Tour de France Stage 1

Route: London - Canterbury
Riders remaining: 188
Distance: 203 km
Climbs:
- Cote de Southborough 2.3 km; 4.1%; 4 category
- Cote de Goudhurst 1.6 km; 5.3%; 4 category
- Cote de Farthing Common 1.1 km; 6.1%; 4 category

Well, the real action began today on the road from London to Canterbury. Yes, that’s right, the Tour de France was raced in England today. Not exactly what those unfamiliar with the race would expect but, nonetheless, the competition hit the roads of the United Kingdom, and not without unexpected results. The winner: Australian Robbie McEwen, a cheeky little sprinter from Brisbane.

McEwen’s triumph was truly remarkable. Having crashed within twenty-five kilometers (15 miles) of the finish line, he rejoined the peleton, made his way through over 150 riders to reach the front of the group, and sprinted ahead to win the day. He was virtually invisible to viewers and commentators alike until the last few meters. It was the 12th Tour de France stage victory of McEwen’s career.

For me, watching the finishing sprint of each stage of the Tour de France is the most nerve-wracking part of each daily race. With two dozen riders (or more) in extremely close formation riding as fast as they can to win, it is truly a miracle that more crashes don’t occur in those final meters. I thought for sure today would be a crash day. Thankfully, it wasn’t.

Team Discovery Channel status
Five of the nine riders are in the top 30. George Hincapie is currently fourth overall. Vladimir Gusev is wearing the white jersey for "best young rider." Not bad for Day 2. Keep up the great work, guys!