Who is your tip for the winner of the Tour de france?

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Cadel Evans.

Haha yeah i think most aussies will be going for him

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Cadel Evans ofcourse

July 12, 2008

AUSTRALIA'S Cadel Evans remained second overall after the seventh stage of the Tour de France was won by Spain's Luis-Leon Sanchez in windy conditions.

Evans finished 12th to trail yellow jersey holder Kim Kirchen of Luxembourg by six seconds.

Germany's Stefan Schumacher is third overall, 16 seconds off the pace.

"I thought it would have been a little bit more of a relaxing day but you saw from the cross-winds and the splits everywhere that it never let up all day," Evans said.

Sanchez hit the front four kilometres from the end of the 159km stage from Brioude to Aurillac in the Auvergne, holding on for a solo victory.

Caisse d'Epargne's Sanchez was part of a group of four riders that broke away before the major climb but was caught toward the end of the race.

The Spaniard slipped away again at the end and this time was able to hold on. Sanchez came in six seconds ahead of a large group led by former yellow jersey holder Schumacher of Germany and Filippo Pozzato of Italy. Kirchen was fourth.

The 24-year-old Sanchez dedicated the victory to his elder brother, Leon, who died in a quad bike accident three years ago.

His other brother, Pedro, is a professional footballer with Spanish team Levante.

"Whenever we do something outstanding, we dedicate it to my brother," Luis-Leon Sanchez said.

The Tour favourites all rode close to the front of the main group and came in together. Despite attempts by several teams – including CSC and Garmin-Chipotle – to break the race apart, they could not be separated.

"I was very, very calm from the beginning," Kirchen said. "I had very good legs and recovered well from yesterday. I had a very good team. It gave me a lot of confidence, we controlled very well in a stage that has many climbs."

The big losers of the day were crash victim Damiano Cunego, the 2004 Giro champion, and fifth-placed David Millar of Britain, who both came in 33 seconds behind the winner. Sylvain Chavanel of France lost the polka-dot jersey for best climber to David de la Fuente of Spain, who was part of the four-man breakaway.

Christophe Moreau, a French rider with the Agritubel team who was briefly in contention for victory last year, was one of several cyclists to pull out of the Tour during Saturday's (EST) stage.

Saturday's eighth stage brings the riders out of the Massif Central and takes them down to the city of Toulouse, a 172.5km race beginning in Figeac.

But it will be a brief respite for the riders – they enter the Pyrenees on Monday (EST).

He is only 2 seconds behind the leader at the moment.

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yay hello to the yellow. Go Cadel W00T W00T lol

July 15, 2008

CADEL Evans took custody of the Tour de France yellow jersey after a thrilling end to the 10th stage which saw the collapse of several other favourites including Alejandro Valverde.

Italian Leonardo Piepoli, of the Saunier Duval team, won the 156km ride from Pau to Hautacam in the Pyrenees, but with Paris in mind it was Evans who stole the headlines.

The Australian, who rides for Silence-Lotto, now leads Luxemburger Frank Schleck of the CSC team by one second with American Christian Vande Velde of Garmin in third at 38.

"I can't believe it now and I couldn't believe it on the podium,'' said Evans, who has experienced arguably the most dramatic 24 hours of his life.

"Yesterday was by far my Tour low and today it's definitely my Tour high. Only 26 hours have passed and it's been a bit of a rollercoaster.''

Evans's performance on what was a thrilling day of racing in the Pyrenees was impressive, especially as a crash at nearly 60kmh on Sunday threatened to end his bid to go better than last year's runner-up place.

After being "patched up, but in pain'' for the start of the 10th stage, Evans - suffering from shoulder, hip, knee and elbow pains - then overcame the loss of all of his teammates as CSC pushed the pace hard on the 17.7km climb over the summit of the Col du Tourmalet.

Left on his own during the 14.4km climb to the summit finish, Evans looked in trouble when Frank Schleck, who began the day with a deficit of 1:50 to the Australian, attacked early on.

However, Evans worked himself back into contention and eventually finished the rest of the climb in the company of Russian Denis Menchov, Spaniard Carlos Sastre, Vande Velde and Italian climber Riccardo Ricco, all of whom crossed the line 2:17 behind Piepoli and 1:49 behind Schleck.

Although he cites Luxembourg national champion Schleck as a big threat, Evans says he will now have to be vigilant of Menchov, who is fifth overall at 57sec.

"It's going to be difficult, we don't have the strongest team in the race but we just have to be satisfied with what we did today - and we'll give it (the rest of the race) some thought tomorrow,'' added Evans.

"Frank Schleck is my closest rival so I think he'll be the biggest threat for now. But Menchov, history shows that he is one of the strongest over three weeks.''

Schleck, whose attack on the Hautacam left younger brother Andy struggling and virtually out of contention at 8:34 behind Evans, said: "I'm disappointed not to take the yellow jersey, but the Tour is far from finished.''

In fourth place overall is Austrian Bernard Kohl of Gersolsteiner, with Sastre - the CSC's official team leader - in fifth place at 1:28.

Kohl, 26, was ecstatic: "I'm in dreamland. I knew I had great form but I didn't think I would find myself up there.''

Vande Velde was equally happy, having managed to stay with Evans's group to keep himself in contention.

The 32-year-old American - who spent six years riding with Lance Armstrong's US Postal team - believes the race is now wide open.

"To be third after the first ten days is great. From now on everyone's going to be playing off each other,'' he said.

"This is not the top ten that I would have expected by this stage of the race. I didn't expect Valverde to be this far back. It's going to make for an interesting Tour.''

Overnight leader Kim Kirchen fell to seventh at 1:56 behind Evans, who will now go into Wednesday's rest day (EST) glad of the chance to recuperate.

"I felt shocking at the start (of the stage), but as you do the body readapts. The team doctor patched me up,'' said Evans, who becomes the first Australian to wear the yellow jersey since sprinter Robbie McEwen in 2004.

Valverde had arguably his worst day on the Tour de France, the Caisse d'Epargne leader tumbling down the standings to 14th at 4:41 behind Evans after finishing 5:52 behind Piepoli.

The 28-year-old tried to play down the setback, but said the team would not be focusing on the yellow jersey.

"It wasn't one of our best days in the race but we can't say it was a disaster either," he said.

"There's still a long way to go to Paris but I think from today we should go out and look for stage wins and not focus on the yellow jersey.''

For the first time since the great Phil Anderson, an Australian rider has a chance of winning the Tour de France.

Evans's team manager, Marc Sergeant, played down the suggestion that having the race lead would be an obstacle to their wish to have it in Paris on July 27.

"We're worked very hard, four years, to be here and now Cadel is on the podium in yellow. We have to enjoy this moment,'' Sergeant said.

"We have to put this in perspective. This morning no one was really sure how he was feeling.

"He was sore and stiff all over this morning, but he was good. He stayed with all the big favourites, Menchov, Sastre, the only one who was dangerous was Schleck - and OK, one second, on the good side.''

July 20, 2008

RABOBANK sprinter Oscar Freire ended the victory run of Britain's Mark Cavendish by taking the Tour de France 14th stage as Cadel Evans retained the overall lead.

Australian Evans kept the leader's yellow jersey, one second ahead of Luxembourg's Frank Schleck ahead of Monday's (EST) first day in the Alps.

Freire, a former three-time world champion, is one of several big names to fall victim to the top-end speed of the 23-year-old Cavendish during a campaign that has handed the Manxman four stages.

However, on a baking hot day in the Alpes de Haute Provence, the Spanish sprinter finally did justice to the green jersey he has been wearing for the points competition with a late surge that handed him his fourth career victory in the race.

Colombian Leonardo Duque of Cofidis came second ahead of veteran German sprinter Erik Zabel of Milram.

Cavendish failed to challenge at the end of the 194km stage's home straight having dropped off the back on the day's second climb only 10km from the finish.

That partly allowed Freire to hand his Dutch team their first victory of this year's race, but he was quick to point out it was all his own work.

"Cavendish has been the best sprinter on the race so far, but the fact I won without him today doesn't take anything away from my victory,'' said Freire, one of the few sprinters to emerge from a country best known for its stage race riders.

"I came here to win as many stages as possible and it's great to finally get one. I'm hoping to go for another one or two, and maybe now I can start thinking about holding on to the green jersey.''

After battling through the Pyrenees with injuries sustained in a crash, Evans now approaches the first day in the Alps having rebuilt strength in an injured shoulder which has left him lop-sided on the bike.

The 31-year-old Australian spent a relatively calm day in the saddle, although a breakaway composed of 21 riders forced Evans into some early tactical choices, prompting his team to start a chase which eventually reeled the frontrunners in.

Evans's teammate, sprinter Robbie McEwen, was among the riders setting the pace at the front - a rare occasion but one the Aussie said was logical.

"I'm trying to get the guys who are to help me in the mountains there as fresh as possible. It's a long way to Paris and we need to spend our energy wisely in the coming days,'' said Evans.

A four-man group was then allowed to break free of the original group of 21, but despite reaching a maximum lead of 6min 50sec they were soon chased down by two big sprinters' teams.

At the front of the chasing peloton Liquigas and the Milram team of Zabel led the chase, but with 28km to go the leading group disintegrated when former Spanish time trial champion Jose Ivan Gutierrez attacked on his own.

Gutierrez, and prior to that his other three breakaway companions, was eventually reeled in and on the day's second climb the attacks came thick and fast.

The only one which looked promising came from determined Cofidis rider Sylvain Chavanel, but as has happened to the Frenchman several times in the race he was caught shortly before the finish line, with 1.8km to go.

Freire must have thought his Christmas and birthday had come at the same time when he failed to see Cavendish in the bunch sprint, which in the closing stages was being led by the Milram team.

The Spaniard popped out from behind Zabel, a former six-time winner of the race's green jersey, to finally throw his hands in the air.

In the process he added 35 points to his points competition tally, taking his total to 219. 2006 winner Thor Hushovd of Norway is second on 172.

Even know Cadel Evans lost the jacket last night I still think it was a good performance and considering an Aussie won the stage we cant really complain. Im looking forward to the next couple of mountain stages and especially the individual time trials later on.