Today was the day when the overall race favorites were supposed to step up and make themselves known. However someone forgot to tell the race favorites that. At least the guys who the OLN broadcasting crew have been pushing as race favorites didn’t show up today.
OK, Floyd Landis who has been presented as a race favorite showed up, but the rest of the “favorites” seemed to struggle with the wind on the course today. Floyd had some handlebar problems early on and needed a bike switch. But he really put in good ride after that.
Discovery channel dropped from 1st to 4th in the team competition. Overall as a team they didn’t perform well.
Early in the race American Bobby Julich went down on a curve and had a nasty crash into the curb. That crash ended Bobby Julich’s tour. Preliminary reports are that he damaged his wrist. Based on the way he hit the ground I would have thought that his shoulders and ribs had taken all the damage.
The time trial was won the first ever Ukranian to win a stage in the Tour. Serhiy Honchar who rides for the T-mobile team blew everyone’s doors off the entire race. When the day was over Serhiy Honchar won not only the stage but the overall leader's yellow jersey.
So how are our Americans cyclists doing after today’s stage?
Pos. No. Name Team Nat. Gap
2 071 LANDIS Floyd PHO USA 01' 00"
10 018 ZABRISKIE David CSC USA 02' 03"
17 003 HINCAPIE George DSC USA 02' 30"
22 016 VANDEVELDE Christian CSC USA 03' 25"21
62 041 LEIPHEIMER Levi GST USA 06' 17"
126 064 HORNER Christopher DVL USA 12' 19"
011 JULICH Bobby CSC USA Abandoned
Two more days coming up for the sprinters then the Mountains start and then we’ll find out who the contenders for the tour really are.
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