Tom Boonen will prepare for this years Tour de France at the Dauphiné Libéré. The criterium du Dauphiné-Libéré is a cycling race spread over multiple days in the South-East of France. The race is organised by the local newspaper Dauphiné Libéré and is practically named the same. The Dauphiné Libéré has been organised since 1947. It contains some severe mountainstages and is herefore often used as a preparation for the Tour de France.

At the list of honours are many great cyclists among others all the 5 riders who were able to win the Tour 5 times. The race is part of the UCI ProTour since 2005.

Quickstep - Innergetic for Dauphiné Libéré: Tom Boonen, Steven De Jongh, Dmytro Grabovskyy, Kevin Hulsmans, Kevin Seeldraeyers, Gert Steegmans, Kevin Van Impe, Cedric Vasseur.

Sports Directors: Wilfried Peeters, Luca Guercilena.

Euskal Bizikelta: Fernández de la Puebla took first stage

Saunier Duval - Prodir´s 2007 performance is bound to be remembered as a record-breaking achievement: The yellow squad have just scored its 5th one-two, in the first stage of the traditional Basque race Euskal Bizikleta, a 172-kilometre leg from Eibar to Tolosa. Madrid-born Alberto Fernández de la Puebla and José Ángel Gómez Marchante stepped onto the two highest places of today´s podium, and have thus become the leaders of the initial GC. The stage has witnessed the power of Joxean "Matxin" Fernández´s team.

The race´s most significant event was Jon Bru (Euskaltel-Euskadi) and Xabat Otxotorena (Orbea)´s breakaway. The escapees were caught at the foot of the final cat-1 climb of Alto de Santa Águeda, placed just 10 kilometres before the finish line. At this point, Fernández de la Puebla (Saunier Duval - Prodir) put in an attack in the early slopes, and he was followed by teammates David de la Fuente and Gómez Marchante, as well as by Oscar Sevilla (Relax-GAM), Branislau Samoilau (Acqua & Sapone), and Eladio Jiménez (Karpin-Galicia). When the leading bunch were climbing the final metres, a barrage of attacks ensued. This placed Sevilla, Jiménez, Gómez Marchante, and Fernández de la Puebla in the lead. With 6 kilometres to go, Fernández de la Puebla took advantage of his team outnumbering other squads and broke clear in a solo descent to score his 2nd win in his short career as a pro (he´s only 22). The 1st one was the queen stage of the Vuelta a Asturias, finishing at Santuario del Acebo. The second rider to cross the finish line six seconds later was Gómez Marchante, who thus secured a new one-two for Saunier Duval - Prodir. José Ángel was followed by Sevilla, Jiménez, and yet another "red bird," David de la Fuente, at 34 seconds. Five seconds later, the first peloton came in, comprised of 20 riders which included two more men in yellow: Jesús del Nero and Javier Mejías (10th and 11th, respectively). With some many riders in the first positions of the GC, Saunier Duval - Prodir are also the indisputable leaders of the Teams Classification.

Alberto Fernández de la Puebla said: “I can´t believe what I did. Honestly, I didn´t expect to win today. This morning, at the meeting with Matxin, he asked me about my physical condition and I said just ok. I´ve been in good shape for some time, but I didn´t feel too confident. When the succession of attacks began in Santa Águeda, Matxin told me to break clear so that we could lighten our workload behind. When De la Fuente and Gómez Marchante joined me, we worked together to wear Sevilla and Jiménez down. When we were about to reach the summit, I managed to join Sevilla and José Ángel and thought I could work with my teammate to control the descent. But when I looked back, I was alone, so I said to myself, "It´s now or never." And then I never stopped. In the final 2 kilometres, I believed I´d never reach the finish line. I think tomorrow´s ITT will be more important than the last stage. In Alcobendas I did well, but this is different. There´ll probably be better times than mine, because I´m a climber. I want to dedicate this victory to my grandfather Teodoro, who´s my closest follower on the road.”

José Ángel Gómez Marchante said: ”I´m happy for Alberto. I realised I wouldn´t make it because Sevilla was checking on me. So, when I saw that Alberto was opening a gap, I told him to give it the full gas over the intercom. To me, this has been a very good race, because my purpose here was testing my shape for Switzerland as preliminary to the Tour de France. So today´s race shows I´m on the right track, I´m doing the right things to come to the Tour in perfect shape. If then the Tour doesn´t work out as expected, it´ll be all right. It´s like with students: I´ll have to come back in September and make up for it at the Vuelta.”

Tomorrow´s stage will see the riders face a double header, starting with a short 92-kilometre stage from Tolosa to Abadiño, featuring the climbs of Alto de Iturburu (cat. 2, at Km. 10) and Alto de Kanpazar (cat.2, at Km. 76). And in the afternoon, the time trial specialists will get their chance to leap up the general classification in a 20.5-kilometre circuit around Abadiño.