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It was a day for unreluctant debutants as first-year pro Brice Feillu won in Andorra and an old chap nicknamed The Walnut edged into yellow.

At 31, Rinaldo Nocentini must be the oldest Tour newcomer to don the yellow jersey after finishing fourth on the climb to Arcalis and holding off a bullish Alberto Contador by six solitary seconds.

Affectionately named 'Il Noce' by his fans, the Ag2R rider will be first to admit that, by the end of Saturday's Pyrenean stage, he will no doubt be a pickled walnut - but for 24 hours he will be able to sport a jersey that some riders only dream of wearing in their careers.

(And doesn't that yellow go well with those brown shorts of his team? Everybody's favourite 'gay' fashion reporter Bruno would have a field day. Come to think of it, with all the shaved legs around, the Tour would be manna from heaven for the Austrian queen of the mountains.)

Much younger at 23, Friday's Stage Eight winner Brice Feillu doubles France's tally of victories this year and underlines the superstar credentials of the Feillu clan. As Bruno would say: the Schlecks are so 2008 - this year it's all about les freres Feillu. And polka-dot spots really do bring out the Feillu cheek-bones.

(There is, incidentally, a rather delectable Feillu sister called Lisa: an aspiring sports photographer and what traditional Frenchman might describe as "un beau brin de fille". Go check for yourself.)

Brice, who is not from Nice, is a rather self-deprecating fellow. On his rather amateur website, he modestly claims: "I consider myself a good rouleur and a good climber. This year I hope to ride well and do Agritubel proud."

Both Feillu and Nocentini have, above all, done themselves proud. And although Friday saw Alberto Contador finally stick two fingers up at Lance Armstrong and go for it alone, the pair warranted keeping Team Lance-Stana from this edition of Blazin' Saddles. There'll be ample time for those two thoroughbreds in the weeks to come.

Mention must also go to Bradley Wiggins, however. The former track cyclist had an Andorra stormer - certainly his best high-altitude performance of his career - and may now be Garmin's GC man over Christian Vandevelde. Chapeau, Wiggo.

FONE JACKER: On the front pages of both tabloids and broadsheets in the UK is the story that one media organisation spent thousands of pounds tapping the mobile phones of celebrities to listen to their voicemail.

This, of course, is a tactic Blazin' Saddles has been employing for years now. Here are some of the messages he has intercepted over the last day or so:

"Alberto, hi, it's Greg Lemond here. Just calling to let you know you have my support. Don't let Armstrong bully you around like Hinault tried with me. Attack that weenie and watch him crack. But be careful or he'll shoot you in the back. I should know!"

"Hello, Mr Dekker? This is Sincera Travel Agency and we have your tickets to Vienna ready for collection. Our agent Mr Kohl will meet you at the airport."

"Hi Cadel. This is Cadel. Just thought I'd give you a call. Come on Cadel, you've got to keep it together. No crying now. Don't hit the journalists. Concentrate on yourself, Molly and Chiara. Speak soon, Cadel. Don't be to down on yourself."

"Lance? This is Michel Wuyts from Sporza. Why are you not returning my calls?"

"Bonjour Monsieur Voeckler, this is Nicolas Sarkozy. I must congratulate you on your victoire. Would you like to join my cabinet as sports minister? We need young people like you and besides, you'll make me look like a giant in comparison."

"Mr Menchov? Your stabilisers are ready. Shall we have them delivered?"

"Dmitriy, it's your compatriot Alexandre Vinokourov, the snow leopard. Don't worry, next year I'll be back and it won't be so lonely in Astana."

"Mr Voigt, this is Chuck Norris here. Could we please have a word about copyright infringement?"

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "It was our plan not to take the yellow jersey. I was just asserting my position against my main rivals." Alberto Contador.

PLAT DU JOUR: The race hits the Ariege-Pyrenees region on Saturday, famed for its cepes and wild boar stew. The finish is in Saint-Girons where four beers are brewed: a blond ("La Brouche"), an amber ("Carabell"), a blanche ("Plume") and a brown ("Magie Brune"). All of these are unpasteurised and unfiltered - much like BS's humour.

PREDICTION: Seeing that Saint-Girons is a major centre for the fabrication of Christmas crib figures, BS will have to go for the man with the most religious limbs in the business, Milram's Christian Knees.

Follow Blazin' Saddles throughout the day on www.twitter.com/saddleblaze.

Stage 8 LIVE at 11am on Saturday 11th July on British Eurosport (Sky 410 / Virgin Media 521); Also available on your PC via the Eurosport Player - click on the link under the picture to subscribe

Felix Lowe / Eurosport