Tomblaine to La Planche des Belles Filles

Distance: 199 kilometers.

This is the first mountain stage and it features an intermediate sprint followed by two Category 3 climbs [Col de Grosse Pierre, Col du Mont de Fourche], and finishing with the Category 1, La Planche des Belles Filles. The difference is obvious from the wardrobe changes that you will see below, and the much larger deficits between riders.

Another change is the loss of 9 more riders, 8 of whom did not show up for the start, including the lead rider on the Garmin-Sharp team, Canadian Ryder Hesjedal.

Sky Procycling, OTOH, had a great day with Bradley Wiggins putting on Yellow and Christopher Froome winning the stage and the Polka Dots, while retaining the yellow numbers and helmets of the lead team.

Bradley Wiggins ( GB – SKY – 101 ) [Yellow]
Peter Sagan (Svk-LIQ-057) [Green] 217 points
Christopher Froome ( GB – SKY – 105 ) [Polka Dot] 20 points
Rein Taaramae ( Est – COF – 081 ) 4 [White]

Team: Sky Procycling ( 101-109 ) [Yellow numbers]
Stage winner: Christopher Froome ( GB – SKY – 105 )
Combative: Luis-Leon Sanchez ( Esp – RAB – 155 ) [Red numbers]

Top Ten:

1 Bradley Wiggins ( G B – SKY – 101 )
2 Cadel Evans ( Aus – BMC – 001 ) + 00′ 10”
3 Vincenzo Nibali ( Ita – LIQ – 051 ) + 00′ 16”
4 Rein Taaramae ( Est – COF – 081 ) + 00′ 32”
5 Denis Menchov ( Rus – KAT – 131 ) + 00′ 54”
6 Haimar Zubeldia ( Esp – RNT – 019 ) + 00′ 59”
7 Maxime Monfort ( Bel – RNT – 016 ) + 01′ 09”
8 Nicolas Roche ( Irl – ALM – 079 ) + 01′ 22”
9 Christopher Froome ( G B – SKY – 105 ) + 01′ 32”
10 Michael Rogers ( Aus – SKY – 108 ) + 01′ 40”

The Rest of the Top 50:
[Read more →]

July 7^th, 2005, London

BBC In Depth and the Wikipedia articles on the bombing.