Two bicycle races of note were on tap this Sunday — one a stage race that's considered a Tour de France prelude and another a one-day championship race in the U.S.
Aussie Cadel Evans won the opening time trial of the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré in France on Sunday. The second-place finisher of the Tour de France the past two years beat 2008 Tour winner Alberto Contador by 8 seconds in the 7.5 mile individual time trial around the streets of Nancy.
Meanwhile, cyclists took to the streets in the city of brotherly love for the TD Bank Philadelphia International Championship. Columbia-High Road's sprinter Andre Greipel beat teammate Greg Henderson at the line.
Dauphiné
It's the Dauphiné Libéré that the Versus cable network is touting for its Sunday afternoon cycling show — Epic Cycle — at 4 p.m. (ET) today and June 14.
The eight-stage Dauphiné is a Tour de France in miniature this year, featuring two individual time trials and relatively flat stages in the first half of the week that promise sprint finishes.
On Thursday's Stage 5, however, the Dauphiné peloton will climb the fabled Mont Ventoux, also featured in this year's Tour de France. Other major climbs of the week include an uphill finish at Briançon for Stage 6 and the Galibier, the Télégraphe and the Croix-de-Fer all in Stage 7 on Saturday.
Sunday's finale (June 14) includes a climb up the Cote de St. Bernard du Touvet before a downhill run into Grenoble.
Stage 1
Evans, riding for Silence-Lotto, took the leader's jersey by 8 seconds over second place finisher Contador. It marked Evans' second win of the season, after scoring a Stage 5 victory at the Settimana internazionale di Coppi e Bartali in Italy this spring.
Alejandro Valderde finished in 3rd, followed by Sebastien Rossiler in 4th and Vincenzo Nibali in 5th.
Contador of Team Astana is considered a favorite, although he's expected to be challenged by Evans, Italy's Ivan Basso, and Spain's Valverde and Oscar Pereiro, both on Caisse d'Epargne.
US-based teams Columbia, Garmin and BMC Racing are competing in the French race.
Philly
The Philadelphia race was a 153-mile, 13-lap course that includes climbs up Manayunk Wall on 10 of the loops and Mount Lemon on each one.
Although there was a breakaway during much of the race, the peloton swarmed the finish line in a bunch sprint that was taken by two Columbia riders, Greipel and Henderson. I suppose their experience getting Mark Cavendish to the finish line helped to set up these two.
Floyd Landis for Team OUCH had announced that he was a racer to watch as he was feeling stronger as he gets back in shape after his two-year suspension. He finished 7 seconds behind the winner, in 26th place.
Results and reports at VeloNews and CyclingNews. Check CyclingFans for where to find live-streaming of the Dauphiné Libéré.
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