Stage 4:
This stage was a team time trial. As one of my Twitter-friends said, "A team TT is a perfect blend of teamwork, sport, and art"(c/o @Beal88). I couldn't have said it better myself.
As soon as Cannondale started their TTT, Ted King was dropped. Because of his injuries from the Stage 1 crash, he couldn't hold on to the fast-pace of his teammates. However, unlike a normal stage, the cut-off time is not known until the last team crossed the finish line. Unfortunately, 7 seconds was all it took for Ted King to be outside the time limit.
Going into the TTT, there were two teams that most people thought would win: Team Sky (dominators of last year's Tour de France) and Omega Pharma-Quickstep (TT World Champions). However, it was in fact Orica-GreenEdge that took the win, placing Simon Gerrans in the Yellow Jersey.
As much as I would have loved Jan Bakelants to remain in Yellow some more, with only 1" separating him and a bunch of other riders, I knew Radioshack Leopard Trek could not hold the lead. They aren't exactly a team known for time trials.
Stage 5:
All I really need to say is that this was Mark Cavendish's comeback stage! After getting caught up in a crash in Stage 1, and then fighting two mountainous stages, this was the first chance that we actually were able to see Cavendish sprint to the finish. Not to mention, he is also recovering from bronchitis! He beat Edvald Boassan Hagen and Peter Sagan, respectively, while most of the peloton was held up in the last 200m because of a crash.
As you can see from the sprint photo above, Cavendish, third from right, had the most aerodynamic position for speed! I think it's going to be a showdown between Sagan and Cavendish for the Green Jersey, although Sagan is up by 35 points as of right now. We'll have to wait and see what the road to Paris brings.
It seems to me that Sagan and Cavendish are only contesting the finish line, as Andre Greipel has won all of the intermediate sprints.
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