Tour de France | The Inner Ring

Tour de France Stage 18 Preview

Thursday, 25 July 2019Thursday, 25 July 2019

The first of three days in the high mountains, today’s stage is characterised by its distance and the succession of three climbs above 2,000m.

Hosting The Tour

Wednesday, 8 December 2021Wednesday, 24 July 2019

While you’re enjoying this year’s Tour, next year’s route is near to being signed-off and the 2021 route is taking shape too. There can be up to 300 towns applying to host a stage of the Tour de France each year and race organiser ASO can thread the race among these towns, but also make a detour here and there to visit places that haven’t asked but could be good for the race and usually they say yes. Towns pay for the privilege and we’ll see how much below but the income from the hosting fees isn’t as important as it used to be and this might give the race more opportunities to visit remote areas if they can provide a spectacle.

Tour de France Stage 17 Preview

Wednesday, 24 July 2019Wednesday, 24 July 2019

A long day in hot weather to Gap, this kind of day is often labelled as a “transition stage” as the race makes its way to the foot of the Alps but if only it would be as easy to ride as it sounds as this is the last day a breakaway can be certain of making it to the finish and half the peloton will have ambitions today.

1989 Tour de France, Part II

Wednesday, 24 July 2019Tuesday, 23 July 2019

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It’s the 30th anniversary of the 1989 Tour de France, a vintage edition of the race. It’s famous for the eight second gap between the winner Greg LeMond and Laurent Fignon, the narrowest margin of victory in the history of the race. Yet this was only the final moment of the race, the three weeks before this and even the months and years leading up to the race made it great. In the second part of a series looking at the 1989 Tour, here’s a look at the opening phase of the race and what made it stand out.

Tour de France Stage 16 Preview

Tuesday, 23 July 2019Tuesday, 23 July 2019

A day to ease back into the racing for some and a likely conclusion for the sprinters. The weather could be a factor as it’s certain to be hot and could be windy.

Tour de France Rest Day Review

Monday, 22 July 2019Monday, 22 July 2019

Le Tour’s turning out to be a vintage edition, a three week game of snakes and ladders with riders going up and down almost every day. Julian Alaphilippe’s looked brittle yet leaves the Pyrenees with more of lead than he went in with. Thibaut Pinot’s had the best weekend, taking back more time on Saturday and Sunday than he lost in the crosswinds to Albi. Steven Kruijswijk’s strong and the longer Alpine climbs should suit him more plus his Jumbo-Visma team look very strong. Ineos aren’t out of the race either with Geraint Thomas still second overall and Egan Bernal was the last to hold Thibaut Pinot’s wheel on the Prat d’Albis. Then come a list of riders with nothing to lose and as we saw yesterday on the Mur de Péguère, riders like Landa aren’t waiting for the final climb to launch raids.