2008 Tour de France thread.........

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

24km - CRASH!! Danish national champion Nicki SORENSEN has hit the deck along with Angel GOMEZ, and a BOUYGUES TELECOM rider! GOMEZ is still down, and he looks very much like he could be hurt.

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

22km - The peloton, meanwhile, is broken into bits with Gert Steegman's Quick Step team moving very much to the front of the peloton along with Columbia's George Hincapie. Cadel Evans, and Alejandro Valverder in the group, along with McEwen. Quick Step have really put in a huge injection in pace, as the gap goes down to 4'30. Stuart O'Grady and Oscar Freire are also in the small yellow jersey group, but Riccardo RICCO is in one of the riders who has been dropped into the chasing groups.

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

20km - With 20 kilometres left to ride the gap is down to 4'26.

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

16km - Things looking very good for the four leaders now, as Sean Kelly and David Harmon think it's now "virtually impossible" for the peloton to catch the escapees with the gap at four minutes and 16K left to go.

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

15km - Angel GOMEZ Marchante has abandoned this year's Tour de France, I can confirm. Still, no word on what his injury is though.

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

14km - Emma Davies has changed her opinion and admits that this break-away won't likely be caught. Gap is 3'30.

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

France's Romain Feillu is the best placed of the four men in this early break (58th at 18 seconds behind yellow jersey Alejandro Valverde). If they can keep the margin above 18 seconds, then we could have a Frenchman in yellow at the end of the day.

 

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

8km - Gap at 3'05....

 

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

7km - A nasty spill by one of the Quick Step boys sees him hit the deck at a very high speed. That rider is back up and trying to get back into the peloton before he's swallowed by the Menchov/Ricco group, which is about 35 seconds behind the Valverde group.

 

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

6km - Valverde and Caisse D'Epargne trying to take as much time out of his GC rivals Menchov and Ricco as possible now, though we will have a new yellow jersey tonight and he will be French (FEILLU +18') or Italian (BORGHINI +39')

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

3km - kerem sefa asks: "what are the chances of feilllu retaining yellow jersey after the time trial tomorrow? if the gap is less than a minute to yellow jersey group?" My answer, not likely as some of the specialists like Millar and Cancellara were very well placed at the start of the day and should take more than enough time out of the Frenchman's hide to take the overall lead.

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

2km - DUMOULIN launches the first attack, but is chased by FRISCHKORN and FEILLU!!

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

1.5km - FEILLU overtakes DUMOULIN and launches his sprint early!!

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

0.5km - DUMOULIN is back in front as the two men continue to duke it out in some fashion!!!

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

0km - AND DUMOULIN TAKES IT!! FEILLU can console himself with the yellow jersey after finishing third in the sprint though, and the American FRISCHKORN is second, boxing out the Frenchman!! LONGO BORGHINI is fourth, and we await the mass sprint for the placings..... What a day for France!!

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

16:43 - Along with the yellow jersey the GC lead goes to Feillu, 35 seconds from Longo, and a 1'42 from FRISCHKORN. Valverde is fourth at 1'45, in front of Kirchen, Freire, Pineau, Millar, Evans and Pozzato. You have to think that either Millar, Evans, Kirchen, Valverde, or even Cancellara (1'53) will be wearing the yellow jersey at the end of tomorrow's time trial with the gap at just 1'45.

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

16:49 - But today belongs to the French, as Samuel Dumoulin of Cofidis claims a stunning break-away victory and Romain Feillu (Agritubel) wins the yellow jersey. This sort of shake-up is just what Tour organisers wanted, and you know what they got it.

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

Phew - this is westy signing off... until tomorrow (meetings permitting)!!!!

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

No coverage today - in meetings all day.... more tomorrow hopefully!

[Eastside Urchin]

westy you complete c u n t