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As the leading three were about to be caught, Knees wanted to try for a solo

A look ahead: What’s going to happen in the Pyrenees?

Floyd Landis’s reputation as the toughest guy in the peloton took a quantum leap Monday when he announced that a degenerative bone condition is causing so much pain he will undergo hip replacement surgery "sooner than later." Landis said he will be able finish the 2006 Tour de France, where he sits second overall, but added that the pain has become so excruciating that surgery could come as soon as this summer. "It’s already ruined," said Landis, describing his hip. "Whenever the pain gets too bad, I will have it replaced, probably sooner than later." Doctors said the condition – described

When Tour de France points leader Robbie McEwen of Davitamon-Lotto was asked Monday what he thought about rival sprinter Tom Boonen saying after Sunday’s stage 8 in Lorient that he was giving up on the green jersey, the little Aussie stated, "He’s lying." McEwen knows that Quick Step’s Boonen has been frustrated by not winning a stage in the Tour’s opening week and that he’ll come back — maybe starting on Tuesday, during the 169.5km stage 9 from Bordeaux to Dax. The stage is the flattest of the 2006 Tour, its highest point being 223 feet above sea level. It will be tough for breakaways to

While the big news coming out of the Phonak camp on Monday’s Tour de France rest day centered on Floyd Landis’s health and future in the sport, there was also a race to discuss. In an afternoon press conference held on the outskirts of Bordeaux, the American praised his team and said the goal remains the same: wear the yellow jersey on the final podium in Paris. "We are in the position we hoped for from the start," said Landis, who sits second overall after eight stages, a minute behind T-Mobile’s Sergei Honchar. "But now it gets complicated. The Tour is dynamic and we cannot predict what

Markus Fothen moves on the grand stage as if he has been doing this for years. Sitting in the garden of the Hotel La Reserve in a quite residential area of Bordeaux, he is surrounded by reporters, shoving their cameras and microphones into his face. Yet the 24-year-old Tour rookie, who is surprisingly holding fifth place overall after the first week, remains calm and composed. He takes his time to carefully consider his answers. Then he looks the questioner in the eyes with a friendly and open expression while he speaks clearly and pointedly. On the bike, the young Gerolsteiner man performs

It's okay Daddy you'll get 'em next time

Evans is the only natural GC rider in this Tour, says McEwen

Landis says racing is therapy for his hip

Dr. Brent Kay describes Landis's hip problem

Landis is playing down his status as a favorite

T-Mobile meets the press

CSC is keeping its collective chin up

Our latest reader-submitted Photo Gallery is now up for your viewing pleasure. Of course, a new gallery also means the naming of the winner of ourmost recent contest. Take the time to wander through that gallery and see if you agree or disagree with our choice of winner. We fell victim to our mushy sides and couldn’t resist a vote for “It's okay Daddy you'll get 'em next time,” by Tiffanie Hills. Go ahead, call us softies; call us saps… because we are (and dads, to boot)! Nice work, Tiffanie! Drop us a note at Rosters@InsideInc.com to work out the details and we’ll send you a

Robbie McEwen has never been shy about giving his opinions on whatever’s on his mind. In Bordeaux Monday afternoon, the leader of the green-jersey competition boldly stated that he thinks his Davitamon-Lotto team can win not only the green jersey, but also the yellow. "Cadel Evans is going to win the Tour de France 2006," said the deadly serious Aussie sprinter. "It’s not a joke." Asked to justify his bold prediction, McEwen added, "He’s the only natural GC rider here. The other [contenders] are all time trialists who’ve turned themselves into GC riders." McEwen was referring to riders like

Editor's Note:Changes in the rosters of several Tour de France teams reflect exclusions due to the Operación Puerto investigation report released late Thursday. Directors of all Tour de France teams voted not to allow those riders to be replaced. DiscoveryChannel1. José Azevedo (P)2. Viatceslav Ekimov (Rus)3. George Hincapie (USA)4. Egoi Martinez (Sp)5. Benjamin Noval Gonzalez (Sp)6. Pavel Padrnos (Cz)7. Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr)8. José Luis Rubiera (Sp)9. Paolo Savoldelli (I) Team CSCIvan Basso (I) Named in Operación Puerto11. Bobby Julich (USA)Injured in stage 712. Giovanni Lombardi

JHK prepares himself for the day's rigors

T-Mobile in yellow.

Course: Huge crowds are expected on this hilly run through cycling-mad Brittany. The stage starts at the birthplace of three-time Tour champion Louison Bobet, who worked in the family bakery at St. Méen-le-Grand before becoming a cyclist. The biggest crowds will be on the Cat. 3 Mûr-de-Bretagne and on the sprint line in Plouay — where Hincapie won the ProTour classic last year. The final 20km is on wide highways with a fast run-in to Lorient, where the finish is on the slightly curving and flat Avenue Jean Jaurès. History: Lorient last saw a stage finish in 2002 when Santiago Botero dealt

Vanlandingham solos to victory

Boonen on the second climb

The 93rd Tour de France saw its first stage taken by a long breakaway on Sunday when the unheralded Frenchman Sylvain Calzati (Ag2r) attacked solo from a six-man move 32km from the finish of the 181km stage 8 across the hilly Brittany region. Dave Zabriskie (CSC) figured in the breakaway that escaped from just 47km after the start in St. Méen-le-Grand, with Calzati going clear when the peloton showed signs of closing down the six-man break. A week after Jimmy Casper won stage 1 in Strasbourg, Calzati earned France’s second stage win of this year’s Tour, while Ukraine’s Sergei Gontchar

Stage Stats: Stage 8 by the numbers

Bruyneel meets the press, including our own Jason Sumner, up against the bus

Give Levi Leipheimer credit. Despite suffering a major-league implosion during Saturday’s 52km time trial, the American GC hopeful wasn’t making any excuses Sunday morning at the Tour de France. Leipheimer alluded to both physical and mechanical problems that hampered him on the lead-up and during the TT, but insisted that’s not where the focus belonged. “It’s just an issue I’ve had the last couple days,” he said, unwilling to elaborate further on his health issue. “But I’m not going to make excuses. I don’t like to see headlines that say this guy was bad because of that. The point is I was

Stage Stats: Stage 8 by the numbers

Calzati leads over the first climb

1. Sylvain Calzati (F), Ag2r Prevoyance, 818km in 4:13:18 (42.874kph)2. Kjell Carlström (FIN), Liquigas-Bianchi, 02:053. Patrice Halgand (F), Credit Agricole, 02:054. Robbie Mc Ewen (Aus), Davitamon-Lotto, 02:155. Daniele Bennati (I), Lampre, 02:156. Erik Zabel (G), Milram, 02:157. Bernhard Eisel (A), Francaise des Jeux, 02:158. Luca Paolini (I), Liquigas-Bianchi, 02:159. Tom Boonen (B), Quick Step-Innergetic, 02:1510. David Kopp (G), Gerolsteiner, 02:15 11. Thor Hushovd (Nor), Credit Agricole, 02:1512. Marco Velo (I), Milram, 02:1513. Francisco Ventoso (Sp), Saunier Duval, 02:1514.

Stage Stats: Stage 8 by the numbers

French fans show their colors along the route

WeatherCloudy in morning, some intermittent showers, but mostly sunny in afternoon, highs in upper 70s Stage winnerSylvain Calzati (Ag2r), 4h13:18, 42.874kph – The 27-year-old Calzati shot away from a six-man group with about 35km to go to solo home to win in the Tour’s first successful breakaway. It was only his second career victory to go along with a stage-win in the 2004 Tour de l’Avenir. He was the last rider named to the nine-man Tour squad. Race leaderSergei Gontchar, 1490.6km in 34h38:53, 43.021kph – Gontchar had an easy day in the saddle, finishing 100th in the main bunch to

The Green Hornet on the move

A chicken hat completes this ensemble

..sh*t from Shinola is no longer in question. Apparently, I can't tell the difference. If you read my entry from yesterday, you will correctly conclude that my predictions were total crap. I admit it. Fifty-two kilometers of bad predictions and I forgot that Sergei Gontchar was even in the race! Then today the race continued to be bizarre. We raced full gas for the first 50k and then finally an acceptable break that everyone seemed to be happy with went away. Dave Z. (a.k.a. “The Green Hornet”) made the break and we were all proud of him, fighting his way to the front and joining

O'Grady at Sunday's start

A somber Hincapie meets Mr. Microphone

Australian Stuart O’Grady was very close to abandoning the Tour de France last Tuesday, after fracturing his L4 vertebra in a crash on stage 3 to Valkenburg. He finished the stage more than 11 minutes down and miraculously came back the next day to carry on. Before stage 8 on Sunday, O’Grady explained how he is recovering while also dealing with the pain in this interview with Rupert Guinness. VeloNews: It’s been six days since you fractured your vertebra, how is it holding up now? Stuart O’Grady: I am actually feeling better day-by-day. I am doing a heap of chiropractor work and things

With a relatively safe composition, this break was allowed some distance.

Horner and Hushovd on the climb

George Hincapie was among the riders who were expecting more in Saturday’s time trial, finishing 2:42 off the pace set by Gontchar. “I was disappointed with my performance. I thought I’d do better, but that was not the case. I felt dehydrated and I ran out of fuel. Maybe I ate too soon,” Hincapie said. “It was definitely not a normal performance for me.” Hincapie said he just couldn’t find his rhythm on the rolling 52km course, but said all is not lost. Most riders are using Floyd Landis as the Tour reference point and in that measure, Hincapie is 1:30 behind his former teammate. “We just

Zabriskie earned a few time bonuses along the way.

The peloton winds through Bretagne

Nine days ago, the T-Mobile team was driving over picturesque Alsatian roads on its way to a pre-race press conference, when director Olaf Ludwig announced that two members of the squad – Jan Ullrich and Oscar Sevilla – would not be making the three-week long journey through France with them. At first the news caused confusion and a sense of helplessness among those riders still slated to contest the 93rd Tour de France. So they did what all cyclists do when they need to clear their heads: they went on a bike ride. Three hours later, refreshed by sun and exercise, the remaining seven

Phonak drives the chase

Casey Gibson remains on tour with Le Tour – enjoy today's shots.

The weather cleared soon after the start and allowed for a good day in the saddle for most.

Riders relax in the village, making use of free phones

American Tour de France favorite Floyd Landis (Phonak) will hold a press conference on Monday to respond to press reports that he is suffering from a degenerative condition that could threaten his career and may undergo hip surgery following this year’s race. Landis, sitting second in the Tour de France behind race leader Sergei Gontchar (T-Mobile), will meet the press on Monday afternoon at his team hotel in Bordeaux, where the 4500-strong Tour entourage is based for an official rest day. On Sunday, the website www.bicycling.com announced that Landis’s cycling days "may be numbered,"

Gontchar enjoying his time in yellow.

Vive la France! A World Cup fan shows her colors

Stage 8: St-Méen-le-Grand to Lorient - 181km

Phonak gives chase, but only to limit the damage

Zabriskie gives it the gas

Stage 8: St-Méen-le-Grand to Lorient - 181km

.Carpe Diem!: Calzati sensed an opportunity and went for it

Graves is making his mark this season

Updated Team Rosters

Hincapie wasn't pleased with his performance on Saturday

Calzati holds off the chase to win

GC says it all: 62. Levi Leipheimer (USA), Gerolsteiner, 06:17

Hincapie was hoping for better.

Despite the bike switch, the Phonak leader kept his cool

Big day for T-Mobile, but Rogers wanted a win.

Course: With a week of racing in their legs, the GC contenders finally get their day in the sun with this critical 52km time trial. The counterclockwise circuit has two distinct halves: narrow, hilly back roads at first and long, straight flat highways at the end. The final 15km are likely to be very fast with a tail wind. History: A total of 13 Tour stages have finished in Rennes, the unofficial capital of the Brittany region, the most recent in 1994 when a massive 270km stage from Cherbourg was taken by Italian Gianluca Bortolami from a seven-man break that contained Motorola’s Sean Yates

Julich was the day's only non-finisher

13th was not what most expected from Zabriskie

If any greater upset were possible in the stage 7 time trial of the Tour de France, then anyone who witnessed today’s race of truth would have been pressed to think of one. The 52km St. Grégoire to Rennes time trial in Brittany was decisive, mainly because of the way it seriously compromised the Tour-winning hopes of so many pre-race favorites. No rider really emerged as a standout contender to win the first post-Lance Armstrong Tour — but there was a major a shift in the balance of power, from Discovery Channel to T-Mobile. Take out the stage winner, Ukrainian Sergei Gontchar (T-Mobile),

The Big Question of the Day: What happened to Levi?

Gontchar powered through time checks, smashing previous best times.

1. Sergei Gonchar (Ukr), T-Mobile, 01:01:432. Floyd Landis (USA), Phonak, 01:02:443. Sebastian Lang (G), Gerolsteiner, 01:02:474. Michael Rogers (Aus), T-Mobile, 01:03:075. Gustav Larsson (Swe), Francaise des Jeux, 01:03:176. Patrik Sinkewitz (G), T-Mobile, 01:03:227. Marcus Fothen (G), Gerolsteiner, 01:03:258. Andréas Klöden (G), T-Mobile, 01:03:269. Denis Menchov (Rus), Rabobank, 01:03:2710. Joost Posthuma (Nl), Rabobank, 01:03:28 11. Cadel Evans (Aus), Davitamon-Lotto, 01:03:3212. Vladimir Karpets (Rus), Caisse d'Epargne-I.B., 01:03:3513. David Zabriskie (USA), CSC, 01:03:4014.

Zabriskie rode to a respectable 13th place

Stage Stats: Stage 7 by the numbers

I am back on the air after a short break due to technical difficulties with my Blackberry Service. So I woke up this morning to 30 real e-mails (and a hefty dose of SPAM) and now life is back to normal again. I am driving to the time trial start right now, trying not to think too much about the situation at hand… or how fast Sabine is driving. We rode the course this morning in the rain and I was appalled at all the people already lining the course. The funny thing is that sometimes there are more people before the race, lining the course to scoop up some free swag from the publicity

Of the big GC contenders, Landis was the big winner of the day

Stage Stats: Stage 7 by the numbers

Among the sheaf of communiqués issued by the Tour de France organization Saturday night, the one that the riders are probably happiest about gives details of the charter flights they will take Sunday evening after stage 8. They’re headed to Bordeaux, where they’ll enjoy a full rest day on Monday and have time to take stock of what is developing into one of the strangest Tours in living memory. But before their flights, which are scheduled to leave Lorient at 6:15 and 6:30 p.m. local time, there’s the not-small matter of a tricky 181km stage across the hills of Brittany to overcome. Huge

When the Tour hits the mountains next week, Landis will have to be considered a favorite.

Stage Stats: Stage 7 by the numbers