Memo to World Anti-Doping Agency: Don't bother to check Alejandro Valverde for performance enhancing drugs. Check his bicycle for hidden rockets.
The 28-year-old team leader for Caisse d'Epargne blasted up the final climb into Plumelec to grab the Stage 1 win and yellow jersery in the 2008 Tour de France on Saturday.
Valverde, with eight wins this season before today, had been one of the race favorites. Now he and his team are saddled with protecting the lead. Another favorite on everyone's list, Cadel Evans of Silence-Lotto, stayed at the front of the peloton and finished comfortably in 6th place at the end of the day.
For the briefest moment, it looked like US-based Team Columbia might score the Stage 1 win with Kim Kirchen of Luxembourg. Team Columbia gained the front of the peloton in the closing miles and led as the cyclists rode over a narrow bridge near the finish.
On the steep climb to the village of Plumelec, Kirchen attacked and led the field by a decent margin. Kirchen kept a steady pace as Valverde swept past him, seemingly coming out of nowhere.
Kirchen, a long-list favorite, finished in 4th place overall.
This marked the first time since 1967 that the Tour started without a prologue to set up a yellow jersey going into Stage 1. In fact, with Astana banned from the race, last year's yellow jersey holder Alberto Contador was not on hand on Saturday to wear the jersey to start the race.
The break o' the day was committed by eight riders, which included Thomas Voeckler (Bouygues Telecom). Lilian Jégou (Française des Jeux) and David De La Fuente (Saunier Duval-Scott) were the last survivors of that group to be caught about 4 miles from the finish.
If Valverde can maintain the kind of acceleration that he exhibited today, he'll definitely be a force to be reckoned with throughout the Tour. Among his eight wins this year is the overall championship at the Dauphine Libere, a week-long French road race that is considered a warm-up for the Tour.
The Top 10 overall are:
1. Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne
2. Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Française des Jeux
3. Jérôme Pineau (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
4. Kim Kirchen (Lux) Team Columbia
5. Riccardo Riccò (Ita) Saunier Duval – Scott
6. Cadel Evans (Aus) Silence – Lotto
7. Frank Schleck (Lux) Team CSC – Saxo Bank
8. Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Liquigas
9. Oscar Freire (Spa) Rabobank
10. Oscar Pereiro (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne
Valverde also sits in first place in the green jersey competition and Voeckler leads the king of the mountains.
Where are the US riders?
18. Christian Vande Velde, Garmin-Chipotle — 7 seconds
29. George Hincapie, Columbia — 7 seconds
99. Danny Pate, Garmin-Chipotle — 1:12
161. William Frischkorn, Garmin-Chipotle — 2 minutes
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