I think Rogers will have a very good chance now of getting yellow in the time trial since their is no point in him getting time bonuses out on the course (and Boonen would probably beat him in the sprint anyway) as well as the obvious waste of enegry.
I'm glad Matthias Kessler won the stage - at first you don't succeed, try again (or keep on trying). Kessler has always had the ability to achieve good results, but has always IMO lacked confidence in himself, and maybe who knows?
I'm gutted that Ajelandro Valverde is out, I really am, he has been in such good form this year, having making the breakthrough in the victory's in the Ardennes Classics, and this unfortunate accident after touching somebody's wheel. I have no idea though when Stuart O'Grady crashed though(think it was when Valverde went down). Similar thoughts go to Erik Dekker and Freddy Rodriguez as well. Apart from being an important lead-out man for McEwen, he is a quality sprinter himself, and on another team he could be the man going for the stage wins except leading somebody else out.
For me a good dark horse could be Paolo Savoldelli of Dsicovery. He can time trial just as well as anybody else can in the race (or good enough so he doesn't lose huge chunks of time like Cunego would), he can climb well, although he struggles on the real steep climbs, and can descend brilliantly. Plus he has won two Giro's ,so he has experience in the Grand Tour winning buisness, and the Giro course is often harder then the Tour won (some of the climbs were so steep they would never have them in the Tour), and he won it last year with a 'B' squad, and had to fend for himself in the Alps and Dolomites and he survived.
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