KIRCHEN TAKES YELLOW IN TOUR DE FRANCE

Team Columbia’s Kim Kirchen stormed into the race lead of the Tour de France on Thursday’s summit finish at Superbesse. Seventh in the 2007 Tour, Kirchen is the first rider from Luxembourg to take the yellow jersey since Charly Gaul won the race overall almost half a century ago, back in 1958.

“It’s been an exceptionally good Tour for me and Team Columbia so far, I was holding the points jersey for several stages and now I’m in yellow.” Kirchen  said.

“I wanted to go for the stage win to take the yellow jersey but there was a strong headwind and then some late attacks and I got blocked so I couldn’t move ahead.” “In any case, I still ended up in the lead.”

“I was hoping that my form was going to be good but it’s even better than expected.”

“I came here focussed on getting the first stage win [finishing fourth], and got very close, but if that was a bit disappointing I made up with a great time trial, better than I expected, on stage four.”
 
 “Now I have taken the yellow jersey of cycling’s biggest race, and everybody knows how special that is.”

Already the winner of two stages in the Tour of the Basque Country, the Fleche Wallone Classic and a stage in the Tour of Switzerland this year, Kirchen refused to rule out winning the Tour overall.

“The Tour is the Tour: it’s very long and extremely tough. A lot depends on what happens in the Pyrenees. If I can stay with the climbers there, then I’ll start thinking about taking the yellow jersey in the Alps.”

Asked about the reinforced focus in Team Columbia on the young talent in the team since the beginning of 2008, Kirchen agreed that “we changed a lot.”

“There are older, experienced riders, but a lot of new guys as well and the team has really gelled as a unit.  Now, in races like the Tour, we’re reaping some well-deserved rewards for
everything we’ve done.”

Thomas Lovkvist finished 15th in stage 6 of the Tour de France and he retains the white jersey after today's stage.