Teams entered and some of the notable riders. Where important riders were expected to race, but have not started, I have so noted:

Tacconi: Frigo (2001 winner), Luttenberger

Fassa Bortolo: Belli, Honchar

Telekom: Guerini, Livingston

Rabobank: Leipheimer

Mapei: Evans, Bodrogi, Hunter

Lotto: Verbrugghe

Cofidis: Moncoutie, Cuesta

Lampre: Tonkov

Kelme: Botero

CSC-Tiscali: (no Hamilton)

Euskaltel: (no Laiseka)

Saeco: Di Luca (No Simoni)

Coast: Plaza, Zulle, Hoj

Aqua: (No Cipollini)

Gerolsteiner

Phonak

Landboukrediet

Sunday, May 5: Stage 5, Lausanne 20.7 kilometer Individual Time Trial. Starts at 608 meters elevation then drops down to 377 then climbs back up to 608. Frigo is good against the clock. He should hold the lead.

Final results:

1. Alex Zulle (Coast) 21min 59sec 63sec

2. Dario Frigo (Tacconi) @ 24sec

3. David Millar (Cofidis) @ 40sec

4. Aitor Gonzalez (Kelme) @ 42sec

5. Cadel Evans (Mapei) @ 45sec

6. Laszlo Bodrogi (Mapei) @ 48sec

7. Levi Leipheimer (Rabobank) @ 55sec

Final GC after Stage 5:

1. Dario Frigo (Tacconi) 15hr 53min 44sec

2. Alex Zulle (Coast) @ 47sec

3. Cadel Evans (Mapei) @ 51sec

4. Santiago Perez Fernandez (Kelme) @ 1min 4sec

5. Carlos Sastre (CSC-Tiscali) @ 1min 5sec

6. Andrea Noe (Mapei) @ 1min 14sec

7. Alexandre Moos (Phonak) @ 1min 15sec

8. Aitor Gonzalez (Kelme) @ 1min 17sec

9. Eddy Mazzoleni (Tacconi Sport) @ 1min 22sec

10. Inigo Cuesta (Cofidis) @ 1min 37sec

11. Serhiy Honchar (Fassa Bortolo) @ 1min 51sec

12. Haimar Zubeldia (Euskaltel) s.t.

13. Rik Verbrugghe (Lotto) @ 2min 18sec

14. Massimo Codol (Lampre) @ 2min 23sec

15. Cedric Fragniere (Phonak) @ 2min 29sec

16. Daniel Atienza (Cofidis) @ 2min 39sec

17. Bingen Fernandez (Cofidis) @ 2min 51sec

18. Christophe Brandt (Lotto) @ 2min 54s4ec

19. David Moncoutie (Cofidis) @ 3min 26sec

20. Kurt Van De Wouwer (Lotto) @ 3min 32sec

With 98 riders in, Alex Zulle (Coast) beat now 2nd place Millar by 40sec

With 63 riders in David Millar is leading Bodrogi by 8sec

With 42 riders in Bodrogi is leading with Levi Leipheimer 2nd @ 7sec. He also leads all 57 riders that have passed the 1st intermediate checkpoint.

Saturday, May 4: Stage 4, Sierre - Leysin, 143.8 km. This is the tough one with 3 major climbs. At km 55, the 1,411 meter Col des Planches, at km 110 there is the 1,255 meter Villars-sur-Ollon. Then, a hilltop finish at 1,318 meters elevation at Leysin.

Continuing appallingly bad weather (snow, fog, freezing cold) has caused the stage to be shortened to 84.9 km, the Planches has been removed from the route. Zulle said that (I hope my German doesn't fail me here) after the non-selection of Coast for the Tour, he raced today with a rage in his belly ("mit wut im Bauch").

1. Alex Zulle (Coast) 2hr 18min 23sec

2. David Moncoutie (Cofidis) @ 2sec

3. Santiago Perez Fernandez (Kelme) s.t.

4. Carlos Sastre (CSC-Tiscali) @ 8sec

5. Andrea Noe (Mapei) s.t.

6. Cadel Evans (Mapei) @ 11sec

7. Dario Frigo (Tacconi) s.t.

GC after Stage 4:

1. Dario Frigo (Tacconi) 15hr 28min 21sec

2. Santiago Perez Fernandez (Kelme) @ 20sec

3. Andrea Noe (Mapei) @ 21sec

4. Cadel Evans (Mapei) @ 29sec

5. Carlos Sastre (CSC Tiscali) @ 32sec

Friday, May 3: Stage 3, Pringy / La Gruyere - Sierre, 178,9 km. Barring a breakaway, this stage should end up with the sprinters romping to the finish line. Saturday's stage 4 is the leg breaker.

1. Giovanni Lombardi (Acqua Sapone) 4hr 26min 2sec

2. Saulius Ruskys (Gerolsteiner) s.t.

3. Robert Hunter (Mapei) s.t.

4. Bram De Groot (Rabobank) s.t.

5. Martin Elmiger (Phonak) s.t.

GC after Stage 3:

1. Dario Frigo (Tacconi) 13hr 9min 47sec

2. Alexandre Moos (Phonak) @ 16sec

3. Rik verbrugghe (Lotto) @ 18sec

4. Cristian Gasperoni (Acqua Sapone) @ 19sec

5. Eddy Mazzoleni (Tacconi) @ 19sec

Thursday, May 2: Stage 2, Bellelay-Charmen - La Gruyere, 173 km. This stage is a bit lumpier. Look for the GC men to start sorting things out.

1. Dario Frigo (Tacconi) 3hr 45min 11sec

2. Alex Zulle (Coast) @ 4sec

3. Serhiy Honchar (Fassa Bortolo) s.t.

4. David Moncoutie (Cofidis) s.t.

5. Andrea Noe (Mapei) s.t.

GC after Stage 2:

1. Dario Frigo (Tacconi) 8hr 43min 45sec

2. Alexandre Moos (Phonak) @ 11sec

3. Rik Verbrugghe (Lotto) @ 13sec

4. Eddy Mazzoleni (Tacconi) @ 15sec

5. Christian Gasperoni (Aqua Sapone) @ 19sec

Wednesday, May 1: Stage 1, Geneva - Mallarey/ Bevillard, 187 km.

1. Giovanni Lombardi (Acqua Sapone) 4hr 54min 25sec
2. Ignacio Gutierrez (Kelme) s.t.
3. Eddy Mazzoleni (Tacconi) s.t.
4. Oscar Cavagnis (Landbouwkrediet) s.t.
5. Bram De Groot (Rabobank) s.t.

GC after Stage 1:

1. Rik Verbrugghe (Lotto) 4hr 58min 38sec
2. Alexandre Moos (Phonak) @ 1sec
3. Eddy Mazzoleni (Tacconi) @ 2sec
4. Haimar Zubeldia (Euskaltal) @ 4sec
5. Iñigo Cuesta (Cofidis) @ 5sec
6. Dario Frigo (Tacconi) @ 6sec

Tuesday, April 30: Prologue, Geneva Individual 3.2 km time trial.

1. Rik Verbrugghe (Lotto) 4min 13.38sec

2. Alexander Moos (Phonak) @ 1.45sec

3. Martin Elmiger (Phonak) @ 2.23sec

4. Saulius Ruskys (Gerolsteiner) @ 2.73sec

5. Laszlo Bodrogi (Mapei) @ 3.20sec

9. Dario Frigo (Mapei) @ 5.58sec

10. David Millar (Cofidis) @ 5.76sec

19. Danilo Di Luca (Saeco) @ 8.84sec

49. Alex Zulle (Coast) @ 11.84sec

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