Tour de France: Cancellara wins 7.9 km time trial prologue
{{date|July 7, 2007}}
{{Tour de France 2007}}At least half a million onlookers turned out to line the route as the [[w:Tour de France|Tour de France]] Prologue closed the streets of Central London for a day. Setting off at one minute intervals the 180 plus riders took less than ten minutes to speed past some of [[w:London|London's]] most memorable [[w:Landmarks|landmarks]]. With the eventual winner World time-trial champion [[w:Fabian Cancellara|Fabian Cancellara]] completing the 7.9 kilometre [[w:Time trial|individual time trial]] in 8 minutes 50 seconds.

[[Image:Fabian Cancellara 62 HEW Cyclassics 2005.jpg|thumb|left|150px|[[w:Fabian Cancellara|Fabian Cancellara]]]]
The Tour had to compete with more familiar sporting events, the [[Lewis Hamilton on top for 2007 British Grand Prix|British Grand Prix]], the closing stages of [[w:The Championships, Wimbledon|Wimbledon]] and with the [[w:Live Earth|Live Earth]] concerts for the heart's of the British public. However some say as many as a million turned out for the Gallic extravaganza; the party atmosphere aided by a turn in the weather, the sun coming out for the first time all summer.

Run on the second anniversary of the [[w:7 July 2005 London bombings|2005 terrorist attacks]] and at a time  of heightened security, policing was successfully discrete the most visible police presence, by way of their novelty being, 45 members of the [[w:National Gendarmerie (France)|Gendarme Nationale]].

Coming to England for the [[w:1994 Tour de France|first time since 1994]] fans new and old had the course of the day and the three hours of the trials to familiarise themselves with the French institution. The initial good natured cheering on of every rider, growing into real excitement as the shape of the race emerged. At the end of the day the standings were:

{| class="wikitable"
!Rank
!Name
!Country
!Team
!Time
|- bgcolor=yellow
|'''1'''
|'''[[w:Fabian Cancellara|Fabian Cancellara]]'''
|'''[[Switzerland]]'''
|'''[[w:Team CSC|Team CSC]]'''
|align=right|    '''8'50"'''
|- bgcolor=limegreen
|2 
|[[w:Andréas Klöden|Andréas Klöden]]
|[[Germany]]
|[[w:Astana Team|Astana Team]]
|align=right| 13"
|-
|3 
|[[w:George Hincapie|George Hincapie]]
|[[USA]]
|[[w:Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team|Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team]]
|align=right| 23"
|-
|4 
|[[w:Bradley Wiggins|Bradley Wiggins]]
|[[United Kingdom|Great Britain]]
|[[w:Cofidis (cycling team)|Cofidis]]
|align=right| 23"
|- bgcolor=lightblue
|5 
|[[w:Vladimir Gusev|Vladimir Gusev]]
|[[Russia]]
|[[w:Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team|Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team]]
|align=right| 25"
|-
|6 
|[[w:Vladimir Karpets|Vladimir Karpets]]
|[[Russia]]
|[[w:Caisse d'Epargne|Caisse d'Epargne]]
|align=right| 26" 
|-
|7 
|[[w:Alexander Vinokourov|Alexandre Vinokourov]]
|[[Kazakhstan]]
|[[w:Astana Team|Astana Team]]
|align=right| 30"
|-
|8 
|[[w:Thomas Dekker (cyclist)|Thomas Dekker]]
|[[Netherlands]]
|[[w:Rabobank (cycling)|Rabobank]]
|align=right| 31"
|-
|9
|[[w:Manuel Quinziato|Manuel Quinziato]]
|[[Italy]]
|[[w:Liquigas|Liquigas]]
|align=right| 32"
|-
|10 
|[[w:Benoît Vaugrenard|Benoît Vaugrenard]]
|[[France]]
|[[w:Française des Jeux|Française des Jeux]]
|align=right| 32"
|}

==Sources==
{{Wikipediapar|2007 Tour de France}}
*{{source|url=http://www.pr-inside.com/swiss-rider-cancellara-wins-prologue-in-r166804.htm|title=Swiss rider Cancellara wins prologue in London debut of Tour de France|author=AP|pub=PR-inside.com|date=July 7, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/uklatest/story/0,,-6763787,00.html|title=Crowds pack in for Tour de France|author=|pub=Guardian Unlimited|date=July 7, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/cycling/6280932.stm|title=Tour de France 2007|author=|pub=BBC News Online|date=July 7, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6280274.stm  |title=Fans flock to Tour de France race|author=|pub=BBC News Online|date=July 7, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/more_sport/tour_de_france/article2030952.ece|title=Tour de France 2007 – Stage by Stage Guide|author=|pub=Times Online|date=July 7, 2007}}

==External links==
*[http://www.letour.fr/indexus.html Tour de France] - official website of the race
*[http://www.tourdefrancelondon.com Tour de France London] - official 'Le Grand Depart' website by the City of London

{{publish}}
{{Archived}}

[[Category:Europe]]
[[Category:England]]
[[Category:London]]
[[Category:Kent, England]]
[[Category:Sports]]
[[Category:Cycling]]
[[Category:2007 Tour de France]]
[[Category:Gendarmerie (France)]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cancellara wins}}

[[es:Tour de Francia: Fabian Cancellara a la cabeza]]
[[fr:Tour de France cycliste 2007 : Prologue]]
[[pl:Fabian Cancellara wygrał prolog Tour de France 2007]]
[[pt:Tour de France: Fabian Cancellara na liderança]]
At least half a million onlookers turned out to line the route as the Tour de France Prologue closed the streets of Central London for a day. Setting off at one minute intervals the 180 plus riders took less than ten minutes to speed past some of London's most memorable landmarks. With the eventual winner World time-trial champion Fabian Cancellara completing the 7.9 kilometre individual time trial in 8 minutes 50 seconds.

Fabian Cancellara
The Tour had to compete with more familiar sporting events, the British Grand Prix, the closing stages of Wimbledon and with the Live Earth concerts for the heart's of the British public. However some say as many as a million turned out for the Gallic extravaganza; the party atmosphere aided by a turn in the weather, the sun coming out for the first time all summer.

Run on the second anniversary of the 2005 terrorist attacks and at a time  of heightened security, policing was successfully discrete the most visible police presence, by way of their novelty being, 45 members of the Gendarme Nationale.

Coming to England for the first time since 1994 fans new and old had the course of the day and the three hours of the trials to familiarise themselves with the French institution. The initial good natured cheering on of every rider, growing into real excitement as the shape of the race emerged. At the end of the day the standings were:


Rank

Name

Country

Team

Time

'1'

'Fabian Cancellara'

'Switzerland'

'Team CSC'

    '8'50"'

2 

Andréas Klöden

Germany

Astana Team

 13"

3 

George Hincapie

USA

Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team

 23"

4 

Bradley Wiggins

Great Britain

Cofidis

 23"

5 

Vladimir Gusev

Russia

Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team

 25"

6 

Vladimir Karpets

Russia

Caisse d'Epargne

 26" 

7 

Alexandre Vinokourov

Kazakhstan

Astana Team

 30"

8 

Thomas Dekker

Netherlands

Rabobank

 31"

9

Manuel Quinziato

Italy

Liquigas

 32"

10 

Benoît Vaugrenard

France

Française des Jeux

 32"


es:Tour de Francia: Fabian Cancellara a la cabeza
fr:Tour de France cycliste 2007 : Prologue
pl:Fabian Cancellara wygrał prolog Tour de France 2007
Tour de France: Fabian Cancellara na liderança
Europe England London Kent, England Sports Cycling 2007 Tour de France Gendarmerie (France)