This year just to add a bit of entertainment the organisers stopped almost the entire field at the top of the first climb whilst they attended to what must have been a nasty accident on the descent.
I was out in the Alps to do the etape and with the Marmotte only 2 days before it would have been rude not to have a go and I pootled round for a total time of over 12 hours with the computer showing 9.5 hours of riding time. At least it was my plan at the start to 'pootle' round but I struggled up the Galibier and Alpe d'Huez and by the time I'd finished there was no comfort zone left.
Matt and Ben had disappeared out of sight up the first climb so I don't know if they got caught up at the top and Max and Dave were done and dusted well before I put in an appearance at the finish. Saw Marek on and off during the day until he disappeared out of sight up Alpe d'Huez. I adopted the strategy of stopping at every stream to fill up my bottles with fresh cold water. I'm sure if Lance had adopted this strategy he could have knocked another couple of minutes off Pantani's time
Maria and Tamar both finished slightly behind me and I am somewhat relieved to be spared a "how I overtook some wannabe boy racer up the final climb" write-up.