Today is the first rest day for the 2006 Tour de France cyclists but definitely not a day to stop aiming for glory and prestige. They have to save enough energy for the next twelve stages, which will commence tomorrow with the 169.5 km race from Bordeaux to Dax, France. The 2006 Tour de France, the 93rd of this most prestigious road bicycle racing event, is composed of 20 stages: 9 flat stages, 4 medium mountain stages, 5 mountain stages and 2 individual time-trial stages. Altogether, these cover a distance of 3,600 kilometers.

Here’s a brief recap of the results of the first eight stages (from July 1, 2006 in Strasbourg to July 9 in Lorient).

Stage 1: French rider Jimmy Casper gets the first win in a 184.5 km race around Strasbourg.

Stage 2: Robbie McEwan makes his 9th Tour de France stage win after a tough fight with Hushovd.

Stage 3: Matthias Kessler wins stage 3 from Esch-sur-Alzette to Valkenburg by 50 meters.

Stage 4: Australian rider Robbie McEwan wins another stage.

Stage 5: Three-time world champion Oscar Freire from Spain wins stage 5 against Boonen.

Stage 6: Another winning moment comes from Robbie McEwan; Belgian Tom Boonen still trailing behind the stage winner.

Stage 7: Sergei Gontchar finishes the race in 1:01:42 (beating Floyd Landis of USA by one minute), making him the first Ukrainian to win a stage in the Tour de France.

Stage 8: French cyclist Sylvain Calzati of AG2R team wins the stage in 4 hours, 13 minutes, 18 seconds.

By guest writer Khristine