St. 20, Evans Hammers Schlecks To Take Yellow Jersey; Martin Wins Time Trial

BMC Racing's Cadel Evans, twice a runner up in the world's biggest bike race, will be able to ride into Paris Sunday knowing he will be the first Australian to ever win the Tour de France, causing a national holiday in his honor. Barring some unfortunate mishap, Evans will race into Paris with the yellow jersey he ripped off the back of Luxembourg's Andy Schleck after Saturday's individual time trial. German time trial specialist Tony Martin of the American HTC-Highroad team won the race, blistering all but Evans by more than a minute.
     Starting third to last, with brother Frank and Andy Schleck behind him, Evans hammered the 25-mile race against the clock, never seeming to let off the gas pedal over the rolling course through the city of Grenoble in eastern France, not only making up 57 seconds on race leader Andy Schleck but adding another one minute and 34 seconds. The 34-year-old Australian was simply possessed, racing into yellow, finally exorcising past demons that haunted him in two other failed attempts to win the overall Tour. The hard efforts by both Schlecks the past two days in the Alps seemed to take a bit of a spark out of their legs during the time trial. Both still posted better than normal time trials.
     Meanwhile three-time champion Alberto Contador raced superbly and moved into fifth place overall. Thomas Voeckler, the 10-day race leader of this year's Tour de France, raced the time trial of his life to stave off Contador and hold onto fourth place. American Tom Danielson rode great again, solidifying his 9th overall position in his first Tour de France. He will end as the top American.
     The Schlecks slipped back to second (Andy) and third (Frank), still fulfilling their goal of two podium places for the Luxembourg brothers. The Schlecks are incredibly popular figures in the world of cycling and have endeared themselves to the world in their battles the past three weeks.
     Evans, however, showed great tactics, patience and measured efforts throughout the three-week race. The 2010 World Champion showed tremendous form in all disciplines of racing, something needed to win any Tour de France.  He rewarded team management, which included part owner Jim Ochowicz, the long-time general manager of American teams Motorola and 7-Eleven, with a Tour de France team. BMC Racing built its team in 2007 as a Continental team with a five-year plan to win the Tour de France and executed its plan to perfection.
     In the shadows of Evans' success was George Hincapie, who helped shepherd his record ninth Tour de France winner into Paris, a feat that may not be equalled. The unselfish 38-year-old from Greenville, South Carolina has now won Tours under Lance Armstrong (seven), Alberto Contador (one) and Evans (one).

Stage 21 Prediction: The final stage into Paris is one of the most prestigious stages to win. It will be hard to bet against Mark Cavendish, the 26-year-old Brit who has scored four wins in this year's Tour. Cavendish is racing to win the green sprint points jersey he is currently donning and should prevail. However, in an upset bid, Tyler Farrar, Andre Greipel or Allesandro Pettachi could win on the famed cobbles of the Champs-Elysees.

St. 19, Andy Schlecks Takes Yellow Jersey; France Gains New Hero

The Alpe d'Huez has made many a hero over the course of the 101 years of the Tour de France. The road up to the summit finish elevates from 1,500 feet to more than 6,100 feet. To win up the 15-kilometer serpentine climb not only places an athlete in cycling laurels, but presents him into French lore. For young Frenchman Pierre Rolland of Team Europcar, he launched himself into French folklore winning the stage while also capturing the Best Young Rider's jersey during Friday decisive stage for the overall contenders.
     While the French public celebrated the first French victory up L'Alpe d-Huez since Richard Virenque more than a decade ago, they were mourning the loss of the yellow leader's jersey, which slipped from Thomas Voeckler to Luxembourg's Andy Schleck, the mighty climber from team Leopard-Trek. The battle behind Rolland up the steep grades of the L'Alpe d'Huez included all the top contenders and showed that three-time Tour de France champion Alberto Contador indeed is not dead. The Spaniard broke away from other main contenders that contained Cadel Evans, Frank and Andy Schleck, Damiano Cunego, and Ivan Basso while trying to bridge a gap up to breakaway companions Rolland and Sammy Sanchez.  As Contador tried to loose Rolland and Sanchez, he lost his strength and it was Rolland not the every-attacking Sanchez, the 2008 Olympic champion, who ditched the Spanish duo.
     In the end, Andy Schleck put enough time on Voeckler, who valiantly wore the leader's jersey for 10 days while endearing himself to his French public, to take the overall lead. Voeckler has become a national hero as no Frenchman has won Le Tour since 1985. This year, however, the French have created a renaissance with six of the top 25 riders and three in the top 10 in the overall standings going into the final two days.
     American Tom Danielson cemented a top 10 finish overall by riding well and sits in ninth place overall. As a good time trialist, he is expected to hold maintain his 9th place if not gain a place Saturday. Danielson, along with Ryder Hesjedal and American Christian Vandevelde have helped secure Garmin's team win come Paris, a big notch on the belt of the American club from Denver.

Stage 20 Predictions: As the only individual time trial of this year's Tour de France, the pure time trialists will be in pursuit of a stage win. But, with several contenders still vying for the overall or podium spots on a hilly course, it may be anyone's game. The overall contenders' legs, however, have taken a hammering over the past two days of difficult racing, leaving the door open for three-time time trial World Champion Fabian Cancellara to capture a stage win.  There are riders like American Levi Leipheimer, though hurting from early race crashes, and German Tony Martin that could surprise for a win.  Cadel Evans, however, is only 57 seconds away from his first Tour de France overall win. He will no doubt summon the depths of his soul to exorcise past demons to pull out the performance of his life to unseat the brothers Schleck, who hold onto the first two overall places. The Schlecks, not notorious time trialists, will have to see if the off-season wind tunnel testing will help them eek out enough time to stave off Evans.  Alberto Contador will have a hard time making up three minutes to gain a podium spot; but may very well gain two minutes on Thomas Voeckler and Italian Damiano Cunego to lift himself into fourth-place overall. Ivan Basso should surpass pure climber Sammy Sanchez and could climb all the way into sixth overall. The top 10 leader board could look like the following Saturday night, which should carry into Paris and be the final standings:
1. Cadel Evans
2. Andy Schleck
3. Frank Schleck
4. Alberto Contador
5. Thomas Voeckler
6. Ivan Basso
7. Damiano Cunego
8. Sammy Sanchez
9. Tom Danielson
10. Rein Taaramae

St. 18, Andy Schleck's Epic Ride While Voeckler Guts It Out to Stay in Yellow

Thursday's monster stage from Pinerolo, Italy to the top of the Col du Galibier, provided two epic moments. Luxembourg's Andy Schleck attacked on the slopes of the Col d'Izourd, more than 80 kilometers to the finish, bridged the gap to a breakaway group and then ascended up the Galibier to win this classic stage. The finish was the highest in the 101-year history of the event.
     Schleck's solo win was as impressive as any in the modern era of the Tour de France yet it wasn't enough to rip the yellow leader's jersey off Frenchman Thomas Voeckler, who remained in the lead by a scant 15-second lead over Schleck. A visibly exhausted Voeckler hung with other overall contenders Cadel Evans, Ivan Basso Damiano Cunego, and Frank Schleck until the final 100 meters before slowing up the brutally steep finish. Voeckler has no doubt created a renaissance in France for cycling, and with his guts has created glory for himself and his country in the world's biggest bike race.
     Thursday's stage created even more surprises as three-time Tour de France champion Alberto Contador seemed to crack mid-way up the Galibier giving pause to Evans who looked around after the diminutive Spaniard dropped back in the group that was attempting to chase down Andy Schleck.
     Also, American team Garmin-Cervelo flexed its muscle with three top finishers: Tom Danielson, Christian Vandevelde and Ryder Hesjedal to maintain first place in the prestigious team competition. (Ask any rider what the second most prestigious competition is in a major Tour and they'll answer the sometimes under-publicized team championship.) Garmin holds a more than 10 minute advantage over AG2R in the team competition and appears to be tracking toward its first team title.

Stage 19 Predictions: Andy Schleck made a strong bid for the yellow leader's jersey and still didn't take it from Voeckler. Meanwhile, his brother Frank looked comfortable (as comfortable as a man can get while grimacing through 38 miles of climbing). The brothers Schleck and team Leopard Trek came in with a well-documented goal of placing both of themselves on the final podium. That goal is very real after today as Frank took over third place overall. It makes Friday's stage that much more epic and forces one-time yellow jersey hopeful Cadel Evans on the attack to gain some time back on Andy going into Saturday's time trial. At minimum he needs to stay even with Andy and Frank and use his big engine to put a chunk of time into them in the time trial. Both Schlecks are historically poor time trialist and lean on being mountain goats. Still out to redeem himself after a sub-par day, Contador will no doubt try to attack. Whether he can shake either of the Schlecks is debatable. Then, you have Voeckler, the indefatigable Europcar rider, who simply refuses to give up the jersey but most likely find himself out of the jersey after Friday finally. Prediction is to let Frank Schleck fly up Alpe d'Huez and regain the glory he had from winning up the famous climb in 2006. The perfect plan is for Frank Schleck to launch an attack to win the stage while Andy waits and eventually breaks Voeckler in the final five kilometers to put 30 seconds to more than a minute on the tiny Frenchman. Evans will have to follow either one of the Schlecks if he wants to win the overall race. All others, including Basso, Cunego, Contador will have to make a push on Alpe d'Huez to gain back time and any hope of a podium finish. If no G.C.  contender wins, Sammy Sanchez seems a likely candidate to throw caution at the final climb, roll the dice, and win.

St. 17, Viking Power! Boasson Hagen Wins; Contador, Sanchez Gain Time

In yet another spectacular day of racing in the Tour de France, Norway's Edvald Boasson Hagen captured the second consecutive stage and fourth overall stage win for a country more noted for Nordic Skiing than cycling.
     Following country man Thor Hushovd's spectacular win Tuesday, in which he barely lost, Boasson Hagen redeemed himself breaking away on the final climb and bombing down a twisty, treacherous descent, to win. Boasson Hagen had actually scouted the descent outside the Italian town of Pinerolo in training, no doubt giving him an advantageous.    
     That same final descent played a big role in the general classification as race leader Thomas Voeckler almost crashed twice. It provided an unique opportunity for contenders Alberto Contador and Sammy Sanchez. Contador had attempted and failed on several attacks on the final climb but got away with Sanchez on the descent. It took until the final 500 meters for contenders Andy and Frank Schleck, Cadel Evans to catch the Spanish duo. Voeckler finished 27 seconds behind along with American Tom Danielson, but made it home in one piece. The standings remained mostly intact with slight gains by Contador,  Evans, Sanchez, Damiano Cunego and the Schlecks. Evans crept within 1 minute and 18 seconds of the lead, making him the apparent heir to the yellow jersey come Thursday night after the monster stage to the summit of the Col de Galibier, a mammoth climb, which serves the highest point of this year's Tour.

Stage 18 predictions: With three above category climbs, all rising above 8,000 feet, Thursday's stage will no doubt shake out the final contenders for the podium in Paris. The expectation is that Voeckler will loose the leader's jersey and Contador and perhaps Sanchez will be on the attack to peck away at their contenders. Voeckler has presented such good form, that he cannot be ruled out and will be hard to shake. The Schlecks continue to provide a one-two punch that could shoot any individual contender off kilter. With Frank Schleck more than a minute ahead of Andy Schleck, who is thought to be the better of the two as a climber, expect Andy to counter any big moves and wait for the final five kilometers to the finish to attack. If the opportunity presents itself, Frank may push the pace to test the response of other contenders on the Col d'Izoard, the second to final climb. Evans and Basso have showed they are content to follow wheels. And, with his current position, Evans should be following not leading. Waiting in the wing is climbing specialist Jelle Vanendert of Belgium, who is proving he can climb with anyone and may see if a second stage win is possible.  Because he remains more than 11 minutes down in the standings, he is a very likely candidate to drift off the front of a suspected small final group on the final climb. His extra incentive is more points toward the KOM leader's jersey. It's Sammy Sanchez, only a few points down in that competition, who may want to go with him, which would suck along all the other contenders, making the push into the high altitude an epic battle. If that happens, Contador will push hard for not only time but stage victory. A wild card in the mix may be American Tom Danielson, who is far enough down in the overall classification to make a push with a rider like Vanendert. Danielson's strength is long climbs and at high altitude. And, racing at altitude can often times shoot off even the best physiological human machines.









Stage

St. 16, Norwegian Storm: Hushovd Outsprints Countryman Hagen; Contador and Evans Gain Time

If there is a God, his name is Thor Hushovd. At least in the minds of the Norwegian sporting public. The 33-year-old Hushovd of team Garmin-Cervelo outs-printed countryman Edvaldo Boasson Hagen of Sky Pro Cycling team, to win his second stage of this year's Tour de France. It was another indomitable performance for Hushovd, who, along with Frenchman and current leader Thomas Voeckler, are the revelations of this year's race.
     Hushovd escaped with six other riders and on a stormy, rainy day, catapulted from his breakaway companion in the final kilometers to beat Hagen. His descent off the final climb of the day on the rain-slicked roads was impressive as he put time on half of his chasers.
     Meanwhile, the race for the general classification began to heat up in earnest as three-time defending champion Alberto Contador attacked on the relatively tame Col de Magne and descended equally impressively as Hushovd to the finish. Only Australian rival Cadel Evans of BMC Racing kept pace and actually put a few seconds into the tiny Spaniard in the run-up to the finish. Contador trimmed 18 seconds from leader Voeckler and more importantly more than a minute on Andy and Frank Schleck, setting up a dramatic five-day conclusion of the world's biggest bike race through the Alps.
     The leader board was shook up as Cadel Evans moved into second place ahead of Frank Schleck and Sammy Sanchez moved into fifth place overall. American Tom Danielson continues to impress, hanging on to 9th place overall only 6:04 behind leader Voeckler. And, his best days may be ahead of him on the long climbs through the Alps. Teammate and strongman Christian Vandevelde is set to support Danielson the next couple days to hopefully set him up to jump up a final place or two before Saturday's time trial. Of the top 10 contenders, Danielson is arguably among the top four time trialists with Evans, Contador and Basso.
  
Stage 17 predictions: Everyone, including Voeckler, is wondering when he will crack. With monster mountain stages Thursday and Friday, and a stage similar course profile to Tuesday's stage on Wednesday, expect more curve balls to be shot into the overall race. Voeckler should keep his jersey at least one more day before seceding to Evans on Thursday.  Expect more from Rueben Perez and Sammy Sanchez and the climbing specialist at the Euskatel-Euskadi team. The more Perez can set up Sanchez, still a sleeper for the podium, the better for the 2008 Olympic champion. Will Evans and Contador will remain opportunistic or merely monitor the Schlecks, who no doubt are bidding time for Thursday and Friday. It gives ample opportunity for another breakaway of strongmen down in the general classification to make a bid for a stage win with a solo rider (like Hushovd on Tuesday) make a valiant attempt to take chances on the final descent to win.

St 15, HTC-Highroad Pave Road to Cavendish's Fourth Tour Win

Mark Cavendish almost got eliminated on Saturday's incredibly mountainous stage of the Tour de France. Featuring a brutal mountain top finish up Plateau de Beille, his team ushered him back from elimination of a time cut. He repaid the favor by winning his fourth stage of this year's Tour de France while retaining and increasing his lead in the sprint points jersey competition.
     While Europcar's Thomas Voeckler retained the yellow leader's jersey for a seventh consecutive day, his team took the day off. At the mid-way point of the race, after his team had been setting the pace to limit a five-man break away, he went to the front and called them off, letting the sprinter's team take up the charge if they wished. Only HTC-Highroad was up for the task. Led by American Danny Pate of Colorado Springs, all HTC teammates cued up and hunted down the break. In a finish later defined as dangerous by the likes of Cavendish and American Tyler Farrar, the final run up was fast and furious.
     At the finish line, Cavendish came around teammate Mark Renshaw with J.J. Rojas of Movistar, Farrar, and Lampre's Allesandro Petacchi chasing. Now one could match the acceleration as the green jersey clad Cavendish flung his hands in the air for his 19th career win at the Tour de France.
    The peloton takes a much needed day off Monday as the race resumes Tuesday in what should be a tightly contested run through the Alps and the finish in Paris next Sunday.

St 14, Voeckler Continues to Surprise; Upstart Vanendert Wins Brutal Stage

If Frenchman Thomas Voeckler of team Europcar wins the Tour de France, or even finishes on the podium, we may all look back at his efforts on Stage 14, as the reason why.  Showing surprising heart as well as form, including some late stage attacks, Voeckler has positioned himself as an overall contender to win the 101st edition of the Tour de France.
     In another surprise, 26-year-old Belgium Jelle Vanendert of team Omega Pharma-Lotto, who was deprived of a stage win two days ago, accelerated from the group with under 5 kilometers to the finish and only Spaniard Sammy Sanchez followed. Ironically, it was Sanchez who pulled away from Vanendert on Stage 12. Surely, it provided extra motivation for the Belgian.
     The chase group up the slopes of the steep Plateau de Beille all the general classification contenders. That group of more than 10 lost a couple riders in the closing kilometers, including American Tom Danielson of team Garmin, but only Andy Schleck made a real push, albeit in the final 400 meters.
     It is evident both Andy and Frank Schelck continue to monitor three-time Tour de France winner Alberto Contador and team BMC Racing's Cadel Evans, never losing site of them on each climb. This is proving to be aide Voeckler, who is now the man to mark and put time on. The tiny Frenchman has a one minute and 49 second advantage on the group Frank Schleck and 2:06 and 2:15, respectively on Evans and Andy Schleck. Outside the Schlecks, all other contenders, including Italian duo Ivan Basso and Damiano Cunego seem to follow and perhaps bide time until the two mountain stages and individual time trial next week in the Alps.
     It's well noted in Tour de France chronicles that some riders react differently in the Pyrennes than the Alps. The Pyrennes are general shorter but steeper climbs. The Alps contain some behemoth climbs that are sometime between 30 and 40 kilometers long. And, in the third week of a Grand Tour, some legs react differently. Some dead, some rejuvenated. The Alps would tend to favor the likes Andy and Frank Schleck, Voeckler, and even Danielson and Basso of the top nine riders. Of course, Contador, Evans and Cunego are all great climbers.

Stage 15 Predictions: Cavendish almost got dropped and lost via time cut on Saturday. Many of his teammates provided a huge effort to steward him back.  With the flat stage into Montpellier, it will be interesting to monitor how HTC-Highroad will fair. How much work will Europcar do to defend the leader's jersey while the suspected breakaway goes up the road.  The likely scenario is HTC shouldering the majority of the work in the second half of the race, reeling in a break while setting up Mark Cavendish. The extra pressure is not only a stage win, but a big addition for points toward in the green jersey competition. Waiting in the wings will be Garmin-Cervelo for American Tyler Farrar, Omega Pharma-Lotto and Andre Greipel, Movistar and J.J. Rojas and Lampre and Allesandro Pettachi, who is desperately seeking a stage win but who pop doesn't seem to match the aforementioned.

**********************************************************************************
Today, in a special event at Red Rocks in Colorado, the new official Pearl Izumi leader's jerseys for the USA Pro Cycling Challenge were unveiled. Check them out now at usaprocyclingchallenge.com

St 13, Hushovd Surprises on Epic Ride; Voeckler Retains Yellow

by Steve Brunner

Proving he's every bit the current world champion, Norway's Thor Hushovd of the Garmin-Cervelo team took a flyer up the above category climb of the Col d'Aubisque on Friday's stage throughout the Pyrennes, and after flogging himself on a chase to the finish line, won stage 13 of the Tour de France.
     The 'God of Thunder' rocketed out of the mist on the descent of the Aubisque racing the final 42 kilometers (26 miles) in chase of breakaway specialist Jeremy Roy of team FDJ.  Poor Roy was lapped up by a charging Hushovd with about two kilometers remaining while speeding through the streets of Lourdes. It was the first finish stop for Lourdes since the 1940s and the streets were wild, with numerous Norwegian flags waving on Hushovd.
     Hushovd has shown remarkable form and a penchant for the spotlight in this year's Tour after wearing the yellow leader's jersey for most of the first week. Once a renowned sprinter, at age 33, he has developed into an opportunistic all-arounder, showing when pressed he can indeed climb.
     Sadly, Andreas Kloden of America's Team Radioshack had to abandon the race after suffering a back and leg injury after yesterday's crash.
     Meanwhile, a very motivated Thomas Voeckler kept his home country happy by maintaining the yellow leader's jersey. He was never threatened by the contenders, who decided to sit the day out while awaiting the monster stage Saturday to Plateau de Beille, which many riders have said may be the most difficult climb of the Tour, especially because of the earlier climbs. The Beille has played finish host to the Tour only four previous times. It wasn't until 1998 that the climb was used as a finish, as the great Italian Marco Pantani won. Each of the winners up Beille have went onto win the overall Tour, perhaps a portent of things to come.

Stage 14 Predications: More nastiness, as American Christian Vandevelde has noted, awaits on this brute of a day.  The course is relatively short---under 170 kilometers (104 miles)---but serves up six categorized climbs including the Col de Portlet-d'Aspet, which serves an appetizer for the big mountains ahead. The seldom used Col d'Agnes has a leg-seering 8.2% average gradient over 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) and about 60 kilometers from the finish. It is followed by a category 3 climb. It's the perfect storm for a selection of key riders. It's all a run-up to Plateau de Beille, which average almost 8% over 15 kilometers (9.3 miles). If Contador didn't look so stressed, you'd think he has been playing a bit of cat and mouse with his contenders. But, it looks likes the one-two punch of brothers Andy and Frank Schleck truly have Contador on the ropes. Watching all the fireworks are Cadel Evans, making all the right moves and biding his time while Ivan Basso looks comfortable and opportunistic. Meanwhile, Sammy Sanchez and Tom Danielson, two pure climbers, are climbing their way up the overall standings. Look for those two to be kindred spirits on Stage 14. Vandevelde will now be summoned to help Danielson. Still, lurking are the wild cards of Team Radioshack's Levi Leipheimer and Haimer Zubeldia, both a mere seven minutes down. Anyone who knows Leipheimer knows he will never give in and will continue to fight all the way to Paris. If anything, he know how to measure his efforts as well as anyone in the pro peloton.
     Here's what we know: Contador has to attack Saturday. When and where will partly depend on his team, which is not as strong a support group as his past teams. And, his explosiveness is lacking. But with Contador, if it comes back, it can be daunting. Expect, however, Leopard-Trek to flex it muscle one more time while pushing a hard tempo to eliminate a Contador attack. Though it shreds the team earlier than normal in a big stage, it takes the explosiveness out of a rider like Contador. Stage 12 proved that if nothing else. It will be Andy's turn to take a crack at the top of Beille. Both he and brother Frank have to put time into Evans and Basso, both good time trialists, if they want to reach their goal of two podium appearances in Paris. If they can lay some more wood to the three-time defending champion in their wake, well, it'll be that much better before the Alps.

St. 12, Sanchez Wins His First Stage; Voeckler Stays In Yellow

In a day that weeded out the pretenders from the contenders, Frenchman Thomas Voeckler retained the yellow jersey in a valiant effort up the steep slopes of the Luz Ardiden. Spaniard Sammy Sanchez, a podium finisher last year, won his first ever stage, climbing into 8th place overall.
     Team Leopard-Trek, with its leaders Frank and Andy Schleck, pulled a minor surprise by calling its team to the front on the lower slopes of the Col du Tourmalet, the monster climb that preceded the finish up to Luz Ardiden. All nine Leipard-Trek riders came to the front, led by world time trial champion Fabian Cancellara and veteran Jens Voigt. By the final 8 kilometers (5 miles), less than 15 riders remained in the main bunch with Sanchez and Belgian Jelle Vanendert of Team Pharma Omega Lotto up the road vying for the stage win.
     Frank Schleck made a key move within the final kilometers and gained time on key contenders, which included BMC Racing's Cadel Evans of Australia,  Lampre's Damiano Cunego of Italy, Liquigas-Cannondale's Ivan Basso of Italy, and Spain's Alberto Contador of Saxo Bank-Sungard. Andy Schleck followed the wheels of Evans and Basso to the finish, 20 seconds in back of his brother Frank, as they all gained 13 more seconds on Contador, who didn't look his usual self.
     American Tom Danielson of team Garmin vaulted from 17th to 9th overall continued to provide Garmin's revelation for general contention. Ireland's Nicholas Roche, the son of 1987 Tour de France winner Stephen Roche, climbed up to 10th overall. Philippe Gilbert showed he's more than a one-day rider, climbing with some of the top guys. American Levi Leipheimer leaped back into the top 20 and into 17th placer and looks to be recovering from first week crashes.
     The biggest losers on the day were Germany's Andreas Kloden of Team Radioshack, who crashed on the first major descent, American Christian Vandevelde of Garmin-Cervelo and Tony Martin of HTC-Highroad, both of whom got unhinged on the main contender's group up Col du Tourmalet.
     The biggest winners of the day were Evans, Schlecks and especially Basso, Cunego, Sanchez and Danielson.

Stage 13 predictions: Contador must now go on the attack the next two days but needs teammates Richie Porte (who had a bad day Thursday) and Chris Anker Sorensen to step up their game. Contador is going to pull no favors from other team's contenders. Evans needs to monitor which Schleck to follow, which is quite the task. That leaves Basso, Cunego, Sanchez and Danielson to read the race and hang on. Evans is clearly on super form, as are the Schlecks. The big question is whether Contador comes into his rarified climbing form. Any riders down in the G.C., between places 15 to 25 may be the danger men the next two days.

St 11, Cavendish Dashes to 3rd Victory; Voeckler Keeps Yellow Heading Into Mountains

All the shadow boxing is done. The first 11 days, marred by crashes, are behind. The peloton has moaned and groaned with aches. But, now comes the real pain.
     Britain's Mark Cavendish won his third stage Wednesday holding off former HTC-Highroad teammate and new rival Andre Greipel of Germany.
     The reigns of the Tour de France are now handed off to the overall contenders.
     With three upcoming stages through the Pyrennes, three-time Tour de France winner Alberto Contador will need to go on the attack to make up more than one and half minutes on his chief rivals, namely Australian Cadel Evans of BMC Racing and brothers Frank and Andy Schleck, the two-headed Luxembourg monster riding for Leopard-Trek team, and Andreas Kloden of team Radioshack.  Sitting silently in the wings are Italian Ivan Basso of Liquigas-Cannondale, HTC-Highroad's Tony Martin, the Netherlands Robert Gesink of Team Rabobank, and Americans Tom Danielson and Christian Vandevelde of Team Garmin-Cervelo. In addition, there are Spaniards Sammy Sanchez of Euskaltel-Euskadi and Luis Sanchez of Rabobank, currently in second. All would like nothing more than to happily take the yelllow leader's jersey off the back of current leader Thomas Voeckler, the French fighter for the Europcar, who has proven in the past  he is a capable climber.
     Voeckler said "he will fight till the end" but "expects to loose the jersey" Thursday.
     Gone are some of the pre-race podium favorites: Bradley Wiggins of Britain and Sky Procycling, American Chris Horner of Team Radioshack, Alexander Vinokourov and Jurgen Van Den Broeck, all of whom got banged up on the roads of the Tour de France. Garmin will be without David Zabriskie, who was showing tremendous form in the first week while protecting Thor Hushovd's yellow jersey.  It leaves several teams with all their cards to play.
     Leopard-Trek would seem to be in a great position with both Schlecks, Jakob Fuglsang, Maxime Monfort and Linus Gerdemann all less than seven minutes from the lead. Gerdemann is an under-rated climber who at the Amgen Tour of California said he would most likely be in the best climbing shape of his life at the Tour de France. Fuglsang proved he is an elite climber with his recent performance at the Tour of Switzerland and Monfort is a strong general rider. And, don't under-estimate the damage Fabian Cancellera and Jens Voigt can inflict in the run up to a big climb.
     BMC Racing has all its riders remaining but nowhere near the overall team strength of Leopard-Trek. Led by veteran superman George Hincapie, the team has one focus: a Cadel Evans overall victory. No one is a better captain than the unselfish Hincapie but Evans will have to get help from Swissman Steven Morabito and Frenchman Amael Moinard in the mountains.
     Veteran Basso may find him the most unsupported when the peloton gets whittled down but he has the great position of being a follower.
     Team Radioshack finds itself without its projected four-pronged attack heading into the mountains as Janez Brajkovic and Horner both crashed out. Even veteran Levi Leipheimer, at one time a potential podium projection, has been banged up and suffered untimely mishaps the first week, pushing him 7 minutes and 16 seconds behind Voeckler. He will no doubt support Kloden but he makes an interesting breakaway threat.
     Rabobank has Gesink, who is banged up after first-week crashes, and Luis Sanchez. If Gesink recovers, as his team believes, he could move up, especially with help from climbers Laurens Ten Dam and Bauke Mollema.
     Garmin is down to eight riders and the biggest question is how much defending the yellow jersey for a week took out of its general classification contenders. First-time Tour de France rider Tom Danielson is a revelation. Having talked to Tom before the race, he said he was feeling the best he's ever felt. Teammate Christian Vandevelde is another who said he was feeling extremely good going into the Tour. As the road turns up, Ryder Hesjedal and even David Millar are big components for Garmin success. This team may remain a wild card for success throughout the Pyrennes and Alps.
     Sammy Sanchez, at only five minutes down, is a danger man. His team is destined to do well as it enters into the fringes of the Basque Country, the home of its sponsor and its crazy fan base.
     HTC-Highroad has Martin, Peter Velits, and Teejay Vangarderen, the American who could sneak up in the mountain stages but is there to support Martin.
     That leaves Saxo Bank-Sungard. Contador will have to go on the attack and it may start on Thursday's monster stage from Cugnaux to Luz Ardiden. It features the legendary Col  du Tourmalet, an above category climb that traverses 17.3 kilometers up to 2,115 meters (almost 6,400 feet), the highest point of the Pyrennes, in the run up to Luz-Ardiden, another above category climb that climbs 13.3 kilometers to 1,715 meters and the finish.

Stage 12 prediction: After an early breakaway gets caught, the fireworks should go off not on the first climb up the unknown climb of La Hourquette d' Ancizan (Category 1), but on the Col du Tourmalet. Expect a selection of 20 to 25 riders to make it over close together with another 15 or so grabbing back on for about 40 on the lower slopes of the Luz-Ardiden.  Expect Saxo Bank-Sungard, led by Richie Porte, Daniel Navarro, and Chris Anker Sorensen to be setting up Contador. Every other major contender should follow. In the end, Contador may not be able to shake the Schlecks but could gain time on Evans and others. Even money might be on the Schlecks waiting for Stage 14 to Plateau de Beille or Stage 18 and 19 to make any significant moves. The first day in the mountains, however, have proven that legs don't always respond in traditional ways and surprises do happen.

St. 9, Voeckler Grabs Yellow Ending Hushovd's Magnificent Run

Frenchman Thomas Voeckler of team Europcar has always been known as an opportunistic rider. In 2004, he took a flyer and for his efforts grabbed the yellow leader's jersey and didn't give it up for more than a week. On Sunday's 9th stage of the 2011 Tour de France from Issoire to Saint-Flour in the Massif Central, Voeckler went on a breakaway with several other riders including Spaniard Luis Sanchez, the eventual day's winner, Frenchman Sandy Cesar, Holland's Johnny Hoogerland, and Spain's Juan Antonio Flecha.
     Voeckler, starting the day only 1 minute and 29 seconds behind leader Thor Hushovd of team Garmin, took over the leader's jersey after making the break work with Sanchez and Cesar, two perfect companions. Hoogerland and Flecha suffered an odd crash, which landed Hoogerland catapulting into a barbed wire fence. That left the break with three riders and Voeckler in the most opportunistic overall position. The successful breakaway shook up the general classification for the first time in a week. For his efforts, Sanchez landed himself in second place overall with Cadel Evans, Frank and Andy Schleck residing between third and fifth place, respectively.
     On yet another rugged day of shorter, steeper climbs, Garmin finally gave up the chase with about 40 kilometers remaining. A choice most likely was made on the road on how hard to take up the final chase to catch the break. With the Pyrennes and Alps still looming, it made sense to save a few protected G.C. riders like Christian Vande Velde and even Ryder Hesjedal.  It ended an amazing run by Thor Hushovd and his Garmin support crew.
     One thing is for certain, the French as well as organizers ASO are always happy when one of their countrymen are leading Le Tour. From that standpoint, all is good in France tonight.
     WHAT'S AHEAD: After a rest day Monday, the Pyrennes loom on the horizon, where the real fireworks will begin. Contador looks more strained on climbs than perhaps ever before, while the Schlecks and team Leopard Trek have remained upright while racing to profection. HTC-Highroad's Tony Martin has maintained a solid presence in the top 10 and is silently sitting at 6th place overall. All this while while laying down the hammer within five kilometers in the set up for teammate Mark Cavendish's two stage wins this past week. German Andreas Kloden of team Radio Shack is another rider whose consistency is paying off, however, his team strength due to crashes, has dwindled. Jakob Fuglsang of team Leopard Trek is riding fantastic and remains as a card the team can play around the Schlecks.

Stage 10: Tuesday's stage from Aurillac to Carmaux keeps the race in rolling territory. It remains a good day for a rider like Voeckler to retain the jersey. Team Garmin can catch its breadth at the back of the peloton for a day or two and give its G.C. riders a chance to recuperate for the Pyrennes later in the week. The opportunistic riders like Sandy Cesar will keep pressing, perhaps in hopes of taking a run at the KOM jersey. There will be several 'roulers' (riders that favor the rolling terrain and smaller mountains) that will take a run at the stage. FDJ's Christophe Riblon of France is one of many riders on French teams that may take up the charge. The overall general classification contenders should be content to sit in for two more days biding time for the Pyrennes. Expect the always aggressive Euskaitel-Eusadi team and either Ruben Moreno or Egoi Martinez to get into a breakaway. France's Jerome Pineau of Quickstep, Sky's Rigoberto Uran of Colombia, Vacansoleil-DCM's Bjorn Leukemans are among others in position to grab the opportunity in a the right breakaway. Any rider without a big name between seven and 12 minutes down with good legs and can climb may be good candidates to get into a break on what should be another unpredictable stage. Expect Voeckler, however, to remain in yellow at least two more days.

St. 8, Da Costa's Inspirational Win for Movistar; Hushovd Remains in Yellow

Portugal's Rui Alberto Da Costa, a late entrant for the Movistar team of Spain, provided an inspirational ride that should carry his club out of a dark period.  In May, teammate Xavier Tondo of Spain died when a garage door feel on his head. Weeks ago, Mauricio Soler of Colombia, crashed and hit some road barriers and just days ago came out of a coma. So, Da Costa's win was a ray of sunshine for a team that has suffered much the past two months.
     Tondo was the suspected break-out team leader along with Soler at this year's Tour de France. From a competitive standpoint, it was a double blow for Movistar, a newly-sponsored club that was formerly Caisse d'Epargne. The team's lineage goes back to Banesto, which was the team of five-time Tour de France winner Migual Indurain in the 1990s. Tondo's death seemed heartbreak enough, but only weeks after Soler went down in a nasty crash. The team's top sprinter J.J. Rojas has come close to winning a stage and was in the green sprint points jersey earlier in the race, but never notched crossed the line first.
     Saturday's race itself averaged only 32.4 kph (just over 20 miles per hour) in another deceptively difficult day in the saddle for the peloton. The final run up to Super Bessy Sancy, which last saw the Tour in 2008, was again a reminder of how great racing can be in the world's biggest bike race. Astana's Alexander Vinokourov, always on the attack, tried to steal a stage win but was thwarted in the final kilometers by Da Costa.  The chase group, which included all major contenders, including Cadel Evans, Alberto Contador, and Andy and Frank Schleck, were all there in the final bunch. Surprisingly, or maybe not so surprisingly at this point, was Hushovd, hanging on to the yellow jersey. (No one will say 'the God of Thunder' is a sprinter after this year's Tour de France. The now 33-year-old has developed into a great all around rider.)

Stage 9 predictions: The 208 kilometer (129 miles) stage from Issoire to St. Flour in the Central Massif region will be another difficult day. The race features seven categorized climbs, mostly Category 2 and 3. After the first 40 kilometers, the race never stops undulating. At this point in the game, the Garmin boys have to be tired. (Dave Z should have a Superman shield on his chest for all the work he's done.) If they can get to the rest day in yellow, it will be quite a feat for both Hushovd and the team. To defend yellow, the tempo riding on a day like Sunday will take some super strength, but expect Garmin to tough out one more day. Should the rubber band unexpectedly snap, Cadel Evans seems up for the task of taking over the yellow, but surely would rather wait till the Pyrennes. Therefore, another small breakaway containing some strong riders a bit down in the overall standings, could be on the attack for a stage win. Some of the same cast of characters featured Saturday could feature again Sunday, including Juan Antonio Flecha, Sammy Sanchez, Alexander Vinokourov. Frenchmen Thomas Voeckler, Jerome Pineau, Jean-Christophe Peraud could also be featured. A wild card on this stage may be Ivan Basso, who is far enough back to be hidden. Don't be surprised if a small group whittled down to under 40 ends up fighting it out in the final kilometers for the stage win if the smaller break doesn't stick.

St 7, Cavendish Rockets to Second Tour Stage Win; Wiggins Crashes Out; Team Radio Shack Decimated

Britain's Mark Cavendish and his HTC-Highroad team drove its train into the depot at Chateuroux Friday with a full head of steam. With all nine of its riders alive and kicking with five kilometers to go, one by one they released like boosters rockets to leave Cavendish unleash his fury in the in the final 400 meters.  For their efforts, Cavendish notched his 17th career stage victory and second of this still young Tour de France.

     The race was slowed by headwinds and numerous riders said narrow roads and 'nervousness' may have played a factor in a major crash with 35 kilometers to go. One of the event's podium pre-event favorites Bradley Wiggins of Britain crashed out of the race. Several other contenders were caught out including Alexander Vinokourov and American Chris Horner of Radio Shack, who went to the hospital after the race and had a fractured nose and concussion. Levi Leipheimer, for the third day in a row, suffered a crash. Yesterday, he hit a painted part of a slick road and went down when the pace was high. Today, he crashed but also needed a front wheel change again when things were revving up, damaging his Top 10 hopes. "It's not been my Tour so far," said Leipheimer.

Garmin-Cervelo continued its first week dominance, as Thor Hushovd continues to look like a his super hero first name. He was again featured in the bunch sprint as he held on to the yellow jersey. He will be tested during Saturday's stage, as the tour finds its way into the Massif Central, an old volcanic region not often featured in the Tour de France. The central region is pocked with steep climbs. It is another fitting twist to what's been an unpredictable Tour to date. (Just what the organizers at ASO had planned.)

What up with that?: My 15-year-old son, who has grown up around major cycling tours, asked today why 'four to five 'no name' riders go off the front every day and get caught within the final miles of the race?' It's simple: face time. The name of the game in professional cycling is sponsor recognition. There are no paid tickets, unless you have one at one of the many VIP tents near the finish. For teams that otherwise are swallowed up and never see the light of day for various category jerseys, or general classification high finishes, or stage wins, it's a way of getting their sponsors recognized on the world's biggest stage. Hours of their sponsor's name blasted into more than 180 countries pays the bills and keeps a team afloat.

Stage 8 predictions: Saturday is not a day for the sprinters, and maybe not the pure climbers. With so many contenders banged up or out of normal position, Saturday's is a bit unpredictable. The race could produce a breakaway that sticks. The subplot is whether Hushovd will loose the yellow jersey. He's riding so well, he could easily keep it. Then, there are riders like Alexander Vinokourov who could roll away from the peloton to try to steal time and a stage win. With a steep Category 2 followed by a finishing Category 3 climb up to Super Bessy Sancy, it provides a unique opportunity to grab seconds. A motivated Alberto Contador could make a go to steal some time and find an unlikely compatriot in Vinokourov. Frenchmen Sylvian Chavanel (still smarting from a crash a couple days ago) and Thomas Voeckler are good bets to take a run at the stage win. Still, best bets may be on Spaniards Luis or Sammy Sanchez and Juan Antonio Flecha. Even Philippe Gilbert, riding superbly, could be in the mix. HTC-Highroad's Teejay Van Garderen of the U.S. is also in a unique position, riding well, and excels on shorter, punchy climbs. He could show up. Waiting in the wings to take over the jersey are Cadel Evans, Frank Schelck or Andreas Kloden. However, smart money would be on Vinokourov on a cheeky break away or if a small group remains toward the summit of the final climb, Contador or Evans laying down down the law in a statement of things to come.

St 6, VIkings Show Again, Boasson Hagan Notches Win In Tough Sprint

The peloton's jaunt across the northwest tip of the Normandy region was the longest of the 2011 Tour de France, with yet another atypical run-in to the finish. A perfect day for a good rider to post his name in the annuals of Tour de France lore.
     It was Norway's Edvold Boasson Hagan of team Sky who bolted from the field with less than 500 meters to go ahead of countryman Thor Hushovd, still clad in yellow for the fourth straight day, to win. Australian Matt Goss was set free to fly as HTC Highroad teammate Mark Cavendish didn't fancy the gritty uphill set up to the final run out of flat pavement, and finished second. For many teams, it suited their second best sprinter or lead out men; those strong men with enough kick to win a stage but perhaps don't have the top speed needed to kick past an opponent in the final 200 meters. Thus was the case for  Hagan, who would ordinarily lead out Sky's young sprinter Ben Swift. It was the perfect day to cease the moment for individual glory and write his name into the history books. The young Norwegian is a good all around rider  who also happens to sprint well too, and has featured well in past American major tours.
     For Garmin-Cervelo is was another tough day at the quarry for riders like David Zabriskie, who despite being in the bottom of the general classification is showing incredible form riding hour upon hour of tempo at 30 mph unselfishly limiting breakaways while also destroying the back of the peloton. The team continues to impress, keeping Hushovd in the yellow leader's jersey, keeping Tyler Farrar fresh for stages and a possible final-week run at the green sprint points jersey. All that while attempting to keep climbers Tom Danielson, Ryder Hesjedal, and Christian Vande Velde protected for the big mountains ahead that will decide the final overall standings. And, incidentally, David Millar remains atop the leader board only eight second in back of teammate Hushovd. It's been a marvelous play of cards by team manager Jonathan Vaughters.
     With the first week wrapping up tomorrow with a flat stage from Le Mans to Chateuroux, Garmin has been the big winner so far in the Tour. Hushovd is expected to keep the yellow jersey at least one more day and they've won two stages and almost another today.

Stage 7 prediction: The most flat stage of the Tour will be served back up to the fastest sprinters. After a lengthy stage, it will still be a healthy 218 kilometers (135 miles) and more dirty work for guys like Zabriskie. (Ah, the life of world-class cyclist. Pain and more pain.)  HTC-Highroad, which featured heavily in the pace making, especially by Colorado's Danny Pate, in the chase of the breakaway Thursday, will again pick up some of the pace making after another suspected breakaway goes from the gun.) Why? To get Mark Cavendish back in position for his second stage win. This could also be a day for American Farrar, Spain's J.J. Rojas, France's Romain Feilleu.  Expect a fast and furious final sprint. Expect Cavendish to notch No. 2 of this year's Tour with the others chasing for second.

St 5, Cavendish Fights Them Off As Peloton Beaten Up By Crashes

The peloton was beaten up by crashes caused by crosswinds, narrow roads and jitters during Wednesday's Stage 5 across the northwest tip of the Brittany coast of France from Carhaix to Cap Frehel, two first-time event hosts. Casting aside all doubters, a defiant Mark Cavendish out-sprinted Stage 1-winner Philippe Gilbert, Spain's J.J. Rojas and race leader and current world-champion Thor Hushovd to win in what he called "a very hard sprint."
     Prior to Wednesday's stage, Cavendish said: "It's funny how people act isn't it? Last year I hadn't won a stage after five days and people were doubting me. I went on to win quite a few stages, didn't I?"  The bravado of Cavendish is actually his salvation. And, if you meet him, no one is more cocksure or determined to win in a head-to-head sprint. His lead out train of Bernhard Eisel,  Matt Goss and Mark Renshaw is second to none and have dominated in recent years.  Cavendish said because his team has dominated that the organizers have made the sprint more difficult to offset that dominace.
     The Manx Missile has now won an amazing 16 stages in five years and this Tour could serve up as many as five to six additional opportunities to win.
     Cavendish delivered for his team HTC-Highroad in what could be classified as a dicey sprint, noting a downhill section with a tailwind at less than 2 kilometers to go really revved up the speeds. The finish was slightly uphill and narrow. It wasn't for the faint at heart. But then again, no world-class sprinter thinks of crashing at 55 kilometers per hour.
     The crashes to avoid actually happened mostly in the second half of the race as the peloton set up before its stint along the coastline. Roads were narrow. The pack was bunched. Wheels overlapped. Former world-champion Tom Boonen and three other teammates hit the deck hard. Slovenian champion Janez Brajkovic, a top 10 contender, crashed hard on his head and was taken to the hospital. On the same crash, podium contender Robert Gesink of the Netherlands crashed and flipped but still got up to finish. Several other notables went down including three-time Tour de France champion Alberto Contador and several other Radio Shack riders.
     The American greats Lance Armstrong and Greg LeMond always said there is an element of luck to avoid crash and injury for a three-week long race as intense as the Tour de France. LeMond once told me it's impossible to be in good position all the time for every hour and every inch of a 4,000 kilometer race.  To date, luck and positioning has favored Hushovd but the Norwegian also has pointed to the Tour de France like never before.' He continues to hold on to the leader's jersey with no intention of giving it up.
     Hushovd said he was tired today but responded well in the sprint, a good sign. It was his Garmin teammates, especially the unsung strong riding of David Zabriskie, Ryder Hejesdal and neo pro Ramunas Vardauskas, the Lithuanian champion, dictating the pace for more than 100 kilometers on today's stage. Team Garmin-Cervelo's General Manager Jonathan Vaughters predicted Wednesday's stage to be one of "the difficult stages of this year's Tour, with narrow roads, cross winds and positioning."
     For Cadel Evans, he remained in the cat's bird seat, only one second behind Hushovd, without the pressure of owning the yellow jersey and having his team spend energy it will need come the high Alpine stages. For all the 'luck' needed, he remained upright and out of danger while a few other contenders got dinged on the pavement. Every bump and bruise takes it toll over 22 days.

Stage 6 predictions: The peloton takes it longest stage, with a 226.5-kilometer (140 miles) swing into the Normandy region of northwest France, departing Dinan en route to Lisieux. The race features three categorized climbs with a slight uphill run into the finish. Garmin, with some tired legs after defending the yellow jersey while also winning two stages, will have to make a difficult decision: ride hard at the front and keep Hushovd in the leader's jersey, or let a breakaway of riders deep down in the G.C. go. The following day is near pancake flat, therefore, the possibility of holding it together for a sprint may be likely to get Hushovd in the yellow jersey for two more days. Garmin may try to get a couple other teams to shoulder the workload by cutting a little deal. This could be a day for Classics type rider to steal a victory or if it's a breakaway, expect it to come from a French team or Belgian rider for the win. Of all the days, this may be one of the unpredictable of this year's Tour. Many a pro cycling career have been made on days like Thursday.

St 4, Evans Edges Out Contador in Exciting Hill Finish

American teams made it three stage wins in a row, as Australian Cadel Evans of Team BMC served notice that he is an overall contender for this year's Tour de France, edging out Spain's Alberto Contador of Saxo Bank-Sungard to win Tuesday.
     The stage from Lorient to Mur-de-Bretegne, the highest point in the Brittany region of France, featured a steep two-kilometer climb that had Contador testing the mettle of his strongest opponents, which included Evans, Luxembourg's brothers Andy and Frank Schleck of team Leopard-Trek. The mighty Spanish climber tried to shake loose from the lead group on the final climb with some violent accelerations, only to be denied by the likes of Evans.
     Many had predicted the world's No. 1-ranked rider Philippe Gilbert of Belgium to win the stage but it was Evans leading out the group in the final 500 meters with Contador holding his wheel. It was Evan's bike lean that produced the win in a photo finish. Astana's Alexander Vinokourov of Kazakhstan finished third, showing he remains an overall contender, despite his age.
     American Chris Horner, a pre-event stage favorite, called the final two-kilometer finish perhaps the "toughest of he ever ridden".  Of course, he flatted about 20 kilometers before the base of the climb and had to suffer while speeding to catch back up to the main group on the climb. Due to his efforts, he kept himself in overall contention along with fellow American Levi Leipheimer.
     While Evans was the hero of the day, the unsung hero was teammate George Hincapie. The legendary American, riding in his record-tying 16th Tour de France, was the perfect set-up guy for Evans. The 37-year-old from South Carolina weeded out the pretenders from the contenders on the lower slopes of the finishing climb with a well-timed pull at the head of the pack. With the rainy, colder weather and rolling hills, he said it reminded him of the spring Classics he's done well at throughout his career.
     The biggest surprise of the day may have come from overall leader Thor Hushovd. A noted sprinter early in his career, the now 33-year-old current world champion has become a strong all-around rider who holds his own on shorter climbs. To see his yellow jersey sprinting up behind the likes of Contador and Evans was a sight to behold.  Of course, it's been said by many that when a man dons the yellow leader's jerseys at the Tour de France, he gains the strength of 10 men. (Motivation comes in many forms.) Hushovd kept the overall lead with a scant 1 second over Evans, and by decimals and points over teammate David Millar of Britain.

Stage 5 Predictions: With the bigger hills of the region behind, Wednesday's stage is relatively flat but pre-dominantly along the coastline. The winds, a traditional mainstay of the Atlantic coast, may wreak havoc if the peloton is not attentive and cause a crazy break within the peloton, causing an unpredictable winner.  Most likely, however, HTC-Highroad will be super motivated, as will their star Mark Cavendish, to win.  With Bernhard Eisel, Matt Goss, and Mark Renshaw, this is a group that seldom misses twice in a row. The fact remains that two days ago, Garmin-Cervelo broke the HTC-Highroad chain by heavy accelerations before HTC could put Cavendish in perfect position. With the way Farrar is sprinting (see intermediate sprint in Stage 4), who's to say the American can't repeat his performance from Sunday. But, even money is with a very motivated Cavendish, who simple hates to loose.

Argyle-Clad Garmin Cervelo Put In Super Powered TTT for Historic Tour Win

Perhaps it was the argyle. The more likely difference: the human engines under the Garmin-Cervelo hood. 

Team Garmin-Cervelo went back to its roots, donning its now-famous argyle pattern that had been dormant most of the year. It was like Notre Dame bringing out the green jerseys. And, it paid off with a bit of magic.

In one of the most dramatic team time trials in Tour de France history, the Denver-based Garmin-Cervelo team broke the event's record-speed for a team time trail averaging 59.4 kph (or almost 38 mph). (If you've never rode a bike, stick your head out the window in your next car ride, look at the ground, than look up and feel the wind through your hair and compare. Now imagine pedaling a bike that fast.) 

A couple of quick facts: time trial bikes are a little under 14 pounds, the international limit, and athletes work on aerodynamics, including stints in the off season in wind tunnels, to shave seconds off their time. That's exactly what many of the Garmin-Cervelo riders did in the off season, including testing new helmet technology by their helmet sponsor Giro. With the extra motivation to win the club's first-ever Tour de France stage and deliver world-champion Thor Hushovd into the leader's jersey, Garmin-Cervelo provided an impressive and measured pace throughout the course. Only Team Sky of Great Britain could maintain or surpass the time posted at time checks by the American squad. And, it was Hushovd, not the suspected six-time U.S. National Time Trial Champion David Zabriskie, who cranked up the pace in the final kilometer to lead his team to the finish line. It yielded 'the God of Thunder' the leader's jersey for the third time in his career. It was a far cry from the day he dropped out of the Amgen Tour of California after the stage into Paso Robles. On that day, I ran into Thor with his suitcase in hand looking for ride back to a location where he'd be picked up and carted to LAX airport. At that time, he said: "I'm empty, especially after the Classics season. I need to rest and get back on track for the Tour." 

The rest has worked for Hushovd.

For the Garmin-Cervelo team, the day was theirs, winning the stage and the yellow leader's jersey. 

"It was really a team effort," said an emotional Jonathan Vaughters, a Denver resident and Garmin's general manager, after the race. "I mean a real team effort, from mechanics to soigneurs to the guys in the wind tunnel. This is something we dreamed about."

This year's team time trial of the Tour de France was a sign of the times. Four of the top teams finishing Sunday's team time trial were American-based squads. Another was from Luxembourg (Leopard-Trek) and another from Great Britain (Sky),  a big difference from a generation ago that was dominated by Dutch, French, Belgian and Italian teams. A time trial is usually a sign of not only good athletes but the strength of the overall organization. 

For example, BMC has built its team behind leadership baked in the old 7-Eleven and Motorola teams of the 1980s and 1990s with legendary American pioneer Jim Ochowicz. The somewhat surprise showing of BMC spoke volumes of the elevation of the American team based in Santa Rosa, Calif. Team HTC-Highroad, which rode almost the entire race without Austrian strongman Bernhard Eisel, was a top 5 finisher and Team Radioshack was sixth with veterans Chris Horner and Levi Leipheimer.

Hushovd will have a chance to keep his leader's jersey Monday, but the Garmin-Cervelo team will have to calculate their energy in defense of the jersey. With several G.C. contenders, as well as top sprinters, Vaughter's biggest dilemma is which cards to play on a day that will be mostly flat. 

Stage 3 prediction: With a ton of energy expounded by top sprinters Tyler Farrar and Mark Cavendish in Sunday's Team Time Trial, it will be interesting to see how their legs respond in one of the Tour's longer stages, a 198 kilometer (123 mi.) mostly flat stage to Redon. The race should start with a tailwind and produce an immediate breakaway. Expect the French teams to offer themselves up to the camera gods while Garmin measures its effort on when and where to chase. Their motivation is two fold, a stage win for Farrar and another day in yellow for Hushovd. If they do chase, expect Cavendish to be led out by a very motivated team behind Mark Renshaw and Bernhard Eisel for the win. But, look for a Hushovd lead out for Farrar not far behind. The fast, mostly straight run-in gives credence to an HTC win. No team cues it up better.  Movistar's J.J. Rojas, with a bit more fresh legs, could be a sleeper.

St. 3, American Tyler Farrar Celebrates 4th of July With First Tour Win

On America's Independence Day, Tyler Farrar gave his U.S.-based team something more to celebrate at this year's Tour de France, as the Washington-state native notched Garmin-Cervelo's second consecutive win while keeping current world-champion and teammate Thor Hushovd in the yellow leader's jersey.
     It was Farrar's first individual win in the world's biggest bike race, after multiple wins in the Tour of Spain and Tour of Italy. It was a poignant moment for the 27-year-old sprinter as he dedicated his win to close friend Wouter Weylandt, a Belgian rider Farrar had trained with extensively while coming into the pro circuit, who died after a crash in this past May's Tour of Italy.
     "I was saw Wouter's dad before the Tour and he said to win a stage for Wouter and I did," Farrar said, smiling with a crack of emotion in his voice.
     The win was poetic in more ways than one. Farrar had finally defeated rival Mark Cavendish, a British rider racing for the American HTC-Highroad team. Cavendish has amassed an amazing 15 stage wins at the Tour de France in his brief five-year pro career. Considered "the world's fastest man on two wheels", Cavendish got strung out of position on the final turn heading to the finish line and couldn't recover, finishing fifth in Monday's stage from Olonne-Sur-Mer to Redon.
     Farrar followed a perfect lead out from teammates Julian Dean and the yellow-clad Hushovd, giving the Garmin team reason to celebrate for the second day in a row. So far, the Colorado-based team has been the biggest story of the 2011 Tour de France.
     Tuesday's stage routes through the cycling-crazy land of Brittany, departing from the coastal town of Lorient to Mur-de-Bretagne, a 172-kilometer (106.6 mile) jaunt that will route inland to a steep two-kilometer uphill finish. The route is cut through a 300-million-year-old sandstone and slate valleys in an area reputed to be at one point within 100 kilometers of the the south pole as part of the Pangea.

Stage 4 Predictions: With rolling terrain and potential early crosswinds, coupled with the steep last kilometers, do not expect to see any sprinters hunting for a stage win Tuesday. More likely, you will see an emergence of several overall contenders hovering around ready to swoop in at the opportunity to grab the yellow fleece. American Chris Horner of Radio Shack, Stage one winner and the world's No. 1-ranked rider Philippe Gilbert, France's Thomas Voekler, Olympic gold-medalist Sammy Sanchez, and even the likes of three-time Tour winner Alberto Contador (looking to make up lost time) and Alexander Vinokourov could jump from the pack to win. All can accelerate violently on short steep climbs. The man that would seem to be most marked: Cadel Evans, only one second back from Hushovd, but powerful on shorter, steep climbs.  It wouldn't be all that shocking to see another American win for the second day in row with Horner on the top of the day's podium.

(NOTE: Steve Brunner is a staff member of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge. He has covered 10 Tours de France with articles in USA Today, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, and Boulder Daily Camera. HIs blog on the Tour de France will post daily.)