The final stage and one that starts as victory parade and ends as the most glamorous criterium.
Tour de France Stage 20 Preview
Geraint Thomas looks safe in the yellow jersey, he could even win the stage today but other steps of the podium are in play in today’s time trial with a course that puts the emphasis on trial.
Tour de France Stage 19 Preview
The final mountain stage of the Tour de France and a very hard day out with a mix of high climbs, “hidden” ascents and then a tricky descent to the finish.
Café Culture in France
A coffee stop away from the Tour de France, to look at, dare we say it, 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?
Tour de France Stage 18 Preview
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.
Tour de France Stage 17 Preview
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.
Roads to Ride: The Col de Menté
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.
Tour de France Stage 16 Preview
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 of tomorrow’s stage but that’s a tall order on this long day.
Rest Day Review
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 habitual tactics, the more it suits Tom Dumoulin.
Tour de France Stage 15 Preview
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.