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.
Contador blazing back to Albi
Wiggins set the early mark to beat
Rasmussen took over the jersey on Sunday.
All together now (all together now)
Ongarato hit the deck
If you are going to have a press conference about the yellow jersey, you need a bigger tent
Verdugo and Fedrigo off the front
Bob Stapleton talks to VeloNews European correspondent Andy Hood about the German TV network
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
Liquigas chasing
Oh, yeah, the bike race — these guys got caught
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
Boonen gets it
Crunch time: A preview of the Albi time trial
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
Rasmussen stays in yellow
Crunch time: A preview of the Albi time trial
Everyone loves a parade — so Casey Gibson obliged us with a few snaps of the wacky Tour caravan today. Enjoy
A horny fan
No. 3 for Mary McConneloug
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
Popovych, Hincapie and Gusev working it
Sometimes walking is just faster
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
The small road is the rabbit's-warren path where we had to park, and drive through to reach the course
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
Montepellier, with caravan
Stage 13 - Albi, Individual time trial (54km)
That's what we call some big news
Stage 13 - Albi, Individual time trial (54km)
Bonjour from Caisse d'Epargne
Boonen blasts across the line
We have no idea what's going on here, but we paid for it and by gum we're gonna use it
SK Whirlpool's Martin Mares comes home a winner in Menyuan
A desperate Disco fan
Congrats to race leader Gabriele Massaglia
No word on how one of former Attorney General John Ashcroft's people got into the plaza to drape the statues
The early break of 16 hit the lower slopes of Daban mountain
The stage in front of the Montpellier Opera House
Hunter takes the win for South Africa and Barloworld
Barloworld relies on an aluminum FSA cockpit; Hunter uses an OS-115 stem and RD-200 bar.
George says hello at the sign in
COURSE: This stage is similar to the one from Narbonne to Toulouse in 2003 that went to the Spanish racer Juan AntonioFlecha, who made a late attack from a breakaway group. Look for a repeat on this similar course that heads through the hills on the southern edge of the Massif Central. The Cat. 2 Montée de la Jeante climbs to over 3000 feet and is followed by 40km of winding back roads before the fast 8km run-in to Castres. HISTORY: Just one Tour stage has finished at Castres, in 1991, when Italian Bruno Cenghialta won stage 14 from St. Gaudens out of a seven-man break that fi nished a
Despite the rain, large crowds were a constant throughout the 208km route.
The front Mavic R-SYS is built with 4mm tubular carbon spokes.
Levi has a feed
Welcome To VeloNews.com's coverage of the 2007 Tour de France. Sit back and enjoy the most spectacular bike race in the world with the most comprehensive online coverage presented by VeloNews: The Journal of Competitive Cycling.All Tour de France content is FREE and accessible via the special VeloNews.com Tour de France Web site.Visit the Tour 2007 site now Programming Schedule: ItemDescriptionFrequencySchedule
Well, if you call another 80km not far, then...
The rear uses Zicral spokes on the drive side and carbon on the non-drive side.
VeloNews editorial director John Wilcockson interviews Bradley Wiggins this morning
Results-Stage 111. Robert Hunter (Rsa), Barloworld, 3:47:502. Fabian Cancellara (Swi), CSC, s.t.3. Murilo Fischer (Brz), Liquigas, s.t.4. Filippo Pozzato (I), Liquigas, s.t.5. Alessandro Ballan (I), Lampre-Fondital, s.t.6. Paolo Bossoni (I), Lampre-Fondital, s.t.7. Claudio Corioni (I), Lampre-Fondital, s.t.8. Philippe Gilbert (B), Francaise Des Jeux, s.t.9. William Bonnet (F), Credit Agricole, s.t.10. Kim Kirchen (Lux), T-Mobile, s.t. 11. Markus Fothen (G), Gerolsteiner, s.t.12. Enrico Poitschke (G), Milram, s.t.13. Peter Wrolich (A), Gerolsteiner, s.t.14. Andrey Kashechkin (Kz), Astana,
All too easy for Discovery's Allan Davis.
Cannondale was the first major manufacturer to take system integration seriously.
Comeback kid Saul Raisin has the green light to return to competition. Raisin received medical clearance this week after undergoing a battery of tests at a hospital in Bordeaux to resume racing some 15 months after he nearly died in a crash at the Circuit de la Sarthe in April, 2007. His comeback race will be the U.S. national time trial championships in September. “I have clearance to race the time trial championships, and depending on how that goes, I might be able to race the road race, too,” Raisin told VeloNews ahead of the start of Thursday’s 11th stage at the Tour de
Don't get the girl! New race leader Gabriele Massaglia (Selle Italia) lets loose with the champers.
Vittoria provides the team with some special tires.
CSC's Jens Voigt was among several German riders who blasted a decision by their country’s two major television channels to stop live coverage of the Tour de France because of news of a positive doping test. ARD and ZDF, two of Germany's leading channels, stopped their live broadcast of the 10th stage from Tallard to Marseille after hearing that T-Mobile rider Patrik Sinkewitz had tested positive for testosterone. According to the German cycling federation (BDR), Sinkewitz, who is home recovering after colliding with a spectator on Sunday's stage, had abnormal levels of the male
Astana caught Moreau off guard and he paid dearly for it
Liquigas rider, Pozzato’s Lightweight wheel equipped Super Six.
Although the trio of alpine stages did not determine who will win the Tour de France, the combination did decide who most likely will not. CSC’s Fränk Schleck came to the race to ride support for team captain Carlos Sastre, but also to test his own fate in the high mountains. Schleck see-sawed in high climbing performances, but remains confident in his abilities going into the Pyrenees. After finishing ahead of Sastre on stage 8 in Tignes and moved into fifth overall, the Luxembourger crossed the line on stage 9 in Briançon minutes behind Sastre for a general classification placement of
Schleck is ready to work for Sastre, but doesn't wanted to be counted out as GC player.
Mavic’s Cosmic Carbone Ultimate.
Robert Hunter said he hopes his history making win at the Tour de France on Thursday will result in greater professional opportunities for young riders from South Africa. Hunter became the first African rider to win a stage at the Tour de France when he launched a long, ambitious drive for the finish line which beat Switzerland's Fabian Cancellara and Brazilian Murilo Fischer on the 11th stage. The win was also his Barloworld team’s second victory of this Tour. It was Hunter's biggest career win and comes less than a week after he had come a close second to Norwegian Thor Hushovd in
Astana puts the hammer down
Linus Gerdemann provided a bright moment for T-Mobile
American Dave Zabriskie crossed the finish line in Montpelier alone, 31:26 behind the field. The CSC rider missed the time cut and abandoned the race. Zabriskie has been struggling with knee pain since the Tour began, attributing it to a team-mandated decision to switch shoes during the Giro d’Italia in May. “The pain is in my left knee, the one that was damaged in a car accident [in May 2003],” Zabriskie said. “The screws in there are just too sensitive to change.” Zabriskie had hoped to recover during the flat stages between the Alps and the Pyrenees, but found the pace too
Ho, hum, just another day at the office
Vino' saw an opportunity and took it, sending Astana on the attack in a stiff crosswind
Weather: Sunny, not so hot with highs in the upper 80s, brisk cross/tailwinds. Stage winner: Robbie Hunter survived a mid-race echelon and late-race crash to bolt to his first career Tour stage victory ahead of Fabian Cancellara (CSC). The win is wild-card Barloworld’s second in three days and the first by a South African. Race leader: Michael Rasmussen (Rabobank) retained the yellow jersey after finishing 46th with the front pack. Despite splits among the front pack due to a crash in the final two kilometers, all the leading 80 riders were awarded the same time as the winner. Christophe
Voigt and Bennatti working it
Frankie Andreu doing a standup for Versus
With wounds weeping through the stitches on both knees and an elbow, Astana captain Alexandre Vinokourov walks like an injured penguin. Having lost more than 8 minutes on race-leader Michael Rasmussen (Rabobank), Vinokourov sits in 19th place, well outside what many would consider a chance of a podium finish. But has he given up? Hardly. On a hot and blustery stage 11, Vinokourov gave his troops their marching orders when the peloton entered a strong crosswind section about 105km into the 183km stage from Marseille to Montpellier. About 3km after the peloton rolled through the feed zone,
The Bennatti escape
Marcus Burghardt is swarmed by the media about the German TV boycott
You might think our man Casey Gibson felt a bit peckish today, what with all the pictures from the feed zone. Not so, says the man behind the camera: "They gave us the wrong exit for the bypass, and there were a hundred or so Tour vehicles driving around looking for the race. Maddening at first, but then it got funny as at every intersection, there were three or four cars going every which way. None of us found it, but I did manage to get stuck in the traffic jam leaving." Lucky you — you get to see what Casey saw, but without the traffic jam.
Nice horsie
Xavier Florencio get a double feed, and Dave Zabriske keeps an eye on it
For the second time in this Tour de France Fred Rodriguez ended a stage flat on his back, writhing in pain. And both times, in Ghent 10 days ago and in Montpellier Thursday, the Predictor-Lotto sprinter was critical of the race organization. “They do it every time. They don’t care,” said an angry Rodriguez. “It’s the Tour de France and they think they own this race. They have no respect for the riders. I’m sick of it.” The crash happened 700 meters from the line at the end of a chicane that was not shown on the map in the official road book. The chicane followed a fast run down a narrow
Hincapie doing a job of work