A short stage and coming after the rest day it could prove a shock for some as some riders emerge rested whilst others need a day or two to get back into things although given some recent events everyone will welcome a return to the racing.

It’s a scenic route through the Lot area of France, a peaceful area of France where a lot of foie gras and truffles come from the causse although it ends up in a town famous for coal mining instead of rustic traditions. Cycling-wise the curiosity is the lack of roads in the area, there are very few junctions along the way, yet alone villages and towns.

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The mainstream French press might have headlines about the woes of the Euro currency this morning but nobody’s going to turn down a truckload of money, whether they’re Greek citizens or Belgian cyclists.

Below is a list of prizes earned so far during the race. As you can see, Omega-Pharma Lotto have struck the jackpot thanks to Philippe Gilbert’s consistent riding, and Garmin-Cervélo’s efforts with Thor Hushovd have had a similar effect.

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There’s no racing today. Instead the riders have a so-called rest day. It’s a chance to recover from the first week but it’s hard to escape the race. Most riders will aim to do at least an hour on the bike if not two, even those with injuries will try to go for a spin or maybe sit on a stationery bike.

The riders will sleep for longer than usual and emerge for breakfast a bit more slowly. The normal race routine is broken twice, first because there’s no need to wolf down pasta and rice for breakfast and again because when riders go back to their hotel room they don’t have to pack because they’ve got another night in the same hotel.

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Many fans were distressed to see the video of Chris Horner from Friday. He crashed late in the stage, the same move that took out FDJ’s Rémi Pauriol and Sky’s Bradley Wiggins but whilst these two were holding their arms in the tell-tale sign of a broken collarbone, the Radioshack rider was apparently unconcious in the roadside ditch. He came to and finished the stage but crossed the finish line unaware of where he was and what was going on around him, seemingly riding the last part of the race on instinct alone.

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Eight categorised climbs today, that’s more than we had during the first five days of the race and the points total available today is greater than the whole race so far. As a result, it’s a key stage for anyone with half an eye on the Mountains jersey, especially those unable to contest the final summit finishes.

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My third piece for cyclingnews.com is now online.

I wanted to take a look at the first hour of racing because sometimes – not every day – the racing can be exciting and dynamic but all too often the TV cameras are not there and viewers miss the action. It’s too easy to switch on the TV for the last hour and watch the breakaway either get reeled in or to see the escape fragment under attacks and think this is the big action of the day when sometimes the riding needed to escape is heroic.

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If you enjoy playing one of the several fantasy cycling teams then Cyrille Guimard is a name to remember. He has correctly picked five of the seven stage winners so far in the race.

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