Team Time Trial!

This is the most wonderful day of the year. The Team Time Trial is back, folks, and I couldn't be more happy. Despite the fact that I couldn't fall asleep last night, I was up at 5:40, with no alarm, giddy like a Gentile on Christmas (I guess I was really excited about today). This is my favorite stage of Le Tour de France, topping Alp D'Huez, because this is when you truly get to see how good a team is together and why there are teams in this race (it's can be more subtle in other stages). By having this at stage four (it's usually at four or five), most teams should be at full strength, with all nine riders. As far as I know, no one has abandoned the Tour so far, but I'm sure I'll be corrected if I'm wrong (correction: QuickStep has lost one rider).

I thank Versus for bringing me live streaming today! I got to listen to Paul Sherwen and Phil Liggett...and I am at peace with the world. I am happier without a television in my life, except when it comes to one-time events, such as sports and bizarre celebrity funerals. Thankfully, the Internet rules the world, so I can get all my viewing in if I want. The last time the Team Time Trial (TTT) ran was in 2005, which was the last year that Lance rode Le Tour. Coincidence? I think it's kind of like a chicken-egg thing. Did Lance come back first? Or did Le Tour announce the TTT first? The official dates of announcement show Lance coming out first, but you never know what goes on behind closed doors.

Oh man! Four Telecom riders just went off the road on a tight curve! Brutal! This highlights something that P&P keep mentioning: this course is curvy, which takes a different kind of bike than a typical time trial bike. TT bikes are meant for pure speed, not for maneuverability. I'm sure a few teams stressed over the bike choice. Lance was quoted to say that there would be "carnage" today, and it's coming true. Most every team seems to have some sort of hiccup...crashes, bike problems, and what have you.

So, nine riders start and the clock stops when the fifth rider crosses the line and there's more drama than you would expect in 39K. I'm expecting a showdown between Columbia HTC--I missed the drop of High Road with these guys--(with on of my faves and former Lance domestique, George Hincapie in his 14th Tour!) and Astana (with Lance, Contador, Levi, Popovych...). Lance owns this stage. While he only batted .500 during his reign of Le Tour (his team did not win the TTT in '00, '01, or '02, but won in '03, '04, and '05), I think he takes a lot of pride in being an excellent time trialist and while every stage is important, you can set a tone as a team today. Saxo Bank, with the Schlecks should have a decent day as will Garmin-Slipstream, but I don't think it will be good enough, unless someone has a disaster on these turns.

Okay...the first of the best four teams is about to roll. Enjoy!