STAGE TWO

For the first time ever, the maillot jaune belongs to a Norwegian. Thor Hushovd, so far, is having the best Tour of any rider (yeah, I know it's only Stage Two). He was the only sprinter to earn points on the Prologue, and his Stage One ride earned him the Green Jersey. Today he traded up for Yellow.

The most interesting thing is that Hushovd didn't have a good day. He was involved in a crash about 20km from the finish and had to ride with a cracked frame. After sorting through various mechanical difficulties, he had to catch the Peleton, work his way back to the front, and then sprint for the line. Let's just say it's safe to assume he used a lot of energy before that final sprint. And though McEwen blew everybody's doors off, Hushovd still finished third despite all of his travails. The race for Green is shaping up as a race between those two.

So now is the time to ask, what the hell is going on here? Fassa Bortolo is riding extremely well, getting Petacchi into perfect position, and he has failed to deliver. This is completely out of character. Zabel looks like an old man, not even a factor in these late sprints. OK, we didn't think much of Cipo's chances, but he's still in a tie for 17th place. Big whoop. So the old legends and the new star have failed almost completely so far, but so have some of the more reliable sprinters.

Cooke and O'Grady have been even more invisible than Petacchi. Aren't there supposed to be several Aussie sprinting threats? Look at the Green Jersey leaderboard. Hushovd's at 68, McEwen 65, and then Kirsipuu at 55. And he's won a stage. Hondo and Nazon round out the top five, and they are already 20 points out. It's Monday for crying out loud.