As much as I'd like to be watching the Tour de France Rest Day recap show on Versus right now, I need a rest day myself. The only thing I've had available to sacrifice to make time for watching Tour coverage is sleep. I'm dragging ass. I'm so droopy and tired that everything else I do is half-hearted and half-speed. I hope a good night's sleep will cure what ails me.

As for Sunday's stage: the Tour has finally started. The G.C. contenders have shuffled themselves to the top of the classification, and the real time gaps are starting to open. Australian riders suffered on the day, though. Michael Rogers abandoned with a dislocated shoulder, Stuey O'Grady crashed into a pole and broke all kinds of bones, and Robbie McEwen suffered on the climbs and missed the time cut.

Christophe Moreau attacked and attacked and the final climb, but he couldn't get anyone to help him, which kept Vino and Klöden in the race. If Valverde, who looked strong, had helped him pull, they might have taken some time out of the trailing group. Instead, they're all still pretty much bunched together.

Rasmussen certainly convinced me that he's recovered from his broken leg. If he gets the green light from his team, he has a chance to do what Pantani did in 1998—namely, take enough time on the climbs that he can't be caught in the time trial. (Although he'll still need to ride better than he did in 2005 for that to happen.) I'm giving myself credit for predicting his victory. It went down pretty much like I thought it would, except that two riders managed to cling to his wheel until halfway up the final climb. A solo ride to victory is always a beautiful thing. I'd never really considered him a favorite for the podium, but if he doesn't have to help Menchov and can ride for himself, it looks like a real possibility.

Tomorrow's Stage: Stage 9 - Val-d'Isère to Briançon - (159.5km)

Stages that follow rest days tend to be weird. I imagine this one will follow suit. It's definitely a tough day in the mountains, but the long downhill finish makes it hard to keep a gap. I imagine that the favorites will be marking each other again, but will probably let a someone low on the classification ride ahead. I think Juan Jose Cobo might be the guy to go. He's trailing the main contenders be nearly five minutes, and he's an excellent climber. I figure if he attacks up the Galibier, he'll ride clear without fearing a counter-attack. So he's my pick. But given the way these post-rest day stages shake out, I wouldn't be surprised if Fast Freddie Rodriguez wins. (Well, maybe a little.)  ¶ 10:52 PM