le tour

ok, so.......i have done little else in my spare time this week but move bricks and watch cycling races......stage 7....the time trial.....produced a major shake-up in the standings........american floyd landis moved up to 2nd in the overall classification......and the sprinters who had taken up many of the top positions through the pro-logue and stage 6 moved down.....the tour is a brutal mix of the flat and the un-flat.....and the potential winner must have talents with both venues......despite landis being on the tour for many years running.....lance always garnered the attention of the american press.....and landis was just a name of another american rather than a threat to the crown, so to speak.......therefore it is refreshing to see an american riding for a foreign team that seems confident that he can take on the lance-less competition.......there are other americans.......george hincappie did not do as well in the time trial as expected.....neither did levi leipheimer.....david zabriskie moved up after his solid ride.....and sadly, veteran cyclist bobby julich had a horrendous crash and is out with an injured wrist.......the crach film was replayed numerous times in yesterday's telecast.......and it is a blessing that bobby wasn't more seriously injured.......like in a broken hip.....the time trial winner.....a fellow from the ukraine named sergyi honchar is a completely new player for those of us used to the usual suspects like basso, ulrich, and.......armstrong......but this guy rode well enough to catapult himself to the yellow jersey.......and that is the special nature of this tour without lance.....there are so many riders who have waited in the wings for their moments.....there are far too many cyclists who have the potential to pull off the 2006 tour to make a prediction just yet......even though i'd like it to be landis...or hincappie or zabriskie.......the eventual winner could very well be somebody who has been riding under the radar, but sees the chance of a lifetime and seizes the day.......on that note i best be checking in with letour.fr for a stage 8 update.........