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Oh so close. Garmin Chipotle’s Will Frischkorn, out ahead of the peloton in a four-man breakaway from the first 10 kilometers of the Tour’s third stage from Saint-Malo to Nantes, came within a wheel’s length of winning a stage in his first grand tour. Not a bad ride for a rider who only learned he was heading to the Tour de France a week before the start, on a team that earned a wildcard invitation to the world’s biggest bike race.

When I was an amateur racer in Brittany a few decades ago, one event I did was the local classic, Nantes-St. Nazaire. We raced on some of the same flat roads that the Tour de France peloton covered Monday; and the weather was similar: heavy rain showers and a strong southwest wind. Although I usually enjoyed racing in the rain, that classic was the first time I encountered fast-moving echelons, angled into the wind. It was all I could do to grovel in the gutter, trying to hang on to the thin line of riders stuck at the back. It’s not a pleasant memory.

Aging tires
Dear Lennard,
I have known people that have road bicycle spare tires in their garage for more than two years. Also, I have a nine-year-old Nokian studded tire on the front of my mountain bike for snowy/icy conditions. I have a pair of Michelin Pro Race tires that have been in my garage for four or five years, and have only been pulled out of their boxes a few times. Although they have not been exposed to sunlight, I am concerned about the pressurizing these tires to 115-120 psi considering that they may have dried out.

While the Cascade Classic has always enjoyed top tier competition, the story of this year’s event is undoubtedly the participation of two of America’s most decorated road racers; Astana teammates Levi Leipheimer and Chris Horner. Leipheimer will likely use the Classic to fine tune his form for the Olympics while Horner, who was left off the US team, will be seeking redemption with a hometown win.

Stage 3, Saint Malo to Nantes, 208km

Samuel Dumoulin (Cofidis) outsprinted three breakaway mates to win stage 3 of the Tour de France on Monday, while Romain Feillu (Agritubel) took the yellow jersey from Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d’Epargne). "It was phenomenal to win the stage today. It was something you dream about,” said Dumoulin. “The priority was to make the breakaway stay clear. We had some common interests in the breakaway and we worked well together. I knew the yellow jersey wasn't possible so I started to think about winning the stage.”[nid:79536] Feillu was elated, too.

Ina-Yoko Teutenberg took her second consecutive stage of the Giro d'Italia Femminile Monday, defending the Maglia Rosa going into stage four. "I'm psyched to win the the pink jersey and be able to ride with it another day," said Teutenberg. "We couldn't have had a better start in the Giro and hopefully we can keep playing a big role in the race." The flat stage from Ca’ Tiepolo Porto Tolle to Rosolina Mare was hot and relatively fast with cross winds in the last ten kilometers. Team Columbia started the lead out for Teutenberg with three kilometers remaining in the race.

Yellow jersey hopeful Alejandro Valverde willingly gave up the Tour de France lead on Tuesday, but admitted he had raced the hectic third stage with more of an eye on the crucial fourth stage.

Rabobank’s Denis Menchov became the of the Tour de France's top yellow jersey contenders to lose a significant amount of time Monday when he got caught napping in a hectic run to the finish of a 208km stage. Menchov, a two-time Vuelta a España winner, found himself in a group that had been left trailing by some furious accelerations at the front of the peloton and a mid-field crash as sprinters’ teams ramped up an ultimately futile pursuit of a four-man break.

First, apologies, as this one is going to be a bit shorter than normal. It's been a bit of a hectic afternoon and I'm writing this from the massage table on the crackberry. Sorry Sophie! [nid:79554]

BADGER STILL BITES: Don’t say the Bernard Hinault has lost any of his punch with old age. Just as Samuel Dumoulin was stepping atop the podium to accept his prize as the day’s winner, a protester dressed in a neon yellow vest jumped in front of the pint-sized Dumoulin and raised his arms in defiance. Hinault — who works with the Tour organization and appears daily on the podium to present the day’s awards — quickly sprung into action and shoved the hapless protester off the front of the stage. Tour goons swarmed and shuttled him out of the way.

There is what’s best theoretically, and then what’s best in practical application. As applies to time trial aerodynamics, riders and engineers are always struggling to balance the very best position and design with what’s realistic out on the road. This year, Specialized tweaked the design of its TT3 helmet to better match how its sponsored riders like Cadel Evans actually ride.[nid:79530]

World Champion Paulo Bettini (Quick Step) got his first win of 2008 Monday after surprising Austrian Gerrit Glomser (Volksbank) on the line of the first stage of the Tour of Austria. Gerolsteiner's Davide Rebellin finished third. "I like Austria!" Bettini said. "I was world champion in Salzburg and this season has not been very successful for me at the classics and the Giro d'Italia."

Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Chipotle) is the first Canadian riding the Tour de France since Gord Fraser rode in 1997 with the small French team, La Mutuelle de Seine et Marne. The former mountain biker is the fourth Canadian to start the Tour. Along with Fraser, Alex Stieda and Steve Bauer have participated.

National criterium champion Tina Pic (Colavita-Sutter Home) won Sunday's Workers’ Credit Union Criterium, the final stage of the Fitchburg-Longsjo Classic stage race in Massachusetts. Pic outsprinted Cheerwine's Laura Van Gilder and ProMan's Megan Guarnier to take the win. [nid:79501] In the men's race, John Murphy (Health Net- Maxxis) outsprinted Emile Abraham and Alejandro Borrajo (Colavita). After four days of racing, the overall winners were Cheerwine's Catherine Cheatley and Colavita's Kyle Wamsley.

Thor Hushovd (Crédit Agricole) shot out of a chaotic bunch dash to win stage 2 of the 2008 Tour de France on Sunday. Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d’Epargne) finished safely near the front of the peloton to retain the overall lead. “Yesterday was not a great finish for me,” said Hushovd. “I felt stronger today in the final today. I like Brittany; it's a bit like Norway, always windy and rainy. Maybe I'm not a pure sprinter like Mark Cavendish, but after some hard climbs like today, I usually have some strength left, so maybe that's why I was able to win today."

Toshiba-Santo strongman Mark Hekman showed the form he displayed in 2007 by winning Saturday’s fourth annual Iron Hill Twilight Criterium in West Chester, Pennsylvania. Hekman, who held the lead in the 2007 USA CRITS Series until a crash at Downers Grove ended his pursuit of the title, lapped this year’s Iron Hill field with 20 laps remaining in the 60-lap event, run on a 1km course. “I got away on the 10th lap and just crushed it." Hekman said. "This is a really technical course with the hill on the back side and I thought I was going to die.”