‘In the (Time) Zone'
David Olle, France, +33 66 16 909 87

Tour de France, July 3 - 25, 2010, Report Stage 20
Stage 20    Sunday, July 25    105 km     Longjumeau → Champs-Elysées

Results:
1      Mark Cavendish (GBr) Team HTC - Columbia      2:42:21      
2     Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini           
3     Julian Dean (NZl) Garmin - Transitions

Final general classification    
1      Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana      91:58:48      
2     Andy Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank     0:00:39     
3     Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank     0:02:01     

General report
170 riders finished this year's Tour de France yesterday, while a few very unlucky riders did crash in the first week, and it did affect the overall results, this is a good finish rate.  Unfortunately an important three of the injured were Frank Schelck, Lance Armstrong and Cadel Evans, all worthy GC contenders, not to mention Simon Gerrans, Tyler Farrar et al.  It's worth noting that a large amount of quality talent was removed with the few ‘unlucky'.   With the mountain climber's competition lacking spark, and only two young riders fighting for the overall, I found most of my enjoyment for the 2010 Tour amongst the sprinters.  With Petacchi's blazing return to the tour after a 6 year absence, Thor and Robbie McEwen talking big, and our Mark Renshaw removed midway through, not to mention Julian Dean's aggressive efforts, although Cavendish dominated in the end, each sprint was enthralling to watch.  Love the sprinters!

Skippy report:  final results for all the skips here:  
26     Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team     0:50:27     
37     Michael Rogers (Aus) Team HTC - Columbia     1:10:11
47     Matthew Lloyd (Aus) Omega Pharma-Lotto     1:30:02
103     Luke Roberts (Aus) Team Milram     3:04:07
149     Stuart O'Grady (Aus) Team Saxo Bank     3:42:39
152     Wesley Sulzberger (Aus) Française des Jeux     3:46:59
159     Brett Lancaster (Aus) Cervelo Test Team     3:57:00
165     Robbie McEwen (Aus) Team Katusha     4:08:28

Tomorrow:   We're out of here, we've had baguettes up to Pussy's bow, duck, duck,and more duck, and chartreuse to boot, we're off to Madrid for a wedding next Saturday, then home for August, au revoir until La Vuelta Espana (Tour of Spain) in September.

‘In the (Time) Zone'
David Olle, France, +33 66 16 909 87

Tour de France, July 3 - 25, 2010, Report Stage 19
Stage 19    Saturday, July 24    51 km     Bordeaux → Pauillac
Results
1      Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team Saxo Bank      1:00:56      
2     Tony Martin (Ger) Team HTC - Columbia     0:00:17     
3     Bert Grabsch (Ger) Team HTC - Columbia     0:01:48

General classification after stage 19    
1      Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana      89:16:27      
2     Andy Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank     0:00:39     
3     Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank     0:02:01     
4     Samuel Sánchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi     0:03:40     

General report
AC bested AS in the ITT, while Fabian Cancellara took the win.  
For anyone interested in what would happen with two riders tied on the same winning time, at the end of a tour.....the fractions of seconds from the Individual time trials, including the prologue, are counted.  Don't ask what happens if they are still tied after that....!

Photos of this morning's ride here:  http://www.twitpic.com/2872kf, http://www.twitpic.com/2874vl, http://www.twitpic.com/2890e9, and this one from last week, on the way to Revel:  http://www.twitpic.com/2893vz,

Skippy report:  Cav dedicated yesterday's win to Mark Renshaw, good on him.  (and Robbie took another 4th)

Cuisine report:  Last night's entrée was a Smoked duck salad, with a fried quail egg on top....not bad, but did not equal the night we scored a half quail entrée followed by Magret de Canard.

Tomorrow:  Stage 20    Sunday, July 25    105 km     Longjumeau → Champs-Elysées
Only the final stage in Paris remains, and the tour circus rides France's high-speed rail system to the northern city.  The Tour follows tradition, and the final stage finishes with a circuit on the Champs Elysées, a tantalizing prize for the sprinters. With this year's mountainous course, the final sprint victory will not come easily.  (from steephill.tv)

‘In the (Time) Zone'
David Olle, France, +33 66 16 909 87

Tour de France, July 3 - 25, 2010, Report Stage 17
Stage 17    Thursday, July 22    174 km     Pau → Col du Tourmalet

Results
1      Andy Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank      5:03:29      
2     Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana           
3     Joaquin Rodriguez (Spa) Team Katusha     0:01:18     

General classification after stage 17    
1     Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana     83:32:39     
2     Andy Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank     0:00:08     
3     Samuel Sánchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi     0:03:32     

General report:
Andy Schelck vs Alberto Contador, on Tourmalet, the final climb of the final hilltop finish of the 2010 Tour de France, didn't quite produce the fireworks that we all craved, but did show that AC is the best rider in the 2010 tour.  Barring mishaps in the ITT Saturday, the tour is his.

Skippy report:  
Today we saw Matty Lloyd riding a great race for his team leader Van den Broeck, Stuie O'Grady making himself almost unrecognizable, under the mask of pain, as he towed the CSC train up the first quarter of the Tourmalet, and Cadel drifting backwards as the former went forward.  Two out of three ain't bad.

Cuisine report:  Local market in Arreau today, fresh Paella (in the Pyrenees we are very close to Spain) purchased at 1pm, after we witnessed the commencement of the cooking at 9am.  Prawns, Scampi, mussels, chicken legs and the most delicious rice, two large containers for 20 euros, enough for four, but three of us did it easily.

Tomorrow:  Stage 18    Friday, July 23    190 km     Salies-de-Béarn → Bordeaux
Two stages, including the Tour's only long time trial, follow the finish on the Tourmalet before the Tour reaches its traditional finish in Paris.  The Tour turns northward and passes into the wine-growing regions of Aquitaine and the Gironde.  A flat stage running between Sailes-de-Béarn and Bordeaux offers the sprinters a chance to stretch their legs before their big appointment on the Champs Elysées.  Bordeux has hosted the Tour on 79 occasions. Only Paris has welcomed the Tour more often.  (from steephill.tv)