The inclusion of a long uphill drag at the end of stage 1 (the Alpe de Plumelec) completely scrambled the usual results of a Tour de France opening stage, and at least temporarily created some early intrigue. Big caveat: Alejandro Valverde isn't stupid enough to try to parlay today's win into a lasting gain; it's a stage win and nothing more. But the progression of yellow jersey holders just got interesting, and a few other classifications started sorting themselves out too.

Maillot Jaune

Le Tour accomplished one of their (IMHO) hidden goals of setting up a succession of yellow jersey holders in the first week -- share the spoils, as it were. Valverde goes first, and nobody expects him to defend it at this juncture. But stage favorite Oscar Freire was one of only a dozen riders to finish a single second back; everyone else sits 7" or more behind on GC. Assuming tomorrow is a bunch finish, as expected, the yellow will either stay with Valverde or go to the best finisher among the 1" guys. But the rest of that 1" group are GC guys who won't be near the front tomorrow, save for Pippo Pozzato, who's fast but not that fast. Thor Hushovd is in the next group (at 0.07), along with Zabel and Baden Cooke, should something happen to the top 13, but in all likelihood Freire is looking at two days in Yellow. And those 17 points may come in handy later too (Hushovd has 11).

King of the Mountains

As for the one maillot jaune that counts, the one in Paris, a number of guys who had vague dreams of wearing it (or at least being part of the conversation) dropped time right out of the chute: Tommy Voeckler and Sandy Casar are both 2.00 back already, and the day's cruelest victim is Juan Mauricio Soler, whose late crash came with a 3.04 time loss. Let the maillot pois chase begin! OK, Soler might somehow climb back into contention, given his climbing prowess, but by the end of the time trial he can be forgiven for thinking of long escapes in the Pyrenees.

Also dropping time -- the key qualification for an escaping KOM contender -- is Remy Di Gregorio, who finished in the two minute group. The young FdJ climbing ace won the polka dots at last year's Dauphine, so it's certainly not out of the question and must surely be in his thoughts as we speak. Whether he's ready to hang with the slightly more established Soler is to be determined. The even-better-established Casar and Voeckler may well be looking for the KOM now, particularly Voeckler who spent the day chasing early KOM points and has the first edition of the jersey. It's early, but this year's mountains comp may have a distinctly French accent.

So much for waiting around at the early stages for something to happen.... Spot anything else of interest?

Re-posted... for obvious reasons

The Tour de France may well always be the top dog in Cycling, thanks to its history and ability to attract pretty much everyone to the race. But there are things the other two grand tours, the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a Espana, can do to make their mark on the Cycling calendar. The Giro, in particular, has done a magnificent job of designing a parcours that tickles the fancies of fans, and this year we spilled lots of bits singing the praises of the Giro's stages. Day after day, the race found some way to be interesting, usually in the form of winding, uphill finishes -- so many that the few flat stages ending in a bunch sprint were something of a relief. The Giro is also famous for adding color and culture to each route, making the race something of a celebration of Italia. The Buzzati book has a chapter on the Giro's emotional return to Trieste in 1949, where the race is seen as a step toward reconnecting the city to Italy, a further sign that the nightmare of WWII and Nazi occupation was over.

The Big, Glitzy Tour de France, by contrast, seems to visit places to grant them an audience. "Grand Departs" from England, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany; brief passes through Italy or Switzerland or Spain... such events seem to suggest that the Tour belongs to the world, or maybe vice versa. Moreover, when traversing France, the Tour can seem very businesslike, choosing a route that is really just about the race itself.

But this year's start in Brittany is a suggestion that ASO are not incapable of subtle artfulness to rival the Giro. [One caveat: perhaps this is always the case, and this year's start only happens to coincide with my ignorance decreasing to the level where I can notice such things. Can't rule it out. Still...] 

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Tour time means rider diaries galore. Always, there are far too many rider diaries and expert opinions for any one cycling fan to find. Good thing there's more than one of us here at the Cafe. Find a fun rider diary? Read an entertaining expert? Got links? Post them here.

I'll put this post in the features, so it stays all close by and handylike, and update it with a nice tidy list as the links come in. One stop shopping. So convenient.

List below the fold...

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The list-style companion to yesterday's post... To be clear, this isn't a ranking of who's going to win, just which teams are relatively better equipped.

Challenger Teams

1. CSC -- Frickin loaded, at the captain, lieutenant and foot soldier levels.
2. Caisse d'Epargne -- Like CSC, only fewer captains... and less experience.
3. Euskaltel -- Also like CSC, with just as much a crunch at the top, but no history of delivering.
4. Columbia -- My top candidate to move down this list, if they have the green jersey and no real GC hope. We'll see.
5. Rabobank -- Showed real mettle last year protecting the Chicken. Everyone was shocked. Didn't end well. The lesson is, never try.
6. Lampre -- Like Caisse d'Epargne, only completely untested at this level.
7. Silence -- Might move up, though again this isn't about the quality of the leader. Popovych is the key.
8. AG2R -- The ideal team is shaped like a pyramid, with a broad base supporting a high peak. AG2R are more like a ziggurat. But hey, Dessel will have help.
9. Cofidis -- Quality at the top... not much below.
10. Barloworld -- One man show.

Sprinter Teams

1. Columbia -- A lot of the sprinters teams have loaded up for other priorities. Columbia could well turn their considerable talent toward the stages, which they've already done often this year. Not sayin' green jersey; just sayin... great team.
2. Quick Step -- I know, I called them stage hunters. But they'll act like a sprinters' team for a while, and it's a role they are used to.
3. Gerolsteiner -- Two potential sprinters. Nuthin else going on.
4. Agritubel -- Same as Gerol; you could swap places here I guess.
5. CA -- Thor is used to going it alone, though as compared to the next few teams, he'll have help if/when he calls for it.
6. Rabobank -- Freire can expect Flecha and maybe 1-2 others to help him.
7. Silence -- Evans has talked about absorbing the whole team, but it wouldn't shock me to see Van Summeren or H\o/ste pitch in, out of habit.
8. Barloworld -- Don't recall Hunter having much help...Uh, Baden Cooke anyone? Time to reshuffle the rankings.

Stage Hunters

You want me to rank the shmucks [sorry, too much blogging] Ranking the stage hunters? I think I'll leave this blank.

Ranking the riders in every category seems like about as good a way to kill time here in the Cyclo-Blogo-Sphere as any, but when it comes to teams, it doesn't quite work, at least not in one long list. Instead, with a wave of the hand, I intend to hang presumptuous labels on each team which can be used to create vaguely useful categories. And then the ranking can begin...

BTW, there are no tourists at Le Tour. For starters, French teams base their entire season around le grand boucle, and there are a lot of French teams. Meaning, the foreign squads are limited to the cream of the crop. Also, stage hunters describes every team whose plan A fell apart, or maybe never existed. So I won't bother mentioning the fact that, say, CSC will probably go gunning for a few stages in addition to their higher ambitions. For now, the teams are listed in alphabetical order. Tomorrow, I'll turn these blurbs into a ranking, by category.

AG2R... Challengers

Who's it about? Cyril Dessel mostly. Dessel did a terrific, if unexpected, job of hanging with the big boys on all the climbs of the 2006 Tour, landing in sixth place on GC in Paris. Vlad Efimkin, Tadej Valjavec and John Gadret will be useful allies in the mountains. 

Can they do it? Only if by "it" you mean top 20. Dessel's only Tour result came from riding competently in a race where few others did. Also, he's 34. He's a decent rider in France, but this is too big a stage for him.

Agritubel... Sprinters

Who's it about? Then 23-y.o. Roman Feillu was just beginning to draw notice for keeping up with the Boonens and McEwens and Hushovds in the opening stages of the 2007 Tour, when he DNF'd in the Alps. He'll have Jimmy Casper, a former stage winner, on hand, and Christophe Moreau to either lend a hand or go after his own latest moment of glory.

Can they do it? Feillu has only just resurfaced with a win last month in the Boucles de l'Aulne, but at his best he's beaten some big names, like Hushovd. In a somewhat open Green Jersey win, taking a shot with Feillu is worthwhile.

This is going to run a bit long, so onto the flip...

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If for some reason you're still interested in the sad saga of Michael Rasmussen, CN has the story. Violation consists of missing two controls. Not sure how important this is, but a bigger deal is the verdict in his suit against Rabobank, which is due tomorrow and supposedly threatens the ongoing viability of the team. If he sinks the ship, is he the biggest jerk in recent cycling history? I mean, haven't his teammates suffered enough?

This year's course offers fewer stages for the pure sprinters than usual. Expect a hot contest for each of those stages, as they carry not only the prestige of a stage win, but also a big prize in the points classification. The undulating classics type stages and the transitional stages of the Massif Central will likely encourage successful breakaways, leaving fewer chances for the sprinters to amass points. Win today, as you may not have another chance. The nature of this year's course also opens the slim possibility of a GC rider taking the points jersey. A GC rider racing at the front with a fast finish could pick up points in the classics and transitional stages, which when combined with the mountain stages could give them an edge. Think Cunego or Valverde. But that's a long-shot here, as it would place a heavy burden on the GC teams to bring back the breakaways day after day. Far more likely, the breakaways will succeed repeatedly this Tour, with the GC race playing out behind them, while the pure sprint stages decide the Green Jersey race.

This year's sprint field is a mixture of riders nearing the end of their careers like Erik Zabel and Robbie McEwen and riders just beginning their Tour adventures like Gerald Ciolek and Romain Feillu. The generations are turning over, opening the way for either an older rider to win one last big prize or one of the kids to stake his claim on the future. This dynamic makes for an unpredictable points race. Let's have a look.

The Old Hands.

Both Robbie McEwen and Erik Zabel are old hands at the Green Jersey game. Between them, they have worn the jersey 9 times. That's a whole lotta green. Robbie went winless at the Giro, prompting many to predict the end of his winning ways. McEwen answered back with two stage wins at the Tour de Suisse, ensuring his spot on the Silence-Lotto roster and reviving his chances of winning another green jersey in Paris. In the absence of Boonen, Petacchi, and Bennati, McEwen's freelancing style may give him an advantage in what promise to be some chaotic last kilomters. Robbie also has a proven knack for making it through the mountains when it matters. Five Stars!

Erik Zabel shares McEwen's experience and ability to finish the grand tours, though not the Aussie's speed. At least, not lately. Zabel is hoping for a stage win and perhaps a day in Green. He hasn't mentioned any ambition to win the points. Zabel's advantage in this game is his consistency. He can - and probably will - finish in the top three on every flat stage. But against riders like Cavendish or McEwen who will actually be winning those stages, Zabel's chances look slim. If none of the other sprinters manage to dominate the last kilometer, Zabel's consistency and experience might make the difference. All the same, his mention here is an honorable one, a lifetime achievement award, rather than the result of any real expectation that he can wear Green in Paris. Two Stars!

Trivia! What recent rider has won the Points classification without winning a stage? Answer: Thor Hushovd. Hushovd's green jersey win came in 2005, a feat he'd certainly like to repeat. In recent interviews, he has declared the Green jersey as his objective for the Tour. Though Hushovd has only worn Green once in Paris, he has rarely ridden the Tour without winning a stage. In 2006, he won a stage and the prologue. At the same time, he has not shown the consistency of his rivals in chasing points. This year's last kilometer looks to be a chaotic one, as few teams boast an organized trano à la Cipollini or Petacchi. That might complicate matters for Thor, who lacks the jump that allows rivals like Freire, McEwen, and Cavendish to thread through traffic and find the line. At the same time, Hushovd is one of the more experienced riders in the race, and has a proven ability to make it to Paris. In this year's field, crowded with young riders, that experience offers Hushovd an advantage. Four Stars!

Oscar Freire has the speed and the talent to win the Points, but rarely has he shown the inclination. Always other objectives beckon, or he makes it some ten days into the Tour only to come up injured. The Tour has not treated Freire kindly, and he has only once finished the race. This year's mix 'n' match finishes, stages which do not follow the Tour tradition of pancake flat sprinters' days, might spark Freire's interest and give him an edge over his rivals. Freire is the best climber of the Green contenders, and his sprint stays sharp even on a hilly course. Will he finish this Tour? That's an open question. Should he find himself leading the points classification early, he might develop a sudden hankering to see Paris. If so, he must be a favorite for Green. Few of the contenders can match his speed and cunning when he's on form. Three stars!

The Chancers.

Stealthy, that Robbie Hunter. Last year, he placed second in the Points classification in Paris. He also won the 11th stage finishing at Montpelier. Can he repeat? If so, Hunter stands as a serious contender for Green. Last year, marked Hunter's first success at the Tour. In five starts, he had not previously won a Tour stage. Was last year a one-off or a sign of things to come? Impossible to say. Complicating matters this year, Hunter has former Green jersey winner Baden Cooke as a team mate. If the two ride together, they could cause their share of trouble in the ultimo kilometer. If not, Hunter may find it hard going to amass the necessary points, since the Green jersey is not a team award. If the two sprinters divide the stages among them, neither will have a chance a green and indeed, may both leave France empty-handed. Hunter earns his rating on precedent. Though not an out-and-out favorite this time around, that second place finish is impossible to ignore. Three Stars!

Where have you been? It seems like forever ago that Baden Cooke won the Green Jersey on the Champs Élysées. It was 2003, for the inquiring minds among you, and Cooke has not won a Tour stage since. He rode the Tour twice more for Français des Jeux, before signing with Unibet. There followed a lengthy period in the cycling wilderness, though Cooke steadily amassed sprint results in all kinds of places. This year, he returns to the Tour with Barloworld, where he shares sprint duties with Robbie Hunter. After such a lengthy absence, it's hard to predict how Cooke will ride in this Tour. Certainly, he has the pedigree, but sharing a jersey with last year's 2nd place in the points, Hunter, may cramp Cooke's style.Two Stars!

I'm not supposed to be here! In the absence of Tom Boonen, Gert Steegmans takes over sprint duties at Quickstep. Widely touted as the equal of Boonen in talent, Steegmans lacks Boonen's confidence and his results show it. Last year, he accidently won a Tour stage while leading Boonen out, and offered us a glimpse of the extraordinary power he has in his legs. The problem for Steegmans lies not in his legs, but in his head. He is famous for his inability to handle pressure, and no race in the world carries quite the pressure of the Tour de France. Chasing points requires a similar mentality to riding for the general: a steady, consistent focus, that is not derailed by the occasional mishap along the way. So far, Steegmans hasn't shown that kind of mindset in his career. Still, he has talent to burn, and he could accidently find himself at the front of the points classification. But against his more focused rivals, Steegmans looks like a long-shot for Green. Two 1/2 Stars!

The Kids.

Team Columbia is bringing a pair of sprinters to France, Gerald Ciolek and Mark Cavendish, on what promises to be a very stacked roster. Two sprinters, one team. This tactic may doom the chances of either Ciolek or Cavendish to chase Green. One can't afford to share wins if points are the goal. Of the two riders, Cavendish is the faster bunch sprinter, but the Tour did not treat him well last year. More recently, Cavendish showed at the Giro that he can finish a grand tour, and even win a few along the way. He also showed that he's willing to play rough in the last kilometer, if necessary. Between McEwen and Cavendish, there could be fireworks, since McEwen is unlikely to pull a Benna and leave the gate open. According to team press statements, both sprinters will have their chances, and the decision will be made on the day about who will sprint. Absent the potential team rivalry, Cavendish would rank highly among the favorites, though he ranks a tad lower on the experience scale. Should Ciolek agree to play lead-out, these two could become a fearsome duo, and Cavendish's chances of wearing Green increase dramatically. Cavendish: Three Stars!

This is Ciolek's first Tour, and he is riding for experience and hopefully a stage win. If he is given the green light to take his chance, he has a good shot, but his inexperience with the Tour makes him a long-shot for the Points. Ciolek: Two Stars!

First-timers Romain Feillu and Francesco Cicchi are unlikely to figure in the Points race. Each would be ecstatic to win a stage at this Tour, as neither has yet won a stage at a grand tour, much less finished a three week race. Both are exciting talents for the future, but don't expect too much this time around. These kids are just too brand-spanking new to be thinking Green. No grade.

The Outsiders.

Förster and Dean sounds like a law firm. These two sprinters have been in the mix for a few seasons now, but have yet to earn favorite status. Neitther has ever won a Tour stage, or mounted a serious challenge for the Green Jersey. A stage win means a successful Tour for both, and with Maggie Backstedt to play lead-out, Dean has a very good chance of succeeding. Though surprises sometimes come to France in July, for Dean or Förster to wear Green would be among the bigger surprises possible. One Star!

Since Cycle Sport has, in its words, issued "the only Tour guide that counts," I'd say it's time for the Podium Cafe to announce "the only Tour guide that you didn't waste $7.99 on." Yep, we're covering all angles of the Tour de France in our various previews... which, taken together look an awful lot like a magazine. And all for the low, low, LOW price of your productivity at the office. You may have already seen these, but in any event here's what you can read up on here at the Cafe in anticipation of the World's Greatest Bike Race:

The Participants:

• Our picks of favorites for the Maillot Jaune
• Gavia looks at the best young riders
• Ursula examines the dark horse favorites
• Gavia previews the sprinters
• Chris looks at the teams and their plans
• Live thread of the teams presentation

The Course:

• A rundown of the stages you can't miss
• A closer look at the opening stages in Brittany
• Compare this year to courses from previous years
• Our initial take when the route was announced

The Distractions:

• A listing of games you can play
• Our own special Le Tour-only Virtual Directeur Sportif (deadline: July 2)
• Podium Cafe Le Tour Quick Challenge (deadline July 1)

Three More Must-Have External Resources 

And this isn't counting all the team rosters, Gossip della Gavia, news, rumors, flowcharts, etc. I'll leave this post in the features for the rest of the week, so anyone who stops by can get the benefit of all the prep work being done here for the Tour. Feel free to use the comments to group other resources here.

Jered at Pez poignantly relays today's most important story: that Rock Racing owner/showman/fashionista Michael Ball is creating a catastophic injury fund:

Ball will not reveal his personal contribution, only saying it’s “in the hundreds of thousands,” and that he’d like to see the fund collect $20 million over the next two years.

“I truly believe that these athletes are the greatest athletes in the world,” Ball said in an interview with The Associated Press. “They deserve to be treated in such a way that, at the very least, they have some basic insurance, for God’s sake.”

One word... respect.

Today, Monday, is the rumored date on which the Court of Arbitration in Sport (CAS) will announce its decision on Floyd Landis' appeal of his doping conviction. Arnie Baker is already doing email blasts for Team Floyd, offering me access to 440 pages of evidence demonstrating all the errors. So they too think today is judgment day.

I suspect the decision will be announced long before I wake up, sometime during early business hours, Geneva time.  The decision is to be released at 5pm Geneva time (11am Eastern, 8am Pacific). h/t The Figurehead and assorted  time zone sleuths. To that end, use this open thread to fill in the details as they become known, and otherwise hash it out. Whoever logs on first with editor powers, please add an update to this intro announcing the verdict. IIRC, CAS doesn't have much history of reversals, so without speaking to the case itself, I wouldn't recommend Team Floyd getting too excited. But you never know.

Update! Dismissed:

The International Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) dismissed Floyd Landis's appeal of his suspension for doping at at the 1996 Tour de France. In a 3-0 decision released on Monday, CAS confirmed the initial decision issued by a panel of the American Arbitration Association (AAA) on 20 September 2007. "Consequently, Floyd Landis is disqualified from the Tour de France 2006 and is suspended for a period of two years starting from 30 January 2007. Floyd Landis has been ordered to pay the sum of $100,000 to the United States Anti-doping Agency (USADA) as a contribution towards its costs in the CAS arbitration."