The have the same letters, begin the same and end the same way yet swapping over the 'A' and 'I' gives different emphasis to the words. Take Alberto Contador for example. The Team Time Trial is more about making up some time on his rivals, yet it is one of his weaker disciplines. So could he lose yet more time making it a Time Time Trail for Contador, and an opportunity for the others to stick the boot in. The 23km circuit is unspectacular, short and should make for some quick times as the riders go full guns the whole way. Team Sky, Garmin Cervelo and maybe even HTC or Saxo Bank could fight it out today for the win and potentially the Yellow Jersey. Philippe Gilbert starts in Yellow but it's Saxo Bank and Contador who start off the preceedings.
The clock stops when the first 5 riders of the 9 man team cross the line, so losing a few along the way won't matter, although it will mean longer turns at the front for everyone else.
Saxo Bank post the best time of the day to start with. 25minutes and 16 seconds. Mainly because it's the only time so far. That said Euskatel and Vacansoliel follow without threatening the time.
AG2R get closer than the others but still Saxo Bank lead the way, that is until Rabobank come and take 16 seconds off them with a 25minutes dead time. That's an average of 55kph (33mph!).
Garmin leave the ramps and are tearing up the course, quicker by far on all the splits.
Final time of 24mins 48 seconds takes 12 seconds off Rabobank a
nd a full 28seconds quicker than Saxo Bank. Oh dear Alberto!! David Millar's speciality may just have done enough to put Hushovd into the Yellow jersey by virtue of the fact he finished slightly ahead of him yesterday.......
Sky leave the start ramp, will they be able to eclipse Garmin and get Geraint into Yellow?
Splits are suggesting they are fractionally slower 40mph to Garmins 41mph!
Sky cross the line in 24mins 52secs, 4 seconds behind Garmin. No Yellow for Geraint then :( just the White Jersey ; )
Out on the road Radioshack, Katusha and the other teams aren't threatening. HTC are pushing but are several seconds down at the splits. HTC finish to slot in behind Sky.
Mean while Cadel Evans BMC team are surprising everyone with some quick split times. He was 3 seconds ahead of Hushovd going into today's stage so could take Yellow!
Leopard Trek finish a few seconds down on Garmin; HTC, Sky and Leopard all within a whisker of each other.
BMC cross the line in 24minutes and 52seconds!
Cadel Evans misses out on the Yellow Jersey by 1 second! Thor Hushovd will be in Yellow for tomorrow's stage as Gilberts Omega Pharma-Lotto and doing decidedly average out on the course.
So where does this leave everyone?
Hushovd is in Yellow with Millar on the same time and Evans 1 second behind.
4 seconds behind Hushovd is Geraint, Wiggins, Boasson Haagen (Sky), the Schlecks and Cancellara.
5 seconds down is Cav, Swift is 11 seconds down and languishing in a lowly 75th is Alberto Contador 1minute 42 off the Yellow Jersey.
So yet more time lost by Contador, his rivals must be loving this, but discount him at your peril, tainted he may be, talented he is definitely.
Away from today's stage the Tour is covering a total of 3430.5km in it's three week duration. That's roughly 2059miles, in a loop around France. Impressive in three weeks. However these are professional athletes who's job it is to ride bikes.
Much more impressive is the feat of riding 4262 miles from the East Coast of the USA to the West Coast. In 3 months.
This is exactly what my good friend Matthew Farrer is undertaking as I type. He is more or less 3/4 of the way across have traversed mountains, plains, middle America and much more besides.
If you get a chance pedal on over to his blog:
the pics are awesome and it's a good read. Wish him well and be inspired!
Keep it up Matt!
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