The points at the top of the Cote de Pamiers (136.0km) were won by:
1. Yaroslav Popovych (DSC) 3pts
2. Christophe Le Mevel (C.A) 2pts
3. Alessandro Ballan (LAM) 1pt
3:09 PM Yesterday's WTF moment
We expressed surprise yesterday that the white coat and clipboard crowd at the UCI declared that they were going to weigh the top-five finishers' bikes.
We were surprised largely because that's also the way they announce random drug tests. The weight requirement is 6.8kg. It's a strange rule in that it applies to all bikes, no matter what the size, no matter what the use. In other words, a 62cm cyclo-cross bike has the same requirement as does a 48cm pursuit bike. The justification for that rule is safety... in that the UCI wants to discourage a manufacturers' race to "stupid light" bikes, bikes that compromise safety to save weight. Strangely enough, they allow teams to comply with the rule by adding little weights on the bike at the start line... hence, WTF!
Two things from cyclingnews:
15:15 CEST 136km/75km to go
Valjavec continues to set tempo for the yellow-clad Landis in the bunch, which is also on this climb. Phonak is stronger than it looked yesterday - Floyd explained this in the post-race press conference, that he told his teammates to take it easy yesterday. Axel Merckx was the only rider within cooee of Landis at the finish.
To which I say cooee? eh?
15:17 CEST 138km/73km to go
Interestingly, Landis is waring black and white shorts, as opposed to his teammates wearing yellow and green. Maybe the Phonak yellow didn't quite match with the maillot jaune. We wouldn't want a clash, would we? That would be very unhip.
What did I say yesterday? That combo was hideous. Even a Mennonite could tell...