Stage 2: Skills Count as Much as Speed With so many teams trying to keep their men near the front of the peloton in this year's Tour de France, the organization we're used to seeing in the final 20 kilometers has disappeared. Instead of a long line of riders streaming towards the final kilometer, the bunch is as wide as the road and constantly surging. So far, this has played into the hands of the craftier sprinters who rely more on their own skills than on the perfection of their leadouts. Skills are going to be important for everyone, including the yellow jersey contenders, when the peloton covers two sections of cobblestones tomorrow. Lance Armstrong has ridden several of the spring classics and is familiar with riding on cobblestones. Two of his teammates, George Hincapie and Vjatcheslav Ekimov are among the best classics riders in the peloton. The US Postal Service is well aware of the potential opportunities, and dangers, that may present themselves in tomorrow's pave sectors, and the team will do its best to minimize the danger and capitalize on the opportunities. Experience is important when tacking cobblestones. It takes time to learn how to pick a good line, how to control the bumping and jarring, and how to handle the inevitable losses of either momentum or control. Climbers like Iban Mayo, Roberto Heras, and even Tyler Hamilton are at a slight disadvantage on cobblestones because their bikes bounce around more than heavier riders' due to their lighter bodyweights. They also have more trouble maintaining the momentum necessary to continue skimming over the tops of the stones. Once you lose speed, the jarring and bumping gets even worse, and it's very difficult to get back up to speed. Losing some speed through the cobblestones would be bad, but it would be much better than falling. There's going to be a mad rush for the front of the peloton in the 20 kilometers prior to the cobblestones because everyone wants to be within the first ten men to reach them. Being at the front allows you to pick the line you want without having to worry about the guy next to you losing control. Cobblestone roads in the countryside are, by their nature, quite narrow. Squeezing the entire peloton through a tight, rough and maybe muddy section of pave is likely to lead to a split in the field. Look at what happens in Paris-Roubaix: The last time the peloton is in one group is right before the first section of pave. The first section of pave tomorrow is 2400 meters long, but since it is also 64 kilometers from the finish, riders who are split off the back are likely to rejoin the peloton. The second section of pave is shorter, just 1100 meters, but it is only 25 kilometers from the finish line. A significant incident here could lead to changes in the overall classification and even the long-term prospects of winning the Tour de France. Expect the overall contenders for the yellow jersey to enter the pave sections within the top 15 positions in the peloton. Lance will most likely have Hincapie and Ekimov right with him. Jan Ullrich's size and powerful riding style will help him in the pave sections, and he has the even bigger Rolf Aldag to lead the way for him. These sections are more dangerous for Mayo, Heras, and Hamilton, but they will minimize their risks by making sure they're near the front of the peloton. No one will make the same mistake Alex Zulle did in 2000 when he was at the back as the peloton started across the slick and slimy Passage du Gois. He was caught up in a crash that split the field and lost a few minutes to Lance and everyone who was in front of the crash.