2004 Tour de France - Stage 11

As predicted, another fairly dry stage. Not much strategy. Three riders got an 8 minute advantage but the best of them was already 18 minutes down in the general classification. No need for alarm and Lance barely responded. No shakeup of the big rivals today. Tomorrow it gets interesting. Unlike the flat stages and unlike yesterday's stage with hills, tomorrow ends on a steep uphill climb. This means that the main rivals can break away and hold their lead to the top, not having to lose it on the downhill section that follows. Tomorrow could see the first strategic rivalry between the contending teams. Or they could all play it safe. Who knows.

Best part of today's stage was when ten bulls broke up the peleton and slowed them down. Big longhorn bulls in the middle of France. Odd.

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