Tour de France: Stage 1 Notes

[photo caption] A bloody Thor Hushovd of Credit Agricole is helped to the ambulance for a hospital visit following Stage 1 on Sunday. Hushovd's arm was cut by a cardboard souvenir held by a spectator. (photo courtesy VeloNews.com)


Tour de France notes following Stage 1:

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Some might say that there appears to be a curse affixed to the yellow jersey wearer after the Prologue. During today's sprint to the line, Thor Hushovd, sporting the maillot jaune following his Prologue victory yesterday, suffered a cut on his arm which affected his sprint and forced a visit to the hospital. According to VeloNews.com, Hushovd's injury is not considered serious, and the website projects him making it to the start line tomorrow.

Hushovd's incident brings to mind the crash of last year's Prologue winner, David Zabriskie of CSC, during the team time-trial event which made up Stage 4 in 2005. Zabriskie's still-unexplained crash cost him the yellow jersey in dramatic fashion. Similarly, Hushovd's cut forced him out of the sprint finish today, thereby foresaking the maillot jaune as well.

[photo caption] CSC's David Zabriskie looks a bit worse for the wear following his 2005 team time-trial crash. (photo courtesy ABC.Net.Au)

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Thor Hushovd wasn't the only rider feeling the ill-effects of spectator interference following Stage 1. Reigning World Champion Tom Boonen claims that he aborted his finishing sprint after coming into contract with what he believes was a spectator's camera.

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Fashionistas everywhere are wondering, "What could have been?" after photos of the Astana-Wurth team's new kits hit the internet. Eschewing the navy blue they had employed as team Liberty-Seguros, the team had taken the light blue of the Kazakhstani national flag as their new primary color. Because the team was expelled from the Tour, however, the kits will have to wait for their day in the sun.

[photo caption] Tour exile Alexandre Vinokourov (r) models the new, obsolete kits of team Astana-Wurth. (photo courtesy ESPN.com)