Sporting rivalries make great stories, a binary contest that’s easy to grasp even if the underlying story can be more sophisticated. This summer we expected to see Alberto Contador vs Chris Froome but this didn’t go far. We also had Froome and Bradley Wiggins, a rivalry by distance sporadically conducted in public via book launches and interviews. “Slaying The Badger” is the story of Bernard Hinault and Greg LeMond, two riders on the same team each trying to win the Tour de France. Or were they?
Calculating The Time Cut
There’s a time cut for every stage of the Tour de France. A rider finishing outside of the time limit is out of the race. Another of the Tour de France’s Frequently Asked Questions is how are the time cuts calculated. Here’s the explainer and the numbers for this year’s Tour.
Tour de France Stage 14 Preview
The Tour de France has a fourth dimension. It can indulge in time travel and today it crosses the Col d’Izoard, the high point of the race this year and a highlight from over the years, a road that’s become legendary over the years.
Today’s vintage might be less celebrated but there’s still plenty to race for. It’s also live on TV from start to finish.
Tour de France Stage 13 Preview
For all the talk of a certain Vincenzo Nibali victory we’ve only had one real mountain stage so far. Now here’s the first of the two Alpine stages, one of the decisive days. The Col de Palaquit is new to the Tour de France and a nasty surprise for some before the surprisingly tough finish to Chamrousse.
Filtering The Breakaway
Several stages have been shown live on TV so far and sometimes there’s a fierce battle to get in the break the suddenly the bunch suddenly sits up and the breakaway is allowed to ride away. How? Why?
Tour de France Stage 12 Preview
A repeat of yesterday’s stage? It looks similar with third and fourth category climbs late in the stage before a descent to the finish. But the geography is very different and it should make for a different kind of stage.
Tour de France Stage 11 Preview
After the Vosges, the Jura. Today’s stage doesn’t get too mountainous but the finish includes several steep climbs that will eject the sprinters and let attacking riders take their chance.
There’s also a bonus climb after the categorised ones and just for fun it’s got running water, loose gravel and potholes on the way up… and down.
How Are Climbs Categorised?
The Tour de France has completed three stages in the Vosges, visits the Jura range tomorrow before the Alps and then the Pyrennes. The race rates climbs with five labels, from 4th category for the easiest all the way to 1st category and then HC for hors catégorie, or “beyond categorisation”. A frequently asked question is how are these categories determined.
Tour de France Stage 10 Wrap
With no preview tomorrow because it’s a rest day here’s the daily take on the day’s stage. It was a day marked by the loss of Alberto Contador as much as the win by Vincenzo Nibali.