Today we got to watch another small group punish themselves. Always more entertaining than watching a field that stays as one. I always root for the group to splinter so there's more to see. Those finishes that Cipollini used to enjoy in the Giro, where he'd sit on an eight man train for 15K, those could be like watching ice fishing. Speaking of leadouts, long-time DeFeet wearer Julian Dean gave a great one, today. When a field sprint comes down to the last 400 meters and there is only one leadout man left, he can never let a wave of riders get by him. You could see from the aerial view, today, that Julian totally sensed what was going on around him. He never let Thor Hushovd become vulnerable in any way. DeFeet supplied the Credit Agricole team for years - it's no letdown when they triumph.

We did a "D's 6-Pac of Q's" interview with Julian a while back, and we will post that here. He is a rugged person, like most New Zealander's. Here is a picture of him with his son and today's stage winner Thor at last years TdF. They make a deadly combo.

The Tour continues to head directly South. I have always found that the further South you go in France, the 'stickier' the roads get. I think it's a combination of heat and the use of different surface materials down there. On a 100 degree day, it could be miserable. Four percent grades feel like eight percent. By the time you get close to Spain, it can feel like the road is made of the tacky half of Velcro, and your tires are coated with the furry half. Really wierd things can happen when it's like that. I'm looking forward to some of those stages. I think they will come after the alps, this year.