The Inner Ring

Café Culture in France

July 26, 2018

A coffee stop away from the Tour de France, dare we say a look at a “French cultural thing”? Many foreigners and perhaps some French people too complain about the way coffee tastes in France but what if actually getting a coffee during your ride was the real problem?

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Tour de France Stage 18 Preview

July 26, 2018

A pause in the mountain stages, today’s stage offers a gourmet journey to Pau for the cyclotouriste. For the race a likely sprint finish but so many teams have won nothing in the Tour so far that the day’s breakaway is unlikely to belong to a handful of wildcard dreamers.

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Tour de France Stage 17 Preview

July 25, 2018

The stage that caused many intakes of breath when it was unveiled last October will now cause even more. Just 65km and barely a metre of flat roads, there’s even a theatrical grid for the riders on the startline.

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Roads to Ride: The Col de Menté

July 24, 2018

As part of the series exploring roads used by the big races, here’s the Col de Menté in the French Pyrenees, a quiet climb with a tragic history.

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Tour de France Stage 16 Preview

July 24, 2018

The first of three mountain stages in the Pyrenees, this one should be for the breakaway meaning a ferocious start to the stage just to hitch a ride on the wagon for the day and then three sharp climbs to help pick the winner later. The GC riders will probably aim to conserve energy ahead […]

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Rest Day Review

July 23, 2018

It’s been a long week. The BMC Racing have been rescued, numerous GC contenders have fallen or faded. There’s still uncertainty over the general classification and the eventual winner of the Tour de France, not something we’ve experienced for some time. Geraint Thomas is in a strong position but the more Team Sky deploy their […]

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Tour de France Stage 15 Preview

July 22, 2018

The breakaway stage par excellence, today’s route offers many in the peloton a shot at glory. There’s also a trap for the overall contenders as the forecast says the local Vent d’Autan will blow, promising crosswinds for the finish.

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The Tour’s Team Prize

July 21, 2018

Nairo Quintana and his Movistar team mates have yellow helmets. It’s because they lead the Tour de France’s team competition and is a visible sign of a largely hidden but sometimes tactically significant prize. The team prize is the least understood of the official classifications in the Tour de France but it can have a […]

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