Boonen Makes It Two

courtesy AFP

Tom Boonen won his second stage in as many days with what Phil Liggett called a "very Cipollini-like sprint", coming from deep in the pack to out-power all others for the victory. Boonen is once again showing everyone that he's not just a dominant one-day rider, but also a phenomenal sprinter.

Boonen moves to 70 points in the Green Jersey competition, a full 20 ahead of second place Stuart O'Grady. If Boonen can survive over the mountains---which he did last year---he could be THE man to beat for the prize.

Also of interest were the antics of Robbie McEwen, who got boxed in behind Boonen and to the left of O'Grady during the final sprint. In a desperate effort to get room, McEwen started pushing O'Grady with his head hard to the right. The stunt, while funny to watch, was enough to get McEwen relegated to last place in the bunch (186th out of 189). He sacrificed a third place finish and some needed points...and will have to work that much harder later in the Tour.


courtesy AFP

David Zabriskie retains the Yellow Jersey going into the very important Team Time Trial stage, where his CSC team should be a top contender. Their only real rivals are Discovery Channel and maybe Phonak. It should be fun to watch.