This is fourth stage victory for Eisel in Tour! Amazing!

and we the current opponents I think there will be many others.

Le Tour de France Stage 4


Gerdemann was in the breakaway today with Rebellin. Because all the escapes were far in the overall rankings the pack wasn't really interested in catching them


But on the second climb of the day Anton and Arroyo attacked so Rabo and Astana set a higher pace


The escapes were caught on the last climb. Gerdemann was dropped of from the pack at the same time with Lovkvist and Rogers. This climb seems to be harder that I thought


Evans made the first attack...


Andy Schleck, Contador and Menchov were right after him


At the top of the climb Evans, Andy, Menchov, Contador, Samuel Sanchez, Kloden and Valverde are in front


Valjavec, Sastre, Gesink, Zubeldia and Popovych are in the second group


While Kirchen is lost somewhere in the mountains


Contador and Sanchez are leading the group into the final metres of the stage while Menchov seems to have done enough to take the yellow jersey at the end of the day


Acceleration by Valverde...


And the Spanish champion wins in front of 2 compatriots. Yes Menchov is the yellow jersey


Kirchen finished in the pack, being now 17th at more than 2 minutes behind Menchov. Rogers and Lovkvist are far away at more than 4 minutes.


Stage
1. Alejandro Valverde Caisse d'Epargne 4h28'48
2. Samuel Sánchez Euskaltel - Euskadi s.t.
3. Alberto Contador Astana Cycling Team s.t.
4. Cadel Evans Silence - Lotto s.t.
5. Denis Menchov Rabobank s.t.
6. Andreas Klöden Agritubel s.t.
7. Andy Schleck Team CSC - Saxo Bank s.t.
8. Tadej Valjavec Quick·Step s.t.
9. Carlos Sastre LPR Brakes - Ballan s.t.
10. Robert Gesink Rabobank s.t.

Overall
1. Denis Menchov Rabobank 12h45'44
2. Cadel Evans Silence - Lotto + 2
3. Alberto Contador Astana Cycling Team + 4
4. Andreas Klöden Agritubel s.t.
5. Yaroslav Popovych Silence - Lotto s.t.
6. Haimar Zubeldia Euskaltel - Euskadi + 7
7. Alejandro Valverde Caisse d'Epargne + 12
8. Andy Schleck Team CSC - Saxo Bank + 16
9. Samuel Sánchez Euskaltel - Euskadi + 17
10. Robert Gesink Rabobank s.t.

Points
1. Bernhard Eisel Team Columbia 50
2. Fabian Cancellara Team CSC - Saxo Bank 45
3. Alejandro Valverde Caisse d'Epargne 42

Mountain
1. Linus Gerdemann Team Columbia 42
2. Blaise Sonnery AG2R La Mondiale 22
3. Davide Rebellin LPR Brakes - Ballan 22

Young: Andy Schleck Team CSC - Saxo Bank
Teams: Euskaltel - Euskadi

Le Tour de France Stage 5


Nuyens was again in a breakaway but he can't get back the polka dot jersey.


Hincapie bring us there as the fastest train but he couldn't get in the front of the pack. And now we have in our back Valverde and this guy, Pagliarini


Still when the sprint started we weren't in front


Hagen and Eisel are blocked there...


Very hard for Eisel to go threw there


But it seems that he found a space...


This is going to be close with Valverde and the Saunier riders...


But Eisel gets his second win and consolidates his lead in the points classification


Stage
1. Bernhard Eisel Team Columbia 4h29'03
2. Luciano Pagliarini Saunier Duval - Scott s.t.
3. Jesús Del Nero Saunier Duval - Scott s.t.
4. Alejandro Valverde Caisse d'Epargne s.t.
5. Edvald Boasson Hagen Team Columbia s.t.
6. Heinrich Haussler Gerolsteiner s.t.
7. Jean-Patrick Nazon AG2R La Mondiale s.t.
8. Luis León Sánchez AG2R La Mondiale s.t.
9. Leonardo Duque Cofidis, Le Crédit par Téléphone s.t.
10. Fränk Schleck Team CSC - Saxo Bank s.t.

Overall
1. Denis Menchov Rabobank 17h14'47
2. Cadel Evans Silence - Lotto + 2
3. Andreas Klöden Agritubel + 4
4. Yaroslav Popovych Silence - Lotto s.t.
5. Alberto Contador Astana Cycling Team s.t.
6. Haimar Zubeldia Euskaltel - Euskadi + 7
7. Alejandro Valverde Caisse d'Epargne + 12
8. Andy Schleck Team CSC - Saxo Bank + 16
9. Robert Gesink Rabobank + 17
10. Samuel Sánchez Euskaltel - Euskadi s.t.

Points
1. Bernhard Eisel Team Columbia 85
2. Alejandro Valverde Caisse d'Epargne 66
3. Fabian Cancellara Team CSC - Saxo Bank 45

Mountain
1. Linus Gerdemann Team Columbia 42
2. Blaise Sonnery AG2R La Mondiale 22
3. Davide Rebellin LPR Brakes - Ballan 22

Young: Andy Schleck Team CSC - Saxo Bank
Teams: Euskaltel - Euskadi

Whats happening to Kirchen in the mountains?

I don't know. It could be because of the fitness but he's 90 at the moment so no so bad. But the main reason could be that I suck in mountains when I play on hard when my opponents are in top form.

Also I think that it's time to the first real transfer news, this time they really get new contracts:

Thomas Dekker and Nick Nuyens decided to reject our offerts. Dekker will rider for Caisse d'Epargne in 2010, while Nuyens will ride for Quick Step.

At the moment we are still negociating with 5 riders: Karpets, Rojas, Haussler, Maaskant, Andy Schleck. The things could turn really bad for us there if Maaskant will refuse our offert as well.

Le Tour de France Stage 6


Big breakaway group but that won't help the escapes win today


And we are there one more time. Hincapie - Hagen - Eisel


Today Hincapie really owned them all


When Hagen took the lead only Del Nero could stay there at the front with us


Acceleration by Eisel, to show Del Nero who's the boss...


And he made a huge gap between him and the others


Third win for Eisel! Green seems to be his, but the question is: Can he acctualy lose a sprint?


Good day for Hagen. He already got a stage podium at his first Tour


Stage
1. Bernhard Eisel Team Columbia 4h39'09
2. Jesús Del Nero Saunier Duval - Scott s.t.
3. Edvald Boasson Hagen Team Columbia s.t.
4. Timofey Kritskiy Gerolsteiner s.t.
5. Luciano Pagliarini Saunier Duval - Scott s.t.
6. Pierre Rolland Crédit Agricole s.t.
7. Olaf Pollack Lampre s.t.
8. Pieter Vanspeybroeck Topsport Vlaanderen s.t.
9. Laurent Mangel AG2R La Mondiale s.t.
10. George Hincapie Team Columbia s.t.

Overall
1. Denis Menchov Rabobank 21h53'56
2. Cadel Evans Silence - Lotto + 2
3. Andreas Klöden Agritubel + 4
4. Alberto Contador Astana Cycling Team s.t.
5. Yaroslav Popovych Silence - Lotto s.t.
6. Haimar Zubeldia Euskaltel - Euskadi + 7
7. Alejandro Valverde Caisse d'Epargne + 12
8. Andy Schleck Team CSC - Saxo Bank + 16
9. Robert Gesink Rabobank + 17
10. Samuel Sánchez Euskaltel - Euskadi s.t.

Points
1. Bernhard Eisel Team Columbia 120
2. Alejandro Valverde Caisse d'Epargne 66
3. Jesús Del Nero Saunier Duval - Scott 62

Mountain
1. Linus Gerdemann Team Columbia 42
2. Blaise Sonnery AG2R La Mondiale 22
3. Davide Rebellin LPR Brakes - Ballan 22

Young: Andy Schleck Team CSC - Saxo Bank
Teams: Euskaltel - Euskadi

Le Tour de France Stage 7


Nuyens again in the breakaway.


We really seem to have a problem this Tour with the punctures. This is Rogers who has a puncture when the pack has moving really fast. 15 minutes lost at the end of the day.


With 5km left to ride today Hagen tries a knock-out as the other guys in the pack were focused on his team-mates, Eisel and Kirchen


And he won some metres before the final climb, that ended the stage opponer last year.


600 m to go Hagen is in front with almost the same speed as the guys in the pack


But Andy Schleck is coming really fast


Only a few metres...this could be Edvald's biggest win ...


And Hagen gets win! Victory at debut! 5th win for Columbia already this year in the Tour!


Good job by Eisel. He finished at the top and got some more 'green points'.


Kirchen won here last year but this time he was celebrating for the team win.


Stage
1. Edvald Boasson Hagen Team Columbia 4h10'30
2. Andy Schleck Team CSC - Saxo Bank s.t.
3. Tadej Valjavec Quick·Step + 10
4. Janez Brajkovic Astana Cycling Team s.t.
5. Alejandro Valverde Caisse d'Epargne s.t.
6. George Hincapie Team Columbia s.t.
7. Fränk Schleck Team CSC - Saxo Bank s.t.
8. Fabian Cancellara Team CSC - Saxo Bank s.t.
9. Bernhard Eisel Team Columbia s.t.
10. Vladimir Karpets Caisse d'Epargne s.t.

Overall
1. Denis Menchov Rabobank 26h04'36
2. Cadel Evans Silence - Lotto + 2
3. Andreas Klöden Agritubel + 4
4. Alberto Contador Astana Cycling Team s.t.
5. Yaroslav Popovych Silence - Lotto s.t.
6. Andy Schleck Team CSC - Saxo Bank + 6
7. Haimar Zubeldia Euskaltel - Euskadi + 7
8. Alejandro Valverde Caisse d'Epargne + 12
9. Samuel Sánchez Euskaltel - Euskadi + 17
10. Robert Gesink Rabobank s.t.

Points
1. Bernhard Eisel Team Columbia 137
2. Edvald Boasson Hagen Team Columbia 90
3. Alejandro Valverde Caisse d'Epargne 88

Mountain
1. Linus Gerdemann Team Columbia 42
2. Blaise Sonnery AG2R La Mondiale 22
3. Davide Rebellin LPR Brakes - Ballan 22

Young: Andy Schleck Team CSC - Saxo Bank
Teams: Euskaltel - Euskadi

Really amazing!

Great reporting

Honestly I think you win a tad too much, but apart from that this story is phenomenal!

so now you want me to lose a sprint with Eisel against Del Nero

Columbia rules

yeaah that was my surprise when i looked lineup..where the hell are all sprinters..
Boonen, Freire, Steegmans, Huhshovd..etc. they are something better to do..when TdF has started..?

oh really wait to see what happened in the 8th stage

they didn't want to be humiliated by me and Eisel. Now seriously Haussler is the only good sprinter but he doesn't have the right train or something happens. He is always behind when the sprint starts.

Still, you've won over half the stages you've played so far in this Tour...

as I said wait for next stage...

and 3 of the 5th wins were at sprint so it was expected

So if you're expecting to win in the sprints, maybe you should tone it down a bit in the other stages, so you don't win 11/10 stages in the Tour

not I think that I willl win just 10 with Eisel, 2 or with Kirchen, 1(already) with Hagen. That's it.