Woo Hoo!!!! Le Tour is underway for the 95th time – with one major change; this year Leah and I will be there to see the final seven stages.
Today’s first stage also featured a major change in that it was a full stage instead of the traditional Prologue time trial. This means that the first man across the finish line gets to put on the Golden Fleece.
After a somewhat boring stage – at least on TV - Alejandro VALVERDE sprinted to the win, and donned the Yellow Jersey as the leader of the race. Many experts are pointing to VALVERDE as a candidate to win this years event, though my bets are with Cadel Evans (sixth place in Stage 1).
One the negative side of things, Mauricio Soler of Team Barlo World – last years King Of The Mountain – suffered a fractured wrist in a fall just 9km from the finish line. He finished the stage but lost over three minutes to the leaders.
Stage 1 GC
- Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa, Caisse d’Epargne) 4.00.36
- Philippe Gilbert (Bel, Française des Jeux) 0.01
- Jèrôme Pineau (Fra, Bouygues Telecom)
- Kim Kirchen (Lux, Columbia)
- Riccardo Riccò (Ita, Saunier Duval)
- Cadel Evans (Aus, Silence-Lotto)
- Frank Schleck (Lux, CSC-Saxo)
- Filippo Pozzato (Ita, Liquigas)
- Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa, Rabobank)
- Oscar Pereiro (Spa, Caisse d’Epargne)
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