Greig Leach

On the Cote de Mont Saxonnex, the first Catagory 1 climb of this Tour, Ion Izagirre (Astana-Permier Tech) drops back to get a rain cape for the coming descent. It has been a very wet day, and the high speed descents in wet clothes can make for a very chilly ride down the mountain. There are a lot of factors that go into just finishing the Tour, let alone winning it. Catching a cold can quickly ruin a rider's chance of making it all of the way to the Champs Elysees. Just ahead, Nans Peters (Ag2r-Citroen) is struggling to hold the wheels of this chasing group. They are all facing a second big climb and another 47 kilometers before the end of today's effort.