Tour de France 2014

So he did.

I think even the TV cameras missed it.

I read an interview with him where he said that he knows he can't win a GT so he doesn't try. Lotto must be happy enough with what he achieves, or the points he brings in. The way things are this year I imagine he has a good chance of going unnoticed again and being in the top five at the end.

A top five in the Tour brings a lot of World Tour points, more than Greipel will get for winning a few stages, so you can see why they keep him. The thing I find curious about him is that, at 31, he still doesn't seem to know how good shape he is in. I read an interview with him before the Dauphine, when Lotto were making noises about him missing the Tour if his form wasn't there, and he said he thought his form was okay but the race would tell him either way. You would have thought, in this age of ever more scientific preparation, that he'd know his numbers.

He keeps his cards so close to his chest even he doesn't know what hand he is playing.
I'm hoping that the attacking from 'the GC boys' (copyright every commentator) will start today. But not till I get home at 3.10.

Love the tweet from Giant-Shimano rider Reinart Janse van Rensburg;

"Sometimes I wonder what's going on in Sagan's radio. Is their actually a Director giving tactics, or just Metallica at full blast."

Van den Broeck is like all Vandenbrouckes, so shy and retiring.

^^ ha

Thoughts Talansky's comments were poor, especially compared to Gerrans' graciousness after he was taken out by Cav, refusing to apportion blame. Caught era came out and tried to smooth it over, hope a night's sleep has mellowed he Yank and he sorts it out wih Gerrans today.

Who do we fancy for today then?

I'd love to see Purito but my head says it will be Valverde.

I think Bertie will keep his powder dry for when he's got the chance to put some serious time into Nibs.

I dunno, with Froome out I don't think Contador's got much to lose by trying to sneak off and take back some time-would be interesting to see if Nibs' form in the mid-mountains because I don't think he's got a chance in the Pyrenees.

We'll see, but I think anyone who writes off Nibali's chances in the mountains hasn't see much of him in the past 5 years or so. He's arguably the most consistent GT rider of the current era.

Don't think anyone's writing him off but he didn't exactly feature in the Dauphine when things got steep and his Giro win in '13 had a field that was if not weak, didn't feature Contador or anyone you'd be calling a GC contender at this tour so it leaves a question mark over where is form is in that respect atm.

we'll know for sure come week #3. maybe even Horner will creep out of the woodwork to haunt the shark once more...

Certainly looking forward to seeing what he can do against Bertie. Nibs, that is, not Horner.

Bertie saying he doesn't fancy it today unless he's playing mind games.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tour-de-france-la-mauselaine-finale-suited-to-nibali-says-contador

Bertie says a lot.

*meaningless.

Hopefully contador and valverde will both be delayed by a large, slow-moving tractor that mysteriously found its way onto the course,and Nibali will slip through unnoticed and unchallenged ^_^

Not sure how you are going to make it on to the course at this late stage.

I said "tractor", not "cattle".

Simon Yates is in the break.

Strong break. Will there be any drive to catch it, or will the mountains sort it out?

They (Terpstra, Chavanel, Kadri, Yates and Petit) have a 6 minute lead now, the largest advantage a break has had so far this Tour.

It'll be interesting to see if anyone is prepared to chase, none of them are an overall threat so Astana will just keep the gap at a manageable level, so it's incumbent on a team who want the stage win to chase.

Over 7 mins now and no real urgency yet. Great aerial shots though.

Hope it stays away. I'd fancy Yates.