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Tour de France: Stage 7 (ITT) Live Thread (Saturday, July 8, 2006)
VeloNews.com ^ | July 8, 2006 | VeloNews.com

Posted on 07/07/2006 9:52:43 PM PDT by nutmeg

Course: With a week of racing in their legs, the GC contenders finally get their day in the sun with this critical 52km time trial. The counterclockwise circuit has two distinct halves: narrow, hilly back roads at first and long, straight flat highways at the end. The final 15km are likely to be very fast with a tail wind.

History: A total of 13 Tour stages have finished in Rennes, the unofficial capital of the Brittany region, the most recent in 1994 when a massive 270km stage from Cherbourg was taken by Italian Gianluca Bortolami from a seven-man break that contained Motorola's Sean Yates - who took over the yellow jersey. That same day, Greg LeMond ended his career when he pulled out halfway through the long day. This was in sharp contrast to his victory in the 1989 time trial that finished in Rennes: LeMond used clip-on aerobars for the first time, winning the 73km TT from Dinard by 24 seconds over defending champion Pedro Delgado and 56 seconds on main rival Laurent Fignon.

Favorites: Dave Zabriskie will be the clear favorite on a course with long straightaways that could enable him to gain the maximum time in a bid to take over the yellow jersey. With Jan Ullrich and Ivan Basso not starting the Tour, the Americans Floyd Landis, Levi Leipheimer and George Hincapie and Australian Cadel Evans will all be close to the stage win; but perhaps the most interesting statistic will be the amount of time lost by the "climber" favorites, Valverde, Damiano Cunego and José Rujano.

Graphics by CyclingNews.com


TOPICS: Sports
KEYWORDS: betterthansoccer; cycling; tdf; tdfstagethread; tourdefrance
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1 posted on 07/07/2006 9:52:46 PM PDT by nutmeg
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To: nutmeg

I haven't had a chance to follow this year...who's got the Yellow Shirt thus far?


2 posted on 07/07/2006 9:55:07 PM PDT by JRios1968 (There's 3 kinds of people in this world...those who know math and those who don't.)
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Stage 6 results, stats, injury reports, etc:

VeloNews.com

CyclingNews.com

3 posted on 07/07/2006 9:56:18 PM PDT by nutmeg ("We're going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good." - Hillary Clinton 6/28/04)
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Riders take the start of the 6th stage of the 93rd Tour de France cycling race between Lisieux and Vitre, northwestern France, Friday, July 7, 2006. Overall leader Tom Boonen of Belgium is seen second from left. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)


Robbie McEwen of Australia reacts as he crosses the finish line to win the 6th stage of the 93rd Tour de France cycling race between Lisieux and Vitre, northwestern France, Friday, July 7, 2006. Tom Boonen placed third and retains the overall lead. (AP Photo/Christian Hartmann)


Overall leader Tom Boonen of Belgium puts on the yellow jersey on the podium after the 6th stage of the 93rd Tour de France cycling race between Lisieux and Vitre, northwestern France, Friday, July 7, 2006. Robbie McEwen of Australia won the stage. (AP Photo/Christian Hartmann)


Five-time Tour de France winner Bernard Hinault of France, left, talks with overall leader Tom Boonen of Belgium, on the podium after the 6th stage of the 93rd Tour de France cycling race between Lisieux and Vitre, northwestern France, Friday, July 7, 2006. Robbie McEwen of Australia won the stage. (AP Photo/Christian Hartmann)


The pack rides during the 6th stage of the 93rd Tour de France cycling race between Lisieux and Vitre, northwestern France, Friday, July 7, 2006. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

4 posted on 07/07/2006 10:13:47 PM PDT by nutmeg ("We're going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good." - Hillary Clinton 6/28/04)
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To: whattajoke; CyberCowboy777; Aeronaut; jern; concentric circles; Petronski; Voss; stylin_geek; ...
Tour de France ping!

OLN's US coverage starts Saturday at 8:30am ET/ 5:30am PT

Reports: Phil Liggett, Paul Sherwen and Bob Roll

Please FReepmail me if you want on or off my Tour de France 2006 list.

5 posted on 07/07/2006 10:17:45 PM PDT by nutmeg ("We're going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good." - Hillary Clinton 6/28/04)
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To: JRios1968

Tom Boonen of Belgium (see pics below). George Hincapie (USA - Team Discovery) had it for one day.


6 posted on 07/07/2006 10:21:41 PM PDT by nutmeg ("We're going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good." - Hillary Clinton 6/28/04)
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To: nutmeg

I hope Hincapie gets it back. The Yellow Shirt belongs to the US!!


7 posted on 07/07/2006 10:39:42 PM PDT by JRios1968 (There's 3 kinds of people in this world...those who know math and those who don't.)
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To: JRios1968

I agree! Hubby and I are rooting for George to win it all... ;-)


8 posted on 07/07/2006 10:43:50 PM PDT by nutmeg ("We're going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good." - Hillary Clinton 6/28/04)
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To: nutmeg
Oops... I should have said "see pics above"
9 posted on 07/07/2006 10:44:37 PM PDT by nutmeg ("We're going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good." - Hillary Clinton 6/28/04)
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To: Blue Jays
Hi All-

There are some FReepers one wouldn't expect to see on a Tour de France cycling thread...and supportive of the sport at that. Simply amazing.

Let's see how the standings change after this 32-mile time trial. It looks like fairly smooth terrain.

~ Blue Jays ~

10 posted on 07/07/2006 11:45:14 PM PDT by Blue Jays (Rock Hard, Ride Free)
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To: All
Coming up: Anglos vs. the rest in Tour's first long time trial
11 posted on 07/08/2006 1:52:19 AM PDT by Ready4Freddy (Why, yes, Gertie, 'purt near all my links open in a new window!)
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To: All

12 posted on 07/08/2006 2:00:47 AM PDT by Ready4Freddy (Why, yes, Gertie, 'purt near all my links open in a new window!)
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To: JRios1968

Ronaldo.


13 posted on 07/08/2006 3:18:33 AM PDT by Eurotwit (WI)
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To: nutmeg

I have picked George as my favourite as well :-)

It will be interesting to watch the TT in a few hours.

Cheers.


14 posted on 07/08/2006 3:19:39 AM PDT by Eurotwit (WI)
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To: nutmeg

On board for another day of the TdF.

Thanks for the ping.


15 posted on 07/08/2006 4:13:06 AM PDT by PeteB570 (Weapons are not toys to play with, they are tools to be used.)
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Comment #16 Removed by Moderator

To: Eurotwit

Not pulling for Thor to take it all???


17 posted on 07/08/2006 5:08:20 AM PDT by green iguana
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To: green iguana

If he shrinked 4 inches, and dropped 30 pounds :-)

Not gonna happen.

I would love for him to get a stage victory though. Defending the green jersey from last year seems too tough at this point.


18 posted on 07/08/2006 5:53:40 AM PDT by Eurotwit (WI)
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To: Eurotwit

Looks like the only US rider to fnish so far is Chris Horner @ 1' 47" off the 44' 53" pace set by Gustaf Larssen of Sverige.


19 posted on 07/08/2006 7:02:46 AM PDT by Ready4Freddy (Why, yes, Gertie, 'purt near all my links open in a new window!)
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To: All
'scuse, it's Lang of Germany setting the pace w/ a 1:02:47 split (I was reading the L'Hermatige split b4 :>( ). Lang started in 84th position, so his time has held for some ~40 riders. It also means that his time is quite vulnerable - expect the GC contenders to knock several minutes off that pace.
20 posted on 07/08/2006 7:13:30 AM PDT by Ready4Freddy (Why, yes, Gertie, 'purt near all my links open in a new window!)
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