Poaching from the usual suspects...
- First off, L'Equipe reports Saul Raisin is still in a coma, but stabilizing. Via CN:
"There is currently no longer any risk to his life. The coma can last between days and weeks. It is necessary that the brain heals now."
- Pez takes a stroll down P-R Memory Lane. All 111 years of it.
- VeloNews plays its ace again: Professor Wilcockson puts Boonen in historical perspective. All I know about Rik Van Looy is he might be Eddy Merckx's least favorite person ever.
- CyclingNews leads off with Het Nieuwsblad's reportage of George Hincapie's mental game plan. Actually, the Paceline posts the full interview translated from Flemish with "an online translator." The premise and the results sound eerily familiar...
- I've been ignoring the Pais Vasco, but coming into tomorrow's ITT, big names like Davide Rebellin, Cadel Evans, Jose Valverde and Patrik Sinkewicz are all within 10 seconds of Sammy Sanchez for the overall. So tomorrow morning's 24km jaunt will be quite the slugfest. Thomas Voeckler (remember him?) snuck out a stage win this morning.
- Oh, and it's over at La Sarthe, Stefan Schumacher held off Basso & co. over today's bumpy course.
- Via Bicirace... Paolo Bettini, oddsmaker:
Tom Boonen (Quick-Step) 1-3
George Hincapie (Discovery Channel) 1-6
Leif Hoste (Discovery Channel) 1-8
Peter Van Petegem (Davitamon-Lotto) 1-10
Fabian Cancellara (Team CSC) 1-10
Thor Hushovd (Crédit Agricole) 1-10
Alessandro Ballan (Lampre-Fondital) 1-15
Juan Antonio Flecha (Rabobank) 1-15
Erik Zabel (Milram) 1-20
Andreas Klier (T-Mobile)
Filippo Pozzato (Quick-Step) 1-20
Stijn Devolder (Discovery Channel) 1-30
Steffen Wesemann (T-Mobile) 1-30
Bernhard Eisel (Française Des Jeux) 1-30
Serguei Ivanov (T-Mobile) 1-40
Leon Van Bon (Davitamon-Lotto) 1-40
Enrico Franzoi (Lampre-Fondital) 1-50
George Hincapie (Discovery Channel) 1-6
Leif Hoste (Discovery Channel) 1-8
Peter Van Petegem (Davitamon-Lotto) 1-10
Fabian Cancellara (Team CSC) 1-10
Thor Hushovd (Crédit Agricole) 1-10
Alessandro Ballan (Lampre-Fondital) 1-15
Juan Antonio Flecha (Rabobank) 1-15
Erik Zabel (Milram) 1-20
Andreas Klier (T-Mobile)
Filippo Pozzato (Quick-Step) 1-20
Stijn Devolder (Discovery Channel) 1-30
Steffen Wesemann (T-Mobile) 1-30
Bernhard Eisel (Française Des Jeux) 1-30
Serguei Ivanov (T-Mobile) 1-40
Leon Van Bon (Davitamon-Lotto) 1-40
Enrico Franzoi (Lampre-Fondital) 1-50
- If you're in Littleton, Colorado tomorrow, go for a spin with Tom Danielson.
- Also somewhere in Colorado... Happy birthday Andy Hampsten!