Tour de France 2015

I would second Millar and Ned, really dynamic duo that complement each others strengths. Any predictions for tomorrow? Cav better win for his own sake.

Cipollini won last time the Tour went to Amiens so the sprinters will be going for it.

Is that for real?

And yes, well overdue.

If it is true then I'm not sure which has made me happier today: Tony M getting the yellow stage or learning that those twats are out of the door.

seeing Tony win was a highlight of the year so far

This (and there have been a few highlights already).

Missed live and highlights today helping my sister move house so been turning radio off and steering clear of everywhere they might mention the result. Sat down to watch it on catchup and got a message from my housemate saying 'Tony Martin!'.

Sigh... Cheers mate.

Still, amazing stage! So happy for TM, what a move to make on Trentin's little bike... My quads were twitching away for the last few k.

Also second the motion of getting rid of Phil and Paul, they just talked shit start to finish. They need to be put out to pasture or melted down for glue or something. Boulting and Millar would be an amazing combo, they were great for Romandie recently.

Foreign, just like all the other royals then.

'crosser I bet. They have no idea. Too busy dreaming about off-season mud.

10/10.

Windy day in the North of France :-)

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This video is amazing!! So happy for Martin!

Maybe the small bike helped the aero, obviously not comfortable for long stretches of riding though.

I'm super happy for Martin

Ah for sure

Just look at his goofy grin, he's so happy. Gonna wear my Panzerwagon cap with pride today

I just caught up on yesterday's highlights and I have some questions...

These spectators holding up wheels, they aren't just random punters are they? They are from the various teams, right?

Why was everyone saying Froome would do badly on the cobbles? He's done Paris Roubaix before. He crashed last year, but was that even his fault?

Also, when Pino got a puncture, Ligget said something like "well that's the end of his tour then". Wut? He was only a minute or two off the back of the peleton by the time he got a wheel?

I also don't understand why we're laughing at Froome objecting to people not pushing on with him.

He's a total of about 6 mins down now against a pretty strong field that's all about a minute apart.

Not spectators, soigneurs and other employees of the teams on the road with spare wheels in case of a puncture on narrow roads and pave sections when the team cars are a long way back.

Froome is a climber mostly, so very lighweight, where as beefier riders generally ride pave better.. His bike-handling skills are suspect also, so the perceived wisdom was that stage was a real potential banana skin for him and the other GC contenders.

Pinot has already lost time, so more lost time means he's going to really struggle to make it up over the rest of the race.

Try to ignore most of what Ligget says.

As Kelly said. There's a big difference between starting and finishing a Paris - Roubaix... At least a quarter of the field normally end it at the first feed zone, before the Pave even starts.

I was expecting Froome to have a few wobbles but he had a decent ride. Glad him and Quintana both made it through the stages people were expecting them to struggle with. Roll on the mountains.

Cheers

Try to ignore most of what Ligget says.

But how will I know when the castles were built, or what kind of cheese the region won a medal for?

Google?

All the sudden my boss decides to be out of the office today and we have a goddamn flat sprint stage :(

Also is was only a quick mention of him on Eurosport but Teejay is doing damn well. Not sure if he can take time from Froome or Bertie head to head in the mountains but if there is a fuck up / moment when he could take advantage he could get yellow. BMC definitely seem strong enough to help keep the jersey on his back for a few days should he find himself in it.

All that passive voice doesn't really give teejay much credit does it? #paging@Oliver Schick

Yeah, Teejay is having a great start. Hope he can keep it up. He's never far back in the mountains (which isn't say much - he is a GC rider, after all), and seems really strong this year, so let's see!

And the flat stages in the Giro this year were crackers (but that's true of pretty much every stage this year), so don't discount anything.

Oliver would come in and point out that you've not used the passive voice there. I'd never dream of it though ;)

Strong winds and rain reported and frequent changes of direction could make today's stage very interesting.

That said, in 4 previous Tours Cavendish has won his first stage on stage 5. It's take a brave man to bet against him.