Field Hushed

Striking with a deafening silence befitting his namesake, Thor Hushovd (Credit Agricole) asserted his dominance like the Norse god of thunder over the field in the sprint for Stage 2 of the Tour de France.

On a day where another break went up the road only to get swarmed over by the on-rushing peloton, another uphill finish, this one in Saint Brieuc, would once again cause considerable havoc not only to the classic sprinters but also to the entire field.

Only the truly strong and most attentive would play into the finale as a crash in the final 3kms of Stage 2 divided the peloton into three groups. A former winner of the maillot vert, Hushovd was already well up the road to take the sprint ahead of Kim Kirchen (Columbia) and teammate Gerald Ciolek.

Kirchen took over the points classification and received the green jersey for his strong finishes during the first two stages.

Results
1 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Crédit Agricole
2 Kim Kirchen (Lux) Team Columbia
3 Gerald Ciolek (Ger) Team Columbia

Overall
1 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne
2 Kim Kirchen (Lux) Team Columbia
3 Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa) Rabobank
4 Juan Jose Cobo Acebo (Spa) Saunier Duval - Scott
5 Cadel Evans (Aus) Silence - Lotto
6 Jérôme Pineau (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
7 David Millar (GBr) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30
8 Riccardo Riccò (Ita) Saunier Duval - Scott
9 Frank Schleck (Lux) Team CSC - Saxo Bank
10 Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Liquigas

Winners and Losers
With the unveiling of new sponsors and new kits only a few days before the start of the Tour de France, it has taken some time for the new look of Garmin - Chipotle and Team Columbia to sink in.

I have to say that I might have been a little tardy in returning a verdict, partly because it has been difficult to get a really good look at Team Columbia's kit on the actual riders, but this is one decision that didn't require much deliberation. Garmin - Chipotle has done a superb job in their re-design, while I'm left wondering whether the riders of Team Columbia aren't all Belgian National Champions, in the classical sense (see top and compare to inset).

Grandest Stage Equals Greatest Marketing Exposure
Much like the advertisers during the Super Bowl, bicycle and product manufacturers use the three weeks of the Tour de France to get some air time for their new wares. We have already mentioned the new paint job on the Pinarello of Spanish National Champion, Alejandro Valverde, but as Velonews' Matt Pacocha found out, the bike is even more beautiful up close.

The signature Oakley frames that have seemingly become synonymous with George Hincapie, the Race Jacket has finally been updated. Much like the M Frames, which were updated to the Radar, the Race Jacket looks to be a hybrid of the Straight Jacket and the Juliet. Once again, Velonews' Matt Pacocha has the story and a few pictures.

Next: Stage 3 - Monday, July 7 - Saint-Malo – Nantes (208km) - A classic sprinters stage with no classified mountains and a flat run up to the finishing line.

More:
Cyclingnews - Thor thunders to sixth tour stage win
Velonews - Tour de France stage 2: Hushovd gets the win
New York Times - French Riders Stir Fans Before a Norwegian Wins

Photo: AP (top)