Before you go for the email to argue that I am being partial here, note that the official french press agency, Agence France Press, has only just started reporting the women's race.
The first stage of the Tour de France for mountainbikers ended in a victory for world and olympian champion Bart Brentjens. He did the time trial over 17 kms in 48.29 (21kms/h). 1. Bart Brentjens 48.29 2. Bonnand (Fra) 0.34 3. M. Martinez (Fra) 1.03 4. J. Chiotti (Fra-Festina) s.t. 5. G. Foord (GB) 1.55 6. Dupouey (Fra) 1.59 7. Kristensen (Dan) 2.08 8. Hoydahl (Nor) 2.18 9. Dietsch (Fra) 2.24 10. Candau (Fra) 2.31 from Patrick Janssen, NL
The leading group with Bart Brentjens, Frederic Moncassin, Christophe Manin, Michael Rasmussen took a wrong road after being misdirected by a policeman!!! Totally surprised, Vollet crossed the finish line of this 52,5 kms stage as the winner.
1. G. Vollet (Fra) 2.05.56 2. C. Manin (Fra) 0.25 3. M. Rasmussen (Den) s.t. 4. Bart Brentjens (Ned-American Eagle) 0.35 5. Frederic Moncassin ! (Fra-Gan) s.t. 25. Filip Meirhaeghe (Bel-Espace Card) at 5.24
1. Bart Brentjens 2.55.00 2. Cyrille Bonnand (Fra) 0.51 3. Jerome Chiotti (Fra-Festina) 1.20 4. Gregory Vollet 2.07 5. Miguel Martinez 2.43 25. Filip Meirhaeghe 10.07
1. Moncassin (Fra) 63 km in 2.18.04 2. Hoydhahl (Noo) 0.38 3. Brentjens (Ned) 0.48 4. Martinez (Fra) 2.00 5. Kristensen (Den) 2.19
1. Brentjens 5.13.52 2. Moncassin 2.11 3. Bonnand 2.22 4. Hoydhahl 2.59 5. Martinez 3.55
1. Dahle (Noo) 63 km in 2.45.21 2. Leboucher (Fra) 6.30 3. Eglin-Hosotte (Fra) 7.48 ... 5. Coppoolse (Ned) 10.59
1. Dahle 6.14.00 2. Leboucher 13.35 3. Eglin-Hosotte 24.20
1. Jerome Chiotti (Fra) 3hr 3min 10sec 2. Rune Hoydhahl (Nor) at 16sec 3. Bart Brentjens (Ned) at 33sec 4. Michael Rasmussen (Den) at 1:09 5. Thomas Dietsch (Fra) at 1:48 6. Miguel Martinez (Fra) at 3:36
1. Bart Brentjens (Ned) 8.17.35 2. Rune Hoydahl (Nor) at 2:42 3. Cyrille Bonnand (Fra) at 5:28 4. Jerome Chiotti (Fra) at 5:34 5. Miguel Martinez (Fra) at 6:58 6. Christophe Manin (Fra) at 9:34 Selected 8. Michael Rasmussen (Den) 14:32
1. Bart Bretjens (Ned) 2.07.20 2. Olaf Candau (Fra) 0.37 3. Jerome Chiotti (Fra) 0.37 4. Duryus Gil (Pol) 0.54 5. Rune Hoydhahl (Nor) 1.05 6. Lennie Kristensen (Den) 1.05
1. Bart Brentjens (Ned) 10:24.35 2. Rune Hoydhahl (Nor) 2.07 3. Jerome Chiotti (Fra) 6.11 4. Christophe Manin (Fra) 12.27 5. Miguel Martinez (Fra) 12.36
1. Gun-Rita Dahle (Nor) 2:34.53 2. Susanne Dahimeier (Ger) 2:35.34 3. Laurence Leboucher (Fra) 2:36.00 4. Louise Robinson (Gbr) 2:38.30 5. Nathalie Fiat (Fra) 2:38.56
1. Gun-Rita Dahle (Nor) 10:12.10 2. Laurence Leboucher (Fra) 10:28.52 3. Susanne Dahimeier (Ger) 10:45.38 4. Louise Robinson (Gbr) 10:49.54 5. Sophie Eglin-Hosotte (Fra) 10:58.57
1. Miguel Martinez (Fra) 58:55 2. Jerome Chiotti (Fra) 1:01.51 3. Bart Brentjens (Ned) 1:01.55 4. Cadel Evans (Aus) 1:02.06 5. Gregory Vollet (Fra) 1:02.12 6. Rune Hoydhahl (Nor) 1:02:22Overall standings
1. Bart Brentjens (Ned) 11:26:50 2. Rune Hoydhahl (Nor) 11:31.04 3. Jerome Chiotti (Fra) 11:32.57 4. Miguel Martinez (Fra) 11:36.28 5. Christophe Manin (Fra) 11:41.11
1. Gunn-Rita Dahle (Nor) 1:15:43 2. Laurence Leboucher (Fra) 1:17.37 3. Susanne Dahimeier (Ger) 1:17.42 4. Louise Robinson (Gbr) 1:19.50 5. Nathalie Fiat (Fra) 1:21.36
1. Gunn-Rita Dahle (Nor) 11:27:53 2. Laurence Leboucher (Fra) 11:46.29 3. Susanne Dahimeier (Ger) 12:03.20 4. Louise Robinson (Gbr) 12:09.44 5. Sophie Eglin-Hosotte (Fra) 12:26.18
1. Lennie Kristensen (Den) 2.27.05 2. Bart Brentjens (Ned) s.t. 3. Cadel Evans (Aus) +0.03 4. Jerome Chiotti (Fra) +0.12 5. Rune Hoydhahl (Nor) +0.17 6. Martinez (Fra) +2.27 7. Vollet (Fra) +3.18 8. Herrisset (Fra) +4.00 9. Manin (Fra) +5.07 10. Dietsch (Fra) +5.07
1. Bart Brentjens (Ned) 13:53.55 2. Rune Hoydhahl (Nor) + 4.33 3. Jerome Chiotti (Fra) + 6.19 4. Miguel Martinez (Fra) +12.05 5. Christophe Manin (Fra) +19.28 6. Diestsch +22.17 7. Vollet +25.29 8. Rasmussen (Den) +27.34 9. Savignoni (Fra) +29.12 10. Herrisset +31.04
1. Gunn-Rita Dahle (Nor) 3:00.54 2. Laurence Leboucher (Fra) + 5.41 3. Susanne Dahimeier (Ger) + 6.19 4. Tracey Brunger (Gbr) +14.18 5. Louise Robinson (Gbr) +14.20
1. Gunn-Rita Dahle (Nor) 14:28.47 2. Laurence Leboucher (Fra) +24.17 3. Susanne Dahimeier (Ger) +41.46 4. Louise Robinson (Gbr) +56.23 5. Nathalie Fiat (Fra) +1.20.05
1. Cadel Evans (Aus) 1hr 19min 25sec 2. Thomas Dietsch (Fra) 1:20:41 3. Christophe Herrisset (Fra) 1:20:49 4. Paul Rowney (Aus) 1:20:52 5. Bart Brentjens (Ned) 1:21:15 6. Albert Iten (Swi) 1:21:23 7. Jean-Christophe Savignoni (Fra) 1:21:23 8. Darius Gil (Pol) 1:21:31 9. Gregory Vollet (Fra) 1:21:31 10. Michael Rasmussen (Den) 1:21:52
1. Bart Brentjens (Ned) 15hr 15min 10sec 2. Rune Hoydhahl (Nor) 15:20:56 3. Jerome Chiotti (Fra) 15:23:33 4. Miguel Martinez (Fra) 15:28:14 5. Thomas Dietsch (Fra) 15:36:53 6. Christophe Manin (Fra) 15:38:41 7. Gregory Vollet (Fra) 15:40:55 8. Michael Rasmussen (Den) 15:43:21 9. Jean-Christophe Savignoni (Fra) 15:44:30 .... 15. Cadel Evans (Australia) 16:03:49
1. Gunn-Rita Dahle (Nor) 1hr 14min 19sec 2. Laurence Leboucher (Fra) 1:16:45 3. Susanne Dahimeier (Ger) 1:18:17 4. Louise Robinson (Gbr) 1:18:59 5. Sandra Coppoolse (Ned) 1:20:46
1. Gunn-Rita Dahle (Nor) 15hr 43min 06 2. Laurence Leboucher (Fra) 16:09:49 3. Susanne Dahimeier (Ger) 16:28:50 4. Louise Robinson (Gbr) 16:44:09 5. Nathalie Fiat (Fra) 17:10:32