By Stepahnie Gutowski

Kim Kirchen (Team Columbia-HTC) had an incredible 2008. Not only did he win Fleche Wallone, but he wore the coveted yellow jersey at the Tour de France for three stages.

In 2009, he fell during the 4th stage of the Tour of California after the sleeve of his jacket got caught in the spokes of his wheel as he was trying to remove the garment. He fractured his shoulder and collarbone. Kirchen’s injury prevented him from racing in his favorite Ardennes Classics. He was the defending Fleche Wallone champion. After going through shoulder surgery and recuperating his injuries, Kirchen came back to win stage 7 of the Tour de Suisse last month.

We spoke prior earlier in the season about his successes in 2008 and about riding the Tour de France in 2009.

The successes of 2008….
I have always been focused on the Classics. I was really close two years ago in Fleche Wallone. For me it’s always a goal of mine to get better each year. I know what I need to do physically and the team is also maturing. We do work a lot on working as a team. I am 30 years old and have a lot of experience now. All of these factors together allowed me to be successful last year.

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- A RECORD-EIGHT TDF TEAMS WILL TAKE THE START LINE ON FI’ZI:K SADDLES-

Pozzoleone, Italy – For the first time in Tour de France history, fi’zi:k saddles is dominating the peloton as the premiere saddle supplier and sponsor to participating Pro Tour and Pro Continental teams. Of the twenty select 2009 Tour de France teams, 8 will be riding fi’zi:k saddles.

Amplified support of professional teams comes not only the heels of increased global original equipment specification, but more so from increased demand from road teams for the premiere brand. As an example, one of the non-official-fi’zi:k-sponsored TdF Pro Tour teams, has twenty team members using their brand.

Many of the 2009 Tour de France teams will using the new ultra light Antares road saddle as well as the recently introduced Ares time trail saddle. Among those cyclists using the new Antares and the new Ares is defending Tour de France champion Carlos Sastre who, after testing the final Ares version earlier this summer said, “It’s now perfect. I definitely noticed the difference between the first and final versions.” Dave Zabriskie, US National Time Trial Champion, joins Sastre in choosing both the Antares and Ares; and most of the entire Columbia-High Road will be riding the Ares time trial saddle when they line up in Montpelier on July 7th in attempt to maintain their title as the world’s number one time trial team following their 2009 Giro d’Italia TTT victory.

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Official Start List -

AG2R La Mondiale

• 1 José Luis Arrieta Lujambio (Spa)
• 2 Cyril Dessel (Fra)
• 3 Hubert Dupont (Fra)
• 4 Vladimir Efimkin (Rus)
• 5 Stéphane Goubert (Fra)
• 6 Lloyd Mondory (Fra)
• 7 Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita)
• 8 Christophe Riblon (Fra)
• 9 Nicholas Roche (Irl)

Agritubel

• 11 Maxime Bouet (Fra)
• 12 Sylvain Calzati (Fra)
• 13 Brice Feillu (Fra)
• 14 Romain Feillu (Fra)
• 15 Eduardo Gonzalo Ramirez (Spa)
• 16 David Lelay (Fra)
• 17 Geoffroy Lequatre (Fra)
• 18 Christophe Moreau (Fra)
• 19 Nicolas Vogondy (Fra)

Astana

• 21 Lance Armstrong (USA)
• 22 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa)
• 23 Andreas Klöden (Ger)
• 24 Levi Leipheimer (USA)
• 25 Dmitriy Muravyev (Kaz)
• 26 Sergio Miguel Moreira Paulinho (Por)
• 27 Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr)
• 28 Grégory Rast (Swi)
• 29 Haimar Zubeldia Aguirre (Spa)

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As is tradition, the last stage of the Tour is little more than a coronation parade in honor of the champion and other jersey winners, usually ending in a bunch sprint on the Champs Elysees. The 95th Tour de France was no different, with Gert Steegmans redeeming Quick Step’s Tour de France with their first stage win.

Carlos Sastre is crowned the 95th Tour de France winner! Sastre was able to make the 143 kilometer stage into Paris without incident and becomes the third straight Spainard to win the title, besting Cadel Evans by 58 seconds.

Stage 21 Results
1 Gert Steegmans (Bel) Quick Step - 3.51.38
2 Gerald Ciolek (Ger) Team Columbia
3 Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa) Rabobank
4 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Silence - Lotto
5 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Crédit Agricole
6 Julian Dean (NZl) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30
7 Stefan Schumacher (Ger) Gerolsteiner
8 Robert Förster (Ger) Gerolsteiner
9 Leonardo Duque (Col) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone
10 Robert Hunter (RSA) Barloworld

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Carlos Sastre came in twelth today, two minutes and thirty found seconds behind stage winner Stefan Schumacher, to seal up his Tour de France victory. Sastre was able to hold off his top rivals to stay a minute and five seconds ahead of Cadel Evans in the General Classification.

For Stefan Schumacher, he wins his second TT this tour, besting world champion Fabian Cancellara by 21 seconds.

Stage 20 Results
1 Stefan Schumacher (Ger) Gerolsteiner - 1.03.50
2 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team CSC - Saxo Bank - 0.21
3 Kim Kirchen (Lux) Team Columbia - 1.01
4 Christian Vande Velde (USA) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30 - 1.05
5 David Millar (GBr) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30 - 1.37
6 Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank - 1.55
7 Cadel Evans (Aus) Silence - Lotto - 2.05
8 Sebastian Lang (Ger) Gerolsteiner - 2.19
9 Bernhard Kohl (Aut) Gerolsteiner - 2.21
10 George Hincapie (USA) Team Columbia - 2.28

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Frenchman Sylvain Chavanel, of Cofidis, gave his current team a departing gift today, by winning Stage 19 of this year’s Tour de France. After breaking away with Jeremy Roy, the two worked together to build a 2 and a half minute lead, but in the final 200m Chavanel was able to accelerate away keeping Roy from taking the stage win. It was announced recently that Chavanel will be moving teams next year when he will ride for Belgium squad, Quickstep.

Carols Sastre remains in the Maillot Jaune.

Stage 19 Results
1 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone - 3.37.09
2 Jérémy Roy (Fra) Française des Jeux
3 Gerald Ciolek (Ger) Team Columbia - 1.13
4 Erik Zabel (Ger) Team Milram
5 Heinrich Haussler (Ger) Gerolsteiner
6 Leonardo Duque (Col) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone
7 Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Liquigas
8 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Crédit Agricole
9 Robert Förster (Ger) Gerolsteiner
10 Julian Dean (NZl) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30

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Stage 18 from Bourg-d’Oisans to Saint-Etienne led the tour out of the Alps, and with the crucial time trial expected to decide the race, the leaders were content with letting Marcus Burghardt and Carlos Barredo get away. Both attacking each other at times in the final kilometers, Burghardt timed his last attack perfectly to take the stage win.

Carlos Sastre remains in the Maillot Jaune, all other jerseys remain the same as well…

Stage 18 Results
1 Marcus Burghardt (Ger) Team Columbia - 4.30.21
2 Carlos Barredo Llamazales (Spa) Quick Step
3 Romain Feillu (Fra) Agritubel - 3.33
4 Christophe Le Mével (Fra) Crédit Agricole
5 Mikel Astarloza Chaurreau (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi - 3.35
6 Samuel Dumoulin (Fra) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone - 6.39
7 Cyril Dessel (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
8 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas
9 Leif Hoste (Bel) Silence - Lotto
10 Andy Schleck (Lux) Team CSC - Saxo Bank

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Everyone knew he would attack. Everyone knew he would go for the victory on Alpe d’Huez!

And he did it: Carlos Sastre won the queen stage in this year’s edition of Tour de France - after 210 kilometers from Embrun to the legendary finish at the top of Alpe d’Huez the petite Spanish rider was able to celebrate both the victory and the Yellow Jersey, which he took over from teammate Fränk Schleck, who is now second in the general classification.

The triumph was made even sweeter by the fact that Andy Schleck was third in the stage and increased his lead in the Best Young Rider’s competition considerably.

“What a fantastic team! I’m almost lost for words. They were amazing and both our GC riders and the rest of the guys made an absolutely world class effort out there today,” said a jubilant Bjarne Riis after the stage.

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Spanish rider Carlos Sastre rode the ride of his life on Stage 17 of this year’s Tour de France. Attacking with just 13km to go, the Maillot Jaune group was not able to hang onto the Spaniard and he went on to win the Stage.

Carlos Sastre wins the stage and is also the new overall General Classification leader, taking over for teammate Frank Schleck.

Stage 17 Results
1 Carlos Sastre (Spa) CSC-Saxo Bank - 6.07.58
2 Samuel Sánchez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi - 2.03
3 Andy Schleck (Lux) CSC-Saxo Bank
4 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne - 2.13
5 Fränk Schleck (Lux) CSC-Saxo Bank
6 Vladimir Efimkin (Rus) AG2R La Mondiale
7 Cadel Evans (Aus) Silence-Lotto
8 Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank
9 Christian Vande Velde (USA) Garmin Chipotle - H30
10 Bernhard Kohl (Aut) Gerolsteiner

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Cyril Dessel of AG2R became the second Frenchman to win a stage at this years Tour de France. Dessel was part of a large breakaway which shattered on the final climb of stage 16, allowing Dessel to out ride Sandy Casar (FdJ) and David Arroyo (Caisse d’Epargne) down the final technical descent to take the victory.

Frank Schleck remains in the Maillot Jaune, while his younger brother Andy takes over the Maillot Blanc.

Stage 16 Results
1 Cyril Dessel (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale - 4.31.27
2 Sandy Casar (Fra) Française des Jeux
3 David Arroyo Duran (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne
4 Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Silence - Lotto - 0.03
5 George Hincapie (USA) Team Columbia - 0.24
6 Nicolas Portal (Fra) Caisse d’Epargne
7 Tadej Valjavec (Slo) AG2R La Mondiale
8 Stefan Schumacher (Ger) Gerolsteiner - 1.03
9 Andy Schleck (Lux) Team CSC - Saxo Bank - 1.28
10 Bernhard Kohl (Aut) Gerolsteiner

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