Stories by Andrew Hood

• Posted: Tue, Jul 22nd
  Andrew Hood's Tour de France Notebook - That brutal descent
  The Bonette bustMost Tours are decided on the climbs, but the 23.5km descent off the 2802-meter Col de Bonette made for some decisive moments in what’s been a wild 95th edition. There were several crashes, including a
• Posted: Tue, Jul 22nd
  Vande Velde crashes, loses time
  Christian Vande Velde’s miracle Tour de France ride took a dive in Tuesday’s hard-fought 157km, two-climb 16th stage when he crashed coming down the beyond-category descent off the Col de la Bonette. Vande Velde, who started the day fifth overall at 39 seconds back, lost ...
• Posted: Mon, Jul 21st
  Andrew Hood's Tour de France Notebook - CSC's wealth of options
  Riis won’t play gamesTeam CSC-Saxo Bank boss Bjarne Riis is widely viewed as one of the best tacticians in the game. So far through this year’s Tour de France, he’s confirmed that reputation. With two well-oiled attacks, first in the stage to Hautacam and a ...
• Posted: Mon, Jul 21st
  Evans: ‘We’re in Good Position’
  Cadel Evans might have lost the yellow jersey battle up Prato Nevoso, but he’s still confident he can win the war to Paris. The Silence-Lotto captain expressed confidence Monday that he’s still on track to win what he called a “very tight” 95th Tour de France despite ...
• Posted: Mon, Jul 21st
  Stage 15 - By the numbers
  Stage 15, Embrun to Prato Nevoso, Italy, 182km WeatherRain at start, partly cloudy in middle part of stage, rain at finish, highs in upper 60s, moderate westerly winds Stage winnerSimon Gerrans (Credit Agricole) won out of a four-man ...
• Posted: Sun, Jul 20th
  Mission accomplished for CSC, now who’s the boss?
  Team CSC-Saxo Bank once again executed near-perfect tactics in Sunday’s 15th stage and this time they got the big prize: the yellow jersey. CSC did just about everything right in the three-climb stage to Prato Nevoso and turned a one-second deficit into a seven-second lead ...
• Posted: Sat, Jul 19th
  Mark Cavendish unlikely to start Sunday's stage 15.
  CAV EXIT LIKELY: Mark Cavendish’s dream Tour de France is likely over as it’s expected that the British sprinter won’t take the start for Sunday’s opening salvo into the Alps. Cavendish won four sprint stages, but struggled to maintain the pace over a ...
• Posted: Sat, Jul 19th
  A conversation with Matt White: ‘Christian Gets Better and Better’
  Garmin-Chipotle sport director Matt White has had a front-row seat to the team’s surprisingly good opening two weeks of the Tour de France. Team captain Christian Vande Velde enters Saturday’s opening shot of the showdown in the Alps poised in third place overall. The ...
• Posted: Fri, Jul 18th
  Andrew Hood's Tour de France Notebook, stage 13
  Cavendish in good company: With his fourth sprint victory in this year’s Tour de France, Mark Cavendish moved into some pretty heady company. After out-kicking three-time green jersey winner Robbie McEwen on the road into Nimes in Friday’s 13th stage, the ...
• Posted: Fri, Jul 18th
  Stage 13 - By the numbers
  Stage 13, Narbonne to Nimes, 182km WeatherSunny, brisk northwesterly winds up to 40kph, temperatures in low 90s Stage winnerMark Cavendish (Team Columbia) used his team early to help shut down some late breakaways and position him in the ...
• Posted: Thu, Jul 17th
  Riccò flames out at Tour a la Pantani
  Riccardo Riccò always wanted to be like his hero, Marco Pantani. The self-styled "Cobra" got his wish Thursday and made a Pantani-esque implosion as two French gendarmes hauled him away after he failed a doping control from stage four at the Tour de France. In a ...
• Posted: Thu, Jul 17th
  2008 Tour de France. Stage 12 by the numbers
  Stage 12, Lavelanet to Narbonne, 168.5km Weather: Cloudy at start, sunny at finish, strong westerly winds up to 45kph, highs in 80s Stage winner: Mark Cavendish (Team Columbia) had enough spring in his legs after making it over the Pyrénées last ...