Dane Takes the Lead in Tour de France
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Michael Rasmussen of Denmark vaulted into the race lead on Sunday by setting a torrid pace over three big Alpine passes.
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Australian Robbie McEwen of the Predictor-Lotto team won the first stage of the Tour de France, a 203-km ride from London to Canterbury on Sunday.
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Riding in his first Tour de France, Germany's Linus Gerdemann earns his first stage victory and takes the overall lead on Saturday.
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Denmark's Michael Rasmussen went it alone for victory in Tignes to secure the Tour de France yellow jersey.
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Call it a race for recognition. After Monday's rest day, the Tour de France heads into its last ride through the Alps in the ninth stage Tuesday with the race finally starting to take shape &#151; and a new crop of contenders emerging.
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Riders set off on Tuesday&#039;s third stage of the Tour de France &amp;#151; from Luxembourg through Belgium to the Netherlands &amp;#151; with Norwegian sprinter Thor Hushovd in the leader&#039;s yellow jersey.
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Daniele Bennati of Italy won the opening leg of the Tour of Spain, cyclingâs most important race after the Tour de France and the Tour of Italy.Bennati captured two stages of this yearâs Tour de France, including the final dash along the Champs-ÃlysÃ©es. Yesterday, Bennati, a Lampre-Fondital rider, sprinted ahead of the pack to finish the 95-mile course in 3 hours 43 minutes 9 seconds in and around the port city of Vigo.Alessandro Petacchi, a sprint specialist, finished third in the same time, just behind Oscar Freire of Rabobank. The favorites Allan Davis of Discovery Channel and Tom Boonen of Quick Step-Innergetic were fourth and fifth.Alexandre Vinokourov, the winner of last yearâs race, was not among the 189 starters after he tested positive for blood doping at this yearâs Tour de France.
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Tour de France leader Michael Rasmussen, his team and two other cycling teams were subject to a surprise blood test Tuesday before the 9th stage of the race.
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Sport: Tour de France: Leader Michael Rasmussen holds off Alberto Contador's attacks, while Kazakh takes victory on stage 15.
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Sport: Tour de France: Bradley Wiggins leads for most of the sixth stage only to be overhauled at the death.
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France's Brian Joubert recorded a personal best despite a less than perfect performance in the men's short program to take a narrow lead in the figure skating Grand Prix final on Friday.
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Gert Steegmans of Belgium won the second stage of the Tour de France in his home country Monday, with many riders left cut and bruised following a crash minutes before the finish.
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Alexander Vinokourov may be out of the competition for the overall Tour de France victory. But that has not stopped the determined Astana team leader from riding his best on a stage-by-stage basis.
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The route of the 2005 Tour de France was announced yesterday, and the changes look set to test the dominance of the reigning champion, Lance Armstrong.
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When it comes to the Tour de France&#39;s sprint hierarchy, Britain&#39;s Mark Cavendish currently figures way down the list.
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The Tour de France is shaping up as a one-on-one between Michael Rasmussen and Alberto Contador. Not so much a street fight as a mountain fight.
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The Tour de France is still wide open as it heads toward the Alps in the final week. American rider Floyd Landis is in the driver&#039;s seat, but his lead is thin. Three contenders trail the Phonak team leader by less than 2 minutes, a margin that could vanish in a single bold mountain push. And more race favorites could still emerge.