Complete Live Report
Start time: 14.05 CEST (first team)
Estimated finish time: 17.02 CEST (last team)
14:00 CEST
The teams will be starting at five minute intervals starting at 14.05, and the teams are timed on the fifth rider across the line. There is a damage limitation clause: riders cannot lose more than seven minutes on general classification, although dropped riders who take more than 33% longer than the time of the winning team will be eliminated. There are two official intermediate timing points at around one-third and two-thirds distance.
The course runs more or less north to south, with the first section running along the Voie Sacrée, the only road which remained open as a lifeline to Verdun during the battles of 1916, carrying a vehicle every fourteen seconds, day and night; two-thirds of the whole French army marched up that road during that year, and rather fewer marched back.
This is an important stage in terms of GC, and we may see a new leader
tonight. The teams to watch are ONCE, Telekom, Credit Agricole, US Postal and Festina. Credit Agricole will be highly motivated to keep the yellow jersey on O'Grady's shoulders, but they may suffer for their efforts of the past few days.
Weather: Overcast skies and cool, with a pretty strong W-SW wind. This will be a quartering wind from the right hand side, and a headwind for a few kilometres when the course turns at Ancemont (km 13.5).
A lot of people are impressed by the continuing power of the Telekom team. Their demonstration on the stage to Seraing, with eight riders in the front sharing with six US Postal, shows that they're ready to ride, and in the tough chase yesterday they did a little less work than some of their rivals. There will be a lot of German fans expected on the parcours today.
First team off: Cofidis at 14:05, followed by Euskaltel-Euskadi at 14:10, Ag2r at 14:15 and thereafter at five minute intervals, Lampre, BigMat, Jean-Delatour, Rabobank, CSC, Domo-Farm Frites, iBanesto.com, Bonjour, Francaise des Jeux, Fassa Bortolo, Telekom, Lotto, Mapei, Kelme, US Postal, ONCE, Festina and Credit Agricole.
14:32 CEST
Walter Godefroot (Telekom directeur sportif) is hoping for a good race, without any flat tires. His pick is ONCE. Strangely enough, ONCE's team director Manolo Saiz is also tipping ONCE.
It's starting to rain a little at the start, which may hinder the later teams if it gets harder. This means that CSC and Rabobank may enjoy some of the best conditions.
Behind the AG2r team. Kilometre 6. It's raining, the sky is lower, the wind is pretty steady, but the quantity of water coming along is increasing. The wind is blowing directly from the riders' RHS, causing the team to ride in an echelon. Ludovic Capelle is displaying his Belgian colours. He looks as though he's the tempo man. Benoit Salmon is not pulling through all the time.
14:49 CEST
As the starting order is determined by the team classification, second-placed overall Laurent Jalabert has got a fairly early start, since most of the remainder of his CSC-Tiscali team were the wrong side of the big split yesterday. The weather conditions may make this a factor in the subsequent GC; however, only Cofidis have actually been able to ride on dry asphalt for a few minutes so far. The first team to beat the Cofidis time at the first time check is, perhaps surprisingly, Big Mat, who are yet to do anything much to justify their controversial selection.
15:02 CEST
Rabobank have set a new best time at the first checkpoint, while Cofidis have now set a time at the 45 km mark. The rain looks to have eased off a bit now, at least on the first part of the course.
15:15 CEST
Telekom are the first of the major contenders' teams to start, with the roads looking pretty dry now; ahead Michael Blaudzun has punctured and the CSC-Tiscali team sits up to wait for him. At this point on the course the rain is still falling steadily.
Unimpressive seventh best time at 19.5 km for iBanesto.com, almost a minute down on Rabobank.
15:27 CEST
Cofidis finish (with seven riders, missing Mattan and Millar) to set a target time of 1:24:25 just as US Postal are lining up at the start.
15:30 CEST
Fassa Bortolo another disappointment, 7th at 19.5 km, just slower than Domo. There will be a few people taking the full seven minutes this afternoon.
15:39 CEST
Deutsche Telekom are a disappointing 36 seconds down on Rabobank at 19.5 km; AG2R have finished with just five riders.
15:48 CEST
Kelme have put in an excellent second best time at the first checkpoint, just 11 seconds down on Rabobank - good news for Botero. Big Mat have set a new best time at the finish, just 0.69 of a second ahead of Cofidis.
15:54 CEST
US Postal are 14 seconds slower than Rabobank at the first checkpoint, three seconds behind Kelme. Rabobank come into the finish with just five riders: Dekker, Boogerd, Den Bakker, Wauters and Verheyen in 1:23:19 - they have been slower than Cofidis in the closing stages but it's a new best time nonetheless.
16:02 CEST
CSC-Tiscali finish in fourth place for the moment, but back at the first checkpoint Festina have just set a new fastest time, seven seconds ahead of Rabobank. At the second checkpoint Telekom have pulled back much of their earlier deficit, now second so far, 20" down.
16:10 CEST
With all the times in at the first checkpiont, it is the maillot jaune's Crédit Agricole who are fastest. However, Telekom's push shows that the race is far from decided at that point. Best times seem to be by the teams that didn't overdo it in the chasing yesterday.
16:16 CEST
Banesto come in just under two minutes down on Rabobank, still fastest for the moment. Telekom have dropped Keven Livingston 20 km from the finish.
16:19 CEST
Kelme have pulled back half a minute on Rabobank at the secnod checkpoint, setting a new fastest time of 56:13.
16:25 CEST
New best time at the second checkpoint for US Postal, who move 17 seconds ahead of Kelme with Armstrong himself doing plenty of the work. Erik Zabel has punctured and Heppner has waited for him - six left in the Telekom team now on their final run-in.
16:31 CEST
ONCE still four seconds ahead of US Postal at 45 km.
Heras and Vandevelde crash at the front of the US Postal paceline - a slip on the white line or a touchj of wheels - miraculous riding by George Hincapie to avoid coming down and possibly bringing down several others. US Postal slow down to wait for the fallers (on Armstrong's personal say-so). Heras was in difficulties before the crash and has trouble holding Vandevelde's wheel as they come back on.
Second best time at the finish for Telekom, down to five.
Festina have lost time at the 45 km to drop to third. Some teams have clearly started too fast.
16:38 CEST
Crédit Agricole come through the second checkpoint going strongly, 23 seconds ahead of ONCE. They are down to seven riders; it looks between them and ONCE for the win now, with US Postal certainly dropping a minute or so for the crash, despite a very quick recovery. O'Grady or Igor Gonzalez de Galdeano for the yellow jersey tonight?
16:45 CEST
Santiago Botero leads seven-ninths of Kelme into the finish in a new best time of 1:23:10; they have fallen back slightly in the closing kilometres.
16:50 CEST
Bobby Julich punctures and slows up Crédit Agricole, as Armstrong leads the US Postal team in for a new best time of 1:22:58. Seven riders left, including the two crash victims Heras and Vandevelde. Armstrong gains 12 seconds on Botero and 24 seconds on Ullrich.
16:54 CEST
ONCE bring home six riders in 1:22:03, 55 seconds paster than the posties.
16:57 CEST
Crédit Agricole are still half a minute up on ONCE at the 7 km to go mark - it looks as though O'Grady will be hanging onto that jersey for today, although hanging on is just about what he is doing on the final climb up to the line.
17:04 CEST
Crédit Agricole come in, down to the last five, in a storming 1:21:32.11 - stage and jersey saved. Did ONCE lose it with their efforts yesterday?
17:13 CEST
Crédit Agricole will have the top three places on GC. The only jersey to change hands will be the maillot blanc for the best young rider, which goes to Jorg Jaksche (ONCE). In the Armstrong/Ullrich duel, the American has taken a minute out of his rival.
