Tour de London

[Greg_Dyke]

It's 15 degrees C in Compeigne....

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

out of the cobbles... oh my it's willems and now cancellara

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

Cancellara has come from no where and he now leads

[Greg_Dyke]

1K to go...they are on the cobbles for a bit !!!

 

oh, must hurt their bums a little

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

Fabian Cancellara wins and retains the yellow jersey surley?

[Greg_Dyke]

This stage is the longest stage in this year's tour

 

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

Fabian Cancellara holds off Erik Zabel in a fantastically dramatic finish!!!! He time-trialled his way to victory over the final kilometre!!

 

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

Robbie McEwan 7th

 

Mark Cavendish 9th with a great run.

[Greg_Dyke]

Fabian Cancellara

is a Swiss

 

could he be the eventual winner....he has a good sprint pedegree...but can he last when the race gets into the mountains...???

 

YOU DECIDE !

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

Quite superb riding from Fabian Cancellara!!!! Erik Zabel was second, Napolitano third, Boonen fourth

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

Cancellara isn't a great climber, I doubt he will even be close to being the realking of the mountains, but lets wait and see.

[Greg_Dyke]

Originally Posted By: Westie

... Napolitano third...

next to Rum n Raisin, my favourite Ice cream...

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

We have a brit in Millar sitting in 3rd overall... that's a great turnout!

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

We also have Wiggins in 5.... a good brit showing in these early days of the tour.

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

Boonen remains in the green jersey.

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

Polka dot jersey goes to Stephane Auge

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

Race leader Fabian Cancellara jumped the pack, reeled in a breakaway on the home straight and held off a last-ditch challenge from Erik Zabel to win the third stage of the Tour de France in Compiegne.

 

The breakaway quartet of Matthieu Ladagnous, Nicolas Vogondy, Stephane Augé and Frederik Willems looked set to upset the odds and hold off the peloton over the final few kilometres, though the sprinters' teams reeled them back in, only to be surprised by a superb attack from the world time-trial champion just under one kilometre from home.

 

Zabel and Danilo Napolitano both ate up ground rapidly on Cancellara over the final few metres, though arrived just a split second too late.

 

The CSC man now extends his lead in the general classification to 33 seconds over Andreas Kloeden thanks to the ten-second time bonus for winning the stage.

 

Agritubel have been present in both the two breakaways of the Tour so far, and Tuesday proved no exception. Former French champion Vogondy latched onto an attack from FdJ's Matthieu Ladagnous, and the pair rapidly pulled clear of a disinterested peloton.

 

The pair built up a lead that grew to a maximum of 13 minutes after just 40 kilometres of racing, before Cancellara's CSC team began to put their foot down and reduce their arrears to five minutes.

 

With a number of riders still nursing injuries and the lead duo never likely to stay out until the finish, the tempo dropped dramatically in both groups, until Auge and Willems both attacked 60 kilometres from home.

 

They soon caught the lead duo, who managed to maintain contact, while the peloton responded by upping the pace, led by the Credit Agricole and CSC teams.

 

Auge ensured he took the polkadot jersey by crossing the Cote de Blerancourt first, before the quartet kicked on and worked together admirably in the hope of upsetting the odds and making it through to the finish.

 

Quickstep and Predictor-Lotto immediately responded, forcing the pace in the pack, though it remained in the balance as to whether they would arrive in time to give their sprinters a chance.

 

With the peloton closing rapidly, the lead quartet's stirling work faltered, and they were drawn into a tactical battle that put paid to any chance they had of victory.

 

It seemed as if Tom Boonen, outdone in Monday's sprint by team-mate Gert Steegmans, would have the chance to record his first stage victory in the Tour since 2005, though Cancellara's time-trialling ability saw him home.

 

[Greg_Dyke]

I'll keep providing useful and useless info, so you dont end up talking to yourself westy !

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

Thanks GD!

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

TODAY'S STAGE:

 

Villers to Cotterêts Joigny - 193km

 

KEY MOMENTS:

 

23.5km - Côte de Veuilly-la-Poterie - Cat 4 (1km @ avg 5.2%)

 

62.5km - Côte de Doucy - Cat 4 (1.9km @ avg 4.9%)

 

69km - Intermediate Sprint 1 - La Ferte Gaucher

 

122.5km - Intermediate Sprint 2 - Soligny-Les-Etangs

 

144km - Côte de Galbaux - Cat 4 (2.4km @ avg 3.8%)

 

148.5km - Côte de Bel-Air - Cat 4 (1.3km @ avg 5.4%)

 

158.5km - Intermediate Sprint 3 - Theil-Sur-Vanne