Rest day for the Tour

This is the first rest day in this year's tour, coming after the peloton had a grueling couple of days in the Pyrenees.  At this juncture the tour looks to be in good shape, with Cadel Evans in yellow for the first time.  The climbs yesterday were tough, as the Pyrenees always are.  We have been on some of these roads, and found them challenging to walk, let alone ride.  When the riders are shown with people running next to them, you can get a sense of how steep they are.  

The one team that has distinguished itself was CSC, and that came yesterday as they blew the peloton apart with a gutsy pace driven by German super-domestique Jens Voight- what a ride!  As well CSC had its great time trialist Fabian Cancellara in a breakaway to the front most of the day.  The idea was to force the field to keep up, or put a lot of time into those who couldn't.  It worked, as two potential winners were broken, and will now work to save face, not win the race.  The CSC GC designate Carlos Sastre managed to make good on the work of his team, now is in 6th, 1:28 minutes back.  But on the day, Frank Schlek made CSC look great, finishing 3rd and putting himself 0:01 minutes back in the General standings.  Looking like they will be the team to beat, but who will they choose to win?

Of course, the individual standouts matter, at least for now.  Cadel Evans, the pre race favorite did a good job staying in the group with CSC all day, and putting himself in yellow.  I say himself because his team was not apparent at any time during the day.  A pity.  If he wins, it will be on his talent alone.  It was good to see him push himself and make an apparent effort.  He seems always to wait for things to happen for him.  I want to see him earn a victory with an heroic stage win, like Lance always had.  One gets the idea he wants to be in the hunt and wait for the big time trial at the end of the tour because he is good at that discipline- but that is not what makes the tour exciting.  

For the US, it was exciting to see Christan Vande Velde for Team Garmin-Chipoptle staying with everyone all day, like Evans.  And like Evans, no team was apparent around him.  One can only hope he can keep going like this.