Gallery
Riding Into Hell
Lieuwe Westra (Astana) and Perrig Quemeneur (Europcar) left the break away companions behind as they charged over the cobblestones, sucked in the rolling dust and endured the screaming fans on their way over the #6 section of pave. By this point, the Tour de France was finally racing on French soil, even if some of it was now in the lungs of racers, mechanics and fans alike. Notice that teams will station soigneurs along the sections of pave with wheels held aloft should their man have a mechanical. The roads are so narrow that it can take minutes for the team car to get to a rider should he need assistance.