Gerolsteiner update

"The ninth stage was the flattest of the whole Tour 2006," says Fabian Wegmann. "No surprise, that the sprinters took it over." The Gerolsteiner rider had a free day. "I could move freely within the field, had no particular assignments for the team. Was that good for me? I don' really know. About 13 km before the finish there was a crash. I could stop in time, but those behind me pushed me right into the middle of it. I didn't crash, but 'dismounted' over the handlebars. They broke and I had to wait a few minutes for a new bike."

Wegmann has some plans for Wednesday's stage. "I would like to pick up some mountain points, but I know, of course, that I'm not the only one who wants to." (fabianwegmann.de)

The mountains bring new jobs to teammate Ronny Scholz. "I couldn't help much with the sprints in the flat stages. But now I'll be responsible for helping our captains over the mountains as well as possible and making sure they are well provided with food and drinks." (ronnyscholz.de)

One of those captains is Georg Totschnig. "The Pyrenees are right in front of us and you can really feel the tension. We all had to work hard in the first nine stages - the question now is, who can put those exertions behind him best. Tomorrow there won't be any more just riding along, no more hiding. Everyone will have to show what they have ... I'm eager to see how I will do." (www.step2web.at/totschnig)