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 direct tactical influence on the race. With all that’s going on in the race this prize rarely gets any attention but it matters to some.
A good day for the breakaway and the tough finish above Mende that’s always harder than it looks on paper.
A sprint stage? Probably but with few sprinters left in the race it means fewer teams to chase.
Back in 2015 this blog looked at the explosion of podcasts on offer, marvelling at the audio choice. Now those look like lean days, the medium has taken off and there’s more choice than ever. A few suggestions and feel free to share yours in the comments below…
Hardly a metre of flat, if some riders tried to save energy yesterday then today was a reason. It’s only 108km and packs in four good climbs.
The Tour heads into the mountains with the first of three consecutive Alpine stages. There’s no gentle start, this is a hard stage with some steep climbs throughout.
Not many years ago the opening week of the Tour de France was something for followers to get through as the race crossed the plains of northern France with little else than repeat sprint finishes. This year it’s a been an endurance test for TV viewers sometimes but also a gruelling variety event for the contenders with crashes, cobbles and stress. The race has resembled the old board game of Snakes and Ladders. A roll of the dice here and a rider crashes; a roll there and they regain time in another stage.
The pavé of Paris-Roubaix await, a constant succession of cobbled sectors and two races within the day: the race to win the stage and the race to stay in contention on the overall classification.
Bastille day in France but not quite a route to celebrate. Expect big crowds and a bunch sprint. Today’s finish is the first genuine flat finish of the race so far and will be hectic as it’s the last chance for the sprinters for a long time and several big names are under pressure to deliver.
