I have about as much fashion sense as a wet paper bag, but I still know what I like and don't like. When it comes to the cycling kits (that's English for "uniform") the Tour riders are wearing, Team Astana wins my vote for best dressed. That light blue strip (that's English for "kit") is easy on the eyes which, given that the Astana boys seem to be in all the moves at the front, is a good thing. The yellow jerseys and shorts of the Saunier Duval-Prodir squad is also one of my favorites. And since we are in France, I have to admit that the AG2R boys are styling.

The worst-dressed list is headed by the Euskatel-Euskadi team of Basque riders. These guys took a very nice-looking strip and turned it into a fashion nightmare. If you are going to do orange, which is the primary color of the Basque flag, you have to go bright and bold like the previous Euskatel jerseys. It seems like they toned down the brightness a bit--not good. But it's the shorts that really blow. The orange patch in the back makes the riders look like they are wearing fanny packs. OK, I know some of you out there wear fanny packs when you ride but this is the Tour where they have support vehicles and domestiques to carry everything.

I still haven't warmed up to the new Discovery clothing. Props to the boys for going green and addressing global warming, but I'm so used to the old kit it just doesn't seem right. Of course, when your sponsor's logo is black-and-white, you're behind the eight ball before you even get started. I am convinced we will have one, possibly two, Disco riders on the podium in Paris so I guess I'd better learn to like their new kit.

Well, if you haven't figured out by now that I have no eye for fashion, please chime in and let me know whose kit you like and don't like. Obviously, there are no winners or losers, or I would be out of here.

Some race commentary…

Vino continues to make us all feel bad for his early race crash and what might have been. If you haven't warmed up to the Kazakh's aggressiveness, check your blood pressure. I saw his right knee wound, sans bandage, and it looked really ugly. Luckily for me, dinner isn't for a few hours.

The Contador-Rasmussen tete-a-tete was incredible. Rasmussen told the French press after the stage that he knew he had to go with each attack because George Hincapie was still up the road, and if Contador got up to him solo it could have gotten ugly.

I feel sorry for Levi. He was stuck in a no-win situation. Maybe he didn't have the legs to go with Contador or counterattack once Rasmussen and his teammate were away, but if Levi wants to get on the podium, he is going to have to put Cadel Evans in his rear-view mirrors on the final mountain stage since Evans appears to have better TT form.

Ever upwards,

Bruce