Nicki Sorensen is still aching from his nasty, high-speed crash in stage 3. He enjoyed a relatively easy day in Tuesday’s time trial and suffered through Wednesday’s longest stage of the Tour. The tough Dane was able to finish, but admitted he’s been better. “Fortunately, it was a calm day. I still have some pain in my knee and wrist. My hand felt better today, but the knee had it very bad,” he said. “Tomorrow will be a very tough stage, so I’m a little afraid of how it will go.”

Team CSC-Saxo Bank’s Fabian Cancellara is riding this year with the dossard (number in French) number 13. Not wanting to get jinxed, Cancellara rode with the number pinned upside down on his jersey during Tuesday’s 29.5-kilometer time trial.

Team CSC-Saxo Bank’s climbing sensation Chris-Anker Sorensen might not be at the Tour de France this year, but he scored an important victory Tuesday during the “queen stage” at the Tour of Austria. Just like his win during last month’s Dauphiné Libéré, Sorensen won the 170-kilometer stage up the fearsome Kitzbuhler Horn climb. He attacked with eight kilometers to go to drop the other overall favorites to win the stage and surge into the overall lead. Now Team CSC-Saxo Bank will be defending the leader’s jersey in Austria.