2nd hand bike trading

I don't often buy the Comic, for lots of reasons which it itself would make an article on it's own. But when I do I always have a flick through the bikemart section.

I'm always interested to see what people think there bikes are worth. I've often wondered how the sellers get to this price. Probably the nearest you can get to a comparison is looking at 2nd hand car & motorbike sales. It gives a guide but with every sector comes it's own quirks.

In the late 90's we'd often get customers wanting to trade in their old bike for the latest & greatest machine. At the time it was mainly MTB's as this was a boom period. As a trade in, that the store would have to sell, we came up with a format that allowed shop manager or Saturday boy a rough calculation to work on, even if you hadn't seen the bike.

Technology was the driver for this format & hence the calculation was brutal. For those not riding at the time it was like a MTB arms race, each year the manufacturer bringing out better, lighter, more this & less that. I think the MTB in that period had an advancement injection not seen before & I'd doubt if we'll see again. So to the formula.

Normal retail price / 1/2
Then for each year old it was 10% would be taken off that price.
Of course there was exceptions as condition of the bike influenced whether it would decrease rapidly or if it would approch the 1/2 New Price.

This worked for the shop as we needed to re-sell & make some money. Often the shop didn't cone best off out of the deal. The New Nike customer & the 2nd Hand customer came off best, both getting a good deal.

Road bikes on the other hand are a little more tricky to work out. In the same late 90's early 00's the arms race had not really started. Frames & component groupsets didn't change that much, so making Road bikes hold value much better than there MTB counter parts.

So is there a solid formula for working it out then? My answer is no. This often causes a raised eyebrow when scouring the pages of the Comic because of this. It's probably the reason why I've often undersold items, & why eBay is popular with cyclists as the end price ends up being a true (or truer) price.

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The Worst kept secret ~ Andy & Frank leave Saxo & more

It had been rumoured for weeks that the Schleck brothers would be leaving Bjarne Riis for the new, and as yet, un-named new Luxembourgh Team. Ex Saxo people will be there to guide the big ship. The noise I've heard on a sponsor, well that would be PayPal. Be interesting to see who it is.

With Alberto Contador pretty much confirmed to be joining Riis at the new version of Saxo Bank. Specialized will become a major sponsor of the Team, but details are unclear at the moment if they will be the Title sponsor. My guess is Yes and it will make a lot of sense as Specialized is a personal sponsor of Contabore.

So there are lots of questions buzzing around my head in regards to the new Schleck Team, which I'll call Team Lux for the moment. My thoughts are split into a couple of areas , one being the riders & secondly & more I interestingly the equipement.

1. I'm sure in the three weeks on the road many deals have already been done. I'm sure the main focus of the Team will be the Tour and this will reflect the choice of riders chosen. Climbers (grimpeur), puncheur & Rouleurs have all got to be on the shopping list. Sprinters & cobbled Classic riders may be much lower down on the list. I would expect a fair amount of riders to speak Flemish/Dutch, with a mix of Italian and Spanish thrown in. I hope they do not forget the Ardennes Classics as the Schlecks should be able to win any of those races.

2. Okay onto kit, and currently this is the area I've spent more time thinking about. The equipment could make the difference between Andy winning the Tour or losing it, as having bikes that in principal where the same for Andy & Bert, Andy needs to make some marginal gains to bag as much time as possible in order to win next year.

Bikes
It won't be another Specialized sponsored Team. So who can provide a frame that will give an edge. Many of the most cutting edge manufacturers already sponsor one and in some cases two teams. Who does that leave?

Time is one and they have the expertise to make something special.

De Rosa could be an option especially as they have the ability to make custom frames for the riders. This could be a key feature for the Schlecks who in my books have never looked that comfortable on the bikes they have ridden.

Ridley, is my third option. As far as I am aware there is no Luxembourg bicycle manufacturer, so Ridley being Belgian is the nearest there is. They make a wide range of bicycles and as we have seen also from the bike provided to Pozzato that they can make custom when required. From light weight to aero they have it covered.

Others, well you can't rule out one of the other American companies wanting a potential Tour winner on their books. Big money talks, and this could be enough to sway them to use their bikes.

Groupset.
As far as I am aware professionally they have never ridden on Campa. So which of the two big 'S's' will they opt for. I think both will have some cash to secure the deal. Shimano will insist of having a monopoly on kit choice, so I'd expect Shimano wheels & Pro finishing kit.

If Sram is chosen you'd expect that the Zipp wheel brand would go hand in hand with the deal. I'm not so sure that this will happen as Andy needs an edge over Bert and I think that just having a different frame isn't enough. So he may choose Mavic or Lightweight.

Cock pit wise I'd expect FSA to be the natural choice or if the ex CSC/ Saxo boys search their history books they could rekindle a relationship with USE to gain a performance advantage. There aero bar has been helping athletes hit PB's over the last four years. Ironically it would have made Schleck's time a lot closer to Contador's in the TT.

Pedals, well I'd be amazed if they switched from Speedplay, but money talks.

Tyres I'd expect it to Vittoria as the guys have done thousands of km's on them over the years. It's a safe good set of rubber to race on.

Clothing.
I'd expect three people to be in the fray for the contract. MOA will be one. They sponsor loads of geMs already and they ARE Pro Team clothing. Descente will be another as previously they have worked with CSC. The other will be Craft as they too have worked with Saxo.

It'll be interesting to see how it all turns out and to see what the contendor will be using next year. Thanks to http://www.theroaddiaries.com for the use on the photos.

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Pictures tell a Story ~ Part One ~ Kristof Ramon

It's all Jon Cannings fault really. He showed me some of Kristof's work last year and I was blown away by it. I initially thought there was some serious photoshop work going on tomake the photos look the way they do. I was wrong, it is a technique with a type of flash. I think with all photographers it is how thye use their equipment as well as how they see the subject matter that can transform an image from being some blank and lacking felling to one that captures a subject and evokes passion and emotion.

 

See the full gallery on posterous

I got the chance to meet Kristof this year in his home town of Leuven, where he was taking photos at the Brabanste Piij race. What a nice chap, and I can only hope his career goes far, because sometimes the good guys should come first and not last. Many thanks to Kristof for allowing me to use his photos here and elsewhere on my site. That kind gesture is impossible for me to repay and this is my way of saying thanks to him. Enjoy the images as the person who created them enjoys making them, spread some love today.

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HTC ~ The Mechanics Of It All

Whenever I get a chance to get to a Pro level race it's the pits that I normally head to. I love all the techy side of it, what are the riding and looking at the set up. But seeing a Pro Mechanic work is a thing of beauty. Repartition turns a mundane task if fitting bartape into a rythmic act where the mechanic makes it look so easy.

For me they are the unsung heroes of ANY bike race, and you can times that by ten at any Grand Tour. Thanks to HTC for posting it.

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Guess the musette

I think the competition is done, so don't get too excited. I find this kind of thing really interesting. Just imagine that little bag weighs over 2 1/2 pounds. Doesn't sound much, trying picking it up at 30 kmph, I bet it feels a little heavier now! Garmin are a cool Team in my books and I love these little snippits that they provide into Pro Team life.

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Tour De France: Schleck Wins Stage 17

Tour De France: Schleck Wins Stage 17

Andy Schleck won his second stage of this year's Tour de France on the final mountain leg of the race, just ahead of rival Alberto Contador who retains the yellow jersey. ~ Sky News

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I caught the hi-lights show and watched these two great climbers battle up one of the toughest mountains in this Tour. 

Unfortunately the gap between Schleck and Contadore did not change. I would have liked it if Andy had gained 30-40 seconds on him, if nothing to create some more tension. 

It's been a great Tour and maybe it's the cleanest every as we have seen people struggling and others have a surge of form. It's been great, and whoever wins come Saturday evening will bave become a worthy Champion. 

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The Tour de France 1975 Stage 15

It is very difficult to think of bicycle racing and not think of Merckx. Eddy was the best, and is the best. Nobody in my books is as good now or then. He holds a special place held for the giants of the sport, names like Pele, Ali and Jordan, all the best in their respective fields. All the best, whereas those who follow will always be compared to these greats. My French is pretty poor, but there is something wonderful listening to a race in it's original language. The passion and excitement crosses the barriers, and it is easy to understand what is going on.

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Cake watch

Looking for something to go with my cup of tea, I spy the cakes but also can't miss the subtle message!!

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... the lack of Cake

I apologise, it's shocking but switching over to Posterous and saying my blog will have some reference to cake in it I haven't posted any pics of them at all.

I'll be doing some cake hunting over the next week and I'll come back to you with my findings.

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The Bert and Andy show

There's been lots of talk on Twitter this evening about whether Alberto Contadore should have attacked, wow he's goes me opening a can of worms.

First off anyone who follows my tweets or ramblings on here will know I'm no Alberto or Andy fan. But over the course of the last two weeks I have grown to like both. For Contabore (as I like to call him) the performance on the cobbles was sweet to watch, a skinny little climber bouncing over the cobbles, but he did get through with flying colours. Whatever he paid Van Petegem it wasn't enough and I am sure if he goes on to win it he may be paying a little visit to Brakel to buy a few beers. Andy also a skinny (but tall) climber did well on that stage. Why mention all this well this story really starts at Stage 2 when Fabian made the peloton wait, and here comes the moral dilema.

Fabian (and I'm a fan) was out of order to make the peloton wait for the Schlecks as they had fallen off, then to force a neutralised stage was taking his authority and the Yellow Jerseys to a level not seen in my time watching the Tour. Rightly or wrongly the peloton did as they where told. If they hadn't it would have been game over for the Saxo Bank Team. So today we witnessed Andy (Yellow Jersey) have an issue with the chain, it could have been chain suck or easierly an issue with the freehub body, but we where talking about a Mechanical. Did Bert see what was going on, well as far as I am aware he'd have to be blind not too as he ws chasing after Andy as he had made his attack. But he kept going, now this was the mistake. Ok I know Menchov and Sanchez came after him but I think Contador has enough authority to have slowed it down and neutralised the attack. I've listened as some people said but they (Menchov and Sanchez) would gone regardless, maybe but I'm not sure.

I admire the fact Andy didn't give up, but unfortunately (as yet) he can not descend like Cancellara as the time would have been easy to pull back. So the unwritten rules of the Tour have been broken and the Yellow Jersey has been taken by taking avantage of an unfortunate situation. Was he right, well I'm not sure and I can see both sides of the story.

From Contador's point of view he has waiting for Schleck already this Tour, which allowed him to be there on GC for the last week. Also there was the the issue of the two next riders on the GC being so close to his rear wheel they could count the TPI on the tubs. He would also have lost the Tour if Menchov and Sanchez had gone. With Denis being a pretty good TT rider (when he stays upright) it could have been game over for Contador also.

From Schleck's point of view. He had an unfortunate mechanical at a time when he just lit the touch paper, and was about to turn on the fireworks. Then like a wet bonfires night the fizzle went out as the chain snagged. Normally it's not accepted to attack the Maillot Jaune if they have crashed, and I always thought the same rules applied to a mechanical but today left me unsure. I remember when Armstrong crashed and Ulrich wanted to attack but was forced to wait (2003 I think), I remember that day and I think the same fear ruled that decision then as it did today, this is my chance to win the Tour. I think Alberto was running scared, Andy had turned up with self belief and ws not afraid of him, this in turn has made Contador question himself. Ironically I think that the loss of his brother Franck may have spurned him on, whereas if he had been there he might never had got into the Yellow Jersey.

So on the moral front I think it's a close draw, but I don't expect that Contadore or Astana will be winning any favours in the peloton tomorrow. I expect Saxo Bank to attack as the gloves are off and maybe from this one small incident it may change the atmosphere surrounding the unwritten rules of the peloton. For the record, as I said above, I have gained some respect for both riders over this Tour, but after today Andy Schleck is the one who came across as a CHAMPION and absolutely and totally PRO, and for this reason I hope he gets the Maillot Jaune back and wins overall.

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Bell Volt

I love this Helmet, it's not perfect as it could have better venting and airflow like a Giro. But where is wins everytime for me is in the fit department. I love the simple dial and how you can pop it on and adjust single handed. I expect more and more manufacturers will adpot versions of this system, as it makes the process of adjusting the helmet on the move a whole less tricky compared to other systems. It's not cheap, but neither is what is in my head. Make sure above all, if your going to wear a helmet, get one that fits.

 

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Tour de France, Stage 7 thoughts & Stge 8 preview.

Stage 7

I almost had to pinch myself to believe that it's only Stage 7 on Saturday, it's seems like the race has been going for a week now. Most of the major contenders have managed to be where they wanted to be come the first Alpine stage. There are of course some exceptions as Garmin lost it's GC rider in Vandevelde and Saxo lost the valuable help of Frank Schleck to aid his brother Andy. Cadel Evans is like a rider reborn wearing the Rainbow Jersey, and is the highest of the main GC riders going into the Stage.

Watching the Stage unfold I was really happy to see Pineau go after the Polka Jersey, he's doing a Virenque and bag some points on some of the easier days to consolidate his lead (not sure there really is an easy mountain or day at the Tour). It's truly great to see a French rider doing well in their Tour. Chavanel's attack was a surprise, and it surely must have raised a smile on Bernard Hinault's face (the last Frenchman to win the Tour in '85) who has been critical of both French riders and Chavanel himself in previous years. At first many may have asked what was he doing chasing after his team mate Pineau who was up the front, well by the power of riders radio's he probably found out that PIneau was cooked and this would be a great chance to re-take the Jersey back from Fabian Cancellara as he was well off the pace half way down the mountain (we would eventually roll in around 15 minutes after Sylvain Chavanel.

It must have been a crazy hot day out there as no riders I spotted where using baselayers and many choosing to ride their full zip jerseys unzipped and flapping in the wind. Many a time there was a shot of a rider pouring water over their heads or down the back to try and keep the core body temperature as cool as possible. Many riders are using special super light breathable jerseys, which can be up to 50-75 grams lighter than their normal race jersey. The Giro riders will no doubt be weighing up the choice of the lighter Prolight or the more airy Ionos Helmets. Teams I am sure will look to tomorrows stage and make equipment choices which allow the riders to remain comfortable for as long as possible.

So the winners on the day where of course Chavanel, but who else has placed themselves into a good position. Cadel Evans finished the day 1:25 on GC, with Ryder Hesjedal at 1:32. What is interesting is that both these riders seem to off the radar and the commentators are concentrating on the Contador/Armstrong/Schleck battle. Evans is riding better than ever and is really exciting to watch. In recent years he has been criticised for lacking any attacking ability. Since wining the Worlds last year he has adopted a new racing style which has ignited many a race this year. Hesjedal has 'the numbers' which means he is a consistent performer and even though he is a tall guy, he is one of the best climbers on the Garmin Team. Where will they finish overall, very difficult to predict.

Contador's biggest threat may come in the form of Alexander Vinokourov his own Team mate as it's unclear if he is really riding for Bert or not. Bradley Wiggin's is up to 11th and is moving closer and closer to the podium.

Stage 8 - Sylvain Chavanel is in Yellow and Jesus is the Lantern Rouge*

Stage 8 is the first time the peloton with have an altitude summit finish today. Normally this doesn't bring the fireworks to the race, but because Monday is a rest day it will mean that the riders can go deeper and harder as they will be able to sleep and rest properly from the heat and battle of today.

Climbers are traditionally split into those who prefer the less steep longer climbs of the Alps, compared to the shorter, steeper climbs of the Pyreneans. So I'd expect today that Armstrong, Evans, Wiggins and Hesjedal will all be up in the front group. If they have any sense they will work together to gain some time over Contador, who is much more explosive on the shorter steeper climbs. They will have to be careful and watch those riders who appear to be out of GC contention due to their time, but could end up taking the stage as people are not concerned for them on the overall. Carlos Sastre (Cervelo),  Robert Gesink (Rabobank),  Michael Rogers (HTC - Columbia) could all try to get away to away and grab some time and exposure for the Team as they have all come here with a high placing in their sights. The other possible situation is that RadioShack may send either Andreas Klöden (Radioshack) <6:00 on GC> or Simon Gerrans from Sky <28:52 down on GC> up the road to make the other Teams chase them do giving their respective GC leaders an easier time and hopefully leaving them with enough in the tank to unleash an attack on the final climb.

I expect it's going to be a long and exciting hot day in the saddle for sure.

*

186

Jesus Hernandez Blazquez (Spa) Astana

1:01:08

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A Sunday In Hell

This is one of the greatest cycling movies ever made. I'm not sure there are many that convey the beauty & sometimes the horror of cycling. Sit back and enjoy.

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Lemond trainer at the Garmin Service Course

I've actually had the chance to ride on one of these, and it is impressive. Why? Well the biggest reason would be the real road feel to the whole system, it's so much closer to a set of rollers. The only negative is the noise, as the fan is VERY loud. But if you hate trainers this could be the one for you, as I don't like them but would happily spend some time on this. Price is still TBC but expect it to be around £400, which might be a factor in stopping world wide domination.

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Tour de France, stage 3 - Cobble-tech

Will from Garmin explains the changes on the bikes used for the Stage.

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Tour de France, Stage 3 … my thoughts

Coming into this stage I was left wondering whether the race would be neutralised again after yesterdays crash fest. It's easy to shout & belittle the riders from behind our computer screens, we are not there. As much as I have a strong anti drugs stance I also don't think that safety should be thrown out of the window. This may sound like a really bizarre comment from someone who likes watching the pavé races.

I'm not 100% convinced that the Stage was that dangerous, not everyone crashed but those who did suffered some terrible injuries. I really feel for Christian van de Velde, again out so early in a Grand Tour.

Now here's the contradictary bit, I loved watching today's Stage (& would have enjoyed riding it too), but because I enjoy watching the riders on the pavé, not because I enjoy watching the riders getting smashed up.

I predicted this morning that it'd be Cervelo & SKY that could be the Teams that'd be going for it today. Of course we knew Saxo would want to put some time (or try & catch up on some) in to Contador. Not sure it was completely mission completed, but it will have helped.

Alberto Contador seriously impressed me on the pavé, he rode well & seemed to be able to handle it very well. He lacked the horse power (& weight) to really power across the pavé. If he goes onto win, he will enter a special place in Tour history, as this is a very different Tour.

Winners today include Thor for the win, and also for the fact ge used yesterdays frustration to power & inspire him. 'G' the British Champion who showed how strong he was to finish 2nd & so ended up taking the White jersey. Wiggo pulled back a bunch of vital time which will take some pressure off him & make the job a little easier as the week progresses.

Other mentions have to go to Cancellara, whose efforts for Andy made a huge difference. When he hits the pavé it's like he's on ashpalt. But his behaviour today seems very odd compared to Stage 2.

But the man of the Stage goes to Cadel Evans who was superb today. He made the lead group & again gained some time on Contadore. Watching him on the pavé makes me really question why he's never had a real crack at Flanders or Roubaix. Ever since winning the Worlds he's like a rider reborn, and frankly if he rides like this with Rainbow jersey on I want him to win it again in Oz as his riding has been awesome and is straight out if the Bernard Hinault text book. Roll on Stage 4.

Coming into this stage I was left wondering whether the race would be neutralised again after yesterdays crash fest. It's easy to shout & belittle the riders from behind our computer screens, we are not there. As much as I have a strong anti drugs stance I also don't think that safety should be thrown out of the window. This may sound like a really bizarre comment from someone who likes watching the pavé races.

I'm not 100% convinced that the Stage was that dangerous, not everyone crashed but those who did suffered some terrible injuries. I really feel for Christian van de Velde, again out so early in a Grand Tour.

Now here's the contradictary bit, I loved watching today's Stage (& would have enjoyed riding it too), but because I enjoy watching the riders on the pavé, not because I enjoy watching the riders getting smashed up.

I predicted this morning that it'd be Cervelo & SKY that could be the Teams that'd be going for it today. Of course we knew Saxo would want to put some time (or try & catch up on some) in to Contador. Not sure it was completely mission completed, but it will have helped.

Alberto Contador seriously impressed me on the pavé, he rode well & seemed to be able to handle it very well. He lacked the horse power (& weight) to really power across the pavé. If he goes onto win, he will enter a special place in Tour history, as this is a very different Tour.

Winners today include Thor for the win, and also for the fact ge used yesterdays frustration to power & inspire him. 'G' the British Champion who showed how strong he was to finish 2nd & so ended up taking the White jersey. Wiggo pulled back a bunch of vital time which will take some pressure off him & make the job a little easier as the week progresses.

Other mentions have to go to Cancellara, whose efforts for Andy made a huge difference. When he hits the pavé it's like he's on ashpalt. But his behaviour today seems very odd compared to Stage 2.

But the man of the Stage goes to Cadel Evans who was superb today. He made the lead group & again gained some time on Contadore. Watching him on the pavé makes me really question why he's never had a real crack at Flanders or Roubaix. Ever since winning the Worlds he's like a rider reborn, and frankly if he rides like this with Rainbow jersey on I want him to win it again in Oz as his riding has been awesome and is straight out if the Bernard Hinault text book. Roll on Stage 4.

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Stage 3, Race Quotes from Cervelo

Thor Hushovd (NOR): “To win on this day on the cobblestones really means a lot to me. The team was perfect today. I really want to compliment them. They were really motivated and they gave me so much help to keep me in a good position. I needed to stay in the front group and avoid trouble, I knew I would have a good chance. That’s what I did and I was able to win. I am really proud to win today. It was a special stage, and a nice win. I have had my eye on this stage for awhile and it’s great that it worked out. I am really satisfied. It was nice to win in the Norwegian national jersey, but I am also happy that I know have the green jersey.” Ignatas Konovalovas (LTU): “It’s a great day for the team. We have pain everywhere, but it’s a nice day. We had about 100 km that were pretty easy. In the end, before the second cobble section, we tried to keep our team at the front. Andreas (Klier) and I went to the front after the second cobbles section, and then the other guys took over to help Thor. Victory is always good. When you win or when a teammate wins, you forget what had happened yesterday, or maybe last month. I have raced the cobbles before, but never Roubaix or Flanders. It was a big day today.” Andreas Klier (GER): “The team came together with about 80 km to go. We really pushed hard to put Thor near the front. Our man had the big motor today – not one on the bike, but in his legs! – and he had some luck. It’s a great victory for Thor and a great victory for the team. Yesterday, we had the bad luck, today we have the good luck. Today makes up for all the disappointment. Thor just rode from A-to-B, like he’s always done. This is a beautiful victory over the cobblestones.” Jean-Paul van Poppel, Cervélo TestTeam Sports Director (NED): “This is a great victory. This is the stage we wanted the most. We had to take something back from what happened yesterday. Everyone on the team knew what they had to do and we really pulled it off. The team was perfect. Thor was right at the front in all the critical cobblestones and then he made a great sprint to win. Last night, after yesterday’s stage, I have never seen Thor so angry. We don’t want to talk about it anymore. The green jersey is back on his shoulders and it came after a beautiful win on the cobblestones. The green jersey was just a matter of time, because Thor has been the best rider in the first four days of the Tour.”

www.cervelo.com

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BMC Impec

Looks pretty cool, but from those who have been sounds very similar to how Time bikes are built. I like it though when people say they have thrown away the rule book, no matter if it's true or not.

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A Ride in the Lanes ... mainly in pictures

I set out for my ride this morning, and frankly I had too much on my mind and my heart wasn't in it. But I thought I'd get out for an hour to grab some head space. Here are some photo's I took along the way.

See the full gallery on posterous

See the full gallery on posterous

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TdF The Prologue

Shit I couldn't believe it, I was following the race on the net and I heard that it had started to rain. On any road stage racing on wet roads can be tricky, on a TT or Prologue course it can be treacherous. Add into the mix that it was on the roads of the Netherlands, famed (and often quoted in the Classics) as having more street furniture than Ikea. This was going to mess up a few peoples rides, as some riders just don't like riding in the wet. Brad Wiggins had opted to go early in the day swaping places with Flecha (which in hindsight was a bad move). The weather forecast had been brewing and was predicting rain, but having ridden in Belgium a few times I am constantly amazed how the morning can be an absolute shitter lashing it down with rain and then the afternoon baked in glorious sunshine.

I'm not going to bring a full synopsis on the race, there are better people out there to do that, and from what I am reading on Twitter the Eurosport Team seem to have had it nailed yesterday. I was following Phil Sheehan posts as he is a producer on Five Live (http://twitter.com/5livecycling), he's also a bike racer and a bit of a Tech geek for his road stuff so where many producers may miss something he also has a fans eye on the Tour. And for the record Phil, I'll pinch some photos that you tweet up (hope that's ok).

So who are the winners and losers today. For sure Fabian, and for me it was important for him to quash the rumours of mechanical doping, which is funny as nobody throws the PED's accusation at him, so a more complicated theory had to be created. With Armstrong bagging a few (5) vital seconds over Contador the first battle in the war has been won. Many commentators are saying that these could be vital, I'm not so convinced unless the next three days through the Benelux throws up a mistral. As we have seen before that Mr Contador isn't too good in these situations, whereas ALL other GC riders will have some riders who can look after them. Brad's placing is certainly a bind and will make the journey from 4th place last year to podium place this year a bit more of a challenge and he'll (and SKY) will need to take it on the chin. A gap of 52 seconds to Armstrong is a mountain to climb, but it's day one and with 23 days of racing left there is a lot of kilometres left to make up the time (I hope)

Download now or watch on posterous

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See and download the full gallery on posterous

thanks to Agent 00Oooh8 for the additonal photos and videos.

 

 

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