2010 TdF: Post Stage 3 Musings

As expected, the opening stages of this year's edition of the tour have torn up the racing form.

No one could have predicted this version of the carnage:

• Frank Schleck: Out with a broken collarbone
• Christian Vande Velde: Out with (more) broken ribs
• Tyler Farrar: Down (but not out) with a broken wrist

Or these results:

• Mark Cavendish: Gains a single point from three stages (137th and last place in the points competition)
• Lance Armstrong: Loses a full minute to Contador on the cobbled stage

That's one SERIOUSLY hard day at the office →

Yet, expected events still occurred:

• Fabian Cancellera: Drove the train into Arenberg, savoring his yellow reward
• Thor Hushovd: Powered from Spartacus's wake to take the cobbled stage

While some pleasant surprises graced the event:

• Geraint Thomas: Honored  his newly-won British National Champion's jersey in a surprising second-place, stage three finish
• Cadel Evans: Pulled with the Saxo train into Arenberg, gaining time on all GC rivals
• Bradley Wiggins: Leveraged the strength of Team Sky to place in the top ten on the day
• Alberto Contador: Proved to be tenacious and untroubled by the cobbles, proving the exception to the rule that you need to be a big man to survive the pave.

In this World Cup year I am reminded that the Tour is the world's greatest annual competition. Chills and thrills and bellyaches greet us every summer as the grandest of the grand tours rolls on!