Greig Leach

Everyone loves to see the echelons form in a race, with the notable exception of those that get caught behind the gaps. Even before the stage raced the gravel roads through the vineyards of the Champagne region of France, the race was on in the crosswinds blowing through the peloton. After some serious scrambling the groups came back together. It did mean that some had spent energy long before the race got to the hard roads. As Phil Liggett and Bob Roll like to point out, the Tour is like a box of matches, and you need not to burn too many matches to early on.