a tour that was dominated in the build up by a certain return which happened to eventually lead to a certain downfall starts with an individual time trial in monaco
temperatures [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] Solutions [Music] [Music] thank you hungry [Music] Monaco the only sovereign state in Europe I believe with more helicopter landing pads than bike racks it’ll almost certainly be the richest crowd that’s ever turned out for a Tour de France start give or take the odd domestic servant who’s been given the day off and they’ll be rattling their jewelry by far the richest and most famous cyclist in the world might as well throw in most polarizing too because the world these days seems to cleave into Pro and anti-lance Armstrong factions those who believe he’s the greatest comeback story in the history of sport and those who believe his whole career is a story of a different less believable kind what’s incontrovertible is that he’s here in Monaco on Independence Day and he’s returned to the sport is almost a bigger story than the race itself since the last of his records seven victories Lance Armstrong is back as the most contentious of tall contenders dividing public opinion quite possibly his own team which is LED or so we’re told by the race favorite Alberto contador but first he’s got to get there and it won’t be easy for anybody three and a half thousand kilometers in 21 stages culminating in the brutal climb of mon Von 2 on the eve of the final ceremonial day in Paris the only certainty was that both Armstrong and contador were on the start sheet for the opening time trial a tough 15 and a half kilometers climbing steeply out of Monaco into the French Hinterland and swooping back down for a fast finish along the Grand Prix circuit with contador slated to set off last for Astana Armstrong gambled on going early and intimidating the rest of the field with a fast time well quite a round of applause as you went down that ramp and now settles in we’ll know pretty quickly or he’ll know pretty quickly how well he’s going the USA flag is on the left Lance Armstrong is back in the Tour de France ending significantly word number 22. he’s won 22 stages in the past Armstrong now getting into the crowd and if there’s any doubt Phil whether or not these people support him I think you can understand here because they are cheering on this man who has won the Tour de France so far on seven separate occasions they have waited to see this moment and we met so many people here here’s the time check anyway let’s see if they stop the clock it’s way up way up it’s going to be at 11 47 11 39 that they say is the time we wait for confirmation it’s confirmed I think so Lance Armstrong who said he was going to make a steady start seems to have dropped in with the best time with which is confirmed at 11 minutes and 39 it was 20 seconds up at half distance he’s going to be more than that at final distance a little bit of the speed wobble that’s how much look at his face Lance Armstrong seven time to win in the Tour de France four years ago was the last time he’s been out of the sport he’s heading for the best time as he now lines up he can see the Finishing Line he’s just gone over 20 minutes he slowed a little bit here on mod 4 but he’s kicking for the line he’s looking for 20-42 and he’s gonna beat that he hits the line 2012. he gets the best time but he did clearly slow on that second half the best time for Armstrong then but not for long he was quickly overtaken by several Riders including a couple of teammates Levi leipheimer and Andreas was still the best time with all the favorites out on the course Alberto contador Bradley Wiggins and Fabian cancellara though were all going well he’s got a good time here Phil Wicked is heading in is he going to reshape the leaderboard he should get out of the saddle and Sprint bro it’s not easy to do but look at the time of Clone and Wiggins is going to be very very close to best time to take a look at Wiggins his face here the Olympic champion he’s going to be a good road racing Rider now he hits the line time 19 of 51 by three seconds when they round it up let’s get back to control this is unbelievable and look at that mint job he’s struggling now he won’t believe this remember they started a minute and 30 seconds apart and cancellada pushes on for the Finish he’s looking to be the timer Bradley Wiggins of 1951. this is when he sees the clock this is when he goes for the gears knocks it up a cog and then puts his head down and drives he’s sprinting for the line the former world champion the Olympic champion and the best time and what a time that is 1932 and a massive slaughtering of everybody else’s time almost 20 seconds faster than everybody else now what has Alberto contador done he’s 10 seconds away from the time 8-7 it’s going away from him he won’t win cancellara has flown off the mountain like an eagle and now Alberto condo is Racing for second place here and he’s gonna have to go well otherwise he’d be behind the Bradley Wiggins as well but this is still nonetheless who won the Tour in 2007. there’s the time he’s shooting at a Wiggins and he’s just got inside Bradley Wiggins consider is second is he now the leader of Astana he certainly laid claim to that he’s starting to Corner the market in foreign starts Fabian cancellara having one already of course around the Streets of London in 2007. kanchimara led the race by 18 seconds from Alberto contador with Bradley Wiggins another second down in third Adele 11’s second overall last year was fifth at 23 seconds ahead of Levi light primer Lance Armstrong declared himself happy with 10 40 seconds down on the winner and 22 behind Alberto contador David Miller was 14th at 48 seconds while I’m on the climber’s tip for overall Victory Andy Schleck was 18th having lost a minute three places and six seconds ahead of Carlos sestrate [Music] now yesterday’s stage was expressly designed to create some proper time gaps between the contenders for overall Victory and in that respect it was an outstanding success which is more than can be said for some of the contenders for overall Victory here’s how the race favorites are lining up after just 15 and a half kilometers of three and a half thousand [Music] Alberto contador fresh from his win in the Spanish National time trial championships won The Unofficial one between the big names four seconds ahead of the smallest of his fellow big names on the Astana team Andreas clerden cadell Evans is five seconds back from contador and should be reasonably happy with that but then the gaps start to lengthen Levi lifeheimer third in the Astana pecking order lost 12 seconds to his teammate and tour favorite Lance Armstrong the wild card and leader in Waiting lost 22 although he declared himself happy with that Andy Schleck is already nearly three quarters of a minute down on a man he’ll be going head-to-head within the Alps and the Pyrenees as is the defending Champion Carlos sastre who might have expected to be closer than 48 seconds those two can rely on their attacking style in the mountains to claw Back Time unlike The Biggest Loser yesterday Dennis menshop he’s already a minute and 13 in arrears
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