Tour de France 2009...

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

Cavendish might, assuming that there isn't a break up the road today. He's got a nice lead in points standings, but six points at each of the three intermediate sprints today is nothing a green jersey contender can afford to ignore:

 

 

1. Mark Cavendish Team Columbia - Htc 96 points

2. Thor Hushovd Cervelo Test Team 70 points

3. Tyler Farrar Garmin - Slipstream 54 points

4. Gerald Ciolek Team Milram 42 points

5. Thomas Voeckler Bbox Bouygues Telecom 41 points

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

don't have much news from the road, and as of yet, no reports of a break in the main field.

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

It's a little cooler today than it has been in recent days. It's currently 24 degrees ©. It's a bit on the cloudy side and winds are at around 15kph.

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

There are no set rules on how the organizer can categorize hills or mountains. This is how the Tour de France climbs are defined:

 

The easiest is a Category 4, which is typically less than 2km long and about 5 percent grade, or up to 5km at a 2-3 percent grade.

A Category 3 can be as short as one mile with a very steep grade, perhaps 10 percent; or as long as six miles with a grade less than 5 percent.

A Category 2 can be as short as 5km at 8 percent, or as long as 15km at 4 percent

A Category 1, once the highest category, can be anything from 8km at 8 percent to 20km at 5 percent.

An hors cat

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

At 28km, the news from the road indicates that the peloton is still riding as a group. Riders are approaching the day's first climb, C

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

Riders are at the 42km mark. Dave Zabriskie attacked on the climb. He finished second at the summit.

 

Alexandre Batcharov (Katusha) took the three points. Zabriskie earned two and Amets Txurruka (Euskaltel) took the third spot.

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

Astana has nine riders remaining in the race. There have been three riders who've dropped out so far. Skil, Quick Step and Rabobank are the only teams that have lost riders. Those teams still have eight.

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

At 47km, the peloton is still riding together as one. There have been no serious attacks, with only a few riders attempting, unsuccessfully, to gain an advantage over the first climb.

 

Coming up next is the Category 4 C

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

At 50km, our leaders are approaching the base of the C

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

Of the men in the break, Millar is the best-placed, sitting in 10th on GC, at 1:07. That doesn't bode well for the break's chances of success, but we'll see.

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

Up and over the top, the three leaders now have an advantage of one minute.

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

The three men in the break (with their positions on GC) are as follows:

 

10. David Millar (GB), Garmin-Slipstream, at 01:07

55. Sylvain Chavanel (F), Quick Step, at 3:23

93. St

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

The leading three are now two minutes ahead of the field.

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

The KOM results from the category 4 C

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

At 61km, the three leaders are now 2:25 up the road.

 

Millar is the "virtual" yellow jersey, but before our British fans hit the pubs in celebration, it may be worth reminding them tha there are still about 120km remaining.

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

Three minutes.

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

At 67km, the gap is now up to 3:45.

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

Back at 64km, the leaders rolled through the intermediate sprint at Loret de Mar.

1. Chavanel

2. Auge

3. Millar

 

They did not contest that sprint, focusing instead on building as much of a lead as possible.

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

At 72km, the three men in the lead are now 4:00 ahead of the peloton. Any bets on how long the leash will be?

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

The peloton is watching this one closely. At 78km, the Rabobank, Milram and Cervelo teams are doing the bulk of the work at the front of the main field.

 

The gap is down to 3:20.