Stage 1

Passage du Gois – Mont des Alouettes

Distance: 191.5 kilometers.

The race began with a real stage this year, rather than a prologue/time trial. It started on a causeway on the west coast of France, and ran a flat, sprinter’s route until the end with a climb up the Category 4, Mont des Alouettes.

Philippe Gilbert is actually entitled to all three of the top jerseys, but you can only wear one at a time, so he chose the Yellow.

Philippe Gilbert ( Bel – OLO – 032 ) [Yellow] 4h 41′ 31″
Cadel Evans ( Aus – BMC – 141 ) [Green]
Thor Hushovd ( Nor – GRM – 051 ) [Polka Dot]
Geraint Thomas ( GBr – SKY – 117 ) 6 [White]

Team: OLO Omega Pharma – Lotto ( 031-039 ) [Yellow numbers]
Stage winner: Philippe Gilbert ( Bel – OLO – 032 )
Combative: Perrig Quemeneur ( Fra – EUC – 187 ) [Red numbers]

They’ve gone 191.5 kilometers [119.0 miles] at an average speed of 40.8 kph [25.4 mph].

OVERALL STANDINGS:

Philippe Gilbert ( Bel – OLO – 032 ) [Stage winner] [Yellow]
2 Cadel Evans ( Aus – BMC – 141 ) [Green]
3 Thor Hushovd ( Nor – GRM – 051 ) [Polka Dot]
4 Jose Joaquin Rojas ( Esp – MOV – 088 )
5 Jurgen Van Den Broeck ( Bel – OLO – 031 )
6 Geraint Thomas ( GBr – SKY – 117 ) [White]
7 Andréas Klöden ( Ger – RSH – 074 )
8 Rein Taaramae ( Est – COF – 151 )
9 Christopher Horner ( USA – RSH – 072 )
10 Tony Martin ( Ger – THR – 175 )
11 Linus Gerdemann ( Ger – LEO – 014 )
12 Frank Schleck ( Lux – LEO – 018 )
13 Peter Velits ( Svk – THR – 179 )
14 Thomas Voeckler ( Fra – EUC – 181 )
15 Damiano Cunego ( Ita – LAM – 161 )
16 David Millar ( GBr – GRM – 056 )
17 Alexandre Vinokourov ( Kaz – AST – 061 )
18 Fabian Cancellara ( Sui – LEO – 012 )
19 Nicolas Roche ( Irl – ALM – 101 )
20 Grega Bole ( Slo – LAM – 163 )

33 Andy Schleck ( Lux – LEO – 011 )
82 Alberto Contador ( Esp – SBS – 001 )
180 Perrig Quemeneur ( Fra – EUC – 187 ) [Red numbers]

Note: Wikipedia has a simple article on the Mountain classification used on the Tour. The basic fact is that climbs fall into five types, with the four numbered types decreasing in difficulty as the numbers get larger, and then there is the Hors Catégorie, literally “without category”, which generally make you look for an elevator or Sherpas.

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