Andy Schleck in the yellow jersey after stage 9, Tour de France 2010

Finally, Andy Schleck is in the yellow jersey. Cadel Evans had to give it up after a terrible finish in today’s ninth stage (Morzine-Avoriaz to Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne) which featured climbs up the Col de la Madeleine and Col de la Colombiere. It turns out that Evans was riding with a fractured elbow and the pain must have been immense! Evans has little chance of winning the Tour this year even though he entered it as one of the favorites and even got the yellow jersey last Sunday. Evans is 7 minutes and 47 seconds behind Andy in the general classement.

The battle is now between Alberto Contador and Andy Schleck who rode up the last climb, the Col de la Madeleine, together and finished very close in time. Contador trails Schleck by only 41 seconds in the general classement. I am looking forward to an epic battle!

Andy Schleck wins stage 8 Tour de France 2010

What an exciting finish in today’s punishing mountain stage from Station des Rousses to Morzine-Avoriaz! This area is a popular ski resort with two category 1 climbs, the Col de la Ramaz (9 percent grade) and Morzine-Avoriaz (at the end). This stage covered 189 kilometers. Andy Schleck (Team Saxo Bank) battled it out in the last minute with Sammy Sanchez (Euskatel-Euskadi) and powered past him to win. Robert Gesink (Rabobank) came in third place. Below are the individual standings for stage 8.

Tour de France 2010 stage 8 individual standings

Cadel Evans (BMC) takes the yellow jersey for the first time in this Tour, leading Andy Schleck (20 seconds behind) and Alberto Contador (Astana) (1 minute, 1 second behind). I was shocked to see Contador not challenge Schleck and Sanchez when the two men began pulling away towards the end of the race. Contador is the favorite to win this year’s Tour de France and his team, Astana, performed superbly today. Perhaps he’s conserving his strength for the other mountain stages, notably the Pyrenees.

Stage 8 Tour de France 2010 general standings

The other surprise of the day is Lance Armstrong’s very “un-Armstrong” like performance. He fell twice, faded away on the way up the Col de la Ramaz, and ended up in 39th place out of 50 riders, 13 minutes and 26 seconds behind Cadel Evans. It is highly unlikely Armstrong will pull his 8th Tour de France win. Of course, if by divine intervention, the 38 other riders are attacked by a pack of wild boar or get hit by lightning in the Pyrenees, then Lance will truly make history.

Lance Armstrong in 39th place at stage 8 Tour de France 2010

Temperatures flared at stage 6 of the Tour de France 2010 when, after the race was over, Carlos Barredo (Quick Step) and Rui Costa (Caisse d’Epargne) began fighting one another over an alleged violent elbow thrown by Costa into Barredo’s ribs, nearly causing the latter to fall. Both riders were fined 400 Swiss francs (just about the only currency that’s not depreciating these days).

Top 10 finish, stage 6 Tour de France 2010

Another stunning win by Mark Cavendish, who won stage 6 of the Tour de France today from Montargis to Gueugnon, the longest stage of the Tour. This time no tears, just big wide smiles. Mark is back in the running for the green jersey, at this stage held by Thor Hushovd. Teammate Mark Renshaw has been critical to Cavendish’s two wins.

Fabian Cancellara keeps the maillot jaune. See the overall standings as of Stage 6 below.

General classement Tour de France 2010 Stage 6

I’d be crying too if I were Mark. He’s taken a lot of flak from fellow riders, and from cycling fans who wonder if he’s still got “the legs”. Apparently he does and he won decisively over rival Thor Hushovd. It wasn’t even close. He stood on the podium crying big fat tears of joy and went on to shake hands with the Tour dignitaries, crying all the way.

It was a very hot day, but it was dry and flat, so no more nasty crashes. The peloton wound its way across the Seine through some of the most beautiful countryside in France, past endless fields of sunflowers, chateaux like the famous Fontainebleu; and abbeys, some in ruins like the Abbaye Notre Dame de Preuilly, others carefully restored and still in use today, such as the Collégiale Notre Dame et Saint-Loup in Montereau-Fault-Yvonne.

Here’s a short guide to watching the Tour de France on the Internet. I don’t have a TV because I hate TV so I watch everything online.

• Watch the Japanese live stream because it has the highest quality video. All TV programs in Japan are in high definition, unlike in other countries where the TVs are high-def but the programs are not broadcast in high-def.
• Turn off the audio on the Japanese live stream, but click on an audio feed in your language.
• I also like to watch the French TV channel, France 2, if the Japanese live stream does not come through, or to use the audio from the French channel because you learn a lot about French history, geography and architecture from the French commentators. They tell you about Napoleon’s stay in Montereau, the history of the chateau of Fontainebleu and more. And you get to improve your command of the French language.
• The English commentary is very good too, with its own brand of English humor, which I like, but warning: it is interrupted by too many ads!
• Ads on France 2 are funnier especially the ones for AG2R. Hysterical!

Results at end of Stage 5:

Fabian Cancellara keeps the maillot jaune.

Thor Hushovd keeps the green jersey.

Jerome Pineau is in the red peas jersey.