The tenth stage of the 2004 Tour de France went much the way everyone expected it to go: Richard Virenque spent the day off the front gaining maximum points on all nine of the categorized climbs and all the pre-race favorites stayed together to the end. Although there were no signs of weakness from the team leaders, the composition of the lead group indicates some possible vulnerability in a few teams.

Riders from the US Postal Service, T-Mobile, Phonak, Liberty Seguros, and Euskaltel Euskadi teams represented nearly 40% of the 72 riders who finished with the lead peloton today. US Postal was well represented with six riders in the group. Lance Armstrong had the support of five teammates: George Hincapie, Floyd Landis, Jose Azevedo, Benjamin Noval, and Jose Luis Rubiera. Phonak and Euskaltel Euskadi were the only other two teams with six riders in the lead group.

Jan Ullrich’s T-Mobile squad finished with five riders in the lead peloton. Having only one rider less than other teams does not indicate much weakness in itself, but the fact that one of those riders was Erik Zabel might be a little concerning to the team. Zabel is the team sprinter, and though he is a decent all-around rider, he won’t be able to stay with the lead group when the race hits the bigger mountain passes in a few days. That would reduce Ullrich’s support team to three riders, and may put the T-Mobile leader at increased risk of being isolated in the Pyrenees.

Of the contenders, Roberto Heras’ Liberty Seguros team arrived at the finish with the fewest riders. Heras only had two teammates with him in the lead group, and it’s going to be difficult to control the pace of the lead group with so few riders in the big mountains.

We have to be careful not to read too much into the composition of the lead group today because the stage was not one of the most critical of the race. There wasn’t much of a disadvantage to having team riders back in the main peloton, and teams like Liberty Seguros may have been comfortable with just two riders accompanying Heras today. Riders back in the main peloton had a slightly easier day today, but Stage 10 wasn’t easy no matter which group you were riding with.

Tomorrow’s stage is shorter than today. In fact, all of the remaining stages are shorter than today’s because at 148 miles, this was the longest day of the entire 2004 Tour de France. Stage 11 is also easier than Stage 10, with fewer categorized climbs. The finish is reminiscent of the stage Alexander Vinokourov won last year, the same day Joseba Beloki crashed and Lance Armstrong descended through a field. There is a minor climb within 10 kilometers of the finish, and a decisive attack on that climb has the potential to open a gap that could stick all the way to the finish. While the stage is likely to be won from a long breakaway, the pre-race favorites will have to keep their eyes open for possible attacks on the final climb of the day.