The A-Hole Doc in LA lost his appeal today. Good news for all. The money quote - which I'll add to fill the 75 word requirement:

"The evidence tended to show that defendant was angry at bicyclists riding on Mandeville Canyon Road and drove aggressively toward them. It tended to negate defendant’s testimony that he was gently trying to get bicyclists to obey traffic laws and did not drive in an aggressive manner toward them.”

I've been checking on some youtube stuff to get myself excited for the tour. I figured since I already had most of the links sorted out, I'd go ahead and post some of my favorite TdF moments over the last few years. So, in no particular order- my top 5 favorite recent TdF moments after the jump

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Maps, Pave Sectors are Here

The arrival of Paris Roubaix kind of reminds me of Christmas as a kid. I look forward to it with great anticipation, and then it’s here and I realize it won’t come back for another year. To me, no other race matches it. If all the bike races on the calendar were in a tool box, Paris Roubaix is the sledge hammer. The tactics for winning this race really haven’t changed much- the riders have, the equipment has, but the tactics really haven’t. It’s quite simple really- stay at the front. There are many obstacles to fight in order to stay at the front, but all must be overcome – cobbles, fatigue, crashes, mechanical failures- everyone will have them. It’s a grueling race, for the body and the mind. If the mind wanders just a bit, you overcook a corner and the race rides on as you watch your hopes go with it.

Hopefully you’ve all enjoyed the video. I really see this as a pretty simple race this year. It’s Cancellara’s to win, but if he isn’t up to it, or if fate isn’t smiling his way, then I see Thor, Boonen and Pozzato as the three guys that will be fighting for the win. I think both Boonen and Pozzato will have the better teams (after Scheldeprijs, I’m giving up on criticizing Garvelo, it’s time for me to stop kicking that particular dog) and Boonen probably has the better form of the two. Thor has looked very strong for brief moments in races, but Paris Roubaix does not reward momentary greatness, you have to be strong all day. Last year both Thor and Pozzato looked good at Roubaix despite doing nothing at the Ronde (Pozatto didn’t even ride it due to illness).

The weather forcast is for 20° and sunny, and it’s been nice there all week. Since weather won’t be an issue, I think this race is going to play out remarkably similar to last year. At some point before Le Carrefour de l'Arbre, Cancellara will attack, and while the other contenders look at each other to see who will chase, Cancellara gets a gap that will not be relinquished. Ultimately Boonen will lead the chase and arrive at the Velodrome spent.

Undoubtedly there will be some other names this year that will challenge for spots on the Podium. Maybe Lars Boom will have a breakthrough day, maybe one of HTC’s young guns will rise to the challenge. Maybe Dom Rollin hangs with the big boys all the way to Roubaix this year. Maybe Hincapie finally gets his day…

So even if I’m right, and Cancellara wins with another spectacular solo effort, there is still plenty to enjoy about this race.

To recap: 1 Fabian Cancellara 2 Thor Hushovd 3 Pippo Pozzato

Oh, and a contest! If anyone picks the top 5, I’ll buy them a fancy new Podium Café T-Shirt. I’m setting a limit at three, so if more than 3 people get all five only the first 3 will get shirts, I’ll go by the time stamp on the post to determine who was first.

Looks like ASO is still playing around with how they are going to award points in this years TdF. Glad to see them putting more emphasis on actually winning the stage. Some people apparently still think stage wins are important. Good for them.

The sprint will feature in the first half of the stage, with points being awarded to the first 15 riders to cross. In previous editions, six, four and two points were on offer for the first three riders over the sprint line.

Stage winners will also collect more points at the finish line in comparison to the runner-up, a potential filip for Cavendish who is the most successful sprinter in the race in the past three years.

It would probably take an act of Jens! for these guys to wear any jersey other than the one the team gave them. But when the team leaders do well, these will be some of the first guys to get pats on the back. As we've seen in last years Tour, and this years Giro, a seemingly harmless stage can cause big problems for a rider that finds himself on the wrong side of a split. WIth the expected carnage expected on Stage 3 this year, these guys are going to be key to keeping there leaders protected. They will be the guys driving the break or chasing it down. When someone punctures, these will be the guys bringing them back to the peloton. They might not be likely to stick around long after the roads turn upward , they're jobs will be getting their men into position when the climbing starts. Any of them could win a stage, and I'll be a little surprised if none do, but that's not why they're here

Two Belgians, two Germans, one Swiss. Who could they be? Jump to find out.

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A lot of recent banter here at the cafe about sprint stages. Being a big fan of them, I sometimes have a hard time seeing why other people don't like them as much. Is it because there typically aren't time gaps and therefore they don't affect the GC? Is it because the decisive action is usually in the last 5K? To satisfy my curiousity, I thought I'd put out a poll. I'd love to get some thoughts as to why people like or don't like them.

A picture may be worth 1000 words, but SB still wants me to come up with 75 to do a fanpost. This was the pic of the day, and testament to how great a location we had. Thanks to Mr Van P, we were getting Blackberry updates and knew what was coming. We saw Boonen come around the corner first, then Cance take the inside line and increase his cadence just a bit until he was even, then move past Tommeke. This is the moment when Cance pulled past. More pics after the jump

All Photos by Elizabeth Freer

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A chance to worship the Evil One himself, in person.

. . . an evening with Jonathan Vaughters

Those in the Bay Area might want to check it out. I nominate Jimbo's place for the pre-party. It's probably walking distance to the event. There is also a cocktail reception and a "exclusive group ride". It's not cheap, but it's for a good cause. Maybe we could get a table in the back and heckle him, or pretend there's a swarm of bees, or ...

Thor does it. Despite a dominating performance in Paris by Columbia, capped by Cavendish's sixth stage win, Thor Hushovd claims the second Green Jersey of his career.

via img266.imageshack.us

Todays Results:

1.	CAVENDISH Mark	71	TEAM COLUMBIA - HTC	35 pts
2.	RENSHAW Mark	78	TEAM COLUMBIA - HTC	30 pts
3.	FARRAR Tyler	53	GARMIN - SLIPSTREAM	26 pts
4.	CIOLEK Gerald	182	TEAM MILRAM	24 pts
5.	HUTAROVICH Yauheni	104	FRANCAISE DES JEUX	22 pts
6.	HUSHOVD Thor	6	CERVELO TEST TEAM	20 pts
7.	ROJAS Jose Joaquin	117	CAISSE D’EPARGNE	19 pts
8.	BANDIERA Marco	132	LAMPRE - N.G.C	18 pts
9.	BENNATI Daniele	92	LIQUIGAS	17 pts
10.	BONNET William	143	BBOX BOUYGUES TELECOM	16 pts

This was a truly impressive Tour by Thor, his consistency and intelligence surpassed Cav's flamboyance and six stage victories. Thor should enjoy this one, it might be quite a while before someone beats Cav again.

I don't think it can be stressed enough how impressive Columbia was in delivering Cav to the line. Having Renshaw finish second today just shows how dominant they are. It also shows very well that the Green Jersey is about more than winning stages.

The final points tally:

1.	HUSHOVD Thor	6	CERVELO TEST TEAM	280 pts
2.	CAVENDISH Mark	71	TEAM COLUMBIA - HTC	270 pts
3.	CIOLEK Gerald	182	TEAM MILRAM	172 pts
4.	ROJAS Jose Joaquin	117	CAISSE D’EPARGNE	145 pts
5.	FARRAR Tyler	53	GARMIN - SLIPSTREAM	136 pts
6.	ROCHE Nicolas	89	AG2R LA MONDIALE	122 pts
7.	FREIRE Oscar	44	RABOBANK	119 pts
8.	PELLIZOTTI Franco	91	LIQUIGAS	104 pts
9.	CONTADOR Alberto	21	ASTANA	101 pts
10.	KLÖDEN Andréas	23	ASTANA	89 pts
11.	MONDORY Lloyd	86	AG2R LA MONDIALE	89 pts

Continued

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This was an unexpected day for the sprinters. This stage looked to be destined for a breakaway, but a motivated peloton, largely led by Rabobank, was able to keep things together. Ballan made a strong move on the last climb but came up just short. Still, it was great to see the Rainbow Jersey looking strong again. The finish was technical, and the last run was a bit uphill, making it even more difficult. Tony Martin did a great job leading things out for Cavendish, who looked to be in trouble, waiting as long as he could to kick. Ciolek appeared to be the first to jump, pulling alongside Cav but then Cavendish was able to open things up, jumping into the front and holding off Thor at the finish.

Todays Results:

1.	CAVENDISH Mark	71	TEAM COLUMBIA - HTC	35 pts
2.	HUSHOVD Thor	6	CERVELO TEST TEAM	30 pts
3.	CIOLEK Gerald	182	TEAM MILRAM	26 pts
4.	VAN AVERMAET Greg	16	SILENCE - LOTTO	24 pts
5.	FREIRE Oscar	44	RABOBANK	22 pts
6.	PINEAU Jérôme	156	QUICK STEP	20 pts
7.	BEPPU Fumiyuki	192	SKIL-SHIMANO	19 pts
8.	ROCHE Nicolas	89	AG2R LA MONDIALE	18 pts
9.	LE MEVEL Christophe	106	FRANCAISE DES JEUX	17 pts
10.	MAASKANT Martijn	55	GARMIN - SLIPSTREAM	16 pts

The overall standings:

1.	HUSHOVD Thor	6	CERVELO TEST TEAM	260 pts
2.	CAVENDISH Mark	71	TEAM COLUMBIA - HTC	235 pts
3.	CIOLEK Gerald	182	TEAM MILRAM	148 pts
4.	ROJAS Jose Joaquin	117	CAISSE D’EPARGNE	126 pts
5.	ROCHE Nicolas	89	AG2R LA MONDIALE	122 pts
6.	FREIRE Oscar	44	RABOBANK	119 pts
7.	FARRAR Tyler	53	GARMIN - SLIPSTREAM	110 pts
8.	PELLIZOTTI Franco	91	LIQUIGAS	96 pts
9.	CONTADOR Alberto	21	ASTANA	88 pts
10.	KLÖDEN Andréas	23	ASTANA	85 pts

continued

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That was fun. Hincapie almost in ends up in Yellow. There was a lot  of excitement in the finish with all the attacks happening, all while keeping an eye on the clock. While I can see George's point about Astana and Garmin, I find it a bit ironic that he's complaining about team tactics while Columbia tried to wall off Thor in the final. There was a good bit of bumping between Thor and Cav, and at one point we almost had a replay of Flanders with Thor against the barriers, but everyone stayed up and Thor was able to finish right behind Cav, holding Green for another day.

Update: Cav relegated to the back! No points today. Wow, bad day for Columbia!

Todays Results:

1.	IVANOV Serguei	165	TEAM KATUSHA	35 pts
2.	ROCHE Nicolas	89	AG2R LA MONDIALE	30 pts
3.	ROULSTON Hayden	9	CERVELO TEST TEAM	26 pts
4.	MAASKANT Martijn	55	GARMIN - SLIPSTREAM	24 pts
5.	MINARD Sébastien	127	COFIDIS LE CREDIT EN LIGNE	22 pts
6.	RIGHI Daniele	136	LAMPRE - N.G.C	20 pts
7.	LE MEVEL Christophe	106	FRANCAISE DES JEUX	19 pts
8.	HINCAPIE George	74	TEAM COLUMBIA - HTC	18 pts
9.	BENNATI Daniele	92	LIQUIGAS	17 pts
10.	CIOLEK Gerald	182	TEAM MILRAM	16 pts

11.	TIMMER Albert	198	SKIL-SHIMANO	15 pts
12.	WILLEMS Frederik	99	LIQUIGAS	14 pts
13.	HUSHOVD Thor	6	CERVELO TEST TEAM	13 pts
14.	RENSHAW Mark	78	TEAM COLUMBIA - HTC	12 pts
15.	HUTAROVICH Yauheni	104	FRANCAISE DES JEUX	11 pts
16.	ROJAS Jose Joaquin	117	CAISSE D’EPARGNE	10 pts

The overall:

1.	HUSHOVD Thor	6	CERVELO TEST TEAM	218 pts
2.	CAVENDISH Mark	71	TEAM COLUMBIA - HTC	200 pts
3.	ROJAS Jose Joaquin	117	CAISSE D’EPARGNE	126 pts
4.	CIOLEK Gerald	182	TEAM MILRAM	122 pts
5.	FARRAR Tyler	53	GARMIN - SLIPSTREAM	110 pts
6.	FREIRE Oscar	44	RABOBANK	97 pts
7.	ROCHE Nicolas	89	AG2R LA MONDIALE	81 pts
8.	PELLIZOTTI Franco	91	LIQUIGAS	81 pts
9.	MONDORY Lloyd	86	AG2R LA MONDIALE	74 pts
10.	IVANOV Serguei	165	TEAM KATUSHA	66 pts

Assuming Cav's relegation stands, it's going to be very hard to catch Thor. Certainly there was tom-foolery going on near the finish, but Cav is having to pay a very heavy price for it.

Stage 13 turned out to be a great day for Cervelo. Heinrich pulls out the impressive breakaway victory, and Thor hangs with the main field and is able to pick up enough points for Green. As close as this competition is, I wonder if Thor might end up regretting that he let Velits pip him at the line? Thor looked he had some words for Velits at the line. Did anyone really believe he didn't care about the Green Jersey?

Todays Points:

1.	HAUSSLER Heinrich	5	CERVELO TEST TEAM	25 pts
2.	TXURRUKA Amets	68	EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI	22 pts
3.	FEILLU Brice	174	AGRITUBEL	20 pts
4.	CHAVANEL Sylvain	151	QUICK STEP	18 pts
5.	VELITS Peter	187	TEAM MILRAM	16 pts
6.	HUSHOVD Thor	6	CERVELO TEST TEAM	15 pts
7.	EFIMKIN Vladimir	81	AG2R LA MONDIALE	14 pts
8.	WIGGINS Bradley	58	GARMIN - SLIPSTREAM	13 pts
9.	HINCAPIE George	74	TEAM COLUMBIA - HTC	12 pts
10.	SCHLECK Andy	31	TEAM SAXO BANK	11 pts

 And the new overall:

1.	HUSHOVD Thor	6	CERVELO TEST TEAM	205 pts
2.	CAVENDISH Mark	71	TEAM COLUMBIA - HTC	200 pts
3.	ROJAS Jose Joaquin	117	CAISSE D’EPARGNE	116 pts
4.	FARRAR Tyler	53	GARMIN - SLIPSTREAM	110 pts
5.	CIOLEK Gerald	182	TEAM MILRAM	100 pts
6.	FREIRE Oscar	44	RABOBANK	97 pts
7.	PELLIZOTTI Franco	91	LIQUIGAS	81 pts
8.	MONDORY Lloyd	86	AG2R LA MONDIALE	74 pts
9.	DUQUE Leonardo	124	COFIDIS LE CREDIT EN LIGNE	64 pts
10.	CHAVANEL Sylvain	151	QUICK STEP	57 pts
11.	KLÖDEN Andréas	23	ASTANA	57 pts

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Even with the break staying away, today still played a part in the Green Jersey Competition. Cervelo tried to get Thor points at the first intermediate sprint, only to have Cav jump out and take the points. This ended up being a preview of the final as Cav again beats Thor for the max points at the finish. The net result is that Cav increases his lead by 3 points on the day.

Todays Points:

1.	SORENSEN Nicki	38	TEAM SAXO BANK	35 pts
2.	LEFEVRE Laurent	146	BBOX BOUYGUES TELECOM	30 pts
3.	PELLIZOTTI Franco	91	LIQUIGAS	26 pts
4.	FOTHEN Markus	183	TEAM MILRAM	24 pts
5.	MARTINEZ Egoi	64	EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI	22 pts
6.	CALZATI Sylvain	173	AGRITUBEL	20 pts
7.	PAURIOL Rémi	129	COFIDIS LE CREDIT EN LIGNE	19 pts
8.	CAVENDISH Mark	71	TEAM COLUMBIA - HTC	24 pts*
9.	HUSHOVD Thor	6	CERVELO TEST TEAM	21 pts*
10.	BANDIERA Marco	132	LAMPRE - N.G.C	16 pts

*intermediate points added for Thor and Cavendish

The totals after Stage 12:

1.	CAVENDISH Mark	71	TEAM COLUMBIA - HTC	200 pts
2.	HUSHOVD Thor	6	CERVELO TEST TEAM	190 pts
3.	ROJAS Jose Joaquin	117	CAISSE D’EPARGNE	116 pts
4.	FARRAR Tyler	53	GARMIN - SLIPSTREAM	110 pts
5.	CIOLEK Gerald	182	TEAM MILRAM	100 pts
6.	FREIRE Oscar	44	RABOBANK	97 pts
7.	MONDORY Lloyd	86	AG2R-LA MONDIALE	74 pts
8.	DUQUE Leonardo	124	COFIDIS LE CREDIT EN LIGNE	64 pts
9.	CANCELLARA Fabian	33	TEAM SAXO BANK	55 pts
10.	BONNET William	143	BBOX BOUYGUES TELECOM	54 pts

continued

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Same as it ever was. Try as they might, no one can come around Cav. Thor almost boxed him in, but by going so early, he lost Green. Farrar might have had his best effort yet, which got him an impessive second place:

For the Day:

1.	CAVENDISH Mark	71	TEAM COLUMBIA - HTC	35 pts
2.	FARRAR Tyler	53	GARMIN - SLIPSTREAM	30 pts
3.	HUTAROVICH Yauheni	104	FRANCAISE DES JEUX	26 pts
4.	FREIRE Oscar	44	RABOBANK	24 pts
5.	HUSHOVD Thor	6	CERVELO TEST TEAM	22 pts
6.	DUQUE Leonardo	124	COFIDIS LE CREDIT EN LIGNE	20 pts
7.	CIOLEK Gerald	182	TEAM MILRAM	19 pts
8.	MONDORY Lloyd	86	AG2R-LA MONDIALE	18 pts
9.	BONNET William	143	BBOX BOUYGUES TELECOM	17 pts
10.	TRUSSOV Nicolaï	168	TEAM KATUSHA	16 pts

And the new overall:

1.	CAVENDISH Mark	71	TEAM COLUMBIA - HTC	176 pts
2.	HUSHOVD Thor	6	CERVELO TEST TEAM	169 pts
3.	ROJAS Jose Joaquin	117	CAISSE D’EPARGNE	110 pts
4.	FARRAR Tyler	53	GARMIN - SLIPSTREAM	110 pts
5.	CIOLEK Gerald	182	TEAM MILRAM	100 pts
6.	FREIRE Oscar	44	RABOBANK	97 pts
7.	MONDORY Lloyd	86	AG2R-LA MONDIALE	74 pts
8.	DUQUE Leonardo	124	COFIDIS LE CREDIT EN LIGNE	64 pts
9.	CANCELLARA Fabian	33	TEAM SAXO BANK	55 pts
10.	BONNET William	143	BBOX BOUYGUES TELECOM	54 pts

more...

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Once again we see that no one is going to be able to come around Cav when he gets a smooth lead out. Thor and Farrar were perfectly placed to make a move and were powerless to do anything other than hold their position. Garmin was hinting about trying to go early and disrupt the rhythm of the runout and it looked like Julian Dean was able to cause a bit of a disruption in the final corner but Farrar wasn't with him. All it really accomplished was creating a gap between Renshaw/Cav and everyone else. Thor was able to get on Cav's wheel and then Tyler jumped on, but neither had the speed to come around and Cav won easy. Thor loses 5 points to Cav, but stays in Green.

Todays Points:

1.	CAVENDISH Mark	71	TEAM COLUMBIA - HTC	35 pts
2.	HUSHOVD Thor	6	CERVELO TEST TEAM	30 pts
3.	FARRAR Tyler	53	GARMIN - SLIPSTREAM	26 pts
4.	DUQUE Leonardo	124	COFIDIS LE CREDIT EN LIGNE	24 pts
5.	ROJAS Jose Joaquin	117	CAISSE D’EPARGNE	22 pts
6.	MONDORY Lloyd	86	AG2R-LA MONDIALE	20 pts
7.	VAN HUMMEL Kenny Robert	199	SKIL-SHIMANO	19 pts
8.	BONNET William	143	BBOX BOUYGUES TELECOM	18 pts
9.	BENNATI Daniele	92	LIQUIGAS	17 pts
10.	HADDOU Saïd	145	BBOX BOUYGUES TELECOM	16 pts

Through Stage 10:

1.	HUSHOVD Thor	6	CERVELO TEST TEAM	147 pts
2.	CAVENDISH Mark	71	TEAM COLUMBIA - HTC	141 pts
3.	ROJAS Jose Joaquin	117	CAISSE D’EPARGNE	97 pts
4.	CIOLEK Gerald	182	TEAM MILRAM	81 pts
5.	FARRAR Tyler	53	GARMIN - SLIPSTREAM	80 pts
6.	FREIRE Oscar	44	RABOBANK	73 pts
7.	CANCELLARA Fabian	33	TEAM SAXO BANK	55 pts
8.	MONDORY Lloyd	86	AG2R-LA MONDIALE	54 pts
9.	FEILLU Romain	175	AGRITUBEL	49 pts
10.	VOECKLER Thomas	141	BBOX BOUYGUES TELECOM	47 pts
11.	PELLIZOTTI Franco	91	LIQUIGAS	47 pts
12.	ROCHE Nicolas	89	AG2R-LA MONDIALE	47 pts

Continued after the jump

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Thor makes use of the intermediate sprints to move into Green. HIncapie tried to contest him to preserve points for Cav, but wasn't up to it. Rojas is going to be someone to watch out for. He's still a ways back, but he keeps picking up points.

The new leaderboard:

1.	HUSHOVD Thor	6	CERVELO TEST TEAM	117 pts
2.	CAVENDISH Mark	71	TEAM COLUMBIA - HTC	106 pts
3.	CIOLEK Gerald	182	TEAM MILRAM	66 pts
4.	ROJAS Jose Joaquin	117	CAISSE D’EPARGNE	65 pts
5.	CANCELLARA Fabian	33	TEAM SAXO BANK	55 pts
6.	FARRAR Tyler	53	GARMIN - SLIPSTREAM	54 pts
7.	VOECKLER Thomas	141	BBOX BOUYGUES TELECOM	47 pts
8.	FREIRE Oscar	44	RABOBANK	47 pts
9.	PINEAU Jérôme	156	QUICK STEP	46 pts
10.	FEILLU Romain	175	AGRITUBEL	39 pts

Excitement across the board today. Millar almost made it two in a row for the breakaways, but the peloton had it's way today. There was a lot of speculation about which type of rider this finish would favor, and in the end it came down to an interesting mix, with Thor at the front.

Today's Points

1.	HUSHOVD Thor	6	CERVELO TEST TEAM	35 pts
2.	FREIRE Oscar	44	RABOBANK	30 pts
3.	ROJAS Jose Joaquin	117	CAISSE D’EPARGNE	26 pts
4.	CIOLEK Gerald	182	TEAM MILRAM	24 pts
5.	PELLIZOTTI Franco	91	LIQUIGAS	22 pts
6.	POZZATO Filippo	167	TEAM KATUSHA	20 pts
7.	BALLAN Alessandro	131	LAMPRE - N.G.C	19 pts
8.	NOCENTINI Rinaldo	87	AG2R-LA MONDIALE	18 pts
9.	EVANS Cadel	11	SILENCE - LOTTO	17 pts
10.	CANCELLARA Fabian	33	TEAM SAXO BANK	16 pts

and the new overall:

1.	CAVENDISH Mark	71	TEAM COLUMBIA - HTC	106 pts
2.	HUSHOVD Thor	6	CERVELO TEST TEAM	105 pts
3.	CIOLEK Gerald	182	TEAM MILRAM	66 pts
4.	FARRAR Tyler	53	GARMIN - SLIPSTREAM	54 pts
5.	CANCELLARA Fabian	33	TEAM SAXO BANK	53 pts
6.	ROJAS Jose Joaquin	117	CAISSE D’EPARGNE	53 pts
7.	FREIRE Oscar	44	RABOBANK	47 pts
8.	VOECKLER Thomas	141	BBOX BOUYGUES TELECOM	41 pts
9.	FEILLU Romain	175	AGRITUBEL	39 pts
10.	DUMOULIN Samuel	123	COFIDIS LE CREDIT EN LIGNE	36 pts

More after the jump

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The big winner of the day was, of course, Voekler. Losers incude schadenfreude and windmills...

As for the Green Jersey hopefulls, Cav again strengthened his lead, Farrar gained some ground on Thor and moves into third, while Ciolek moves into fourth.

Todays Points:

1.	VOECKLER Thomas	141	BBOX BOUYGUES TELECOM	35 pts
2.	IGNATIEV Mikhail	164	TEAM KATUSHA	30 pts
3.	CAVENDISH Mark	71	TEAM COLUMBIA - HTC	26 pts
4.	FARRAR Tyler	53	GARMIN - SLIPSTREAM	24 pts
5.	CIOLEK Gerald	182	TEAM MILRAM	22 pts
6.	NAPOLITANO Danilo	166	TEAM KATUSHA	20 pts
7.	ROJAS Jose Joaquin	117	CAISSE D’EPARGNE	19 pts
8.	MONDORY Lloyd	86	AG2R-LA MONDIALE	18 pts
9.	FREIRE Oscar	44	RABOBANK	17 pts
10.	HUSHOVD Thor	6	CERVELO TEST TEAM	16 pts

Overall:

1.	CAVENDISH Mark	71	TEAM COLUMBIA - HTC	96 pts
2.	HUSHOVD Thor	6	CERVELO TEST TEAM	70 pts
3.	FARRAR Tyler	53	GARMIN - SLIPSTREAM	54 pts
4.	CIOLEK Gerald	182	TEAM MILRAM	42 pts
5.	VOECKLER Thomas	141	BBOX BOUYGUES TELECOM	41 pts
6.	FEILLU Romain	175	AGRITUBEL	39 pts
7.	CANCELLARA Fabian	33	TEAM SAXO BANK	37 pts
8.	DUMOULIN Samuel	123	COFIDIS LE CREDIT EN LIGNE	36 pts
9.	IGNATIEV Mikhail	164	TEAM KATUSHA	34 pts
10.	MONDORY Lloyd	86	AG2R-LA MONDIALE	34 pts

more after the jump

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If you were to look at today's profile and then look at the results to see Cav and Thor at the top, it would be easy to ho-hum the stage. But wow, what a stage. In the end it's likely to be a tale full of sound and fury for the Yellow, but not for Green. Todays Top Ten:

.	CAVENDISH Mark	71	TEAM COLUMBIA - HTC	35 pts
2.	HUSHOVD Thor	6	CERVELO TEST TEAM	30 pts
3.	LEMOINE Cyril	191	SKIL-SHIMANO	26 pts
4.	DUMOULIN Samuel	123	COFIDIS LE CREDIT EN LIGNE	24 pts
5.	PINEAU Jérôme	156	QUICK STEP	22 pts
6.	CANCELLARA Fabian	33	TEAM SAXO BANK	20 pts
7.	WEGMANN Fabian	188	TEAM MILRAM	19 pts
8.	BEPPU Fumiyuki	192	SKIL-SHIMANO	18 pts
9.	BOUET Maxime	172	AGRITUBEL	17 pts
10.	GERDEMANN Linus	181	TEAM MILRAM	16 pts

and the top 10 through Stage 3

1.	CAVENDISH Mark	71	TEAM COLUMBIA - HTC	70 pts
2.	HUSHOVD Thor	6	CERVELO TEST TEAM	54 pts
3.	DUMOULIN Samuel	123	COFIDIS LE CREDIT EN LIGNE	36 pts
4.	CANCELLARA Fabian	33	TEAM SAXO BANK	35 pts
5.	BOUET Maxime	172	AGRITUBEL	31 pts
6.	FARRAR Tyler	53	GARMIN - SLIPSTREAM	30 pts
7.	LEMOINE Cyril	191	SKIL-SHIMANO	26 pts
8.	FEILLU Romain	175	AGRITUBEL	26 pts
9.	DE KORT Koen	193	SKIL-SHIMANO	25 pts
10.	AUGE Stéphane	122	COFIDIS LE CREDIT EN LIGNE	24 pts
11.	MARTIN Tony	76	TEAM COLUMBIA - HTC	24 pts

More thoughts after the jump

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Apologies if I'm stepping on anyone's toes, but I was out riding and had the thought that I'd like to do a regularly updated feature about the race for the Green Jersey. Chris did a great preview here, and I see Ursula did another good post specifically dealing with how to beat Cav here. A lot of stuff from today's stage is already covered there. But there was more that happed today than just Cav, and I think it's fun to look at it, and I'd love your input. This all comes from watching the Vesus coverage and then looking at the video on Wielerflits site.

Your overall top 10:

1.	CAVENDISH Mark	71	TEAM COLUMBIA - HTC	35 pts
2.	FARRAR Tyler	53	GARMIN - SLIPSTREAM	30 pts
3.	FEILLU Romain	175	AGRITUBEL	26 pts
4.	HUSHOVD Thor	6	CERVELO TEST TEAM	24 pts
5.	ARASHIRO Yukiya	142	BBOX BOUYGUES TELECOM	22 pts
6.	CIOLEK Gerald	182	TEAM MILRAM	20 pts
7.	BONNET William	143	BBOX BOUYGUES TELECOM	19 pts
8.	ROCHE Nicolas	89	AG2R-LA MONDIALE	18 pts
9.	DE KORT Koen	193	SKIL-SHIMANO	17 pts
10.	MONDORY Lloyd	86	AG2R-LA MONDIALE	16 pts

Interested? Then follow me to the other side...

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Katusha has also released their roster for the tour. Other than provding nicknames involving silly hair, it's not clear that they'll accomplish much else. Karpets and his Mullet will be the GC guy,  Napolitano and his unibrow will be trying for the sprints and Pozatto will be looking for whatever he can come up with.

Alexandre Botcharov

Stijn Vandenbergh

Serguei Ivanov

Vladimir Karpets

Joan Horrach Rippoll

Filippo Pozzato

Mikhail Ignatiev

Nikolai Trusov

Danilo Napolitano

Interesting Article here. According to this, Contador had a deal in place to go to Garmin, and take some friends with him. This after telling JB he was going anywhere... Who knows what to believe, but I was pretty surprised to see Garmin in the mix. Should be fun come Tour Time. Obviously things get played up when there isn't anything else to talk about, blah blah blah, hopefully I'm at 75 now.

Of potential interest to my fellow NorCal nieghbors. This Sunday, in Napa the Cherry Pie Crit takes place. As I was looking to see how far down on the wait list I was for my field, I noticed that Garmin will be riding the Pro race. Here's the list of who's signed up.

It would be a great chance to see some of these guys without the craziness of the ToC