Today's stage was a good hors d'oeuvre for the big tough stage coming up tomorrow. It gives an idea of how much time that can be lost over the closing kilometers. The two breakaways, Inigo Landaluze and Filippo Simeoni, had a ten-minute advantage with 60 kms to go and the bunch still wiped it away.

Only just though, as it was the tactical jockeying for position in the last 1000 meters where they lost the race. It was of the most exciting finishes that I have seen in recent years. Sad for the two early leaders, because they really deserved to win.

Catching a break like that at the end makes the sprint a very dangerous proposition. The reason is that they appear to be stopped in front of the sprinters who charge over the closing meters in excess of 60 kilometers an hour.

Sprinters though are men of steel and don't ever think about the danger. They know that if they so much as touch their brakes, all is lost. The only solution is to look for a way around the obstacle (if I can call the two men in front of them today an obstacle!)

McEwen was the best, the most agile and maybe just a bit the craziest. You don't have very much time to make those decisions. In fact, it has to be animal instinct at that level. Today Robbie was pure animal.