After yesterday’s wild stage here’s an even harder stage, a collection of climbs with slopes that are regularly above 10%, selective for the front of the race and a battle for those at the back.
Month: July 2017
Tour de France Stage 8 Preview
A stage with beautiful roads, medium mountains and hidden climbs. There will be action and for those who don’t attack these roads will be tiring ahead of tomorrow’s crucial stage.
Tour de France Stage 7 Preview
Another sprint stage, the last before two stages in the Jura mountains. The sprinters will dream of the finish today and fear what lies ahead this weekend.
Tour de France Stage 6 Preview
After a brief test of the main contenders, back to the first of two consecutive sprint stages, a chance for the sprinters to shine before a few risk being eliminated in the mountains this weekend… or by the commissaires this afternoon.
The Reasons Why Every Tour Stage is Shown Live in Full
When Guillaume Van Keirsbulck took off yesterday we got to see his attack live on TV and then the rest of the 200km procession. Good TV? Perhaps not unless you’re tuning in for the scenery but it’s better than the alternatives on a midweek afternoon.
Having all the stages televised live from start to finish is a novelty for 2017. Why? It’s a story of supply, demand and dull daytime TV schedules.
Tour de France Stage 5 Preview
The first mountain stage of the race with the Planche des Belles Filles “summit finish”, a hard climb and the first time we’ll get a a vertical pecking order among the contenders for the overall win. All without Peter Sagan.
Tour de France Stage 3 Preview
A hilly stage with a lively uphill finish. The different finish means different teams will chase today because the slopes in Longwy are too much for most sprinters which in turn means more riders might fancy their chance in the day’s breakaway.
Team Sky’s “New” Skinsuit
Much has been made of Team Sky placing four riders in the top-10 of the Tour de France’s opening stage, including the special skinsuit with talk of a special new fabric incorporating aerodynamic advantages. Here’s a closer look at the material and the topic.
The Düsseldorf Prologue
The choice of Düsseldorf was no accident. For sure it’s just over the border from France and the Tour de France likes its foreign starts, think of Yorkshire, Rotterdam and London in recent years. These foreign starts pay handsomely for the privilege and Düsseldorf paid close to €5 million. Look at this is an investment by Tour de France and the sport in general in the future of cycling in Germany, Europe’s biggest consumer market but a barren land for pro cycling.