Boonen's perfect fit

With just one third and one fourth category climb coming in the first quarter of the 207-km trip from Huy, Belgium to Saint-Quentin, expect another sprint finish and another green jersey battlefield in the first stage of this year's Tour to end in France.

"This jersey, I'm going to try and keep it as long as possible, even if it is not an objective in itself," Boonen told Belgian daily La Derniere Heure after claiming the yellow jersey with a fourth-place finish at Valkenburg on Tuesday.

"I want to remind you that I came here first to win stages, with a jealous eye, always directed at the green jersey."

Boonen wore the green jersey at last year's Tour before injuring himself badly in the Vosges and retiring from the race, allowing Thor Hushovd to eventually claim the points jersey.

Boonen currently leads the points classifications with 67 points to Daniele Bennati's 66. Boonen's Australian rival Robbie McEwen is only two points behind the world champ, and Hushovd is just five points back.

Another 20 bonus points are up for grabs for the winner in Saint-Quentin.

Our eurosport.com readers voted, and your voices have been heard. Out of 2973 voters 30% of you think that Aussie Robbie McEwen will take the green jersey at the 2006 Tour de France. The Davitamon sprinter thus wins your hearts, by the slimmest of margins, beating out prologue winner Thor Hushovd (29%) and world champion Tom Boonen (27%). Eerily enough, all three men have dominated the green jersey thus far. Erik Zabel finished well back in fourth at 7% while Stuart O'Grady received 4% and 3% of you selected "other" (likely Daniele Bennati).

Tom Boonen is only the seventh rider in the history of the Tour de France to cover a rainbow world championship jersey with a yellow one. Boonen joins such illustrious company as Greg LeMond, Bernard Hinault, and of course his great Belgian compatriot Eddy Merckx. The Cannibal wore both yellow and rainbow in a total of 27 stages in 1972 and 1975. Dutchman Gerrie Knetemann was the only one of the six previous riders never to hold the yellow jersey on the Champs-Elysees.

2006 Tom Boonen (Bel) 1 stage
1990 Greg LeMond (Usa) 2 stages
1981 Bernard Hinault (Fra) 20 stages
1979 Gerrie Knetemann (Ned) 1 stage
1975 Eddy Merckx (Bel) 10 stages
1972 Eddy Merckx (Bel) 17 stages
1955 Louison Bobet (Fra) 6 stages
1934 Georges Speicher (Fra) 1 stage

Sean Kelly: "Not a very difficult stage and I think it will be a day for the sprinters. But of course the finish here in St Quentin, the last kilometre is uphill so my favourite is Thor Hushovd."

Jacky Durand: "Today a sprint finish, everyone thinks about it, me too. There's no big favourite, but an Italian can win. Italians are euphoric these days with the football, they will be in St Quentin as well, with the sprinter Daniele Bennati from Lampre team."

Jens Heppner: "Oh no not an Italian again Jacky! I will get crucified in Germany! Since today's finish goes uphill for over 1 km, I would bet on Tom Boonen."

Richard Virenque: "Today, my favourite is Robbie McEwen, even if he lost his 'lieutenant' Fred Rodriguez."

Response from Robbie McEwen: "Yes it's true, I'm missing Fred Rodriguez today because he crashed yesterday. So it's gonna make it more difficult for me to find a good position but I have another teammate, who is Geert Steegmans, who's also very strong so I'll try to use him to bring me in a good position. Then I'll do it the McEwen way: try to find a way to the finish and win the stage."

Productivity dipped suddenly dipped in the eurosport.com office at the mere mention of Belgian beer. Brewed with tender, loving care by Trappist Monks since the high Middle Ages, it is undoubtedly the pride of an entire kingdom. Rather than pick a particular brand, our straw poll revealed a laundry list of great makes. Here's the top five:

5) Blanche de Bruges tied with Hoergaarden White - same as in Germany, these excellent white beers go well with a dash of lemon

4) Faro: a savory and sweet brew (it has sugar added). One of many sweet beers (often strawberry or raspberry-flavoured), this one has a zest of cinnamon and orange peel.

3) Kwak: a killer amber beer

2) Duvel: the choice of Tom Boonen after victory in the Scheldeprijs Vlaanderen this April. A strong beer, as indicated by its name, which is Dutch for Devil.

1) Chimay Red: somewhere between and amber and a dark beer, it's one of a kind. Goes with the semi-hard cheese that bears the same name, but at 7% alcohol it's not for the faint of heart (or the very thirsty).