It didn’t work out exactly as we had plant. On the second stage should have been ridden for me, which worked well untill the beginning of the finale. But with 600 meters to go Mark Cavendish surprised our opponents and me with his early start of the sprint. Firts I only thought that “Cav” opened the sprint a bit to early, but in no time there was a big gap.

Mark turned his head around and thought he would see me behind him but there was only a gap of about 30 metres. As I became aware that I couldn’t close the gap to Mark I decided to take out to give Mark a better chance to win the stage.

Unfortunately the bunch closed the gap and on the last metres Boonen, Haussler and Cipollini came over him. When it would have worked we were probebly celebrated for the coup – although it was planned this way.

In the end for there was “only” place nine but I was allowed to come on the podium anyway. There I was congratulated by the Californian “Governator” Arnold Schwarzenegger for the white jersey of the Young Riders Classification. In the coming next days I want to defend that jersey.

Today we have the first mountain stage. Even when I come over the mountains pretty good, I normally will not be able to stay with the climbers. But there are still a few chances for the sprinters left.