‘In the (Time) Zone'
David Olle, France, +33 66 16 909 87

Tour de France, July 3 - 25, 2010, Report stage 11
Stage 11    Thursday, July 15    180 km     Sisteron → Bourg-les-Valence

results:
1      Mark Cavendish (GBr) Team HTC - Columbia      4:42:29      
2     Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini           
3     Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin - Transitions

General classification after stage 11 #     
1     Andy Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank     53:43:25     
2     Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana     0:00:41     
3     Samuel Sánchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi     0:02:45

General report
Mark Renshaw was protecting his position on the front of the bunch, keeping eventual stage winner Mark Cavendish on his wheel, with about 500metres to go.  And yes he may have nodded in the direction of the guy trying to push him into the fence (NZ's Julian Dean), but I keep reiterating, if anyone thinks that's a headbutt, they need do no more than walk into any bar in Glasgow on a Friday night, and yell ‘All scots are poofs' to find out the difference.  Mark Renshaw has been unfairly kicked out of the race.

Skippy report:  No Skips in the break today (again) we are really missing Simon Gerrans at this stage of the race.  

Offence report:  Yesterday I managed to offend only one thin-skinned cycling fan, versus 20 thin-skinned AFL Tiger fans... c'est la vie!

Cuisine report:  Petit Dejeuner:  Crème fraiche, fresh baguettes, coffee, orange juice, home-made jams, toasted baguettes, more coffee, L'Equipe.  Hotel De l'Orange courtyard, Sommieres (Provence).  http://twitpic.com/25izfg

Tomorrow:  Stage 12    Friday, July 16    210 km     Bourge-de-Peage → Mende
The bumpy parcourse, between Bourg-de-Péage and Mende, which traverses the Suc de Montivernoux climb, is open to a breakaway winner, as we wind up the second week and head to the Pyrenees.