Sérgio Paulinho 21 years after Acacio Da Silva.

Patience and experience earned Team RadioShack’s Portuguese rider Sérgio Paulinho his first individual stage victory in Wednesday’s Tour de France stage from Chambéry to Gap. Part of a day-long break of six riders that included two Frenchmen, Paulinho celebrated Bastille Day in his own way by taking the win by half a wheel length over Vasili Kiryienka of Caisse d’Epargne. Riding in his third Tour de France, 30-year old Paulinho was part of the 2009 Team Time Trial victory and also won the silver medal in the 2004 Athens Olympics as well as a stage in the Tour of Spain in 2006.

With 15k to go Paulinho and Kiryienka pulled away from their breakaway companions to go for the stage win. The duo shared the work load on the road, but coming under the red kite with 1k to go, Paulinho positioned himself in the perfect spot on Kiryienka’s wheel. Watching and waiting, he dug deep for an explosive sprint that put him across the line just in front of the rider from Belarus.

“It was very close,” commented Sérgio Paulinho, “but it doesn’t matter if you win with half a wheel or with a 30 second difference. When Team Director Dirk Demol told me that Kyryienka and I had a one- minute advantage, I felt confident, even if I suffered a lot. I stayed in the wheel for 300 meters and then I gave everything in the last 50 meters. Mario Aerts was strong too but he attacked too early and lost his chances on a win.“

“Sérgio rode great,” said Team leader Lance Armstrong in Gap. “He rode smart and beat him in the sprint. This is a great result for the Team.”

It was a big morale booster for Team RadioShack after a tough eleven days of racing that saw plenty of bad luck for The Shack, including the end of Lance Armstrong’s efforts to secure an unprecedented eighth Tour win after losing time on Sunday’s stage seven.

“I am convinced we can win more stages,” said Sports Team Manager Johan Bruyneel. “ For now I am so happy for Sérgio. He was strong today and deserves this victory. He’s a guy that always sacrifices himself for the Team. He’s a very strong rider and never thinks about himself. To see him shine and win a stage in the Tour de France I’m very happy for him and Team RadioShack.”

“I hope indeed to help others win a stage too,” continued stage winner Paulinho. “Our main goal however remains to get Levi Leipheimer on the final podium in Paris and to win the Teams Classification. Caisse d’Epargne is a big competitor for that classification. We could not let Kyryienka go in a successful breakaway without a Team RadioShack rider present too.”

Twenty-one years after Acacio Da Silva, a Portuguese rider wins a stage in the Tour de France. “I hope there will be more Portuguese riders in the coming years. For me, this is my biggest performance in my career. Even nicer than my silver medal at the Olympic Games in Athens. The Tour de France is the biggest bike race on earth. Winning a stage here is the maximum you can achieve as a rider.”

Top Ten Results Tour de France, Stage 10, Chambéry-Gap, 179 km

1 Sérgio Paulinho (Team Radioshack) 5:10:56; 2 Vasili Kiryienka; 3 Dries Devenyns 01:29; 4 Pierre Rolland; 5 Mario Aerts 01:33; 6 Maxime Bouet 3:20; 7 Nicolas Roche 12:58; 8 Rémi Pauriol 13:57; 9 Mark Cavendish 14:19; 10 Alessandro Petacchi

General Classification after Stage 10

1 Andy Schleck 49:00:56; 2 Alberto Contador 00:41; 3 Samuel Sánchez 02:45; 4 Denis Menchov 02:58; 5 Jurgen Van den Broeck 03:31; 6 Levi Leipheimer (Team RadioShack) 03:59; 7 Robert Gesink 04:22; 8 Luis León Sánchez 04:41; 9 Joaquín Rodriguez 05:08; 10 Ivan Basso 05:09

Thor Hushovd Tour de France © Tim de Waele

Cervélo’s Thor Hushovd (NOR) picked up more points Wednesday as the fight for the green jersey heated up along with temperatures in the 179 km 10th stage from Chambéry to Gap.

Hushovd finished second in the day’s first intermediate sprint to snag four points and then crossed the line 11th to snag 10 points to defend the green jersey. Hushovd leads archrival Alessandro Petacchi (ITA) 138-131, with Robbie McEwen (AUS) third with 116.

“It was horrible today. It was very hard again today. The heat made the stage twice as hard. I suffered like everyone else,” Hushovd said. “The big battle for the green jersey started today, now every point matters. We will have to battle every day like this. I have to grab points when I can. I am going to try to win another stage. That would be the best way to gain points. It will be a real battle all the way to Paris.”

Sergio Paulinho (POR) won out of a breakaway while Andy Schleck (LUX) retained the race leader’s jersey as the main pack finished 14:19 back. Cervélo’s Carlos Sastre (ESP) finished safely in the main pack to slot into 16th overall at 7:13 back.

“After yesterday’s beating, today’s stage was more or less a relax day between the ‘roosters that are in this corral,’ because everyone was truly tired,” Sastre said. “The start was very fast and there was a strong headwind, which delayed the day’s main breakaway from forming. For the rest of it, it was a hard stage, with a lot of heat. The peloton decided to take it easy, because not only was it hard, it was pretty hilly as well. Tomorrow we have a stage more or less tranquil before we enter the mountains once again.”

With finish-line points still up for grabs down to 20th place, the sprinters battled for the bunch sprint, with Mark Cavendish (GBR) leading the pack with ninth, Petacchi 10th and Hushovd 11th.

The 97th Tour continues Thursday with the 184.5 km 11th stage from Sisteron to Bourg-lès-Valence. The stage features one minor climb in the first hour before a rolling approach toward the finish line. It will likely be the last chance for the sprinters before the Tour turns into the Pyrénées this weekend.

“Tomorrow there should be a sprint. There will be sprints in Bordeaux and Paris, so it could be the last chance before the Pyrénées,” said Cervélo sport director Jean-Paul van Poppel. “The fight for the green jersey could come down to the final stage in Paris. The final week is very hard and that is better for Thor. He gets through the mountains the best of all the sprinters.”

World champion Cadel Evans of the BMC Racing Team comfortably cruised in with the peloton on a relaxed stage of the Tour de France Wednesday.

‘Felt Much Better’

Riding with a fractured left elbow from a crash on Sunday, Evans called it “a good sign” that he felt better during the 179-kilometer race. “I felt much better but obviously it was a different kind of race today,” Evans said. The Australian will undergo additional X-rays later this week to determine if there is any displacement of the injury. Evans finished 44th on the day as Sergio Paulinho (Team RadioShack) won from a breakaway.

Carlos Sastre Stage 9 Tour de France © Tim de Waele

A fracture in his left elbow kept Cadel Evans of the BMC Racing Team from defending his lead Tuesday on a challenging mountain stage at the Tour de France.

Final Climb Too Difficult

The world champion lost contact on the slopes of the Col de la Madeleine and saw the yellow jersey slip from his shoulders after only one day in the lead. After Evans arrived at the finish in 42nd place, 8:09 behind stage winner Sandy Casar (Francaise Des Jeux), BMC Racing Team President Jim Ochowicz revealed Evans had broken his elbow in a crash in the opening kilometers of Sunday’s stage.

Teammates Didn’t Know

“We decided not to tell anybody about it and try and fake it through the race,” Ochowicz said. “We didn’t want to let our competitors know and have them attacking him during the race on the early climbs. We weren’t sure what the outcome was going to be. He doesn’t have full mobility in his elbow, so he had difficulty staying with the group. At the end, the injury just overwhelmed him.”

Suffering, But With Pleasure

Evans said he did his best on the 204-kilometer stage, given the circumstances. “I wasn’t at the same level as I was on Stage 8,” he said. “I had a big crash at the start of that day and I’m really paying for the consequences from that. I suffer on my bike every day but I do it with pleasure. The guys and the team have supported me and believed in me in this whole project. I’m so sorry to have let them all down.”

Injury Discovered Sunday

BMC Racing Team’s Dr. Max Testa said X-rays taken Sunday at a clinic in Morzine revealed the fracture. Evans will continue in the race unless there is a risk of permanent damage, Testa said. “It’s a stable fracture – small – but very painful,” he said. “Cadel is a super tough guy so he managed very well. He did as much as any human could do.”

Cervélo TestTeam’s Thor Hushovd (NOR) picked up more points to tighten his grip on the green jersey Tuesday at the 2010 Tour de France while teammate Carlos Sastre (ESP) saw his podium hopes fade.

The 2008 Tour champion lost contact over the “hors-categorie” Col de la Madeleine late in the five-climb, 204.5 km ninth stage from Morzine to Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne in another attack-riddled stage in the Alps.

Sastre crossed the line 27th at 4:55 back and settled into 15th at 7:13 behind. Sandy Casar (FRA) won the stage out of a breakaway and Andy Schleck (LUX) snagged the yellow jersey in a grueling battle as the Tour clicked back into gear following Monday’s rest day.

“Today was a very difficult stage for me and I didn’t know what to expect. I had a good rest day Monday. I tried to do the right things. I trained well, but I didn’t feel good from the start of the stage and I suffered as much as I could,” Sastre said. “Even though I had faint hopes of staying with the best in this Tour, now I believe it’s frankly quite difficult. I haven’t given up hope or stopped enjoying what the Tour is, but I see that I am in a difficult position.”

Cervélo’s Volodimir Gustov (UKR) helped pace Sastre to limit the losses on a day that saw many riders lose options for overall victory. Sastre admits he will have to change his focus for the 2010 Tour.

“Now I will think in another manner. There are still a lot of mountain stages, hard stages and maybe I can have a good moment and I can be ahead,” Sastre said. “I will try to leave my stamp on this race that for me always has been the most important for me and one that I’ve always tried to enjoy.”

With the climbers attacking on the Madeleine, Hushovd worked into a group of riders to finish safely within the time limit in 159th place, but not before the Norwegian national champion won the first of two intermediate sprints to gain an extra six points in the fight for the green jersey.

Hushovd widened his lead to Alessandro Petacchi (ITA) to 124-114, with Robbie McEwen (AUS) in third with 105 points.

“It was another hard stage. It was very hot again. I was able to take the points in the first intermediate sprint,” Hushovd said. “I am looking forward to some easier stages after the Alps. The mountain stages are very hard. Maybe there will be a sprint before the Pyrénées, so I hope to be there.”

The 97th Tour continues Wednesday with the 179 km 10th stage from Chambéry to Gap. The undulating stage features three rated climbs as it pushes south along the foothills of the Alps and ends after a fast descent into Gap. The route favors a breakaway featuring non-threatening riders far behind in the GC.

World champion Cadel Evans and the rest of the BMC Racing Team enjoyed a day off from the Tour de France Monday in Morzine. Here are comments by Evans, who will start Stage 9 in the yellow jersey.

How was your first night in yellow?

“For me personally, getting the yellow jersey at the Tour is always something special. To swap the rainbow jersey for the yellow jersey is a rare honor that I have had the honor to experience. But also for the team and all the work we’ve put in together – not just for the Tour – but everyone who has been involved in building up the BMC Racing Team, it’s a nice reward. I walked down to the dinner table last night with the yellow jersey and gave it to Jacques Michaud (BMC Racing Team Assistant Director), whose birthday it was. I think he was happy to see that.”

There was a crash in Stage 8. How is your body?

“I have a very sore left arm. But the legs are still going. That’s the important thing. It’s a little bit uncomfortable right now, but hopefully by tomorrow it will come around. With another good night’s sleep, I should be all right.”

What is your rest day program?

“I’m going to try and take it as easy as possible. And do a lot of physical therapy on the left arm.”

Tour de France Stage 8 © Tim de Waele

Cervélo TestTeam’s Carlos Sastre (ESP) was rock solid in the first major mountaintop finish of the 2010 Tour de France and shot up to 12th on the leader board.

Sastre crossed the line 11th at 10 seconds behind stage-winner Andy Schleck (LUX). Sastre finished with the same time as new race leader Cadel Evans (AUS) and climbed into 12th overall at 2:40 back.

“I am satisfied with today’s stage. I was with the leaders of the race and I didn’t lose time to any important riders in this Tour de France. It was a very hard stage today,” Sastre said. “The last two kilometers were hard, but the last 15 kilometers were very hard. We were there and I had the support from my teammates that I needed.”

The five-climb stage saw an early breakaway peel off the front, but they were not going to get too far down the road with all the GC favorites gunning for the stage.

Temperatures once again climbed into the 90s and Cervélo’s Ignatas Konovalovas (LTU) was spotted riding with an ice bag on his neck in an effort to keep cool.

Action heated up on the Cat. 1 Col de la Ramaz with 34.5km to go when seven-time Tour champion Lance Armstrong (USA) was dropped after crashing. Sastre and Volodymir Gustov (UKR) made it safely over the climbs to hit the base of the final, 13.6km climb up to Avoriaz in good position.

Sastre remained steady with the front group until the final attacks came in the closing two kilometers of the stage. Sastre was able to mark the attacks and finish with the lead group of favorites just behind Schleck and runner-up Samuel Sánchez (ESP).

Cervélo’s Thor Hushovd (NOR) finished with the “gruppetto” in 181st at 32:34 back and kept the green points jersey as none of his major rivals picked up any points on this stage well-suited for the climbers.

Cervélo sport director Jean-Paul van Poppel (NED) expressed satisfaction with how the Tour has unfolded so far.

“I am really happy with today’s stage. You see that the first mountain stage and only 13 riders are left in the final, and Carlos is there. We also saw other riders have some troubles. It’s a wonderful start, because we know we only get better from here,” Van Poppel said. “We got the green jersey in the start of the first week. Now Carlos is doing well in the climbs in the first Alps in stage 8. We can be no more than very happy.”

Cervélo riders and staff take a breather Monday in the first of two rest days. Cervélo is staying in Morzine, right at the base of the Avoriaz climb, so there won’t be a long, uncomfortable transfer to another part of France. The team will hold a press conference early Monday morning and then go on a light training ride to keep the legs fresh.

The 97th Tour clicks back into gear Tuesday with the 204.5km ninth stage from Morzine to Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne. The stage features five climbs, including the “hors categorie” Col de la Madeleine at 172.5km. From the summit, there’s a long, technical descent before 13km of flats to the finish line.

evans in yellow

World champion Cadel Evans earned the BMC Racing Team its first yellow jersey Sunday after recovering from an early-race crash on a mountainous day at the Tour de France.

Leads By 20 Seconds

Evans finished sixth on the 189-kilometer stage over five climbs, 10 seconds behind stage winner Andy Schleck (Team Saxo Bank), whom he leads overall by 20 seconds. Evans said a crash fewer than 10 km into the race made for a dramatic day. “I didn’t have time to react,” he said. “I went down pretty hard on my left side. Fortunately, my legs didn’t take it. I took it all in my left arm, which is pretty sore. Fortunately, I made it to the finish.”

Second Time In Yellow

Evans is the first reigning world champion to wear the maillot jaune since Tom Boonen (2006) and one of five Australians to lead the Tour de France, joining Phil Anderson (1981, 1982) and Stuart O’Grady (1998, 2001), Bradley McGee (2003) and Robbie McEwen (2004). In five previous Tour de France appearances, Evans has led the Tour one other time (2008) and finished second overall twice (2007, 2008).

Satisfying For Ochowicz

President Jim Ochowicz said earning the yellow jersey in the BMC Racing Team’s first Tour appearance confirms the commitment the team made when it signed Evans. “All the riders and staff have done hard work for him all season and up to today and they’ll continue to do so,” Ochowicz said. “For me, this is a personal victory. Going back to my first yellow jersey with Alex Steida, then Steve Bauer, then Sean Yates, and now Cadel Evans. It’s great to be in that circle of people.”

Tour stage 3 c tim de Wilde

Cervélo TestTeam’s Thor Hushovd (NOR) won Tuesday’s grueling race across the cobblestones in the 213km third stage from Wanze, Belgium to Arenberg, France and claimed the green points jersey.

Hushovd won his ninth career Tour stage victory in dramatic fashion in a rough-and-tumble stage across the bumpy cobblestones roads featured in the Paris-Roubaix classic.

Cervélo rode a near-perfect race to put Hushovd in ideal position into an elite, six-man leading group coming out of the last of seven cobblestone sections.

“To win on this day on the cobblestones really means a lot to me. The team was perfect today. I really want to compliment them. They were really motivated and they gave me so much help to keep me in a good position.” Hushovd said. “I needed to stay in the front group and avoid trouble, I knew I would have a good chance. That’s what I did and I was able to win. I am really proud to win today. It was a special stage, and a nice win. I have had my eye on this stage for awhile and it’s great that it worked out. I am really satisfied. It was nice to win in the Norwegian national jersey, but I am also happy that I know have the green jersey.”

Cervélo surged to the front once the main pack hit the first of seven sections of rough, cobblestoned roads. The pace and tension increased, but Cervélo kept Hushovd safely at the front of the bunch and away from the crashes creating havoc in the main pack.

“This is a great victory. This is the stage we wanted the most. Everyone on the team knew what they had to do and we really pulled it off,” said Cervélo sport director Jean-Paul van Poppel (NED). “The team was perfect. Thor was right at the front in all the critical cobblestones and then he made a great sprint to win.”

“The team came together with about 80 km to go. We really pushed hard to put Thor near the front. Our man had the big motor today – not one on the bike, but in his legs! – and he had some luck, said Andreas Klier (GER), after the race. “It’s a great victory for Thor and a great victory for the team. Yesterday, we had the bad luck – today we have the good luck. Today makes up for all the disappointment. Thor just rode from A-to-B, like he’s always done. This is a beautiful victory over the cobblestones.”

Cervélo GC captain Carlos Sastre (ESP) survived a potentially dangerous stage, finishing in a big group of overall contenders with 54th at 2:25 back.

With the stage victory, Hushovd also swapped his Norwegian national champion for the green points jersey, which he won twice (2005, 2009) and hopes to win for a third time this year. Hushovd takes the lead with 63 points, with new best young rider Geraint Thomas (GBR) in second with 49 points and Sylvain Chavanel (FRA) in third with 44 points.

“The green jersey is back on his shoulders and it came after a beautiful win on the cobblestones,” Van Poppel said. “The green jersey was just a matter of time, because Thor has been the best rider in the first four days of the Tour.”

“It’s a great day for the team. We have pain everywhere, but it’s a nice day. We had about 100 km that were pretty easy. In the end, before the second cobble section, we tried to keep our team at the front. Andreas (Klier) and I went to the front after the second cobbles section, and then the other guys took over to help Thor,” said Ignatas Konovalovas (LIT), riding in his first Tour de France. “Victory is always good. When you win or when a teammate wins, you forget what had happened yesterday, or maybe last month. I have raced the cobbles before, but never Roubaix or Flanders. It was a big day today.

The 97th Tour continues Wednesday with the 153.5 km fourth stage from Cambrai to Reims. The relatively short stage features some rolling hills and should provide Hushovd with another shot at a sprint victory and the chance to tighten his grip on the green jersey

stage 2

A gentleman’s agreement among the top riders not to challenge for the stage after several big stars were involved in crashes foiled a chance for Cervélo TestTeam’s Thor Hushovd (NOR) to win Monday’s second stage at the Tour de France.

Sylvain Chavanel (FRA) won the stage and claimed the yellow jersey in a controversial stage that saw riders protest dangerous racing conditions and not challenge for the final sprint.

Cervélo TestTeam was working had to set up Hushovd for a run at the stage victory when a heavy fall involving many of the GC favorites took the fight out of the peloton late in Monday’s 201 km second stage from Brussels to Spa across the short but steep hills of eastern Belgium.

“I feel frustrated by what happened today. Our team was working hard and we would have had a good chance for victory. I feel like they have taken something away from us today. There were a few sprinters who did not make it to the front group, but there was no reason to not contest the sprint today,” Hushovd said. “Everyone made a gentleman’s agreement not to sprint, but I lost an important opportunity to try to win the stage and gain points.”

Cervélo set a brutal chase over six rated climbs in the second half of the stage, but Chavanel who was away in an early breakaway profited from an agreement among the main pack to not contest the final sprint and hung on to claim the win.

The race leaders reached an impromptu agreement and eased off the speed, after some of the top stars were involved in the spills. Consequently none of the GC favorites attacked on the day’s final climb with 12km to go.

Race organizers decided not to award finish-line points, with the lone exception of Chavanel, who also claimed the green jersey. Hushovd slotted into fifth with 26 points to Chavanel’s 44 points.

“If the crash wasn’t there, I am 100 percent sure that there would have been a sprint and Thor would have been a big favorite. What the other teams decide to do, that’s their problem. It doesn’t matter what they want or not want, our guys are really motivated,” said Cervélo sport director Jean-Paul van Poppel. “The group decided not to sprint for the points, and Thor was really upset about that. It ended up badly because of the crash. Otherwise it could have been the flowers and maybe the champagne.”

“The stage (Tuesday) will be important. Anyone can win this stage, not just a cobblestone specialist. We have very strong prospects with Thor for the stage victory. It will also be important to keep Carlos out of trouble, too. The stage should not be too difficult, because there are 13 km of cobblestones, not 60 km. I don’t have a problem seeing the cobblestones in the Tour de France. It’s part of cycling. It will be a big spectacle for the race.”

Cervélo’s Andreas Klier (GER) will be using his acumen to help the team manage the potentially explosive stage.

“I think stage 3 will be a big spectacle. The cobblestones themselves will not be so hard. Position at the arrival to the cobbles is the key. Everyone will want to be at the front, but the road is only 8 meters wide, or maybe 6 meters wide. That’s the problem. This will create chaos,” Klier said. “We’d like to win the stage with Thor and keep Carlos out of harm’s way. We have a very strong team for these cobblestones. I did not race Paris-Roubaix this year, so this will be my Paris-Roubaix for me.”

The 97th Tour continues Tuesday with the much-anticipated 213 km third stage from Wanze to Arenberg du Hainaut. The Tour returns to French roads for the first time this year with an important stage that features seven sections of bumpy cobblestoned roads.

Tour de France Stage 1 © Tim de Waele

Cervélo TestTeam’s Thor Hushovd (NOR) avoided three crashes within the final three kilometers to sprint to third in the 223.5 km first stage from Rotterdam to Brussels on Sunday at the Tour de France. Alessandro Petacchi (ITA-) won, with Mark Renshaw (AUS-Team HTC-Columbia) taking second ahead of Hushovd. Overnight leader Fabian Cancellara (SUI-Saxo Bank) was held up by the numerous spills but held onto the maillot jaune.

“Everyone wants to stay at the front, whether or not you’re a sprinter. The roads were very narrow, that’s why there were a lot of crashes, but I was able to avoid them and I was still third, so it was OK,” Hushovd said. “It was hard, really hard. I am up there for the green jersey, so I am happy.”

Team captain Carlos Sastre (ESP) avoided the most serious crashes and finished in the main pack to not lose time to his GC rivals.

A three-man breakaway pulled clear early in the second-longest stage of this year’s Tour and opened up a lead of more than seven minutes as the race traveled from Holland to Belgium, where hundreds of thousands of fans lined the course.

The main pack was hungry for a bunch sprint and Cervélo helped to set a high pace in the peloton to keep the trio within reach as the course traced the wind-blown western Dutch shore, where bridges and fields opened the peloton to the force of the heavy crosswinds. Counter-attacking riders were reeled in with 10 km to go to set up the mass sprint.

Brett Lancaster (AUS): “We pushed a lot of wind today and we did a good job to keep Thor out of the wind all day. We got through the first crash, but unfortunately, Thor got off my wheel on the sprint. I kept going and I thought for a minute I might of kept it for myself. Thor is in the points, so that’s good. It’s always nervous in the first day of the Tour. It takes five or six days to sort itself out. The first week is always chaotic.”

“It was really unbelievable today, with the number of people on the course, cheering and waving. We don’t know how many, because they stopped counting. But there’s also a negative side, due to the crowds and the noise. We also got a few crashes today, that’s normal in the first stage of a grand tour.

We did a great ride today and had the race in our hands. In the final 5 km, the team was up there to bring Thor into a good position, unfortunately there was a crash with 2.2 km to go and Thor lost a little of his position,” said Jean-Paul van Poppel, Sports Director. “In the last lead-out we were missing Jeremy Hunt (GBR), because he was caught in the crash. Brett Lancaster (AUS) did a great job, with a rising uphill finish. Thor was a little tired to make the final sprint, but he got some points for the green jersey. It was a really good start.”

Hushovd was able to avoid three major crashes in the closing kilometers as 195 riders barreled down narrow roads for the mass sprint. The Norwegian national champion claimed 26 points and slotted into third in the rankings for the green jersey, which he won last year for the second time.

“This is my first Tour de France, but the first stages are always nervous. Everyone’s fresh and wants to be at the front. The sprinter teams are there, the GC riders want to be up front,” said Cervélo’s Daniel Lloyd (GBR). “The riders at the Tour ride one centimeter or two closer to each other and they don’t give way like they do at other races. I didn’t see the crashes, but I was behind the one that caught Farrar.”

“We helped the other sprinter teams to chase down the main breakaway. It was very windy and in the end there was a big crash, said Andreas Klier (GER). “I was at the back and I only saw people lying on the ground. Now I will have a massage and dinner and tomorrow is another day.”

The 97th Tour continues in Belgium with the 201 km second stage Brussels to Spa. The course pushes east into the Ardennes region and features the first rated climbs of the 2010 Tour, six in total. The relatively short, but steep hills could create breakaway opportunities late in the stage.