KIRCHEN STILL HOLDS YELLOW JESERY, REGAINS GREEN

(July 3, 2008) Riding the Giant TCR Advanced SL bicycle, Team Columbia Rider Kim Kirchen kept the Maillot Jaune as overall leader of the Tour de France after 9 stages. And he took back the Green Jersey as Points Leader from Oscar Freire of Rabobank.

Kirchen rode a sensible race in the difficult stage of 139 miles from Toulouse to Bagneres-de-Bigorre.. He finished with the pack, 1:17 behind stage winner Ricardo Ricco of Saunier-Duval. Kirchen retains his :06 lead over Cadel Evans in the GC going into the next stage—another difficult day in the Pyrenees, 99 miles, with climbs up the legendary Tourmalet and Hautacam.

After the podium ceremony in which he donned the Yellow Jersey for a fourth consecutive time, Kirchen told reporters "I didn't have the best legs today. I was just concentrated on following the wheels." Still, he gained time on the man from whom he took the Yellow Jersey, Gerolsteiner’s Stefan Schumacher. On the final climb up the Col d’Aspin, Schumacher lost time and fell from third to fourth place overall, and he now is :56 seconds behind Kirchen. Taking over third place is Christian Vande Velde of the Garmin-Chipotle team. The American rider is :44 seconds behind Kirchen.

Columbia’s Thomas Lovkvist, who wore the White Jersey as Best young Rider going into today’s stage, worked hard to keep Kirchen in with the main field. The young Swede eventually dropped back to save himself for battle in the upcoming difficult Stage 10. He lost more than 4 minutes in the Best Young Rider Classification, and lost the White Jersey to CSC’s Andy Schleck.

The stage win was Ricco’s second in this Tour de France, and moved him to 21st place in the GC, 2:35 behind Kirchen. 

KIRCHEN STILL IN TWO JERSEYS IN TOUR DE FRANCE
Holds onto Yellow Jersey, Regains Green

(July 3, 2008) Riding the Giant TCR Advanced SL bicycle, Team Columbia Rider Kim Kirchen kept the Maillot Jaune as overall leader of the Tour de France after 9 stages. And he took back the Green Jersey as Points Leader from Oscar Freire of Rabobank.

Kirchen rode a sensible race in the difficult stage of 139 miles from Toulouse to Bagneres-de-Bigorre.. He finished with the pack, 1:17 behind stage winner Ricardo Ricco of Saunier-Duval. Kirchen retains his :06 lead over Cadel Evans in the GC going into the next stage—another difficult day in the Pyrenees, 99 miles, with climbs up the legendary Tourmalet and Hautacam.

After the podium ceremony in which he donned the Yellow Jersey for a fourth consecutive time, Kirchen told reporters "I didn't have the best legs today. I was just concentrated on following the wheels." Still, he gained time on the man from whom he took the Yellow Jersey, Gerolsteiner’s Stefan Schumacher. On the final climb up the Col d’Aspin, Schumacher lost time and fell from third to fourth place overall, and he now is :56 seconds behind Kirchen. Taking over third place is Christian Vande Velde of the Garmin-Chipotle team. The American rider is :44 seconds behind Kirchen.

Columbia’s Thomas Lovkvist, who wore the White Jersey as Best young Rider going into today’s stage, worked hard to keep Kirchen in with the main field. The young Swede eventually dropped back to save himself for battle in the upcoming difficult Stage 10. He lost more than 4 minutes in the Best Young Rider Classification, and lost the White Jersey to CSC’s Andy Schleck.

The stage win was Ricco’s second in this Tour de France, and moved him to 21st place in the GC, 2:35 behind Kirchen.