What Do Points Make? #TDF

Today as in every year since 1975 the Tour de France is heading for 8 circuits of the Champs-Élysées. Most of the prizes have been decided.

On the Col Du Tourmalet on Thursday the Polka Dot Jersey for the King of the Mountains was finally planted firmly on shoulders of Anthony Charteau (BBox). The challenge from fellow Frenchman and the old man of the Tour Christophe Moreau (Caisse d'Espange) failed to close the remaining gap.

Yesterday it was as you were for Yellow and White (Young Rider) as last year. Alberto Contador (Astana) was 31" ahead of Andy Schleck (Saxobank) in the time trial into Pauillac. It means that Contador leads by 39", an irony not lost on many which was the exact time difference he took out of Schleck following his chain falling off when he was attacking Contador on the Port de Bales on Monday. It means that Contador is in Yellow and Scheleck will equal Jan Ullrich with a third successive White Jersey. The top three have all been the best young rider because Denis Menchov rode a good time trail yesterday to displace the Olympic Champion Sammy Sanchez from the final podium.

Lance Armstrong in his last Tour will be on the podium but only as a part of the best team as Radioshack have won that prize.

However, the real excitement lies in the Green Jersey competition for points. The current standings are:

• Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre) 213
• Thor Hushovd (Cervelo) 203
• Mark Cavendish (HTC-Columbia) 197

The point allocation on the line will be 35 for first, 30 for second, 26 for third, 24, 22, 20, 19 etc. There are also two intermediate sprints on the Champs-Élysées offering 6,4 and 2 points. It means that three teams will be working hard to secure the Green Jersey today.

If Mark Cavendish can repeat his performance in the French Capital from last year and win on the famous boulevard. The Norwegian would have to be second to stay ahead and the Italian if he was seventh would be equal on points but behind the Manxman on stage wins therefore losing his lead. The question is will any of them be in a position to take the intermediate sprints as often these go to a breakaway, or will the teams keep up the tempo for the full eight circuits to give their men a chance to get a shot at the 12 points on offer.

This will be an exciting afternoon on the approach to Paris, especially for three sprinters and a busy one for their teams.

Where Has the Sprint Gone from Cav? #TDF

Yesterday's stage left a lot of questions for Mark Cavendish and the HTC-Columbia team.

His team took control of the race 5km from the finish, last year that would have been enough. His big powerful train would have propelled him towards the front of the peleton ready to launch him towards the line with a couple of hundred metres to go. Sure there were roundabouts in the lead up to the finish but the HTC boys were grouped at the front and looking out for their man.

Then it came Mark Renshaw was at the head with Cavendish in his wheel. Over to the right hand side of the road. Cav and Thor Hushovd had been shoulder to shoulder behind their respective lead out men in the seconds before.

Then against the script over on the left comes a surge from the other sprinter, who was near the front through all the roundabouts, Alessandro Petacchi made a run for the line. There seemed to be no response from Cavendish and Hushovd realised he was on the wrong wheel too late to switch across the road to come in 9th in the sprint, 3 places ahead of Cav who appeared in the last metres to have lost one of his pedal bindings.

But even before that it looks like Cavendish infection earlier this year may have taken something away from him. He may not be quite the sprinter he was over the last two years as a result. Of course it may be like everyone else he was still merely shattered after the Hell of the North the previous day, when he did ride well and came in 25th when there were groups all down the road. There was a 1% incline at the end, not a lot but after the day before it may have been sapping.

Today of course is another day and another day suitable for sprinters. Again it is flat with no real concern providing an escape isn't given too much head. But there may be concern over just how much speed in currently in the legs of Britain's top sprinter, or course come later today I may not have any concerns over that whatsoever. Cav has been one to bounce back before when he hasn't won as expected with a double, Friday's stage is also for the sprinters. So we wait and see.

Chaos on Stage One of Tour de France #TDF

Well it wasn't the coastal winds that caused chaos on the first mass finish of this years Tour de France but some of the bends towards the finish of the race.

First having just entered the last 3km when anybody involved in a crash has their time protected with the group they are with sprint king Mark Cavendish (HTC-Columbia), fellow Brit Jeremy Hunt (Cervelo) and Oscar Freire (Rabobank) and were amongst those that went down.

Later just inside the flame rouge marking the final kilometre there was a second crash which literally blocked the road behind a lead group of about 25-30. This took out Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Transitions) amongst others.

So it was left to Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre) who also benefitted when Cav crashed in the Tour of Switzerland to take the line, Cav's normal lead out man Mark Renshaw took second, which makes you wonder what would have happened in the Manx engine was there. Last year's Green Jersey winner Thor Hushovd (Cervélo) took third place. With Robbie McEwen (Katusha) and Mathieu Ladagnous (Française des Jeux) the first French men making up the top five.

There had been an earlier all day break away of three who had been captured with 8km to go before the real drama of the day took over. The fact was that all the sprinters' teams were vying for position in the lead up to the finish. All in all a thrilling end to what might otherwise have been a normal bunch finish. Just have to hope that nobody else is going to have to retire as a result, Swiss rider Mathias Frank (BMC) didn't not line up at the start this morning having broken his wrist in a crash in the 8.9km time trial prologue yesterday.

Update: Just heard that Adam Hansen has suffered a broken collar bone and will be out of the HTC-Columbia train.

Tomorrow we have the first hilly stage of the race. In total there are three each category 3 and 4 climbs so someone in a breakaway coud pull on the first King of the Mountains jersey when they arrive in Spa. See below.