Here it is. Today will certainly end in a sprint finish.



The moment you have all been waiting for! And... We're go!


After a few surprisingly calm opening kilometres, we have our first attackers of the Tour. Mullen (IGS) is followed by Raim (A&V). They create a small gap.


They are then joined by Le Montagner (RLM), Jacobsen (OHR) and Libscomb (HSD) to form what seems like the breakaway.


The peloton has none of it though, bringing the group back. Le Montagner attacks 5km from the solitary climb. No-one else seems interested.


We have our first puncture of the Tour! Jabrayilov (SYB) is the unlucky one.


Raim decides to try again, and joins up with Le Montagner.


After a neck-and-neck battle, the Frenchman takes the single KoM point, and will wear the jersey tomorrow.


Martz (HSD) joins up with the leaders and we have our break of the day with all young riders.


With 118km to go, Aristi (EUK) becomes the 2nd puncture victim.

105km: The break has its largest gap of 7 minutes.


70km:Le Montagner also wins at the Intermediate Sprint. In the peloton, Briggs and Blain of Raleigh come in ahead.


After Tirol paced for most of the race, LA-Antarte, Euskadi and Raleigh are now doing the work.

29km: Salazar (4-72) punctures.


7.7km: The break is finally caught. Due to the chasing, there are no real trains as of yet.

Ian Wilkinson will get no help from his UK Youth teammates. Not even his leadout man Chris Opie, who is at the back in that picture.


6.5km: The sprinters are now marginally more organised. Briggs has the wheel of Blain, while Barbero is at the back of the relay train.


3.5km: We now have two distinct trains:

Oliphant (RAL)
Blain (RAL)
Briggs (RAL)
Wilkinson (UKY)
Pinto (LAA)
Manan (SYB)

Nankervis (BIS)

McCauley (DPC)

It's a great leadout from Orbe! He gets the Euskadi train back on level terms. The two leadout men are quite similar, so it looks like it will be between Briggs, Barbero and Wilkinson.


The UK Youth man gets the early jump! Surely he will take it!


It's a photo finish! Either Barbero or Pinto has taken it. Wilkinson takes a good 3rd, while Briggs disappoints in 4th. Synergy-Baku have something to celebrate, as Manan takes 5th. But.. Who's won it?

With a small hill towards the finish, expect the punchers to be on top here.


After 20 uneventful kilometres, we have the first break. The escapees are
Zimine (RLM)
Magner (HSD)
Buchacek (BAU)
Moss (IGS)
Goovaerts (3M)



They wouldn't last, but Zimine attacked before the sprint, and he was followed by Buchacek and Goovaerts. The peloton let this smaller group get away.


The first Cat. 3 climb was won by Goovaerts[/b], while Zimine was dropped and caught by the peloton.


Buchacek just took the Cat. 2.


In defense of their yellow jersey, Euskadi were commiting several men to the chase.


We finally had our first crash of the stage. Schweizer (SYB) was the unlucky one.


34km: Lalouette (RLM) attacks, as he tries to evade the favourites.


20km: With the Frenchman still ahead, Boily (A&V), Skjerping (TJM), Agarkov (ISD) and Sulzburger (DPC) try to get away, however Euskadi is just too strong.


15km: Onto the last hill and the 3 leaders are still ahead. They hold a 1 minute lead over the advancing peloton.


14km: Rigaux (3M) with a puncture.


Meanwhile, Agarkov and Sulzburger try another move. Can they make it stick?


10.5km: Lalouette is first over the climb, followed by Sulzburger and then the peloton.


9km: Big split! 151 riders are behind! The 2 are still ahead, being chased by 43 men.

7km: It is all back together.


4.5km: Still no organisation for the sprint. Tirol are pacing hard, catching a lead group of 7, including the 2 earlier leaders, Barbero and Pinto.


4km: 32 riders are now dropped. 9 more are even futher behind.


3km: The sprint has started. Still no organisation, as a line of riders stretches across the road.


Pinto will have to come back from very far behind.


2km: Blain (RAL), Totschnig (TIR), Partridge (UKY) and Bizkarra (EUK) lead the sprint. The yellow jersey is being blocked.


1km: Blain still leads, but Totschnig is coming fast.


But out of nowhere we see yellow! Barbero and Rossi (MKT) are coming fast from behind. Surely the Top 2!


And Barbero takes it! And from way behind, Pinto takes 2nd! He would've won though with 50 metres more, despite a 3km sprint.