le tour

[totient]

Today Alexandre Vinokourov and Santiago Botero put a minute and a quarter into Lance and the rest of the top 10 in an all-day breakaway. Vinokourov was second overall last year and started this stage in 16th overall, far enough behind that he's not a credible threat to Lance. But Botero was not as far behind, and has moved into 6th overall, right behind the 24-year-old winner of yesterday's stage, Alejandro Valverde, who I think is going to be the next patron after Lance's retirement. Botero is also his team's leader and had support from another teammate in the breakaway for part of the ride. So how come the race dispatches consistently referred to "Vino's group"? Sure, after Vino outsprinted Botero for the stage win, it makes sense, but everyone referred to the breakaway that way even before he did that.