cyclingnews.com | Head to head

cyclingnews.com offers an interview with green jersey Baden Cooke. It’s 3-1 that the Aussies will take the green jersey, but which Aussie?

Cooke’s lead over Robbie McEwen in the points race dwindled to 8 pts Thursday, and Stuart O’Grady made up 12 points, moving into 4th place, behind Cooke, McEwen, and Erik Zabel.

Cooke:

“Since McEwen has been struggling on the climbs, I am more worried about Zabel and O’Grady, because they have been doing some good climbing. McEwen could be in danger of being eliminated once we get to the Pyrenees. Thor Hushovd has also been climbing well, but I don’t think he’s fast enough to pick up on the points. Zabel and O’Grady could be dangerous if it came down to a bonus sprint after a climb, but so far I’ve been the better sprinter.”

Cooke credits Bradley McGee as his “secret weapon:”

“He has the knowledge of how to put me in a perfect position for the sprints, and he is riding so strongly at the moment.”