Rinaldo Nocentini claimed the yellow jersey on a day race favorite Alberto Contador flexed his muscles in the Tour de France’s first mountain stage.

France’s Brice Feillu won stage seven, a 224km hike from Barcelona to Andorra, but it is what went on just behind the gutsy Agritubel rider that will grab the headlines as Contador asserted his authority as Astana team leader ahead of team-mate Lance Armstrong, the record seven-time Tour winner.

AG2R La Mondiale’s Nocentini, part of a nine-man breakaway group which included Feillu and led the field almost all stage, finished fourth and far enough clear of the big guns at the top of the general classification to take the maillot jaune.

Stage 7 Results
1 Brice Feillu (Fra) Agritubel - 6:11:31
2 Christophe Kern (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne - 0:00:05
3 Johannes Fröhlinger (Ger) Team Milram - 0:00:25
4 Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale - 0:00:26
5 Egoi Martinez De Esteban (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi - 0:00:45
6 Christophe Riblon (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale - 0:01:05
7 Jérôme Pineau (Fra) Quick Step - 0:02:32
8 José Ivan Gutierrez Palacios (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne - 0:03:14
9 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana - 0:03:26
10 Cadel Evans (Aus) Silence - Lotto - 0:03:47

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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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