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Today the Tour came alive with excitement, and Vino made a return from the grave. I have always been a Vino fan, but today he was able to become every bike racing fans hero. Just when you thought Vino was no longer a story worth paying attention to in the 2007 Tour de France, he makes a move to remember. Just one day after Vino lost 28:50 to the yellow jersey, he breaks away from the lead group to take the stage win with no one around him to even pose a challenge at the finish line.

But as great as Vino’s ride was today, it was still over shadowed by the Rasmussen, Contador show. These two battled up the last two climbs with Contador showing that he is a rider to be reckoned with. Rasmussen had to give everything he had to match the lighting fast accelerations of Contador, and looked as if he was feeling the effects. With Contador launching no less than 6 separate attacks at Rasmussen they opened up another minute on the other GC contenders (if you can still call them that).

“I attacked Rasmussen to try to challenge him,” said Contador. “I saw that he was a little worse than yesterday, but he was able to follow me. On Wednesday, I am going to play for it all. Second place doesn’t matter. I am going to risk all to win. If I end up in sixth, it doesn’t matter.”

Rasmussen admitted he was on the ropes several times during Monday’s showdown, and even considered letting Contador go at one point.

“I was really on the verge of giving up,” Rasmussen said. “I think he got an advantage of getting behind [the slipstream of] a motor bike, but still, he probably has the best acceleration of anybody in the peloton. I’m happy I managed to stay with him.”

VINO THE SUPERHERO

Results
1 Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) Astana 5.34.28 (35.160 km/h)
2 Kim Kirchen (Lux) T-Mobile Team 0.51
3 Haimar Zubeldia Agirre (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi
4 Juan Jose Cobo Acebo (Spa) Saunier Duval - Prodir 0.58
5 Juan Manuel Garate (Spa) Quickstep - Innergetic 2.14
6 David Arroyo Duran (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne 3.23
7 Bernhard Kohl (Aut) Gerolsteiner 4.25
8 Christian Vande Velde (USA) Team CSC
9 Ludovic Turpin (Fra) AG2r Prévoyance 5.16
10 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 5.31
11 Michael Rasmussen (Den) Rabobank
12 George Hincapie (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 5.47
13 Cadel Evans (Aus) Predictor - Lotto 6.27
14 Mikel Astarloza Chaurreau (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi
15 Michael Boogerd (Ned) Rabobank
16 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
FULL RESULTS by Cycling News

General classification
1 Michael Rasmussen (Den) Rabobank 69.52.14
2 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 2.23
3 Cadel Evans (Aus) Predictor - Lotto 4.00
4 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 5.25
5 Andreas Klöden (Ger) Astana 5.34
6 Carlos Sastre Candil (Spa) Team CSC 6.46

Full Report by Cycling News
Stage 15 Recap by VERSUS
Rasmussen vs. Contador Part Two by VERSUS
Vinokourov Doesn’t Give up and Wins Stage 15 by VERSUS
Interview with Johan Bruyneel by VERSUS
Graham Watson Photo’s Stage 15
The Fred Cast Stage 15 Podcast
Pro Cycling Magazine’s Podcast: Contador dictated the climb; Bruyneel Interview; Harsh comments from Cadel Evans; Geraint Thomas Interview: “Just getting to Paris is my goal” by bikeradar.com

VINO LOST AMONG THE HIS FANS

CONTADOR ATTACKS RASMUSSEN

THE CRASH OF THE DAY