Today began some climbing with tow cat 4 climbs and two cat 2 and a climb to the finish.  There were several breaks that all were reeled in by the time the reached the climb to the finish.  En route to the finish line, Schumacher crashed by himself and Riccardo Ricco made it to the finish first.  Kim Kirchen from Team Columbia is now in both the yellow leader jersey and the green sprint jersey. 

I’ve just arrived from the US after traveling all the way across the country, across the Atlantic Ocean and having had to drive more than 500 kilometers to get here.  I made it through the police barricades without my yet having gotten my credentials, but was so worried about getting through early enough, I didn’t stop for gas and am worried that I’m going to run out during the traffic jam on the way down. If you don’t hear from me tomorrow, you’ll know why!