One week down, two to go. This year's Tour de France is really just beginning. Yesterday saw the first serious mountain stage for the tour and it certainly didn't disappoint, but more of that later.
The first week of this year's tour has again been marred with crashes, as was last year's. Too many riders, too much nervous tension and too narrow roads. But that is the tour. Fortunately for Australia's Cadel Evans his team, BMC Racing has done a perfect job of keeping him safe at the front of the field and out of harms way....so far.
So here is a brief (very brief) wrap of the first week and how things have unfolded.
The tour began with the Prologue a 6.4km time trial. This was always going to be an exciting event with the pure time trialists of Fabian Cancellara and Tony Martin out to do battle. And then of course Bradley Wiggins and Cadel Evans who are also guns in the time trials. The time trial lived up to expectations with Fabian Cancellara victorious over Wiggins only 7 seconds behind and Silvain Chavanel 3rd. It was a shame to see poor Tony Martin suffer a mechanical issue though ending up 23 seconds behind Cancellara. Australian Cadel Evans wasn't at his best finishing 17 seconds down.
Stage 1: Liege - Seraing 198km
An exciting stage with a slight up hill finish saw Peter Sagan of (Liquigas) victorious over Fabian Cancellara (Radioshack). Cancellara took off with 1.5km to go however he couldn't drop the determined Sagan and then when Cancellara opened up the sprint at the 150m mark, Sagan powered past and over the line for the victory. There was no change in the overall standings.
Stage 2: Vise - Tournai 207km
This stage was the first opportunity for the true sprinters to show there stuff and they did. It was last year's green jersey winner, Mark Cavendish who triumphed over Andre Greipel with Matthew Goss in third place.
Stage 3: Orchies - Boulogne-sur-mer 197km
A rolling stage where again the break away was caught. Ever the opportunist, Silvain Chavanel attacked with 5km to go, and then a dramatic crash within 500m of the line demolished the field leaving Peter Sagan to take his second win of the tour. Again there was no change in the overall leader board with Cancellara happy to continue to wear yellow.
Stage 4: Abervielle - Rouen 214.5km
Another flat stage ripe for the sprinters saw Andre Greipel hold off veteran Alessandro Petacchi. The stage was however marred by crash in final 3km which included Mark Cavendish, but the Lotto-Belisol lead out train took control with Kiwi Greg Henderson delivering Greipel to the line in perfect text book fashion.
Stage5: Rouen - Saint-Quentin 196.5km
It was two in a row for Lotto as they again controlled the peloton setting up the win for Greipel. Matthew Goss held on for second with JJ Haedo and Mark Cavendish third and fourth respectively. Another crash in the last 3 kilometers resulted in carnage and held up Peter Sagan. No change in yellow.
Stage 6: Epernay - Metz 207.5km
Another stage for the sprinters today, but again crashes hampered many of the riders including overall contender Ryder Hesjedal. German sprinter Andre Greipel was also injured and wasn't expected to contest the final sprint, but you can't hold a good sprinter down and he pushed through the pain however falling short with Sagan taking the win. A 'so close, but not close enough' was again for Orica-Green Edges' Matthew Goss having to settle for third after taking off too early in the sprint. .
Stage 7: Tomblaine - La Planche des Belles Filles 199km
The stage saw the first serious hill top finish of the tour with a 5.9km cat 1 climb at the finish and a 20+% gradient with 350 to go.Sky caught the break and then continuted to demolishes peloton on the final climb thanks to Aussies Mick Rogers and Richie Porte. Cadel Evans was isolated never looked in trouble sticking with the Sky riders. Fabian Cancellara was always expected to lose the jersey today but battled on to finish an impressive 1.51 behind leaders but his fate was written. There were a few riders who cracked under the fast pace including Frank Schleck and Sammy Sanchez, Ivan Basso, Denis Menchov and Robert Gesink.
350m to go saw Cadel attack but Wiggins held on and then in the surprise of the day saw Wiggins team mate, Christopher Froome launch his own attack and take the win. Evans was second with Wiggins and then Italian Vinchenzo Nibali, who seemed to be forgotten with the fight between Wiggins and Evans, stayed with the leaders to finish fourth. The other big news today was the unfortunate retirement of Garmin's Ryder Hesjedal.
So after 7 eventful stages the yellow jersey standings look like this:
Bradley Wiggins (Team Sky)......34:21:20
Cadel Evans (BMC) +10 seconds
V Nibali (Liquigas) + 16 seconds
Bring on week 2!
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