2016 Tour de France: Chris Froome tightens grip – uphill TT today

Ilnur Zaharin won yesterday's steep climb to Finaut-Emosson to take his first Tour de France stage, while Rafa Majka strengthened his position in the Polka Dot jersey. Majka has 173 points to Thomas de Gendt on 90 and Zaharin on 78. As usual Peter Sagan got into the break to snaffle maximum points from the intermediate sprint and then did a club run ride to the finish. Sagan has 425 points to Marcel Kittel's 228, so Green is his unless he crashes out.      

In the last kilometre Chris Froome gained time on all of his GC rivals apart from Richie Porte when Richie attacked. Of Chris' closest rivals the biggest losers were Nairo Quintana (28 seconds) and Bauke Mollema (40 seconds).  Alejandro Valverde and Dan Martin, who made an unsuccessful attack on the final climb, also lost significant time. Adam Yates put in another fine performance coming in just 8 seconds after Froome and Porte.

Once again the Sky train proved to be utterly dominant, although Astana did take to the front for a while with Vincenzo Nibali and Diego Rosa. Was the plan for Fabio Aru to attack? If it was nothing happened apart from first Nibali and then Rosa burning themselves out. 

Once again Tejay Van Garderen showed that he doesn't last the three weeks of the Tour when he blew up on the penultimate climb and lost nearly 20 minutes to Froome. This leaves Porte as the undisputed BMC leader.  

 

Stage 18: Sallanches to Megève – 17 km mountain time trial 

Today's mountain time trial is a tribute to Bernard Hinault's World Championship win here in 1980. I expect that Chris Froome will put further time into his GC rivals. It is now going to take a real disaster to stop Froome winning his third TDF. He deserves to win as to date he has shown himself to be the dominant rider. 

#TDF2015: Brave stage win for Simon Geschke, TJ out, Froome gains time + beast today

 Stage 17: top 23 headed by Simon Geschke

 

 Overall after Stage 17 down to 23rd.

Simon Geschke claimed his first Tour de France stage win with a very brave ride to Pra Loup. He attacked from the breakaway with over 40K to go to the finish a little before the start of the long climb up the Col d'Allos. He held his advantage over his chasers on the scary descent down the Col and had enough time to get up the slightly more than 6K climb up to Pra Loup despite a frantic chase from Andrew Talansky. Thibaut Pinot, Geschke's closest chaser at the top of the Col d'Allos crashed on the descent. Although Pinot remounted quickly he was passed by several riders later on the descent.

For the GC contenders the big news of the day was Tejay Van Garderen abandoning the race with respiratory problems apparently caused by a cold picked up at the end of the very hot Stage 13. TJ's departure moves Alejandro Valverde onto the Paris podium. 

Chris Froome descended the Col d'Allos well and during the stage held off attacks from Contador, Nibali and Quintana. Contador crashed on the Allos descent and lost 2.17 to Froome on the day. Late attacks on the climb to the finish saw Valverde concede 7 seconds to Froome and Nibali 15 seconds.  

Overall Froome is now 3.10 ahead of Quintana, 4.09 on Valverde, 6.34 on his team mate Geraint Thomas, 6.40 on Contador and 8.04 on Nibali. Warren Barguil is the leading French rider 13.08 down. 

•••

Stage 18: Gap to Saint-Jean-de Maurienne 186.5 kms   

 

 

If yesterday's stage was tough, today's will be even tougher with the climb up the Col du Glandon followed by a Tour first up Les Lacets de Montvernier just before the finish. I'll be surprised if all the leading contenders finish close together at the end of this stage. Nairo Quintana will surely hope to take some time out of Chris Froome today. Unless Froome has a really bad day then it is now really only Quintana who can prevent Froome from winning in Paris. 

#TDF2015: crunch time – first of four Alpine stages

 

Today is the first of four Alpine stages, which will either confirm Chris Froome as the winner of this 2015 edition or someone else – most likely Nairo Quintana – will take over the Yellow Jersey. Today's 17th stage is the same as the one run in June for the Dauphine where Romain Bardet gained time on the difficulat descent off the Col d'Allos. Can he, Valverde, or Nibali do the same day or will Sky make the climb up the Allos difficult enough to shake off their rivals?

In Paris I think we will see Froome, Quintana and Valverde taking the top three places? In that order? Probably but Quintana still has a chance to win this Tour over the next four days. I think that the rather robotic Tejay Van Garderen will slipout of third place. He seems to have been content to follow the leaders and not make any attack himself. Will that change in the Alps?    

#TDF2015: Chris Froome dominates his rivals

 Top 21 finshers on Stage 10 – from Froome to Nibali – 4.25 down.

Overall after Stage 10: comfort zone Froome for the moment

With his attack 6.3 kilometres from the finish, Chris Froome crushed his remaining rivals on the first mountain stage of this year's Tour. As suspected the climb to La Pierre-Saint-Martin found out a huge number of the riders who had difficulty adjusting from riding on the relative flat for nine days to riding up a steep climb. 

After Moviestar team failed to break Chris Froome and Sky on the lower slopes, Sky – Geraint Thomas, Richie Porte and Chris Froome – took over forcing the pace, which dropped all of their opponents apart from Nairo Quintana. When Froome attacked Quintana had no response and finished 1.04 down overtaken close to the line by Richie Porte. 

Froome's other leading rivals lost even more time –  Alejandro Valverde (2.01), Tejay Van Garderen (2.30), Alberto Contador (2.51), Bauke Mollema (4.09) and Vincenzo Nibali, who was dropped early on, came in 4.25 down. 

As well as Sky's Richie Porte (59") and Geraint Thomas (2.01), there were good rides from Robert Gesink (1.33) Adam Yates (2.04), Pierre Rolland (2.04), Tony Gallopin (2.22) and Warren Barguil (3.19) despite a nasty crash earlier on in the stage. It was another horrible day for Thibaut Pinot, who was dropped very early and came in 10.03 down. It was wasn't a lot better for another young French hope – Romain Bardet who lost 8.50. 

All of Froome's leading rivals appeared to have heavy legs – even the normally impressive Quintana lacked zip.

Although the Tour is far from over Chris Froome has a very comfortable lead. He has 2.52 on Van Garderen (2nd), Quintana (3.09 – 3rd), Valverde (4.01 - 4th), Contador (4.01 - 6th) and Vincenzo Nibali (6.57 – 10th). Chris' fellow Sky rider Geraint Thomas is 5th at 4.03 down.  

••

Stage 11: Pau to Cauterets: 188 kms

 

 

If yesterday's stage was tough today's is even tougher with six categorised climbs including the Col d'Aspin (1st) and the Tourmalet (HC). Will Froome again take time on his rivals or can they surprise him and Sky – perhaps with an attack on the long descent from the Tourmalet ? Will Sky allow a breakway to make it all the way? Will Nibali lose yet more time?

The intermediate sprint is at 56.5 kms so all the sprinters should still be in and they may try to prevent a breakaway succeeding before this sprint. In yesterday's sprint André Griepel took back the Green Jersey from Peter Sagan.  

#TDF2015: BMC win by one second – Chris Froome well placed

Team BMC just won the Team Time Trial yesterday holding off Sky by one second. Sky might well have won but they had to slow a little so as not to drop Nicolas Roche, their fifth man, who was suffering on the final climb to the finish. 

Despite this disappointment Chris Froome and Sky must be well content with their position at the first rest day. Of his rivals only Tejay Van Garderen is close at 12 seconds. Tejay gained a second on Froome yesterday but all the others lost more time. Alberto Contador is now at 1'.03", Rigoberto Uran 1.18, Alejandro Valverde 1.50, Nairo Quintana 1.59 and Vincenzo Nibali down at 2.22. Tony Gallopin is the best placed Frenchman at 2.01.

 Stage 10 Profile – the first mountain stage 

After today's rest day in Pau comes the first mountain stage with a Hors Category climb – La Pierre-Saint-Martin – to the finish. This will be the first really big test for the GC contenders. Will Sky ride hard in the second half of the stage to put their rivals under pressure? The first mountain stage can often really shake up the GC contenders with the sudden change from riding on the relative flat to a steep mountain climb. In the past such stages have produced big gaps amongst the leading contenders. 

The finish of Tuesday's stage could be very exciting!     

#TDF2015 Alexis Vuillermoz conquers Le Mur + Team Time Trial to shake up Overall Standings

 Top 20 on Stage 8 with Alexis Vuillermoz as clear winner 

 

Overall top 21 led by Chris Froome in Yellow 

Alexis Vuillermoz confirmed the promise he showed on Le Mur de Huy (Stage 3) where he was third by winning on Le Mur de Bretagne. This was Vuillermoz's first TDF stage win and France's first success in this 2015 edition. I had meant to include Vuillermoz in my list of favourites for the stage but needed to check the spelling of his name and then never got round to including him. Anyway an impressive win. 

Chris Froome showed at the front on the climb of Le Mur de Bretagne making sure his rivals didn't grab any time but didn't follow Vuillermoz's second attack, presumably not wanting to waste too much energy, which will be needed for today's time trial. Froome and Vuillermoz's first acceleration was enough to drop Vincenzo Nibali, who lost 10 seconds on the stage to Froome and the other leading GC contenders. 1.48 down overall Nibali doesn't appear to be on the same form as last year when he won the Tour comfortably. However, perhaps he will get some time back in the Team Time Trial today and 1.48 can easily be made up in the mountains if Nibali can find his form. However, so at the moment he appears to be at the same level as he was in the Dauphiné. 

Peter Sagan ended the day in Green as the points leader. With the Tour now getting mountainous the intermediate sprints will be crucial if André Griepel is to get the jersey back off Sagan.  

••• 

Stage 9: Vannes to Plumelec 28 K Team Time Trial

Last 5 kms of stage showing uphill finish at 6.2

Today's lumpy Team Time Trial will be crucial for the GC contenders keen either to gain time on their rivals or not lose too much. Tejay Van Garderen's BMC could put him in Yellow tonight, which would be his first.  

2014 Tour de France: race of truth from Bergerac to Perigueux

Stage 20: Bergerac to Perigueux 54 km time trial

Today's 54-kilometre time trial is the last crucial Tour stage for the overall contenders and it is a tough one. The course undulates throughout with very few flat sections, so it will suit a powerful time triallist. World Time Trial Champion Tony Martin is the clear favourite. He has no problem climbing as his long solo victory in the Vosges showed.

The real battle is going to be for the final placings in the Top 10, especially the remaining two places on the podium in Paris with only fifteen seconds between Thibaut Pinot in 2nd place, Jean-Christophe Peraud (3rd) and Alejandro Valverde in 4th. It would be good to see both Frenchmen Pinot and Peraud on the podium but it is very difficult to call who will be on the steps. It is also possible that if some of them have a really bad day that Tejay Van Garderen on a good ride could move further up the order than imagined.  

Météo France is forecasting sunshine with some clouds, although some previews are suggesting rain in the morning with the weather clearing up in the afternoon. 

Overall standings after Stage 19 

Detailed review of the course and the contenders here.

2012 Tour de France: a few reflections

Waterfront@Pauillac 2010 – does Latour 1982 make you go faster?

After just over three weeks spent following the Tour, I'm feeling a little bereft today now that it has finished. Time, then, for a few reflections on the 2012 edition. 

Some have suggested that this year's Tour was boring. I don't agree and not just because Bradley Wiggins became the first British rider ever to win the Tour plus Chris Froome's second place, seven stage wins by UK riders – three of them by Mark Cavendish. Although fewer than in previous years, Mark's stage wins take him to 23 in five years putting him in 4th place in the overall stage winners' ranking. Only Eddy Merckx (34), Bernard Hinault (28) and André Leducq (25) have won more. Mark Cavendish is now the most successful sprinter in the Tour's history.

Yes Alberto Contador was not present because of suspension. Nor was Andy Schleck due to injury. Would the outcome have been any different had they been competing? I have my doubts. Schleck surely would not have put enough time into either Wiggins or Froome in the mountains to have survived the two long time trials. Less certain with regard to Contador but he wasn't hugely impressive in the 2011 and 2010 editions. Wiggins beat Contador in the 2010 final time trial from Bordeaux to Pauillac and Wiggins' time trialling has improved considerably since then as his two stage victories this year showed. Indeed at one point Contador was even losing time to Andy Schleck. 

There were some thrilling victories by Peter Sagan – the first stage and the third into Boulogne – and by Thomas Voeckler at Bellegarde-sur-Valserine, Pierre Rolland at La Toussuire, Thibaut Pinot at Porrentruy and Chris Froome at La Planche des Belles Filles to mention a few. Then there were the two mesmerising wins by Mark Cavendish first at Tournai and then stunningly at Brive.

The French had a good Tour with Thomas Voeckler winning the Mountain Jersey competition and two stages. Long-term, even better news may well be the emergence of Thibault Pinot and Pierre Rolland's fine ride. All in all, five stage victories to the host nation. Then, of course, there are more young stars – Peter Sagan, especially, and Tejay Van Garderen. 

No – not boring at all!