I ran in an orienteering meet this afternoon. Luckily, things had cooled off to the mid-90s by the time I started. (That's sarcasm, by the way. It was damn hot.) This course had a number of "permanent" controls, which meant they were little placards nailed to fence posts and bollards and the like. I had all kinds of trouble finding them. They were too small and too low, so I just couldn't see them. I lost a lot of time looking for markers that were only four feet away. But I had fun and didn't get heat stroke, so I'll call it a good time.

I watched the Tour after the meet, as you can likely imagine. I finally got to see a drag-race sprint. It was beautiful. I could tell from about 600 meters out that Thor Hushovd was likely to win—he was in the perfect position. He had three of his own riders in front of him and no one challenging to the side. McEwen and Boonen weren't in sight, and Freire was boxed in. Zabel was the only rider who looked like he might be in position to test him. Then Julian Dean took over. He pulled Hushovd clear and launched him to the line with 150 meters to go. Robbie Hunter shot out of nowhere to nip at his wheel, but he came up just a fraction short and Hushovd took the win. I think Fast Freddie Rodriguez is right: wide, safe roads really do make a difference.

Tomorrow's Stage: Stage 5 - Chablis to Autun (182.5km)

With a Category 2 and a Category 3 climb in the final 40k, it is unlikely this stage will finish with a bunch sprint. A small group should spring clear on the final climb and duke it out to the line. Many pundits think this is the ideal stage for Valverde, but I disagree. I think he'll be too heavily marked. I'll have my eye on Michael "The Boogey Man" Boogerd. It's his final Tour before retirement, the course suits his abilities, and he's no real threat to the overall. That equals a perfect mix for taking the stage.  ¶ 11:47 PM