First Edition Cycling News, Sunday, July 5, 2009

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Date published:

July 5, 2009, 20:32

• Evans time trial "not bad, not great"

  

  Article published:

  July 5, 2009, 12:50

  By:

  Cyclingnews

  Australian satisfied with gap to rivals

  Cadel Evans found his time trial result in the Tour de France's opening stage "not bad, but it's not great either." The Silence-Lotto rider noted to Cyclingnews, however, that "there are quite a few time gaps already between a lot of the other overall favourites, so in that regard, it's a good start."

  Australia's Evans finished fifth, 23 seconds behind winner Fabian Cancellara (Saxo Bank)  and five seconds behind his rival for the overall title, second-placed Alberto Contador.  A fifth place finish is not bad, but he had hoped for more, saying, "I was probably a little bit more optimistic, actually."

  "I'd rather have had a few seconds advantage on Contador - it's always better to have an advantage on someone like Contador at the Tour, but... you know, it's not bad," he said.

  "It's not the ultimate start, but it's a good start. It's only 15 kilometres, and a much longer way to Paris... It's a pretty good start. I felt okay on the course, nothing special with regard to performance."

• Contador tops overall favourites

  

  Article published:

  July 5, 2009, 12:03

  By:

  Gregor Brown

  Former Tour winner impressive in Monaco time trial

  Spaniard Alberto Contador clocked the best time of the Tour de France overall contenders Saturday in Monaco. He placed second in the 15.5-kilometre opening time trial behind time trial specialist Fabian Cancellara.

  "The important thing is that I earned a moral victory, it's a sign that I'm in great shape. These seconds are useful in what will be a very tight Tour," he said.

  Contador posted a time of 19 minutes and 50 seconds. He was five seconds faster than Cadel Evans (Silence-Lotto), 12" over teammate Levi Leipheimer, 22" on teammate Lance Armstrong, 39" on Christian Vande Velde (Garmin-Slipstream), 42" on Andy Schleck (Saxo Bank), 48" on defending champion Carlos Sastre (Cervélo) and 1:13 on Giro d'Italia winner Denis Menchov (Rabobank).

  He was fastest at the midway point, at the top of Côte de Beausoleil climb. He won the mountain classification's polka dot jersey as a result.

  "It's nice to have, but I would like to change colours in a couple of weeks."

  Contador won the Tour de France in 2007. Organisers did not invite his team to the 2008 edition, but he raced and won the two other Grand Tours: the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España.

• Armstrong: I'm happy to be here

  

  Article published:

  July 4, 2009, 23:41

  By:

  Richard Moore in Monaco

  Former winner on his return to the Tour

  As expected, much of the focus on the first day of the Tour de France was on the returning seven-time winner, Lance Armstrong. With the possibility of showers later in the day the American elected to start early, and went off number 18 – at 4:18 p.m., almost three hours before the final, seeded riders. He set the leading time at one stage, clocking 20:12 at the finish line but eventually dropped to tenth, 40 seconds behind stage winner Fabian Cancellara.

  Armstrong looked strong, if not entirely at ease on his bike – an impression he confirmed after his ride. "It was very technical and hard to find a good rhythm," said Armstrong. "I’m four years away from racing, I haven’t raced since the Giro, and I did the best I could.

  "The best way to sum it up is that I had fun," he continued. "I was feeling pretty good, but I didn’t expect to win or take yellow."

  Armstrong admitted that he had felt “a little nervous” before the start. "I didn’t feel comfortable [on the bike]. It’s a long time since I had those good sensations, but I felt like I knew the course well.

  "I’m happy," he added, "I’m having fun. Even if I can’t win, I’m having a good time, and I’m happy to be here."

   

• Menchov loses time to main rivals

  

  Article published:

  July 4, 2009, 23:30

  By:

  Hedwig Kröner

  Giro champ crumbles in first Tour test

  Rabobank's Denis Menchov, winner of the 2009 Giro d'Italia, lost precious time in the opening time trial of the Tour de France in Monaco, on Saturday. Compared to his main rivals for the overall classification, the Russian was the biggest loser of the day, as he finished in 53rd position, 1:31 down on the stage winner, Fabian Cancellara, with the Swiss rider even catching him before the finish.

  Knowing Menchov's excellent time trial abilities, observers wondered if the Russian had a mechanical problem, but according to Rabobank's press officer Luuc Eisenga, the rider just "had a bad day, that can happen to anyone."

  However it wasn't just Cancellara who put significant time into Menchov. The Giro champ lost 1:13 minutes on Alberto Contador (Astana), the race favourite, 1:08 on Australian Cadel Evans (Silence-Lotto) and 1:01 on Contador's teammate Levi Leipheimer.

  "Menchov hasn't raced for one month, and couldn't find his rhythm on the parcours," Eisenga told Cyclingnews. Losing around one minute on his main rivals on a 15.5km parcours could be an indication that the Giro and Vuelta winner may not be at the top of his form at this year's Tour. Then again, as Cadel Evans pointed out, "it's only 15 kilometres, and a much longer way to Paris..."

   

• Boonen focussed on racing

  

  Article published:

  July 4, 2009, 23:20

  By:

  Hedwig Kröner

  Belgian’s reprieve leaves no room for unlucky Davis

  After the Court of Arbitration's decision to allow Tom Boonen to race the Tour de France, the Belgian sprinter was happy to line up for the start of the race in Monaco on Saturday. Not knowing about his July whereabouts for so long did not help the newly-crowned Belgian champion's focus, but he vowed that his concentration now shifted back on the racing.

  "First, I wasn't planning on coming here, but when the team left, they called my and said, 'get your suitcase and come over here,'" he told Cyclingnews before taking on the first stage's time trial. "From that moment on, I was here and then it was a 'yes' or a 'no' – I was just waiting, not really hoping for anything. As soon as I had the answer, I tried to re-focus everything on the race. As soon as we start racing, I'll be fine."

  Boonen had been unwanted by the race organisation because of his positive test for cocaine, but CAS ruled he still had every right to participate. Asked how difficult it had been to wait for the decision, he replied in his usual, laid-back manner, "Oh, you know, there are worse things in life, it's still only a bike race. If you can take the start, it's good, if you don't, then you go home and do something else."

  Boonen seems unphased by the episode, which left Australian Allan Davis out of the race. Davis, also a world-class sprinter, was Quick Step's replacement in case Boonen remained excluded, and even attended the Tour's glamorous team presentation in the absence of Boonen. Having to leave Monaco to make way for the team's star must have been difficult.

  "I didn't see Allan before he left, but I called him afterwards," said Boonen. "It was so hectic yesterday when I came back to the hotel, and then he had already left after I did the press conference. I called him and said, 'sorry, but that's life...' and he was happy to go and see his family.

  "He was a little bit disappointed, of course, but that's life, isn't it."

• Vaughters backs Wiggins to land yellow

  

  Article published:

  July 4, 2009, 22:44

  By:

  Richard Moore in Monaco

  Britain's Wiggins and Millar ready for TTT

  Bradley Wiggins could be in yellow on Tuesday night, according to his team director, Jonathan Vaughters. The British rider surprised many with his performance in Saturday’s opening time trial stage of the Tour de France, finishing third, one second behind Alberto Contador, and nineteen behind Fabian Cancellara, on a course that some considered too hilly for him.

  It means that the Garmin-Slipstream rider starts Sunday’s first road stage in the green jersey of points leader – rather ironically beating his countryman, Mark Cavendish, to that honour, though Cavendish is tipped to become the first British rider to wear the Tour’s second most prestigious jersey into Paris in three weeks.

  Cavendish’s 177th place on the stage – fourth from last – means that he won’t be challenging for yellow in this Tour. But Wiggins, according to Vaughters, most certainly will.

  "He’s very precise, he knew what he could do, though I think he exceeded his own expectations with that ride," said Vaughters. "But it didn’t surprise me. A lot of people discounted him on such a hilly course, but I knew he was capable of that.

  "And he has a lot more to show on this Tour," continued Vaughters. "He’s a lot lighter, he’s climbing better, and I’d be surprised if we didn’t see him in yellow at some point."

  After Tuesday’s team time trial? "Well, Astana, if you see how they performed in the time trial [with four in the top ten] are a pretty incredible team," responded Vaughters. "But the team time trial is our best chance."

  On the team time trial, in Montpellier, Vaughters and David Millar, who finished fourteenth on Saturday, said that Garmin-Slipstream had been placing special emphasis on the stage, and reconnoitred the course. "It’s a very technical course, there’s a lot of left and right, up and down, and very small roads," said Vaughters.

  "It’ll suit a team with great unity and good communications. It may not be the strongest but the most unified team that wins."

  Millar, who won the first stage to take the yellow jersey on the last occasion such a long time trial opened the Tour (in 2000), said he was happy with his performance on Saturday. "I didn’t have any expectations of winning," said the Scot, "but I enjoyed it, apart from almost overshooting a corner – I needed to do a bit of speedway there to stay upright."

  On the team time trial, Millar said: "We’ve got a very, very strong chance. We’re going to be better than we were at the Giro [where they placed second to Columbia]. We’ll be a lot more relaxed."

  Vaughters also welcomed back Christian Vande Velde, last year’s fifth place finisher who was seventeenth in his first race back following his serious crash at the Giro. "He’s on track to have a pretty incredible last week," said Vaughters. "He’s good at the moment, not incredible, but to come back as he has done from five broken vertebrae is amazing. In a week he’ll be good."

   

  
   

• Cancellara: Now I’m really back

  

  Article published:

  July 4, 2009, 20:08

  By:

  Daniel Benson

  Swiss maestro vows to keep yellow

  Fabian Cancellara put a season blighted by injury and illness behind him in Monaco, winning the opening stage of the 96th Tour de France to confirm his status as the best time triallist in the world.

  Even on a course that was not best suited to his talents, with the tough climb of the Cote de Beausoleil coming at half-distance, the Olympic time trial champion annihilated the opposition. Behind him, clusters of riders were separated by one or two seconds – but there was clear daylight to Cancellara, who was some eighteen seconds faster than the second-placed overall favourite, Alberto Contador.

  "It’s a special moment and I’m very proud to be one of the favourites and to win," said Cancellara, who won the prologues in 2004 and in London two years ago. He explained that his strategy on the course had taken the climb into account: he was five seconds down on Contador at the summit, but made up the deficit, and built his lead, in the second half.

  "With the first uphill section the tactic was to take it easy, and not give it my maximum and use up lactic acid," said Cancellara. "On the flat afterwards I knew I could make the difference. Bjarne Riis told me I started strong, he could see the splits, but also that I was riding at my own pace.

  "I want to keep the yellow jersey for as long as possible, but there’s 3,500km to the finish. I will look to keep it to the team time trial [on Tuesday], but take it day-by-day. I don’t want to give [yellow] back. Like [after] London, it would be nice to keep it for seven days, but a lot can happen. There are tactics, and we have our goals over the coming weeks. I want to enjoy the moment but still focus on what’s coming."

  Cancellara admitted that he had struggled to overcome the illness and injuries that wrecked his spring campaign, including his bid to win the Tour of Flanders. Since then, he said, he has done "a lot of training, [made] a lot of sacrifices. I needed to rediscover my form, but I knew the season was long and that it wasn’t finished. Flanders was my main goal for the spring but I didn’t have form.

  "My choice was to ride the Giro, get kilometres in my [legs], then ride with the team in the Alps, ride behind the motorbike, and then the Tour of Switzerland." He confirmed he was back with wins in his national tour and national road championship. “I’ve come from the back,” he said, "I’m getting stronger and stronger – now I’m really back."

  As he said, yesterday he was able to “put the hammer down, and get everything out."

  "I had an unlucky period in April," he added, “but I had to cope with that situation. I had three or four years with just victories, but I got through this period with lots of help from my team and family. It makes me even prouder [to win], and shows that I’m [mentally] strong."

  Cancellara also revealed that he had lowered his saddle by a millimetre just before the start – "I felt I needed to," he said. And he finished by adding his support for his countryman, Roger Federer, in Sunday’s Wimbledon final: "We’re a small country, but we’re good at sport!"

• McEwen riding "pain-free" again

  

  Article published:

  July 4, 2009, 19:27

  By:

  Hedwig Kröner in Monaco

  Currently in Monaco for physiotherapy

  Robbie McEwen found himself in the middle of the Tour de France on Saturday, without actually being part of the race. Currently in Monaco for physiotherapy, the Australian sprinter spent some time in the start/finish area of the Tour's opening stage, enjoying the meet & greet without having to focus on the bike race.

  "I've been here since Tuesday, for eight days, visiting my physio who's based here during the season," McEwen told Cyclingnews. "I'll go back to Belgium on Wednesday, and he'll come up to visit me. We planned this a couple of weeks ago - it just happened to coincide with the Tour!"

  The Katusha rider is currently recovering from breaking his leg in an accident during stage two of the Tour of Belgium, which was his return to racing after being forced to miss the Giro d'Italia through injuries sustained in a crash during the Scheldeprijs Vlaanderen. He is looking forward to a luckier second half of the season, and said his recovery was going to plan.

  "It's going good. I'm getting better every day, starting to ride without pain. I'm already up to about 80-100 kilometres per training ride now, even starting to ride a little bit uphill. So every day, there are little improvements. I should be able to come back to ProTour competition by the middle of August, at the Eneco Tour. Before that, I'll do a criterium in Belgium on the Tuesday after the Tour, in Diksmuide."

  McEwen admitted that it felt "kinda strange" to be an observer rather than an actor of the Tour, but then again, "I had a long time to get used to the idea that I'm not riding. It does make the town pretty busy, though!"

  Hopeful that 2010 will be a more fortunate year for him, the Australian was eager to heal his injury completely in order to prepare to ride Grand Tours again. "That's my thing - win stages in the Giro and the Tour," he said. "This year is pretty much a wiped-out year for me, as I couldn't do the Giro, and then was out of the Tour, too. That's a huge hole in my season. But right now, it's just really important that I get back to a good level, and get my leg back to a 100 percent, so that I can do it again next year."

• Tour de France stage one start times

  

  Article published:

  July 4, 2009, 16:32

  By:

  Cyclingnews

  Dutchman Van Hummel off first

  The start times of Tour de France stage one.   Dutchman Kenny Van Hummel (Skil-Shimano) is first to start the 15.5-kilometre course in Monaco. The last is defending champion, Carlos Sastre (Cervélo TestTeam).

  Start times

  1, 16:00, Kenny Van Hummel (Ned) Skil-Shimano
  2, 16:01, Peter Wrolich (Aut) Milram
  3, 16:02, Brice Feillu (Fra) Agritubel
  4, 16:03, Danilo Napolitano (Ita) Katusha
  5, 16:04, Steven De Jongh (Ned) Quick Step
  6, 16:05, Saïd Haddou (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom
  7, 16:06, Angelo Furlan (Ita) Lampre-NGC
  8, 16:07, Stéphane Augé (Fra) Cofidis
  9, 16:08, Luis Pasamontes (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne
  10, 16:09, Jussi Veikkanen (Fin) Française des Jeux
  11, 16:10, Alessandro Vanotti (Ita) Liquigas
  12, 16:11, Hubert Dupont (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
  13, 16:12, Maxime Monfort (Bel) Columbia-HTC
  14, 16:13, Rubén Pérez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
  15, 16:14, Julian Dean (NZl) Garmin-Slipstream
  16, 16:15, Laurens Ten Dam (Ned) Rabobank
  17, 16:16, Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Nor) Saxo Bank
  18, 16:17, Lance Armstrong (USA) Astana
  19, 16:18, Charles Wegelius (GBr) Silence-Lotto
  20, 16:19, Andreas Klier (Ger) Cervélo TestTeam
  21, 16:20, Piet Rooijakkers (Ned) Skil-Shimano
  22, 16:21, Peter Velits (Svk) Milram
  23, 16:22, Sylvain Calzati (Fra) Agritubel
  24, 16:23, Nikolai Trusov (Rus) Katusha
  25, 16:24, Jurgen Van de Walle (Bel) Quick Step
  26, 16:25, Alexandre Pichot (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom
  27, 16:26, Marco Bandiera (Ita) Lampre-NGC
  28, 16:27, Bingen Fernández (Spa) Cofidis
  29, 16:28, David Arroyo (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne
  30, 16:29, Jérôme Coppel (Fra) Française des Jeux
  31, 16:30, Fabio Sabatini (Ita) Liquigas
  32, 16:31, LLloyd Mondory (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
  33, 16:32, Tony Martin (Ger) Columbia-HTC
  34, 16:33, Alan Pérez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
  35, 16:34, Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin-Slipstream
  36, 16:35, Joost Posthuma (Ned) Rabobank
  37, 16:36, Gustav Erik Larsson (Swe) Saxo Bank
  38, 16:37, Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana
  39, 16:38, Matthew Lloyd (Aus) Silence-Lotto
  40, 16:39, Volodimir Gustov (Ukr) Cervélo TestTeam
  41, 16:40, Fumiyuki Beppu (Jpn) Skil-Shimano
  42, 16:41, Johannes Fröhlinger (Ger) Milram
  43, 16:42, Geoffroy Lequatre (Fra) Agritubel
  44, 16:43, Joan Horrach (Spa) Katusha
  45, 16:44, Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Quick Step
  46, 16:45, Laurent Lefèvre (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom
  47, 16:46, Simon Spilak (Slo) Lampre-NGC
  48, 16:47, Samuel Dumoulin (Fra) Cofidis
  49, 16:48, Arnaud Coyot (Fra) Caisse d'Epargne
  50, 16:49, Benoît Vaugrenard (Fra) Française des Jeux
  51, 16:50, Aleksandr Kuschynski (Blr) Liquigas
  52, 16:51, José Luis Arrieta (Spa) AG2R La Mondiale
  53, 16:52, Bert Grabsch (Ger) Columbia-HTC
  54, 16:53, Koldo Fernández (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
  55, 16:54, David Millar (GBr) Garmin-Slipstream
  56, 16:55, Oscar Freire (Spa) Rabobank
  57, 16:56, Stuart O'Grady (Aus) Saxo Bank
  58, 16:57, Sergio Paulinho (Por) Astana
  59, 16:58, Sebastian Lang (Ger) Silence-Lotto
  60, 16:59, Iñigo Cuesta (Spa) Cervélo TestTeam
  61, 17:00, Albert Timmer (Ned) Skil-Shimano
  62, 17:01, Niki Terpstra (Ned) Milram
  63, 17:02, Maxime Bouet (Fra) Agritubel
  64, 17:03, Alexandre Botcharov (Rus) Katusha
  65, 17:04, Carlos Barredo (Spa) Quick Step
  66, 17:05, Pierre Rolland (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom
  67, 17:06, Marcin Sapa (Pol) Lampre-NGC
  68, 17:07, Leonardo Duque (Col) Cofidis
  69, 17:08, Rigoberto Uran (Col) Caisse d'Epargne
  70, 17:09, Sandy Casar (Fra) Française des Jeux
  71, 17:10, Frederik Willems (Bel) Liquigas
  72, 17:11, Stéphane Goubert (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
  73, 17:12, Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Columbia-HTC
  74, 17:13, Gorka Verdugo (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
  75, 17:14, Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin-Slipstream
  76, 17:15, Juan Manuel Gárate (Spa) Rabobank
  77, 17:16, Jens Voigt (Ger) Saxo Bank
  78, 17:17, Dmitriy Muravyev (Kaz) Astana
  79, 17:18, Staf Scheirlinckx (Bel) Silence-Lotto
  80, 17:19, Hayden Roulston (NZl) Cervélo TestTeam
  81, 17:20, Simon Geschke (Ger) Skil-Shimano
  82, 17:21, Fabian Wegmann (Ger) Milram
  83, 17:22, Eduardo Gonzalo (Spa) Agritubel
  84, 17:23, Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) Katusha
  85, 17:24, Jérôme Pineau (Fra) Quick Step
  86, 17:25, Iouri Trofimov (Rus) Bbox Bouygues Telecom
  87, 17:26, Daniele Righi (Ita) Lampre-NGC
  88, 17:27, Amaël Moinard (Fra) Cofidis
  89, 17:28, José Joaquín Rojas (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne
  90, 17:29, Sébastien Joly (Fra) Française des Jeux
  91, 17:30, Brian Vandborg (Den) Liquigas
  92, 17:31, Christophe Riblon (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
  93, 17:32, Mark Renshaw (Aus) Columbia-HTC
  94, 17:33, Juan José Oroz (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
  95, 17:34, Martijn Maaskant (Ned) Garmin-Slipstream
  96, 17:35, Grischa Niermann (Ger) Rabobank
  97, 17:36, Chris Anker Sørensen (Den) Saxo Bank
  98, 17:37, Haimar Zubeldia (Spa) Astana
  99, 17:38, Mickaël Delage (Fra) Silence-Lotto
  100, 17:39, José Angel Gomez Marchante (Spa) Cervélo TestTeam
  101, 17:40, Jonathan Hivert (Fra) Skil-Shimano
  102, 17:41, Gerald Ciolek (Ger) Milram
  103, 17:42, Romain Feillu (Fra) Agritubel
  104, 17:43, Serguei Ivanov (Rus) Katusha
  105, 17:44, Sébastien Rosseler (Bel) Quick Step
  106, 17:45, Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) Bbox Bouygues Telecom
  107, 17:46, Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Lampre-NGC
  108, 17:47, Sébastien Minard (Fra) Cofidis
  109, 17:48, Rui Costa (Por) Caisse d'Epargne
  110, 17:49, Christophe Le Mevel (Fra) Française des Jeux
  111, 17:50, Daniele Bennati (Ita) Liquigas
  112, 17:51, Nicolas Roche (Irl) AG2R La Mondiale
  113, 17:52, Mark Cavendish (GBr) Columbia-HTC
  114, 17:53, Amets Txurruka (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
  115, 17:54, Danny Pate (USA) Garmin-Slipstream
  116, 17:55, Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank
  117, 17:56, Fränk Schleck (Lux) Saxo Bank
  118, 17:57, Gregory Rast (Swi) Astana
  119, 17:58, Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) Silence-Lotto
  120, 17:59, Heinrich Haussler (Ger) Cervélo TestTeam
  121, 18:00, Thierry Huppond (Fra) Skil-Shimano
  122, 18:01, Christian Knees (Ger) Milram
  123, 18:02, David Le Lay (Fra) Agritubel
  124, 18:03, Mikhail Ignatiev (Rus) Katusha
  125, 18:04, Stijn Devolder (Bel) Quick Step
  126, 18:05, William Bonnet (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom
  127, 18:06, Mauro Santambrogio (Ita) Lampre-NGC
  128, 18:07, Rémi Pauriol (Fra) Cofidis
  129, 18:08, Oscar Pereiro (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne
  130, 18:09, Jérémy Roy (Fra) Française des Jeux
  131, 18:10, Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas
  132, 18:11, Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale
  133, 18:12, George Hincapie (USA) Columbia-HTC
  134, 18:13, Igor Antón (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
  135, 18:14, David Zabriskie (USA) Garmin-Slipstream
  136, 18:15, Juan Antonio Flecha (Spa) Rabobank
  137, 18:16, Nicki Sørensen (Den) Saxo Bank
  138, 18:17, Andreas Klöden (Ger) Astana
  139, 18:18, Johan Van Summeren (Bel) Silence-Lotto
  140, 18:19, Brett Lancaster (Aus) Cervélo TestTeam
  141, 18:20, Koen De Kort (Ned) Skil-Shimano
  142, 18:21, Markus Fothen (Ger) Milram
  143, 18:22, Nicolas Vogondy (Fra) Agritubel
  144, 18:23, Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Katusha
  145, 18:24, Tom Boonen (Bel) Quick Step
  146, 18:25, Pierrick Fédrigo (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom
  147, 18:26, David Loosli (Swi) Lampre-NGC
  148, 18:27, Christophe Kern (Fra) Cofidis
  149, 18:28, Iván Gutiérrez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne
  150, 18:29, Yauheni Hutarovich (Blr) Française des Jeux
  151, 18:30, Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas
  152, 18:31, Cyril Dessel (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
  153, 18:32, Michael Rogers (Aus) Columbia-HTC
  154, 18:33, Egoi Martínez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
  155, 18:34, Christian Vande Velde (USA) Garmin-Slipstream
  156, 18:35, Stef Clement (Ned) Rabobank
  157, 18:36, Andy Schleck (Lux) Saxo Bank
  158, 18:37, Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Astana
  159, 18:38, Jurgen Van den Broeck (Bel) Silence-Lotto
  160, 18:39, Thor Hushovd (Nor) Cervélo TestTeam
  161, 18:40:00, Cyril Lemoine (Fra) Skil-Shimano
  162, 18:41:30, Linus Gerdemann (Ger) Milram
  163, 18:43:00, Christophe Moreau (Fra) Agritubel
  164, 18:44:30, Vladimir Karpets (Rus) Katusha
  165, 18:46:00, Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Quick Step
  166, 18:46:30, Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom
  167, 18:49:00, Alessandro Ballan (Ita) Lampre-NGC
  168, 18:50:30, David Moncoutié (Fra) Cofidis
  169, 18:52:30, Luis León Sánchez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne
  170, 18:53:30, Anthony Geslin (Fra) Française des Jeux
  171, 18:55:00, Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Liquigas
  172, 18:56:30, Vladimir Efimkin (Rus) AG2R La Mondiale
  173, 18:58:00, Kim Kirchen (Lux) Columbia-HTC
  174, 18:59:30, Mikel Astarloza (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
  175, 19:01:00, Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Garmin-Slipstream
  176, 19:02:30, Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank
  177, 19:04:00, Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Saxo Bank
  178, 19:05:30, Alberto Contador (Spa) Astana
  179, 19:07:00, Cadel Evans (Aus) Silence-Lotto
  180, 19:08:30, Carlos Sastre (Spa) Cervélo TestTeam