Awards and citations:


1997: Le Prix du Champagne Lanson Noble Cuvée Award for investigations into Champagne for the Millennium investment scams

2001: Le Prix Champagne Lanson Ivory Award for investdrinks.org

2011: Vindic d'Or MMXI – 'Meilleur blog anti-1855'

2011: Robert M. Parker, Jnr: ‘This blogger...’:

2012: Born Digital Wine Awards: No Pay No Jay – best investigative wine story

2012: International Wine Challenge – Personality of the Year Award




Tuesday 5 July 2011

2011 Tour de France: Stage 4 – Lorient - Mûr-de-Bretagne

Café in Menetou-Salon decorated for the passing of the 2009 Tour through the town

No Loire vigneron today as the race has moved away from the vineyards into Brittany. Next selected Loire vigneron will be for Stage 7 – Le Mans to Châteauroux, which passes through Chaumont, Montrichard, Céré-la-Ronde, etc.

Today's stage starts on the coast at Lorient and initially is quite flat but soon becomes quite lumpy – nothing very high but plenty of up and downs. The stage finishes on top of the two kilometre Mûr-de-Bretagne climb. Philippe Gilbert. the winner of the first stage, is the big favourite to win. I think there is a good chance that Cadel Evans, who was second on the first stage, will find that this uphill finish will suit him and that he could take the Yellow Jersey as he is only a second behind Thor Hushvod.

Hopefully there won't be any crashes today in the lead up to the Mûr, with riders jostling to get the best position. If they happen within 3 km of the finish riders won't lose any time but if there is a crash before that we could again see any leading contenders caught out losing time.

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