“Almost an hour out of the maglia rosa. I didn’t see what happened. Anyone?”

Yes – he discovered he sucked ass and started riding accordingly.

You really think Sorenson is going to beat Ricco? I think Ricco is solidly inline to take either the best young rider jersey or the best immature rider jersey…although he and Millar may have to have a toss-off to settle that last one.

Let’s use a phrase other than ‘toss off’ to settle the immature rider jersey. Monty will be horrified when he reads that.

I don’t think he’s serious about GC, more the stage hunter. From his interview comments, he desperately wants a stage win to match his previous in 2004. I’d also expect him to try to defend the KOM, but I’m not sure he can hold it.

It’s hard to picture Menchov chomping at the bit. But I’ll try. Really, I will.

Unless he really just isn’t fit – which I’m not sure I believe – it’s going to be hard for Simoni to bring back over a minute on Contador. Conta is going to have to have a very bad day on one of the mountain stages for that to happen. Anything’s possible, of course.

Nibali, Ricco, Diluca, and Save Ferris! are riding well so far. We’ll know in the third week if they’ve gone out too hard, which Simoni’s DS suggested may be the case.

That Peeps-Ricco duo is quite a menace to society when the road goes up. Yoix. I really wouldn’t want to have to race those kids.

As I read it, if you are looking towards Milan and the finish, things Do Not Look Good for most of the non-Astana riders here. We just got done the first week when the Astanas are supposed to be at their weakest due to no prep time. The next separating stage is stage 10, the 1st ITT. Then in a couple stages, the mountains. So I’m looking at the list Chris wrote and I’m seeing that no one was able to take advantage of the slow Astana start. Possibly the GC race is over already.

The three Astanas should be as good or better than everyone else in the TTs. The leaves the mountains where they just have to be as good because after stage 10 probably it will be an Astana who will be leading the GC contenders. Possibly they will be 1, 2. Possibly 1,2,3.

So then you have the prospect of beating two or three Astanas when they are playing defense in the mountains- knowing that they will kill in the final TT and probably in the stage 16 TT too. Sheesh.

I think Di Luca tried to put time in. I also think Ricco tried to stick with Di Luca. But they will both be behind both Contador and Kloden and (maybe Leipheimer if he brings his A game to the TT) heading into the mountains.

Again, I think Di Luca at least knows this and that’s why I think he’s gone for broke so early. But his strategy appears to have failed. For he and Ricco the sight of Contador matching their break today was probably the worst thing they could have seen. If it had gone according to their plans today’s stage would have been similar to stage 8 of the Tour last year, where Chicken raced off to his lead while the other GC guys looked at each other. If that had happened the mountains would have begun with the Astanas and other trying to attacking Di Luca and/or Ricco and they would then have had a hope. Oh well. Time for plan B.

That would be Menchov's plan. He at least can roughly hang with the Astanas in the TTs (well maybe not Kloden).  So he can hope that they- all three of them- will crack in the mountains.  Doubtful that will happen but he at least will be around to pick up the pieces if they do.   I think his strategy will be to suck the Astana wheels as the other contenders drop away in the mountains.

For the rest, they will need to decisively beat the Astanas in the mountains. And I mean decisively since there are those 2 TT days where they will lose more ground. I am not saying the Astanas will win every mountain stage. Far from it. Various goats will win and various GC guys will win too. Just not enough stages to make a difference.

I’m surprised with how well I rode as well. This was one of the important stages of the Giro d’Italia

For those of you who don’t read Spanish that translates to: “Suck it Mr. Fancy Pants”

I only saw the bit of the race where Diluca made his “Someone is making me listen to Barbara Streisand” face so I’m curious how those of you who saw it interpreted it.

To me it was telling that after Bert marked Cobra and Killer, Klodie marked Menchov. To me it looked like a plan concocted the night before:

Sean Yates: “Bert you got Ricco and Di Luca. Kloden, Menchov. Levi, practice your interviewing skills.”

To me it looks like DiLuca and Ricco might, like someone else said, are burning their matches way too early. I mean I don’t blame them, they are gonna need all the buffer they can get before the time trials and the big climbs. I bet that Dani and the grass snake were s!##$% a brick when they saw that Bert was able to hang onto their wheels and will probably only get stronger as the race goes on. No wonder that Ricco was running his mouth, he’s scared. I would be too if I were him.

simoni is trying the “remain quiet, appear intelligent” strategy. i’m not buying it. when he is strong, he loves stamping his authority on the race. those at the front of the race will be much stronger throughout this race.