Might as well get this thread started....
Stage 4 - Tours to Blois (Team Time Trial) - 67.5km
The opening 42km of this team time trial will be flat and fast as the course hugs the left bank of the Loire River. A true test of each team's homogeneity comes in the final 20km, when half a dozen short climbs will challenge each rider's stamina before a rapid drop into the city of Blois.
Teams will start in reverse order of GC, which means that Euskaltel-Euskadi will be first cab off the rank, followed at five minutes by Lampre - Caffita, then Ag2r-Prevoyance. The full start order is:
Euskaltel - Euskadi
Lampre - Caffita
Ag2R Prevoyance
Saunier Duval - Prodir
Cofidis Credit Par Telephone
Davitamon - Lotto
Liquigas - Bianchi
Bouygues Telecom
Francaise Des Jeux
Domina Vacanze
Quick Step - Innergetic
Rabobank
Illes Balears-Caisse D'Epargne
Credit Agricole
Liberty Seguros - Würth Team
Fassa Bortolo
T-Mobile Team
Gerolsteiner
Phonak Hearing Systems
Discovery Channel Team
Team CSC
...we have the main contendahs for the day...
In the blue corner, we have the Discovery Channel team, featuring Lance "Mr Six Time Tour Winner" Armstrong, Paolo "Mr Two Time Giro Champ" Savoldelli, George "There is No Chain" Hincapie, and Yaroslav "Future Star" Popovych, Chechu "Super Rouleur" Rubiera, Jose "Ace" Azevedo, Manuel "Triki" Beltran and I'm running out of nicknames so I'll cut to the chase, Benjamin Noval, and Pavel Padrnos.
In the red corner, and the slight favourites for today...Team CSC, featuring maillot jaune David "DZ" Zabriskie, Ivan "Don't call me Terrible" Basso, Carlos "I'm no dummy" Sastre, and I'm really running out of nicknames now...Jens Voigt, Bobby Julich, Luke Roberts, Kurt-Asle Arvesen, Nicki Sörensen and Giovanni Lombardi.
In the green corner with yellow bits, the Phonak Hearing Systems team of Santiago "2002 World's TT Master" Botero, Jose Enrique "Quique" Gutierrez, Nicolas "JaJa junior" Jalabert, Floyd Landis, Bert Grabsch, Robert Hunter, Alexandre Moos (or maybe he doesn't), Oscar Pereiro Sio and Steve Zampieri.
And finally, in the dark blue corner and maybe edging out T-Mobile's magenta camp and Gerolsteiner's light blue troupe as fourth favourite, is Liberty Seguros, with Roberto "Triple Vuelta" Heras, Joseba "Guess who's back?" Beloki, Alberto Contador, Allan Davis, Igor Gonzalez de Galdeano, Jörg Jaksche, Luis León Sanchez, Marcos Serrano, and Angel Vicioso.
Other salient info: It's a fine day, 21 degrees celsius, with a 20 km/h tailwind blowing the riders to Blois. Each team has nine riders and that means it'll be a very quick stage. Let's get it on!
Stage 4 - Tours to Blois (Team Time Trial) - 67.5km
The opening 42km of this team time trial will be flat and fast as the course hugs the left bank of the Loire River. A true test of each team's homogeneity comes in the final 20km, when half a dozen short climbs will challenge each rider's stamina before a rapid drop into the city of Blois.
Teams will start in reverse order of GC, which means that Euskaltel-Euskadi will be first cab off the rank, followed at five minutes by Lampre - Caffita, then Ag2r-Prevoyance. The full start order is:
Euskaltel - Euskadi
Lampre - Caffita
Ag2R Prevoyance
Saunier Duval - Prodir
Cofidis Credit Par Telephone
Davitamon - Lotto
Liquigas - Bianchi
Bouygues Telecom
Francaise Des Jeux
Domina Vacanze
Quick Step - Innergetic
Rabobank
Illes Balears-Caisse D'Epargne
Credit Agricole
Liberty Seguros - Würth Team
Fassa Bortolo
T-Mobile Team
Gerolsteiner
Phonak Hearing Systems
Discovery Channel Team
Team CSC
...we have the main contendahs for the day...
In the blue corner, we have the Discovery Channel team, featuring Lance "Mr Six Time Tour Winner" Armstrong, Paolo "Mr Two Time Giro Champ" Savoldelli, George "There is No Chain" Hincapie, and Yaroslav "Future Star" Popovych, Chechu "Super Rouleur" Rubiera, Jose "Ace" Azevedo, Manuel "Triki" Beltran and I'm running out of nicknames so I'll cut to the chase, Benjamin Noval, and Pavel Padrnos.
In the red corner, and the slight favourites for today...Team CSC, featuring maillot jaune David "DZ" Zabriskie, Ivan "Don't call me Terrible" Basso, Carlos "I'm no dummy" Sastre, and I'm really running out of nicknames now...Jens Voigt, Bobby Julich, Luke Roberts, Kurt-Asle Arvesen, Nicki Sörensen and Giovanni Lombardi.
In the green corner with yellow bits, the Phonak Hearing Systems team of Santiago "2002 World's TT Master" Botero, Jose Enrique "Quique" Gutierrez, Nicolas "JaJa junior" Jalabert, Floyd Landis, Bert Grabsch, Robert Hunter, Alexandre Moos (or maybe he doesn't), Oscar Pereiro Sio and Steve Zampieri.
And finally, in the dark blue corner and maybe edging out T-Mobile's magenta camp and Gerolsteiner's light blue troupe as fourth favourite, is Liberty Seguros, with Roberto "Triple Vuelta" Heras, Joseba "Guess who's back?" Beloki, Alberto Contador, Allan Davis, Igor Gonzalez de Galdeano, Jörg Jaksche, Luis León Sanchez, Marcos Serrano, and Angel Vicioso.
Other salient info: It's a fine day, 21 degrees celsius, with a 20 km/h tailwind blowing the riders to Blois. Each team has nine riders and that means it'll be a very quick stage. Let's get it on!
We'll see (or hear in my case)!
