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Tour de France - *Brest - Plumelec

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TETE DE COURSE (00'')

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18:00 - Thanks for joining us today - be sure to return to tomorrow's stage two from Auray to St Brieuc.
16:22 - Today's top ten: 1. Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne ) 4hrs 36mins 07secs 2. Philippe Gilbert (Francaise des Jeux) #plus;1 3. Jerome Pineau (Bouygues Telecom ) 4. Kim Kirchen (Columbia ) 5. Riccardo Ricco (Saunier Duval ) 6. Cadel Evans (Silence - Lotto ) 7. Fraenk Schleck (Team CSC ) 8. Filippo Pozzato (Liquigas ) 9. Oscar Freire (Rabobank ) 10. Oscar Pereiro (Caisse d'Epargne).
0km - The overhead replays are simply stunning: Kirchen looks to have it in the bag, but Valverde showed astonishing power to pass him - and some. Gilbert and Pineau managed to catch Kirchen to take second and third, while Ricco took fifth and, interestingly, Evans got sixth.
0km - And Valverde comes from nowhere to power to victory!! That was a finish and a half from the Spaniard... Kirchen looked to have it in the bag, but Valverde had a massive kick and made up incredible ground to secure the race's first yellow jersey!
0.5km - Schumacher is caught by Kirchen... Ballan is there.. and Kirchen looks to have done it... BUT HERE COMES VALVERDE!!!
1km - Feillu hits the wall, but Schumacher goes!!
1.5km - ATTACK!! Agritubel's Romain Feillu launches himself!!
2km - A tight right hand bend over the narrow bridge and now it's the Alpe d'Huez of Brittany!
3km - ROBERT FORSTER RUNS OFF THE ROAD AND HAS TO RIDE ACROSS THE GRASS AT FULL PELT! The German Gerolsteiner rider avoids hitting the deck and gets back into the fray.
4km - It's all Colombia at the moment, racing one to five on the front of the peloton. The Cav must be feeling it.
5km - The peloton pass the five-to-go banner. Get ready for a big ding-dong battle!
6km - SOLER ALMOST COMES A CROPPER AGAIN!! The Colombian overshoots a bend trying to get back in touch with the peloton and narrowly avoids riding full pelt into the barriers! A torrid end to the opening day's racing for Barloworld...
7km - Milram, Silence Lotto and QuickStep are back on the front. Barloworld's plans have been thrown into chaos with that fall... Soler will lose time today... on the front, Jegou and De la Fuente shake hands and then throw in the towel. Chapeau!
8km - It's practically all over for local boy Jegou and De la Fuente...
9km - They are back on their bikes, but Soler looks to be in some pain. Back on the front, the duo can hear the peloton closing in...
10km - CRASH!! Three Barloworld riders hit the deck, including Juan Maricio Soler, who is clasping the wrist he hurt in the Giro... maybe the reigning king of the mountains is facing an early exit?
11km - The clouds are the same colour as the grey roads... maybe we'll have another dynamic to consider in the closing section of this stage - heavy rain.
12km - Barloworld and QuickStep are both there alongside Silence Lotto. The duo have just 15 seconds.
13km - But on the front, other Lotto riders have appeared. Cadel Evans is there, as is Robbie McEwen - who could well be targeting victory today. Discounted by many because of the climb before the line, the Aussie might have a point to prove otherwise.
14km - It's just 35" now. Wim Vansevenant of Silence-Lotto is sitting on the back. With back-to-back lanternes rouges to his name, maybe he is looking to start this year's race as he left off his previous two.
15km - Jegou and De La Fuente see their lead cut to 48". Soon, the carrots will be cooked, as they say in France.
17km - Sylvain Chavanel, brilliant so far this season, is lurking on the left of the road... David Harman thinks he could try something, though Sean Kelly has total disregard for the idea of that reaching fruition. "A power sprinter will win today," says Kelly.
18km - Milram and QuickStep are becoming more prominent on the front of the peloton. Sean Kelly wants to change his prediction to Oscar Freire... Emma Davies now thinks Alessandro Ballan...
20km - Johann Tschopp and Laurent Lefevre of Bouygues as well as Stéphane Goubert (AG2R) were involved in that crash. Jegou and De la Fuente have 1'28" over the peloton. It's going to take a miracle if Jegou wants to win in his home province today, I'm afraid to say.
22km - Another crash in the peloton! A handful of riders hit the deck as the pace gets higher... no big names involved. Await confirmation for names...
23km - This counter-attack suits the peloton and the sprinters' team down to a tee because it cuts out the likelihood of any other last-ditch attacks. The lead may be up to 1'38" but it should not be too hard to reel them in before Plumelec.
25km - The duo have 1'25" over the peloton. And in non-cycling related news, Eurosport commentator David Harman says he "looks good in blue" during a comversation with British rider Emma Davies about the dos and donts of wearing shorts. According to Emma, men have to have a perma-tan and be thin if they want to don white shorts. Either that, or be someone like Mario Cipolini. This chat was sparked by the dress sense of one of the Tour specatators on the roadside... Intriguing, I'm sure you'll agree.
27km - The latest church to be followed is that at Bignan. Anyone been there? De la Fuente and Jegou are still out alone, but their days will be numbered - the pace is getting faster and faster, and the peloton are about to sweep up the others from that initial break.
28km - The roads are quite dangerous now: narrow, winding and full of roundabouts. A reminder that there are no time bonuses in this year's tour - neither at the intermediate sprints or the finish line.
29km - Jegou and De La Fuente have 28" over the chasing riders, who have dropped Schroder. The peloton is still about 1'30" behind that duo ahead.
30km - EUROSPORT EXPERT PREDICTIONS FOR TODAY'S STAGE: Sean Kelly has gone for Riccardo Ricco; Stephen Roche backs Mark Cavendish; Emma Davis thinks Fabian Cancellara and David Duffield has gone for Gerald Ciolek. I'm going to hold on David Le Lay or Thor Hushovd.
34km - Right on cue, Jegou and De La Fuente break out of the leaders. So, it's the local boy and the Spaniard having a dig...
37km - The leaders are tiring as fast as the Breton gales are blowing: the lead is not just 1'35", which means there could be a few counter attacks before the finish.
41km - Final intermediate sprint of the day at Remungol: Lequatre leads out the sprint, Perez holds his wheel but fails to pip him - although it is v close. Jegou takes third. That means Lequatre has the maximum possible 18 points from the first three sprints - but it is not enough to ensure him the green jersey, because the winner of today's stage will be awarded 35...
46km - Frank Schleck may have been involved in that crash too, but all the riders concerned are back in the peloton, which rides at 3'01" from the leaders.
49km - So... that means Voeckler and Schroder are tied for points in the sprint to wear the race's first polka dot jersey. As such, whoever crossed the finish line in Plumelec first will take the spot.
50km - The eight leaders are on the fourth category Cote de Guenerve... and de la Fuente takes the points ahead of Schroder and Voeckler.
52km - CRASH!! Not sure what happened there but there are a handful of riders on the deck, including Popovych, Casper, Weggmann and Haussler...
53km - The stage has entered that state of limbo when the leaders out in front know they won't stay out till the end, while the peloton are happy to roll on, putting off the hard work until the final 30 clicks.
58km - The sun is back out. Somehow those grey clouds never produced any rain...
62km - A reminder of those eight riders out ahead: Voeckler (Bouygues Telecom), Augé (Cofidis), Jegou (Française des Jeux), Arrieta (AG2R), Lequatre (Agritubel), Schröder (Milram), David de la Fuente (Saunier Duval) and Ruben Perez (Euskaltel). The lead is now just 3'30" so their days are surely numbered.
68km - Bretons are an odd lot: one man is dressed as a nun, clasping a rolling pin and blowing on a green luminous whistle...
73km - The clouds look frightfully ominous: grey to the point of bursting point.
75km - Oscar Pereiro and Alejandro Valverde are enjoying a joke or two together in the bunch. They look very relaxed, although Valverde will know he must remain concentrated so as to avoid the kind of unexpected crash that broke his collar bone just a few days into the race four years ago. Pereiro, incidentally, is the only former 'winner' of the race to be involved in this year's Tour.
76km - Rabobank, Liquigas, Caisse d'Epagne and Credit Agricole are sharing out the load on the front of the peloton, which is crossing a particularly densely wooded area.
80km - The lead is now 4'00".
85km - Could that be the most ignominious debut ever for a rider in the Tour de France? Poor Duclos-Lassalle was only drafted into the Cofidis team at the 11th hour and he lasted all of... 100km. Incidentally, his father was a veteran of 13 Tours, and he is one of a cluster of riders to have recorded back-to-back Paris Roubaix wins - in 1992 and 1993.
90km - After all that drama, the lead is still around the 4'20" mark as the race passes the delightful Abbe Notre Dame de Langomarot and its expansive grounds.
92km - Duclos-Lassalle is not the only casualty: Johan Vansummeran of Silence-Lotto is bleading heavily from the back of the knee... Either he was involved in that crash, or he has nicked his knee on a part of his bike. Whatever the case, it's not pretty for the Tour's tallest rider, standing at 197cm.
94km - So, after 100km of racing, the Tour de France has had its first casualty. Duclos-Lassalle has a brace put on his hand and now it will be off to hospital. Long-distant replays show the rider touching wheels when taking his mussette and going right over his handlebars. Heart break for Cofidis...
95km - CRASH! That's always the danger in the feeding zone... Cofidis rider Herve Duclos-Lassalle takes a tumble. It looks like he has damages his hand or wrist... "Merde!" he shouts to the skies as the race docter takes a look at it... he looks in pain, and I think the race is over for the young Frenchman.
97km - Lunch time for the peloton - and the sun has come back out too.
104km - Time check: 4'37". The peloton are happy to let those leaders stay out in front.
106km - Second sprint of the day, at Gourin: Lequatre takes the points yet again, ahead of Auge and Jegou. That means the Agritubel rider leads the points standings with 12. Could it be the green jersey for him tonight?
108km - Talking point? Get some steam off your chest by visiting our new daily blog Blazin' Saddles and joining in the debate. Here's the link: http://eurosport.yahoo.com/05072008/58/tour-de-france-blazin-saddles-tdf-blog.html
110km - The wind is very blustery now, the sun is firmly hidden by the clouds and rain looks very much on the cards.
112km - Reaction in the leading group: Voeckler and Schroder lead the charge - clearly both going for the mountain points. The almost catch Jegou, who goes over in first, with Voeckler pipping Schroder for second. They take 3, 2, 1 points respectively, meaning Voeckler has 7 points to Schroder's 6. The last climb - in about 60 clicks - will decide who wears the polka dot jersey tomorrow.
113km - Jegou attacks!! The FdJ rider breaks clear with 1km to the summit - and he has opened up a gap.
114km - The eight leaders are on to the third climb of the day, the fourth category Col du Toullaeron. Not the biggest of climbs, but a drawn-out gradient which will take its toll.
115km - The lead is down to 4'20".
122km - Talking of Menchov, news in this morning is that he has signed a two-year contract extension at the Dutch team Rabobank. He's also confident of his chances this year: "I don't have too much stress. I have some, but I try to stay relaxed. I'm ambitious and I think that I can win the Tour de France," he said.
124km - The peloton just split in two while negotiating a roundabout. Those guys who chose the anti-clockwise route will be a bit gutted as it was clearly the longer trajectory and meant they all ended up 30m or so further back... not that any of them will lose any sleep over it.
125km - Time check: 5'25". The clouds are getting greyer and the sun has disappeared for the time being.
126km - Menchov's case is an interesting one because normally the Russian's first major race of the year is the Tour, meaning he peaks for his GC objectives in the Vuelta, which he has won twice. This year, however, the Rabobank stalwart rode the Giro, finishing 5th without ever really exerting himself. This for many puts him in an ideal position to top the podium here in France... Time will tell.
127km - Interestingly, of all the 'race favourates' Kim Kirchen has clocked up the most amount of racing days ahead of the Tour, with 44 to his name. Menchov has 43, Andy Schleck 43, Evans 34 and Valverde 33...
129km - The last time the race visited Plumelac, back in 1997, evergreen sprinter Erik Zabel - the green jersey - took the stage win. It is not an easy finish because the final sprint is slightly uphill and comes just after a vicious climb of the Cote de Cadoudal, known as the Breton Alpe d'Huez. It would suit someone like Alejandro Valverde, but the big guns like Thor Hushovd and Zabel cannot be discounted. For Gert Steegmans, it looks too tricky, as for Robbie McEwen. And there's always the possibility that one or two riders will break clear on that final climb and surprise the bunch.
130km - It's a strange dynamic for the teams of the main sprinters: the time is coming down quite quickly... if the eight leaders are reeled in too early, that risks the chance another few riders might jump the pack ahead of the finish at Plumelac. So expect to see them dropping off the gas soon...
135km - First intermediate sprint of the day at Plonevez-du-Faou: 1. Lequatre, 2. Jegou, 3. Perez. Meanwhile, the gap is down to 5'35" with a fierce wind whipping across the narrow Breton roads.
140km - The hard work on the front of the peloton by Credit Agricole is paying off: the lead is down to six minutes.
145km - Result of the fourth category Cote de Kerivarc'h: 1. Voeckler 3 pts, 2. Schröder 2 pts, 3. Lequatre 1 pt. That means that for the time being both Voeckler and Schroder lead the king of the mountains standings...
149km - The leaders are approaching the second climb of the day, at Plonevez-du-Faou, and Auge launches an attack! He is checked by the other Frenchmen in the group and it looks like Voeckler took the points ahead of Lequatre and Schroder. Confirmation coming up.
151km - Have you read Blazin' Saddles, our daily Tour de France blog? First there was Early Doors, then Cow Corner - now we have given to cycling what we have entrusted to football and cricket: a light-hearted take on the day's action and talking points. Copy this link into your browser to read the first offering: http://eurosport.yahoo.com/05072008/58/tour-de-france-blazin-saddles-tdf-blog.html
152km - The weather is rather variable at the moment: the sun is out, but there are a lot of fluffy white clouds out and about and the wind is pretty fierce. Rain is said to develop later this afternoon...
154km - Have you entered your Eurosport Fantasy Tour de France team yet? Copy and paste this full link into your browser and take it from there. You won't score points for today's stage, but there is still so much to play for. This live commentator was going to put in Voeckler, Auge and Jegou... but instead opted for Seb Chavanel, Julian Dean and Bernhard Eisel... D'oh! Here's that link: http://uk.rd.yahoo.com/sports/homeintl/prog3/12/sports/home/prog3/12/SIG=11gjacrpq/http://fantasy.tour-de-france.eurosport.com/
156km - Augé is back there with the other seven riders in this breakaway group , which unsurprisingly has a very strong French presence. A reminder of those riders: Voeckler (Bouygues Telecom), Augé (Cofidis), Jegou (Française des Jeux), Arrieta (AG2R), Lequatre (Agritubel), Schröder (Milram), David de la Fuente (Saunier Duval) and Ruben Perez (Euskaltel).
159km - Auge punctures, changes the wheel and is now battling to get back with the front runners.
161km - The official results from that climb are in by the way: 1. Schroeder (Milram) 3 pts, 2. Voeckler (Bouygues) 3 pts, 3. De La Fuente (Saunier Duval) 1 pt.
162km - Credit Agricole, who have Norwegian sprint star Thor Hushovd but nobody in the break-away, have started to pick up the pace at the front of the peloton and for the first time the gap starts to shrink, dipping under eight minutes.
164km - Gap is up over eight minutes.
168km - The play being made for the points as the break-away reach the summit. Voeckler goes off first, and De La Fuente chases as do the rest of these guys. It's an all-out sprint now, with Voeckler in command.... And Bjorn Schroeder from Milram overtakes him at the last gasp to take the three points! The Frenchman will not be pleased about that minor defeat.
170km - The break-away have already begun the Côte de Ty-Jopic climb (Cat. 4), the first of this year's Tour. De La Fuente, we would guess, is a good bet to take the mountain points and possibly even the first polka dot jersey today. Voeckler is another contender for the opening mountain jersey.
174km - Lead over five minutes and 30 seconds now. The peloton taking things very casually at the start of this stage.
178km - Gap over four minutes and still climbing....
181km - Gap over three minutes.....
182km - As we mentioned, four Cat. 4 climbs on today's programme: Côte de Ty-Jopic (KM 29,5), Côte de Kerivarc'h (KM 48,5), Col de Toullaëron (KM 85,5), Côte de Guenervé (KM 146,5).
184km - The eight-man escape group: Voeckler (Bouygues Telecom), Augé (Cofidis), Jegou (Française des Jeux), Arrieta (AG2R), Lequatre (Agritubel), Schröder (Milram), David de la Fuente (Saunier Duval) and Ruben Perez (Euskaltel). As expected, a very strong French presence there.
185km - Gap up to two minutes and five seconds.
188km - Good news for fans of Cadel Evans (Australians), bad news for home fans (the French). The Wallabies are absolutely demolishing Les Bleus 26-0 in the first half of their Test match in Brisbane (rugby) with Mumm just having scored another try for Australia. Maybe the French will be able to console themselves with a victory for one of their break-away specialists today? It's certainly the stage for it.
190km - Ruben Perez, Voeckler, De La Fuente, Lilian Jegou also among the break-away, which has already pushed the lead up to over one minute.
195km - An early attack by Stephane Auge is joined by about seven other riders. They are building some space back to the peloton already.
196km - A crop field in the ground gives this simple message to the peloton: "Earth and sea, Culture and tradition, Good winds for the 2008 Tour." The winds so far are apparently not that bad in Bretagne.
197km - AND THEY'RE OFF!! The official start is given at 12:30 CET, or 11:30 BST and 197.5 kilometres of racing has begun.
11:29 - Of course there is no opening prologue time trial this year. With four category four climbs and a very technical uphill finish, today's stage could be very much a lottery, but we think that there's also a good chance that it could go to a classic specialist like Stefan Schumacher or Allesandro Ballan.
11:25 - The national champions have been riding at the front to start today's stage including Nicolas Vogondy (France), Frank Schleck (Luxembourg), Fabian Wegmann (Germany), Alejandro Valverde (Spain) and Julian Dean (New Zealand).
11:25 - Silence-Lotto's Cadel Evans, who finished second to Contador last year and is this year's race favourite, wears the number one bib at the start of this race.
11:20 - For the third successive year, we do not have a yellow jersey at the start of the Tour de France. In 2006 it was because champion Lance Armstrong had retired. In 2007 it was because Oscar Pereiro had not yet been officially crowned champion as Floyd Landis was still in the midst of a court battle over his positive doping test, and this year it's because race organisers have barred Alberto Contador's Astana squad from racing because of several doping controversies last year, most notably involving their former team leader Alexandre Vinokourov, who was booted in the middle of the 2007 race.
11:15 - A great crowd has gathered off of the coast of Brest to meet these riders, who are just beginning the 197.5 kilometre opening stage to Plumelec and the 3,554km race to the Champs Elysees.
11:10 - And the Depart Fictif, or "Virtual Start" is off! A gorgeous day in the west of France is hopefully a good sign for this the three weeks that lie ahead.
11:08 - Welcome to the very start of Eurosport's LIVE coverage of the Tour de France, beginning with today's opening stage from Brest to Plumelec! The official roll-out begins in just two minutes.....