THE RACE LIVE

The first stage of the 92nd Tour de France has been dominated by American riders, with four finishing in the top six. The top 10 is:
1. Dave Zabriskie (USA - CSC) 19km in 20’51"
2. Lance Armstrong (USA - DSC) at 2"
3. Alexandre Vinokourov (KAZ - TMO) at 53"
4. George Hincapie (USA - DSC) at 56"
5. Laszlo Bodrogi (HUN - C.A) at 59"
6. Floyd Landis (USA - PHO) at 1’02"
7. Fabian Cancellara (SUI - FAS) at 1’02"
8. Jens Voigt (GER - CSC) at 1’04"
9. Vladimir Karpets (RUS - IBA) at 1’05"
10. Igor Gonzalez de Galdeano (ESP - LWT) at 1’06"

When Dave Zabriskie finished the 19km time trial, the average speed was said to be 54.68km/h. If this is accurate, today’s victory will be the fastest non-prologue time trial in the history of the Tour de France.
The previous highest average speed was 54.545km/h - set by Greg Lemond in the final stage back in 1989.

In his Tour de France debut Dave Zabriskie has won a stage and will wear the yellow jersey for tomorrow’s first stage. He has beaten the six-time champion by two seconds.
Alexandre Vinokourov is third; George Hincapie fourth and Laszlo Bodrogi fifth.

Lance Armstrong has finished the stage in second place. He has been beaten by just two seconds his compatriot, Dave Zabriskie!

With all the riders passed the 2nd intermediate check, the top five is: 1. ARMSTRONG (USA, DSC) 00:16:47

2. ZABRISKIE (USA, CSC) 00:16:50 03"

3. VINOKOUROV (KAZ, TMO) 00:17:27 40"

4. CANCELLARA (SUI, FAS) 00:17:31 44"

5. HINCAPIE (USA, DSC) 00:17:32 45"

Armstrong’s time is 3" faster than Zabriskie with 4.1km to go. It appears that the defending champion could start tomorrow’s stage in the yellow jersey. He has a lead of about 100m on his one-minute man, Jan Ullrich.

Armstrong has caught Ullrich with a little less than 4km to go in the stage. The German crashed during training yesterday but insisted that he wasn’t badly injured.

Lance Armstrong is closing in on his one-minute man. Only 100m separates the last two riders in the stage. The American is about to catch the German. They have five kilometres still to race.

With all the riders passed the first time check, the top five is:
1. ZABRISKIE (USA, CSC) 10’15"
2. ARMSTRONG (USA, DSC) at 03"
3. VINOKOUROV (KAZ, TMO) at 21"
4. VOIGT (GER, CSC) at 22"
5. CANCELLARA (SUI, FAS) at 24"

Lance Armstrong is the only rider even close to matching Zabriskie. The defending champion is just 3" behind the young American revelation with 9.6km to go.

Jan Ullrich has reached the first check with a time that’s 42" slower than Zabriskie! It’s enough to put the 1997 Tour winner in 30th place with just Lance Armstrong yet to reach that time check.

At the first intermediate time check, Ivan Basso is in 29th place - 42" behind his team-mate Dave Zabriskie.

Santiago Botero - the world time trial champion from 2002 - has posted a time that’s only good enough to put him in 28th place at this stage of the race.

With 170 riders having finished the time trial there are three Americans in the top five. Dave Zabriskie has set the standard by finishing in 20’51" (an average of 54.68km/h).
The other riders in the top five at the moment are: Vinokourov (at 53"); Hincapie (at 56"); Bodrogi (at 59") and Landis (at 1’01").

At the end of his time trial, Hincapie has a time that’s 53" slower than Zabriskie. It’s good enough to put the Discovery Channel rider in third place at this stage.

Lance Armstrong has just begun the time trial. After rolling down the start ramp he applied pressure to the pedals and almost immediately pulled his foot lose. He quickly clipped back in and is now in pursuit of Ullrich...

Ivan Basso has just begun the time trial. There are now just two riders yet to begin: Jan Ullrich and Lance Armstrong...

With Landis now at the finish, the current top five of stage one is:
1. ZABRISKIE (USA, CSC)
2. VINOKOUROV (KAZ, TMO) at 53"
3. BODROGI (HUN, C.A) at 59"
4. LANDIS (USA, PHO) 01’ 01"
5. VOIGT (GER, CSC) 01’ 04"

Floyd Landis has finished the time trial in 21’53" - it’s good enough to put him in fourth place at this stage of the race.

With 9.6km to go, Bradley McGee has posted a time that’s 39" behind Zabriskie’s. That puts the prologue winner from 2003 in 23rd place at the first intermediate check.

The leader of the Saunier Duval-Prodir team, Juan Manuel Garate, has just left the start house. He and his team-mates will wear white jersey with yellow during the Tour (instead of their traditional yellow tops).

At the first time check George Hincapie has posted a time that’s 27" slower than Zabriskie. It’s good enough to put George in 6th place at this stage.

At the end of his time trial, Michael Rogers - the world champion - has posted a time that’s 1’53" slower than Zabriskie.

One of the big Spanish hopes has just reached the first time check in 126th place. Alejandro Valverde was 1’16" slower than the time set by Zabriskie.

At the 2nd intermediate check, Michael Rogers has posted a time that’s 1’34" slower than the man who stomped over the course early today.
Dave Zabriskie was the 19th rider to start the stage. He has the fastest time splits at every check and currently leads his nearest rival (Vinokourov) by 53".

At the first time check, Floyd Landis has posted a time that’s 38" slower than Dave Zabriskie. The Phonak rider is currently 18th with 9.6km to race.

The winner of the prologue in Paris at the start of the centenary Tour in 2003 has just left the start house. He is the 172nd rider to begin the time trial today.

The leader of the Gerolsteiner team has posted a time that’s 1’09" slower than Zabriskie. Levi Leipheimer is currently 13th with 4.1km to race.

At the end of his time trial, the Giro d’Italia champion Paolo Savoldelli has posted a time that’s 1’35" slower than Zabriskie.

The winner of the prologue at the Criterium du Dauphine Libere, George Hincapie, is the latest rider to begin today’s stage. He is the second-last Discovery Channel team member to begin the first stage. Lance Armstrong’s scheduled start time is 6.48pm.

The world time trial champion has posted a time of 11’08" at the first check. This is 53" slower than Dave Zabriskie.

Julich’s time is 1’00" slower than his team-mate Zabriskie with 4.1km to go in the stage. Julich currently has the 9th best time of the day at this intermediate check.

One of the three nominated leaders of the Phonak team, Floyd Landis, has just left the start house. The leadership of the Swiss-registered team will be shared by Landis, Oscar Pereiro and Santiago Botero.

The strong winds that blew over the course of the time trial only two days ago have eased. Many riders are opting to race the stage today with a rear disc wheel. There is a light breeze blowing from the north-west and there has been little variation in the strength of the wind since the start of the stage.

With 9.6km to race, Bobby Julich has posted a time that’s 33" slower than his CSC team-mate Dave Zabriskie.

The rainbow jersey of the world time trial champion can now be seen racing towards Noirmoutier en L’Ile. Michael Rogers is the 155th rider to start the stage.

This is the second time since Lance Armstrong began winning the Tour de France that the opening saturday boasts a time trial stage rather than a prologue.
Here is a summary of who the winners of this individual test have been since 1999.
1999 – Armstrong (USA) Puy de Fou 6.8km
2000 – Millar (GBR) Futuroscope 16.5km
2001 – Moreau (FRA) Dunkirk 8.2km
2002 – Armstrong (USA) Luxembourg 7.0km
2003 – McGee (AUS) Paris 6.5km
2004 – Cancellara (SUI) Liege 6.1km

The two-time world time trial champion, Australian Michael Rogers, is due to begin his third Tour de France at 6.14pm. He has stated that his ambition for this year’s race is a top-10 finish in the general classification.
"The course for today’s time trial is very flat and doesn’t necessarily suit my style," said the Quickstep rider at the start of the stage. "I prefer more undulations than what we have here in the Vendee... but I’ll do my best to try and post a good time."

The winner of this year’s Giro d’Italia, Paolo Savoldelli (ITA - DSC) is the last rider to leave the start house. There are another 42 riders yet to begin the first stage.

Dave Zabriskie continues to lead the first stage of the 92nd Tour de France. The American time trial champion from last year has won a stage of the Vuelta A Espana (in 2004) as well as a time trial stage of this year’s Giro d’Italia.
His victory in Italy was in the eighth stage, a 45km test. He beat team-mate Ivan Basso (by 17") and Paolo Savoldelli (by 44").

At the end of his time trial, Joseba Beloki’s time is 2’04" behind Zabriskie’s (enough to put him in 33rd at the moment).

The winner of this year’s Paris-Nice is due to start the first stage at 6.04pm. Bobby Julich will be encouraged by the efforts of his team-mate and compatriot Dave Zabriskie.
Julich won the bronze medal in the time trial at the Athens Olympics. He is the 145th rider to start today’s stage.

Haimar Zubeldia - the rider who finished the prologue in Paris during the centenary Tour in third place - has just finished the time trial today. He is currently 42nd, 2’19" behind Zabriskie.

Joseba Beloki has 9.6km to go in the stage. He has just passed the first intermediate check with a time that’s 1’00" slower than Zabriskie. The Spaniard is currently in 50th place at that time check.

With 105 riders having completed the 19km time trial, the top five is:
1. ZABRISKIE (USA, CSC) 19km in 20’51"840
2. VINOKOUROV (KAZ, TMO) at 53"
3. BODROGI (HUN, C.A) at 59"
4. VOIGT (GER, CSC) at 01’ 04"
5. KARPETS (RUS, IBA) at 01’ 05"

At the finish, Vinokourov’s time is 53" slower than Zabriskie. The T-Mobile rider is currently in second place.

So far 105 riders have passed the second intermediate check. The top five is:
1. ZABRISKIE (USA, CSC)
2. VINOKOUROV (KAZ, TMO) at 37"
3. VOIGT (GER, CSC) at 43"
4. KARPETS (RUS, IBA) at 44"
5. GONZALEZ GALDEANO (ESP, LSW) at 46"

At the second time check, Vinokourov has posted a time that’s 37" behind Zabriskie. This puts the champion of Kazakhstan in second place with 4.1km to go. ’Vino’ is 6" ahead of Voigt.

At the second time check, Jens Voigt’s time is 17’32" - this is 43" behind Zabriskie and good enough to put the German in second place for the moment.

Chris Horner has just finished his first Tour de France stage. His time is 2’00" slower than his compatriot Dave Zabriskie; enough to put him in 28th place for the moment.

The Spanish rider who finished the Tour in second overall in 2002, Joseba Beloki, has just left the start house. He is the 117th rider to begin the 92nd Tour de France.

The top five with 9.6km to go is:
1. Dave Zabriskie (USA - CSC)
2. Alexandre Vinokourov (KAZ - TMO) at 21"
3. Jens Voigt (GER - CSC) at 22"
4. Yaroslav Popovych (UKR - DSC) at 26"
5. Laszlo Bodrogi (HUN - C.A) at 27"

After 19km, Michael Rich has a time of 22’04". This is enough to put him in 6th place (1’13" behind Zabriskie).
The last rider to push his way into the top five was the winner of the white jersey in 2004, Vladmir Karpets (who currently has the third best time).

The American who was the 19th rider to start the stage today, Dave Zabriskie (CSC) has the best times at each check.
At the finish, his time of 20’51" is 59" better than the Hungarian, Laszlo Bodrogi.

The champion of Kazakstahn Alexandre Vinokourov is now racing towards Noirmountier en L’Ile.
Although he recently won his first national championship road race, ’Vino’ is wearing the magenta colors of his T-Mobile team today.

The winner of the prologue of this year’s Paris-Nice stage race, Jens Voigt (GER - CSC) is the next rider scheduled to start the stage. He is the 103rd man to begin the time trial.
After Voigt comes the man who finished third overall in the 2003 Tour, Alexandre Vinokourov (KAZ - TMO).

With 9.6km to go in the stage, one of the Gerolsteiner team’s time trial specialists Michael Rich has posted a time that’s 32" slower than Zabriskie.

Dave Zabriskie continues to hold the best time in his Tour debut. 1. Dave Zabriskie 20’51"
2. Bodrogi at 59"
3. Karpets at 1’05"
4. Gonzalez de Galdeano at 1’06"
5. Gutierrez at 1’12"

The average speed of the rider with the current best time (Dave Zabriskie - 54.68km/h) is the fastest ever ridden in a time trial stage of the Tour de France.
It’s important to note that this does not include prologues (as Chris Boardman’s winning time on the opening day of the 1994 Tour netted an average speed of 55.152km/h).
Zabriskie’s average is, however, the second fastest of an individual on any day of the Tour.

There are riders from 28 countries in this year’s Tour (one more nation than last year). The breakdown is as follows:
35 - Spain
30 - France
27 - Italy
16 - Germany
11 - Belgium
10 - Australia
9 - USA and The Netherlands
7 - Switzerland
5 - Ukraine
4 - Austria
3 - Kazakstahn, Russia and Sweden
2 - Denmark, Estonia and Norway
1 - South Africa, Brazil, Colombia, Finland, Hungary, Luxembourg, Uzbekstahn, Portugal, Czech Republic, Slovenia and Venezuela.

With 4.1km to go, Popovych has posted the 5th best time of the day. He is 49" behind Zabriskie.

At the second intermediate check last year’s Best Young Rider, Vladimir Karpets (RUS - IBA) has posted the second-best time of the stage. He is 44" behind Dave Zabriskie.

With 55 riders having completed the 19km time trial, the top five is:
1. ZABRISKIE (USA, CSC) 19km in 20’51"840
2. BODROGI (HUN, C.A) at 59"
3. GONZALEZ GALDEANO (ESP, LSW) at 01’ 06"
4. WAUTERS (BEL, RAB) at 01’ 24"
5. LANG (GER, GST) at 01’ 27"

With 9.6km to go, the Ukranian Discovery Channel rider Yaroslav Popovych has posted the second best time of the day. He is 26" behind Zabriskie.

The rider who had to forfeit his place in the Tour de France last year only hours before the prologue, Matt White (AUS - COF) has just finished the time trial.
Last year he crashed while warming up on the opening day and broke his collarbone. The Australian’s time is 2’31" slower than Zabriskie.

The 54th rider to start the stage, Igor Gonzalez de Galdeano (ESP - LWT) has posted a time that’s 46" slower than Zabriskie at the second intermediate time check. The Spaniard is currently ranked second at the 9.6km mark.

The rider who finished second overall in last year’s Tour, Andreas Kloden (Ger - TMO) has posted a time that’s 2’00" slower than Dave Zabriskie today.
So far 46 riders have reached the finish of the stage and Kloden is ranked 14th best.

At the 4.1km mark, Zabriskie’s time was 27" better than Bodrogi. At 9.6km the American CSC rider was 49" ahead of the Hungarian Credit Agricole rider. At the finish, Zabriskie is 59" faster than Bodrogi.

The average speed of the rider with the current best time, Dave Zabriskie (USA - CSC) is 54.68km/h. This is the fastest average speed of any rider in a time trial of the Tour de France.

The previous fastest average speed was 54.545km/h, posted by Greg LeMond in the final stage of the 1989 Tour.

With 40 riders at the finish of the first stage, the top five is as follows: 1. ZABRISKIE (USA, CSC) 19km in 20’51"840 2. BODROGI (HUN, C.A) at 59" 3. WAUTERS (BEL, RAB) at 01’24" 4. LANG (GER, GST) at 01’27" 5. BENETEAU (FRA, BTL) at 01’30"

The 19th rider to start the first stage, Dave Zabriskie (USA - CSC) has posted the best time of the day. He finished the 19km course in 20’51", 59" better than Bodrogi (HUN - C.A).

Time checks for the riders will be taken at the 4.1km and 9.6km marks of today’s 19km stage. (Alas, there have been some technical problems early in the time trial which have restricted the opportunity for live coverage. The problems are being resolved and the regular updates will begin soon.)

The first stage of the 2005 Tour de France will be raced in mild conditions. The temperature is 21 degrees Celsius in the air and 26 degrees at road level.

High clouds linger over the course for the 19km time trial. There has been a few drops of rain early this afternoon but showers are not forecast. There is a light north-westerly breeze which means it will be blowing from the left of the riders for the duration of the course.

The 2005 Tour de France is scheduled to begin at 3.40pm with a 19km time trial from Fromentine to Noirmoutier en L’Ile.

Riders will depart at one-minute intervals.

The final rider to begin the first stage will be the defending champion, Lance Armstrong. The American Discovery Channel rider’s start time is 6.48pm.