News today from throughout the peloton as Michel Tomasi reports the shorts from the bunch…
Expectio Alessio
The Alessio’s team manager Valerio Tibaldi has high hopes for former Giro winner Ivan Gotti. They are wishing to see their 2nd capitain (designated leader is Dufaux) in the first 10 riders at the end of this Tour.
CA TROUBLES
An unlucky Tour until now for the french team Credit Agricole. 2 weeks before the start of this race, Francis Moreau crashed when he was training behind a motorbike at 70 km/h. Then, Hushovd got cramps yesterday almost for 40 kms, but luckely he finished the stage. Today problems also for O’Grady. He is suffering of “aritmia”- an unusually high heartbeat (which is very dangerous), and so today he was always
behind the group, helped by his team mates. But he had problems also in the first stage. In a downhill, he got into the speed-crouch, and his necklace got entangled on the bike computer. A really dangerous moment. But he broke the necklace and luckily
everything finished well.
L.A. KEEPS RUBBER SIDE DOWN
How many times has Armstrong crashed at Tour de France? In these last years, not so often,
but don’t say never. Why? Because when the speed increase, he usually stay with his team at the front
and especially on a side of the group. It’s expensive for the riders stay ahead, using a lot of menatl and physical energy, but so it’s less dangerous for the american champion.
STEELS SLACKING?
Many people were waiting for Steels at these first stages. But he doesn’t seems in a perfect condition. Also he won just 10 days ago the national championship. For example, today in a little hill of just 1-2 kms, the french tv showed a Steels in
difficult in the last positions of the group. His team manager talks about a low concentration from the Belgian rider.
FIGURING ON FREIRE
Who doesn’t have problems is Oscar Freire. The
world champion won yesterday the stage, but Serge Parsani isn’t so happy. Why? Because if
he could be more aggressive, he could win more stages. But as he is modest and he doesn’t
fight too much, he win because he is one of the strongest sprinters.
Baldato: “Here at the Tour is really difficult to do only a placing. Today it’s was really dangerous for the high speed. I caught the rear wheel of Freire, but he left the
sprint at last 100 metres. So, I only got 5th position”.