Tour de France 2009...

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

Interestingly, Contador finished 19 seconds ahead of Armstrong. Wasn't that the gap at the start of the day. Another tie?

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

Nocentini has a six-second lead on Contador. Armstrong is in third at eight seconds. Leipheimer is in fourth at 39 and Wiggins is in fifth at 46

[Eastside Urchin]

You don't even like cycling you fecking tool

[Eastside Urchin]

ps is that bradley wiggins,what about the other english guy who likes a yellow shirt or two????

[coupwotcoup]

I normally have this section blocked off.. knocking one out on the strength of Andorra at the moment.. anyone fancy a weekend out there?

[Big J R]

I much prefer women's cycle racing.

 

Their saddles are nothing to be sniffed at !

 

 

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

It's a rest day today, so no updates!

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

Latest Leaderboard in the Tour

 

Rinaldo Nocentini (Ag2r-La Mondiale) in 30:18:16

Alberto Contador (Astana) at 00:06

Lance Armstrong (Astana) at 00:08

Levi Leipheimer (Astana) at 00:39

Bradley Wiggins (Garmin - Slipstream) at 00:46

Andr

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

Contador says he won

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

Andy Schleck says Contador can be beat

 

Lance Armstrong's impressive form on this year's Tour de France may have taken some people by surprise, but Saxo Bank leader Andy Schleck insisted Monday the American can win an eighth title.

 

The 24-year-old Luxemburger is 1:49 behind Italian yellow jersey holder Rinaldo Nocentini.

 

But Schleck says Armstrong, the seven-time champion who is participating for the first time since retiring in 2005, can win the Tour - and ominously for his rivals - is getting stronger.

 

Schleck, who won the white jersey for the best placed rider aged 25 and under last year, says he has been watching him improve since May's Giro d'Italia when Armstrong finished 12th.

 

Now, the American is third overall at only 8secs behind Nocentini and only 2secs behind Spanish teammate Alberto Contador ahead of the resumption of racing Tuesday on the 10th stage.

 

"Armstrong can win the Tour de France for sure, I saw it at the Giro," said Schleck, who raced in May's Tour of Switzerland rather than the Giro.

 

"Although he wasn't amongst the leaders, he was in good shape.

 

"I think he is improving - he's strong, he's slim and, of course, he's got a good motor."

 

Astana have four riders in the top six of the Tour's general classification, with American Levi Leipheimer in fourth and Andreas Kloden of Germany in sixth.

 

But Schleck says Armstrong and Contador, the 2007 winner, are the main threats from the Kazakhstan-backed team.

 

"People say Astana have main four cards to play on this Tour de France," said Schleck.

 

"But for me, Levi Leipheimer and Andreas Kloeden aren't really 'cards,' they have two leaders in Armstrong and Contador."

 

Contador knocked Armstrong down into third place with a powerful finish on Friday's seventh stage from Barcelona up to Arcalis in Andorra, the only summit finish of three days in the Pyrenees.

 

But Schleck says he would be surprised if the Spaniard can produce such impressive climbing in the Alps.

 

"Contador is not unbeatable," said Schleck.

 

"It will not be the same story in the Alps, which will be different from the Pyrenees.

 

"The stages there are tougher and I don't think Contador can make big differences in the Alps."

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

Today

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

Given that today

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

There are three intermediate sprints on today

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

Just to keep track of these things, it

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

Today's start is expected at 13:40. Riders are now working their way through the "neutral zone" in Limoges. Kilometer Zero is at the edge of town and, after a rest day, we may expect to see riders trying to form a break early in today's stage.

 

One thing to keep in mind is that today is the first of two "no radio" days, so it might be interesting to see if the absence of that now-ubiquitous technology has any impact on the outcome of the stage.

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

We still have no indication that the Tour has backed off its position on radios today, despite the vehement objections of 15 of the 20 teams racing in the Tour.

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

Riders have passed the start. We have 171 riders in the peloton.

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

Neirmann was quoted as saying the radio ban is "bullshit," but despite that feeling, he started and is off riding the stage

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

out on the road. We're seeing the day's first break away efforts shaping up.

 

We have three riders ... nope, make that four ... riders off the front. They have a minute on the field as they approach the 13km mark.

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

Our four leaders are Benoit Vaugrenard (Francaise des Jeux), Thierry Hupond (Skil-Shimano), Mikhail Ignatiev (Katusha) and Samuel Dumoulin (Cofidis).

 

Dumoulin was the last rider to join the group, having spent a few kilometers chasing the other three.

 

Now at 13.5km, our leading four have an advantage of 1:35.