Tour de France 2017

Yeah I need to unfollow a few people on Twitter. There's a lot about bike changes and mechanicals ahead of climbs, like Contador today.

If he did have a motor today the battery must've been flat.

Looks like his non stage wining wheelsucker in yellow is going to win this race.

It's kind of sad to see him fading away, he looked nailed on for the stage on the Telegraphe, but when the attacks started it was clear both Roglic, Atapuma and Pauwels were stronger.

I can fully understand that Kittel has had it with this tour and saving himself for the Bochum Sparkassen Giro.

Roglic only hit the deck once this TdF, Atapuma and Pauwels never contested the GC, might be a factor.

Tail wind

I really want to ride the Croix de Fer now. @andyp and the coverage today has really sold it to me, it looks amazing.

I do not want to ride it on my Croix de Fer though. Has there ever been a more ironically monikered bike? Weighing as much as it does it's the last thing I'd want to ride up there!

Do it! Allemont, where they rode through at the start of that climb is a good place to stay. You also have Alpe d'Huez right there too.

The polemics have died down, thankfully, because the race is so close and other teams and riders look as strong as Sky. You can also point to the tactics: Sky do not fuck around unlike BMC when Porte was still in the race, and Quickstep, who have effectively squandered Martin's chance of a win. Even Ag2r La Mondiale sent doms up the road today, perhaps to fit Bardet to bridge to but it was risky. Sky come to the race with a single purpose, fair play to them. It may not be pretty but it's effective, although still would love Uran to spring a surprise, despite Vaughters' casual sexism complaining that Eurosport had no hotties when he commentated for them.

I guess for the French now to call Froome a doper means you are calling Bardet one since he is as strong as him.

But there's mutterings about motors and the number of bike changes/mechanicals, Virenque has insinuated it, Kimmage too. Everyone loves a good conspiracy.

Roglic was the guy they pointed the infrared camera at and his rear hub looked a bit warm in the French TV show last year so obviously motor.

Too much freewheeling... friction causes heat obvs

Contador's bike had a jammed chain, clearly visible in today's footage. but that could be blamed on a Stages power meter maybe, suffering from a feeble only-for-tv-attack on the Croix de Fer.

Casual sexism of Vaughters?

He called out the Eurosport team for not having enough women in the team.

From memory, he chose an awkward turn of phrase to compliment another team (was it the French team?) on their female commentator.

But I'm pretty sure the intent was to question the all male cast of Eurosport English.

You took the bus that day.

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Sarcasm? He rated her a ten IIRC. I interpretated as him saying it was a sausage party at Eurosport compared to the eye candy at another broadcaster

It pissed down when I rode it in 2011. I thought I was going to freeze to death on the way back down.

are you here?

His chain was slack in the footage.

Yep, the 'black zone' is grim. Mind you, last time I rode it it was snowing.

Yeah, fell off the front and got jammed between chainring and frame

He hit the deck early in this stage. Didn't he crashed earlier in the Tour?

Let us all hold hands and imagine that Rigoberto Uran will win this race.

I will pay you to do that, I havent forgotten about your haribo but TDF and Etape has made all supermarkets dry ..

Just buy all the Reine Claude in Briancon NOW.