Tour de France Stage 11 Preview

July 16, 2014

After the Vosges, the Jura. Today’s stage doesn’t get too mountainous but the finish includes several steep climbs that will eject the sprinters and let attacking riders take their chance. There’s also a bonus climb after the categorised ones and just for fun it’s got running water, loose gravel and potholes on the way up… […]

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How Are Climbs Categorised?

July 15, 2014

The Tour de France has completed three stages in the Vosges, visits the Jura range tomorrow before the Alps and then the Pyrennes. The race rates climbs with five labels, from 4th category for the easiest all the way to 1st category and then HC for hors catégorie, or “beyond categorisation”. A frequently asked question […]

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Tour de France Stage 10 Wrap

July 14, 2014

With no preview tomorrow because it’s a rest day here’s the daily take on the day’s stage. It was a day marked by the loss of Alberto Contador as much as the win by Vincenzo Nibali.

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Roads to Ride – The Planche des Belles Filles

July 14, 2014

As part of a series to explore the famous roads of cycling, here is the Planche des Belles Filles in France. The idea with this series is to discover the road and its place in the world, whether in cycling’s folklore or to explore what it is like on a normal day without a race. […]

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Tour de France Stage 10 Preview

July 14, 2014

If they lack the altitude of the Alps and the mystique of the Pyrenees the Vosges have plenty of offer. Today’s stage is a showcase for the small mountain range, crossing six passes before stinging finish at the Planche des Belles Filles. It’s 14 July, Bastille Day, the French national holiday so expect giant crowds […]

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Tour de France Stage 9 Preview

July 14, 2014

A big day of climbing but the route has the look of a decisive stage in reverse, a series of climbs followed by a flat run to the finish. Consequently it’s not as selective because the finish allows time for things to regroup. It’s a deliberate choice not to make the race too selective, instead […]

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Denis Menchov, The Silent Prosecution

July 14, 2014

Denis Menchov has been given a two year ban and stripped of all results from the Tour de France in 2009, 2010 and 2012 following a successful anti-doping prosecution based on findings from his biological passport. It’s the biggest catch so far by the UCI, a grand tour winner who is now thrown off the […]

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One Week Into The Tour

July 14, 2014

The first week of the Tour de France has flown by, so much has happened during the past 1291km. The Tour seems to create its own time and space and Yorkshire seems to be more than a week ago. It’s been a week packed with action and drama yet the race has only just got […]

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Tour de France Stage 8 Preview

July 14, 2014

The first mountain stage of the Tour de France, today’s stage offers a lively finish with some sharp climbs saved for late including the first summit finish of the Tour. The first of the Vosges trilogy over the long weekend in France, today is a mountain hors d’oeuvre but promises an exiting finish.

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Tour de France Stage 7 Preview

July 11, 2014

The Tour heads east towards the Vosges mountains and this is a final transition stage ahead of the mountains. Two late climbs add some suspense to the finish, it’s uncertain if the sprinters can cope. There’s nothing severe but it makes for a finish that’s harder to control.

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