On isporty - All categories in July 08th 2007
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McEwan wins first stage
Posted Jul 8th 2007, 5:53pm by Nick Judd in Tour de France
Record-levelling Aussie Robbie McEwan wins the first stage of the Tour de France following a sizzling sprint finish in Canterbury.
McEwan won the Tour de France’s first stage and in doing so, equalled the highest number of stage victories for sprinter’s still competing. In winning his 12th stage the Australian matches German sprinter Erik Zabel’s previous record – while assuming control of the green jersey as the race moves to its second stage.
McEwan caught his competitors off guard just 150 metres from the finish line after an enthralling closing three miles. Leading a sprint finish towards the end of the 126-mile stage, McEwan saw off Belgium’s Tom Boonen and Thor Hushovd of Norway to finish first, despite becoming embroiled in a crash earlier in the race. The Aussie came off his bike and feared the worst for his wrist before continuing working his way through the pelaton to victory.
England’s greatest hope Mark Cavendish was also involved in a crash. The 22 year old from the Isle of Man had to swap bikes after he fell off his bike on the approach to Canterbury and fell out of contention.
David Millar moved up to third in the rankings after he made a bid to win the first stage shortly after having left London. Millar made a breakaway bid, much to the delight of the English fans lining the course, but he was joined by four riders and ran out of steam 50km from the end. Millar sill managed to pick up the red polka-dot jersey for best climber after picking up a series of bonus points.
Spain’s Eduardo Gonzalo Ramirez became the Tour's first retirement after smashing the windscreen of a Caisse d'Epargne car. McEwan in action
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Cavendish hoping for first-leg victory
Posted Jul 8th 2007, 12:04pm by Nick Judd in Tour de France
Bradley Wiggins enjoyed a fourth-placed finish in yesterday's prologue, but it's fellow Brit Mark Cavendish that will be hoping to succeed in the Tour de France's first leg today.
Maida Vale-born Bradley Wiggins cycled well in his hometown, shouted on by what was reported to be over a million enthusiasts lining London’s streets, but unfortunately the Olympic gold medallist could not beat Fabian Cancellera. Wiggins finished 10 seconds behind German runner-up Andreas Kloeden.
Yet today sees the focus switch to another Brit, the first British fastman to start the tour in 19 years. Cavendish, the first cyclist from the Isle of Man to compete in the Tour, enters the first stage with six wins under his belt in his first professional year. Many have tipped the T-Mobile man to to be an outside bet to win the first stage.
Cavendish boasts an unlikely route into the cycling arena via the ballroom – he was a dancer as a kid before breaking velodrome records as a 13 year old. This year the 22 year old won his first race in April when he won the Scheldeprijs Vlaaderen and his success continued in May, with successive stage wins in the 4 Jours de Dunkerque and the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya. More recently, with a win in stage 4 of the Ster Elektrotoer – Cavendish will be looking to continue his good form.
"The Tour is a lot faster than any other race," he said in a pre-race interview. "I've heard everything - uphill, downhill, the finish sprints - is three to five kilometres per hour [2-3mph] faster than other races. I've no apprehension at all about the finishes, only getting to the finish."
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