The likely abandonment of Patrik Sinkewitz, however, was anything but foreseen. After the Tour’s first summit finish atop the Cat. 1 climb in the

Leipheimer finished 12th on the day.

Chris Horner suffers on the final climb.

Weather: Very much, highs in 80s, intense alpine sun, brisk cross-headwinds Stage winner: Michael Rasmussen (Rabobank) claimed his third career Tour stage with a daring attack on the Cornet de Roseland. The former world mountain bike champion known as “Chicken” spun his slender legs to reel in the day’s early break that included George Hincapie (Discovery Channel) and soloed in for victory at 2:47 ahead of Iban Mayo (Saunier Duval-Prodir). Race leader: Rasmussen erased enough time to overtake leader Linus Gerdemann (T-Mobile) to claim the yellow jersey for the first time of his career. The

Moreau was aggressive on the final climb

Vino fought to minimize the damage.

Just as CSC’s time-trial specialist Fabian Cancellara took the first yellow jersey of this Tour de France at the prologue in London and held it until the race hit the mountains, Rabobank’s climbing specialist Michael Rasmussen took the mailliot jaune Sunday at the summit finish Tignes, and could well keep it until next Saturday’s 54km time trial in Albi. By winning Sunday’s stage on a colossal solo effort, Rasmussen took the race lead by 43 seconds ahead of overnight leader Linus Gerdemann (T-Mobile), and 2:39 over Spanish climber Iban Mayo of Saunier Duval. More importantly, however, is

Very little time in the flats meant riders were either climbing or trying to survive fast descents.

After an aggressive start, Hincapie rides to the finish after the climbing stars pass

Riders, writers, fans and photographers knew Sunday's 165km stage from Le Grand Bornand to Tignes would be decisive. Our man Casey Gibson was there to document it all for the record books.

Rasmussen takes off

Not everyone in the 'laughing group' was laughing on Sunday.

They mountains started in earnest today and they didn't disappoint. Oh and before I go on. I would like to write a little disclaimer. All of these entries have been written on my Blackberry and my bn button doesn't work well, I am at altitude and... well, I have a lot of excuses. So anyway, about the mountains. Yesterday offered a little taste things to come with the Columbiere. Today, though, was the real deal, with six categorized climbs. There were attacks from the gun and they didn't let up until we crossed the line. Racing up and then down the climbs made for a really

By the base of the final climb, there were just three... and Rasmussen quickly rid himself of Aroyo and Colom.

Stage 9 - Val-d’Isère to Briançon - (159.5km)

Hincapie spent hours off the front, before being reeled in and settling in for a long ride to the finish.

Stage 9 - Val-d’Isère to Briançon - (159.5km)

Mayo managed to scamper off for second place

Schulze takes a gamble

Rasmussen is likely to keep the jersey at least until Saturday's time trial. After that? Who knows?

Race leader Cancellara traded his yellow collar for a blue one today

Chris Horner has a chat with our own Neal Rogers

COURSE: This second alpine stage has an unusual, and tough, ending with three long climbs: one 20km (the two-part Cormet de Roselend, one 15km (up to Hauteville on the Petit St. Bernard pass),and a final one for 18km (the first part of the ascent to Val d’Isère followedby 10km of climbing out of the valley to Tignes). The last 2km are flat before the finish line. The final two climbs aren’t particularly steep, but that was the case with the 2006 Tour’s summit finish at Pla de Beret, and it proved very decisive. HISTORY: This is the first time a stage has finished at the alpine ski resort

Gerdemann and Fofonov grinding away off the front

Those darn sunflowers — they're everywhere

Stage 7 results1. Linus Gerdemann (G), T-Mobile, 4:53:132. Inigo Landaluze (Sp), Euskaltel-Euskadi, at 0:403. David de la Fuente (Sp), Saunier Duval-Prodir, at 1:394. Juan Mauricio Soler Hernandez (Col), Barloworld, at 2:145. Laurent Lefevre (F), Bouygues Telecom, at 2:216. Fabian Wegmann (G), Gerolsteiner, at 3:327. Manuel Juan Manuel (Sp), Quick Step-Innergetic, at 3:388. Xavier Florencio (Sp), Bouygues Telecom, same time9. Christophe Moreau (F), Ag2r Prevoyance, s.t.10. Alejandro Valverde (Sp), Caisse D’Epargne, s.t. 11. Oscar Pereiro Sio (Sp), Caisse D’Epargne, s.t.12. Tadej Valjavec

Gerdemann goes it alone

A banged-up Noval heads for the barn

Felix Cardenas is back at the Tour de France after nearly disappearing off the peloton map. The 34-year-old Colombian climber is back in cycling’s bigs after bouncing around Spanish teams before joining Barloworld in 2005. The team finally got a Tour berth this season and he’s ready to make the most of it. “It’s good to be back to the Tour,” Cardenas told VeloNews before the start of Saturday’s stage. “I’ve only been to one Tour and I won a stage, so I hope to keep the streak alive this year.” After Cardenas won a Tour stage while with Kelme in 2001 at Plateau de Bonascre, he bounced

Hincapie was gapped on the big hill

The peloton cruises through the trees

German cycling has been on the ropes for the past year. First it was Jan Ullrich and his links to notorious Spanish doctor Eufemiano Fuentes and Operación Puerto, revealed a day before the start of the 2006 Tour. Then there was the avalanche of doping confessions earlier this summer from a generation of current and former pros such as Erik Zabel, Udo Bölts, Rolf Aldag, Christian Henn and Jörg Jaksche. Linus Gerdemann and his Boy Scout image is just what crippled German cycling needs. Gerdemann presents a modern, yet cleaner image, and he’s not shy about talking about cycling’s doping past

Rabobank chases

After the first day in the mountains, T-Mobile riders sit at the very top and the very bottom of the 2007 Tour de France general classification. In between 24-year-old stage winner Linus Gerdemann and 22-year-old lanterne rouge Mark Cavendish sits team captain Michael Rogers, who at 27 is aiming to climb on the podium in Paris. Rogers and teammate Kim Kirchen finished stage 7 in the selective main front group of 35, which came in 3:38 behind Gerdemann. Immediately after Gerdemann’s win — which also saw the team overtake CSC for the lead in the team competition — the T-Mobile camp hadn’t yet

Likewise Caisse d'Epargne

Just behind the fireworks of the stage-7 breakaway, Discovery Channel quietly placed four riders in the selective, 35-man front group. Levi Leipheimer, Yaroslav Popovych, Alberto Contador and Vladimir Gusev all cruised in with the Tour’s top climbers. All looked quite comfortable. Leipheimer only needed a few seconds after crossing the line to catch his breath. “It went as planned,” the Californian said. “It was about as many riders over the last climb as I thought. I was thinking maybe a few less. It was a hot day. It was important to eat a lot and drink a lot. The first day of the

Gerdemann hopes to become one of the German greats

"Mountains, finally!" exclaimed ace shooter Casey Gibson as the Tour de France headed for the high country on Saturday. Take a peek.

Leipheimer says the legs are good

Weather: Sunny, warmer, highs in mid 80s, moderate head-crosswinds Stage winner: Tour rookie Linus Gerdemann (T-Mobile) joined a 15-man breakaway and bridged out to the attacking Dmitriy Fofonov (Crédit Agricole) on the day’s final climb on the Colombière. He counterattacked with 7km to go and soloed in 40 seconds ahead of the chasing Iñigo Landaluze (Euskaltel). Race leader: Gerdemann moved from 20th into the maillot jaune, the 12th German to wear the leader’s jersey. Gerdemann is now 1:24 ahead of Landaluze as five riders from the day’s breakaway moved atop the leaderboard. Fabian

Michael Rogers and a very close Ivan Parro on the descent at 40-plus mph

Stage 8 - Le Grand Bornand to Tignes - (165km)

Stapleton took a risk bringing the young German to this Tour — and it paid off

Stage 8 - Le Grand Bornand to Tignes - (165km)

The Alps loom over the road to Le Grand Bornand

Gerdemann wins the first Alpine stage and claims the yellow jersey

The most incredible bike sculpture ever — at least 100 bikes, strung from cranes 200 feet in the air

Your new race leader

The village of Copponex went all out, and had a huge festival on the third climb for Bastille Day

Cardenas: Back in the bigs

Cadel Evans interviewed at the start

Cavendish is headed home, but he'll be back

Fairies on stilts and the Arc de Triomph in Copponex

The UCI weighs in for the first alpine stage

Stage winner young Mr Gerdemann on the descent off the Colombiere

British champ Tom Simpson

Big crowds at the start

Someone else’s bar is under there.