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Tour de France Stage 17 Review and Highlights:

After all the turmoil in the Tour the last few days, you can be sure that the riders were just looking forward to a “normal” day on the bike. You have to feel for the Rabobank riders that had to withdraw do to the lies of Michael Rasmussen. When Rasmussen took the Yellow Jersey they worked hard to keep him in front on the climbs. As burned as we feel as fans, I can only imagine what the rides feel like.

In the end, this too will pass. Cycling will recover, and the Tour de France will be returned to it’s beautiful glory. I for one will wait, I will be there when bike racing is clean, the riders are clean, and the press will only be able to talk about the glory of the Yellow Jersey.

Today the Tour returns to the flat land, where the sprinters came out of their hibernation. As expected the breaks started early and continued thru-out. But with the sprinters teams tired form the mountains, they found it difficult to bring the breaks back.

For the record, Daniele Bennati (Lampre-Fondital) won the 188.5km stage, while Discovery Channel’s Alberto Contador took over the race lead. The 24-year-old Spaniard now owns a 1:53 lead over Aussie Cadel Evans (Predictor-Lotto), with American Levi Leipheimer (Discovery Channel) third at 2:49.

FULL REPORT by Cycling News

BENNATI WINS STAGE 17

Results

1 Daniele Bennati (Ita) Lampre - Fondital 4.14.04 (44.52 km/h)
2 Markus Fothen (Ger) Gerolsteiner
3 Martin Elmiger (Swi) AG2r Prévoyance
4 Jens Voigt (Ger) Team CSC
5 David Millar (GBr) Saunier Duval - Prodir 2.41
6 Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Quickstep - Innergetic 2.43
7 Manuel Quinziato (Ita) Liquigas 3.20
8 Daniele Righi (Ita) Lampre - Fondital
9 Tom Boonen (Bel) Quickstep - Innergetic 9.37
10 Sébastien Chavanel (Fra) Française des Jeux
FULL RESULTS by Cycling News

General Classification After Stage 17
1 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 76.18.25
2 Cadel Evans (Aus) Predictor - Lotto 1.53
3 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 2.49
4 Carlos Sastre Candil (Spa) Team CSC 6.02
5 Haimar Zubeldia Agirre (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 6.29

Full Report by VeloNews
The final 1 km: Here’s what happens when you can not drop a sprinter from a break by Versus
Tom Boonen wins the field sprint: by Versus
Speaking Their Mind #2: by Versus
Levi Leipheimer Interview: by Versus
Graham Watson Photo’s of Stage 17