Bottles from the Circle of Wine Writers BYOB @Lahore Kebab House 27.4.2015 + Alex Dowsett Record

The Circle of Wine Writers held a BYOB at the Lahore Kebab House in East London on Monday 27th April. As usual at the Lahore the food was good as well as copious and as you might expect there were some very interesting bottles to try.   

 Laura Semeria: 2010 Cour-Cheverny, Domaine de Montcy

I took along a couple of Loire wines that proved to be popular. Firstly the 2010 Cour-Cheverny from Laura Semeria's Domaine de Montcy. The appellation has to be 100% Romorantin and this is just really getting into its stride. Romorantin, like Hunter Valley Semillon, can often be quite bland and uninteresting in when young but with bottle age becomes complexity and interesting. The 2010 had a fine balance of rich, honeyed fruit and acidity making it a delicious way to start the evening.

2012 Charlouise, Sancerre Rouge from Vincent Pinard was my second wine. With its wonderfully vibrant and silky red fruits this proved to be one of the stars of the evening – surprising some by the quality of Pinot Noir now comimng out of Sancerre and other Central Vineyard appellations like Menetou-Salon and Reuilly.

 2009 Moulin à Vent, Domaine Benoit Trichard 

2009 was a very good vintage in Beaujolais

This showed why some are now reassessing Beaujolais

The back label below

 Line-up of a few of the wines – including 2002 Brokenwood Shiraz, 

which was their first screwcapped vintage. It has aged well and is still quite youthful

 The sole example of a Chenin Blanc: 

the fine 2012 from Doran Vineyards, South Africa

 2008 Riesling from Château des Charmes (Canada)

 Scenes from the evening

 2010 Dry Riesling, Marlborough, New Zealand

 Stunningly good Palo Cortado from Fernando de Castilla

••••

Many congratulations to Alex Dowsett on breaking the hour record today. See the brief highlights here. Will Bradley Wiggins break this new record and if so by how much when he tries in June in London.

Giro d'Italia: an eventful 2nd week

Round up of the second week in the Giro 

Much has happened over the past week as is quite often the case in a grand tour but especially this one that has subjected the riders to much such challenging weather - cold and often torrential rain.

The week has seen Vincenzo Nibali take over and look very comfortable wearing the leader's pink jersey. His closest rivals are now Cadel Evans at 41 seconds and Rigoberto Uran at 2.04 Unless Nibali has a bad day Uran looks to be the best bet for taking the fight to Nibali, while Evans will hang in there though I doubt if he can break Nibali.

Bradley Wiggins gradually slipped from contention undermined initially by nervousness in descending in the wet. Then he failed to take significant time from his rivals in last Saturday's long time trial, though he did show very strongly in the second half. Finally Wiggins' hopes of winning the Giro were KO'ed by a lung infection and withdrew from the race yesterday. Also out is Ryder Hesjedal suffering with a mysterious illness and already way out of contention.

Last Saturday saw a first stage victory for Alex Dowsett, who won the time trial by 10 seconds from Bradley Wiggins. It was also good to see three winners from long breakaways - Alexis M, Adam Hansen, Maxim Belkov and Ramunas Navardauskas. Mark Cavendish has racked up another two stages taking his career total to 101. Certainly impressive but still well behind Eric Zabel's total of over 200. His third stage win came from a great lead out by Gertrude Steegmans, while at the end of yesterday's stage he was left to his own devices, although his team had worked very hard to control and bring back the break.

From now on it is real crunch time with the big mountain stages to come, where we are likely to see to see a significant number of withdrawals from the race. On the evidence so far my guess is that by this time next Saturday Nibali will still be in the lead but then I had Ryder Hesjedal as one of my favourites!

2013 Giro d'Italia - a look back at the first week

The first thing to say is that over this week the Giro has already demonstrated that it is an extremely tough bike race and arguably tougher than the Tour de France. Take yesterday's very tough and tricky stage with its many short sharp hills with sections at 18%. A stage made even more difficult by the heavy rain in the final part making the descents hazardous, causing many riders to crash including Nibali, Sella (twice) and Wiggins. Le Tour de France just doesn't have similar leg breaking stages, although because of its prestige and history it does attract all the very best riders, making it difficult to win.

On days like yesterday the tough men come to the fore and it was great and fitting to see Adam Hansen win on his own in Pescara after being in the break for much of the stage. Two years ago another tough Australian, Cadel Evans, won a similar pig of a stage across the white roads of Tuscany to Montalcino.

No surprise to see Cadel finish in the group of favourites a little over a minute behind Hansen. He seems to be in good form having taken second place in a sprint on Stage 3 and it would be good to see him win the 2013 Giro. But Evans will have to beat Vincenzo Nibali and last year's winner Ryder Hesjedal who have both been impressive in this first week. Nibali appears to be fearless on the descents: although he crashed yesterday and slid several metres along the road he was straight back on his bike to finish in the leading bunch.

After a good first two days it has been a difficult week for Bradley Wiggins. Last Sunday night saw Bradley in second place overall after Sky won the team time trial but he lost that advantage the following day. On Wednesday he lost further time and even more yesterday, while understandably looking very uncomfortable on the final descent. The normally dominant Sky team haven't so far been able to exert their customary control over this race.

Bradley starts today's long time trial having to play catch up rather than as planned using the TT to build a cushion against the likes of Nibali for the tough mountain stages to come. He is currently 1.32 behind the current wearer of the pink jersey – Beñat Intxausti, 1.27 behind Nibali, 1.24 to Hesjedal and 1.16 to Evans. The time trial has a nasty kick in the finish with a 3.5 kilometre climb with a maximum gradient of 13%. If Bradley goes well and assuming he didn’t injure himself yesterday, he should be ahead of Nibali on General Classification to night but it will be much tighter against Evans and Hesjedal, who are both good time trialists. Today's stage should show whether Bradley really is as fit as he was last year. He will be praying for dry weather today.

This first week will have been much more satisfying for Mark Cavendish, the UK’s other star rider in this year’s Giro. Mark won the first stage in Naples and wore the Pink Jersey for the day and is currently wearing of the Red Jersey (points). He also won Thursday’s stage in a sprint where the Omega Pharma Quickstep train worked perfectly for once. It had misfired in the first stage as it has done on a number of occasions this season. Mark has now won 12 stages at the Giro.

My overall contenders are now: Evans, Hesjedal and Nibali with Wiggins as an outsider. There is, of course, a long way to go yet!    

Best way to keep up with the Giro is to go to Steephill TV. Wiggins starts at 15.08 (CET), Evans (15.45), Hesjedal (15.54), Nibali (15.57) and Intxausti (16.00). 

Update after time trial   

Alex Dowsett, UK time trial champion, wins Bradley Wiggins second, while Vincenzo Nibali takes over the race lead following an excellent time trial. Wiggins lost a little time with a puncture and also seemed pretty cautious on the descents. Ryder Hesjedal may well be disaapointed to lose significant time to Nibali. For the moment advantage – Vincenzo Nibali. 

Stage
1. Alex Dowsett   1.16.27
2. Bradley Wiggins  +10 secs
3. Tanel Kangert     + 14 secs
4. Vincenzo Nibali   + 21 secs
7. Cadel Evans       + 39 secs
18. Ryder Hesjedal  + 2.23

Overall
1. Vincenzo Nibali 29.46.57
2. Cadel Evans      +   29 secs
3. Robert Gesink    + 1.15
4. Bradley Wiggins  + 1.16
5. Michele Scarponi  + 1.24
6. Ryder Hesjedal    + 2.05
      

Cav in the Pink this evening?

A mountain bike might come in useful for 

some of the stages in the last week of this Giro!

The Giro d'Italia starts today in Naples with a short 130 kilometre stage based around Naples. It should end in a bunch sprint giving Mark Cavendish a good chance of winning the stage and taking the Pink Jersey, worn by the overall leader of the Giro. If Cav was still with either HTC Columbia or Team Sky I'd be very confident that Mark will duly win today. Now that he is with Omega Pharma Lotto I'm less sure as the lead out train hasn't yet worked as efficiently as HTC and Sky, which is why there is talk of Mark Renshaw joining Cav next year. However, Cav is a brilliant improviser and can win even when his train is not at its best, especially if he is really keen to win, which he will be.  

Here's hoping that Cav is in Pink this evening!

Overall winner? I think the steep mountain stages may well suit Vincenzo Nibali better than Bradley Wiggins, although there is a substantial time trial distance to compensate. Nor should last year's winner Ryder Hesjedal be discounted.    

Update: Cav wins difficult sprint and wears first Pink Jersey of 2013. This marks his 100th victory in his career and 11th stage win in the Giro. 

2014 Tour de France to start in Yorkshire

2010 Tour de France banner@Pauillac

The 2014 edition of Le Tour de France will start in Yorkshire. The first two stages will be held in Yorkshire – first one in Leeds, while the third stage will feature a finish in London – already pencilled in by Mark Cavendish? Details here and here. 

This will be the fourth time that the Tour has visited the UK – 1974, 1994 and 2007. It is a mark of the growth of cycling in the UK, in particular Bradley Wiggins winning this year's race, and the success of the Tour's last visit in 2007 that Le Tour has made such a speedy return to these shores.  

Men's Olympic time trial: Bradley Wiggins wins Gold in 50:39

Men's road race om Saturday

Magnificent time trial ride from Bradley Wiggins (50:39) to take Gold by 44 seconds from Tony Martin (51:21) getting silver and then Chris Froome (51.47) taking Bronze. Although Tony Martin led Bradley at the first time check Wiggins easily pulled that back over the rest of the course leading Martin by 11 seconds at the second, 22 seconds at the third and then 42 seconds on the line. Nevertheless a great effort from Tony Martin after his injury in the Tour. Equally a very brave ride from Fabian Cancellara to defend the Olympic Gold he won in Beijing. Clearly he hadn't recovered fully from his crash in the men's road race on Saturday.  

Full results here.

Fortunate that the national anthem at the medal ceremony wasn't sung by Lesley Garrett as it was on the Champs Elysée. Once again a stumbling poor commentary, especially from Hugh Porter who made numerous mistakes.  

London Winter Olympics: women and men's time trial

Men's road race on the big screen@Hyde Park

After the men and women's road races at the weekend today it is the women and men's time trial with the women's race run first. Both races are run on circuits based around Hampton Court. A pdf of the course can be downloaded from here. 

Women's race

The women will ride 29 kilometres about 18 miles with the first rider off at 12.30 then out 90 second intervals until Kristin Armstrong, the defending champion, is off last at 13.04.30. Unlike Beijing, which included a 305 metre the course is quite flat.  

At the 2008 Beijing Olympics Kristin Armstrong (US) took gold with a time of with Emma Pooley (GB-silver), Karin Thürig (Sui – bronze), Jeanne Longo-Ciprelli (Fr) was fourth and Christine Thornburn (US) fifth. Armstrong's winning time for the 23.5K course was 34.51.72. Of these five only Armstrong and Pooley are riding this afternoon. Further 2008 details here.   

Women's start times 


Start time - race number - rider
12:30:00 - 24 - Clemilda Fernandes (Brazil)
12:31:30 - 23 - Pia Sundstedt (Finland)
12:33:00 - 22 - Liesbet De Vocht (Belgium)
12:34:30 - 21 - Ashleigh Moolman (RSA)
12:36:00 - 20 - Audrey Cordon (France)
12:37:30 - 19 - Tatiana Antoshina (Russia)
12:39:00 - 18 - Elena Tchalykh (Azerbaijan)
12:40:30 - 17 - Tatiana Guderzo (Italy)
12:42:00 - 16 - Denise Ramsden (Canada)
12:43:30 - 15 - Olga Zabelinskaya (Russia)
12:45:00 - 14 - Emilia Fahlin (Sweden)
12:46:30 - 13 - Trixi Worrack (Germany)
12:48:00 - 12 - Noemi Cantele (Italy)
12:49:30 - 11 - Shara Gillow (Australia)
12:51:00 - 10 - Ellen Van Dijk (Netherlands)
12:52:30 - 9 - Elizabeth Armitstead (Great Britain)
12:54:00 - 8 - Emma Johansson (Sweden)
12:55:30 - 7 - Amber Neben (USA)
12:57:00 - 6 - Emma Pooley (Great Britain)
12:58:30 - 5 - Clara Hughes (Canada)
13:00:00 - 4 - Linda Villumsen (New Zealand)
13:01:30 - 3 - Marianne Vos (Netherlands)
13:03:00 - 2 - Judith Arndt (Germany)
13:04:30 - 1 - Kristin Armstrong (USA)

The men's race is over 44K (around 27.3 miles). It uses the women's course but with two additional loops. The first out in the direction of Molesley and the second up to Strawberry Hill. The first rider is off at 14.15 with 90 second gaps until Fabien Cancellara, the defending Olympic champion, sets off at 15.09. 

At the 2008 Beijing Olympics Cancellara took gold riding the 47.8K course in 1:2:11. Gustav Larsson (Swe) took silver, Levi Leipheimer (US) bronze while Alberto Contador was fourth and Cadel Evans fifth. Of these five only Cancellara and Larsson are riding this afternoon. More details of 2008 here. 

If Bradley Wiggins can repeat the form he showed in the two time trials  (Besançon and Chartres) in the Tour de France, then he should have a good chance of taking the gold. Much will depend upon Tony Martin and Fabian Cancellara will recover from their recent injuries. Other riders to consider include Luis Leon Sanchez, Chris Froome, Taylor Phinney and Michael Rogers. Performances in the last time trial stage in the Tour de France won't necessarily be a guide as some riders with nothing to gain after three weeks racing won't have gone 100%. Today they will.        

 Men's start times


14:15:00:   Mouhcine Lahsaini (Morocco)  
14:16:30:   Tomas Aurelio Gil Martinez (Venezuela)
14:18:00:   Alireza Haghi (Islamic Republic of Iran)
14:19:30:   Ahmet Akdilek (Turkey) 
14:21:00:   Magno Prado Nazaret (Brazil)
14:22:30:   Fumiyuki Beppu (Japan) 
14:24:00:   Assan Bazayev (Kazakhstan)
14:25:30:   David McCann (Ireland)
14:27:00:   Lars Ytting Bak (Denmark) 
14:28:30:   Michael Albasini (Switzerland)
14:30:00:   Fabio Andres Duarte Arevalo (Colombia)
14:31:30:   Lars Boom (Netherlands)
14:33:00:   Jack Bauer (New Zealand)
14:34:30:   Janez Brajkovic (Slovenia)
14:36:00:   Maciej Bodnar (Poland) 
14:37:30:   Philippe Gilbert (Belgium) 
14:39:00:   Alexandr Vinokurov (Kazakhstan)
14:40:30:   Ryder Hesjedal (Canada)
14:42:00:   Jonathan Castroviejo Nicolas (Spain)
14:43:30:   Jakob Fuglsang (Denmark) 
14:45:00:   Nelson Filipe Santos Simoes Oliveira (Port)
14:46:30:   Edvald Boasson Hagen (Norway) 
14:48:00:   Ramunas Navardauskas (Lithuania)
14:49:30    Denis Menchov (Russian Federation) 
14:51:00:   Lieuwe Westra (Netherlands) 
14:52:30:   Vasil Kiryienka (Belarus) 
14:54:00:   Gustav Larsson (Sweden) 
14:55:30:   Michael Rogers (Australia)
14:57:00:   Bert Grabsch (Germany) 
14:58:30:   Sylvain Chavanel (France) 
15:00:00:   Christopher Froome (Great Britain)
15:01:30:   Marco Pinotti (Italy)
15:03:00:   Luis Leon Sanchez Gil (Spain)
15:04:30:   Taylor Phinney (United States of America)
15:06:00:   Tony Martin (Germany)
15:07:30:   Bradley Wiggins (Great Britain)
15:09:00:   Fabian Cancellara (Switzerland)

What next for Mark Cavendish?

 Hyde Park: the big screen showing the men's Olympic road race yesterday

Has Mark Cavendish reached his limit with Sky? Now that the Olympic men's race is over it may well be decision time for Mark Cavendish. Will he stay with Team Sky or will he be tempted to move away to a team that is dedicated, like HTC Columbia was, to helping Cav to win the sprints. 

Doubtless Mark was happy to be in the Sky this year to help Bradley Wiggins be the first British rider to win The Tour de France. However, will he happy to work again as super-domestique fetching and carrying water bottles for the rest of Team Sky for a second year running? It seems unlikely as surely Cav will want to win as many stages as he can in the Tour and perhaps overhaul Eddy Merckx's record 34 victories, while Sky will want next year to concentrate on either helping Bradley to win for a second time or work for Chris Froome to take Yellow. Also with Sky Mark will have problems winning the Green Jersey again. 

Will Mark Cavendish move from Sky – David Brailsford has acknowledged that Cav could go. If Cav does move I wonder what the chances are of reuniting with Mark Renshaw, his brilliant lead-out man when they were HTC Columbia together. 

It was disappointing that the men's road race didn't come down to a big bunch sprint giving Cav a good chance to win a gold medal. It was, however, always going to be a big task for four riders to control the race. I can understand why other teams wouldn't work to bring the break back – Cav is just too fast for his own good! The Australians had someone in the break and André Griepel seemed to have lost some of his legs in the last week of the Tour. He was quite well back in the last two bunch sprints at Brive and on the Champs Elysées, so probably wasn't confident he could beat Cav on the Mall. Griepel did win the peloton bunch sprint but no real indication what would have happened had there been a full out bunch sprint for the medals. 


Women's Road Race
This was considerably more exciting than the Men's race yesterday. Very fine ride by Lizzie Armitstead to get Silver and also excellent by Emma Pooley. Congratulations to the winner – Marianne Vos.   
  
PS: Ludicrous security@Hyde Park
Ticketed spectators at the Hyde Park enclosed big screens not allowed to take any food or liquids into area. I was told it was due to security but surely had much more to do with persuading you to buy food and drink from the many stalls inside. Allowed to take in an empty small plastic or metal water bottle (no glass) but not with the top of a plastic bottle! Why? 
   

Riders on Box Hill shown on the big screen in Hyde Park

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!  

  

   

Tour de France 2012: Cav wins in Paris – Bradley Wiggins wins Tour

Mark Cavendish gained his fourth successive stage victory on the Champs-Élysées this afternoon. Cav went for a long sprint and held everyone else off, although it was a bit closer than some of his previous Parisian vistories. Mark is the first world race champion to win the final stage of the Tour in Paris.

First 8 on the Champs-Élysées: Mark Cavendish, Peter Sagan, Matthew Goss, Juan José Haedo, Kris Boekmans, Gregory Henderson, Borut Bozic and André Griepel. This win takes Mark Cavendish's total stage wins to 23. Only three riders have won more stages – Eddy Merckx (34), Bernard Hinault (28) and André Leducq (25). See here.  

In the bunch behind Cav, Bradley Wiggins safely crossed the finishing line to be the first Briton to win the Tour de France in the 99th edition with Chris Froome in second place. Fantastic achievement and a remarkable team effort!  

Final race standings.

2012 Tour de France: Bradley Wiggins' coronation + win No 23 for Cav?

The Tour's short final stage – 120K from Rambouillet to the Champs Élysée – is now largely a procession with no further attacks on the Yellow Jersey. The racing only starts once the riders reach the Champs Élysée, where the race customarily finishes in a bunch sprint. Assuming that the Sky train is in full working order another victory for Mark Cavendish looks more than probable. What a great double with Bradley Wiggins' confirmation (barring accidents) as winner of the 2012 Tour de France this would be! 

Cav has been involved in just three bunch sprints this year. He has won two – Tournai and Brive – but lost out to Griepel at Saint-Quentin, which was a tough uphill finish and came the day after Cav had been involved in a crash on the approach to Rouen. In the intermediate sprints that he contested, Cav was also the fastest and, to date, Peter Sagan hasn't managed to beat him in a sprint.

Can Mark Cavendish make it four wins in a row in Paris or will André Griepel or Peter Sagan or Matthew Goss spoil Sky's party? We will soon know! 

Meanwhile here is a great footage with very evocative French commentary of the end of Stage 18 and Cav's win in Brive. 


Also audio of Bradley Wiggins' press conference yesterday.    

   

2012 Tour de France: Bradley Wiggins 1st and Chris Froome 2nd

Bradley Wiggins confirmed this afternoon that he will be the first Briton to win the Tour de France by riding very impressively to win the time trial stage from Bonneval to Chartres. Chris Froome underlined the dominance of Sky with second place. Wiggins demonstrated that he was the strongest rider overall in this year's Tour.

Bradley scorched around the 53.5K course in 1.04.13 followed by Chris Froome 1.16 back with long time leader Luis-Leon Sanchez, who did a fine ride, holding on to third 1.50 back on Wiggins. The next two riders were Peter Velits on 2.02 and Richie Porte, another Sky rider, on 2.25. Cadel Evans had another miserable day finishing 5.54 down. It looked halfway through that he might lose even more but was able to pull himself together in the second part. 

Overall Bradley Wiggins now leads Chris Froome by 3.21 followed by Vincenzo Nibali on 6.19, Jurgen Van den Broeck on 10.15, Tejay Van Garderen (11.04), Haimar Zubeldia (15.43), Cadel Evans (15.51), Pierre Rolland (16.31), Janex Brajkovic (16.38) and young Thibaut Pinot holding on to his 10th place at 17.17.  

Current race standings.

   

2012 Tour de France: Time Trial – Bonneval to Chartres

Flat profile of 19th stage across the Beauce

Apart from the sprint on the Champs Élysées in Paris tomorrow, this is the last serious stage and then only likely to be serious for the leading riders. The route is an arc through the Beauce, the flat, grain growing area to the south of Paris, from Bonneval to the Chartres with its landmark cathedral. The route passes through Illiers Combray, where French writer Marcel Proust spent many a childhood holiday. Memories that were later used in his À la recherche du temps perdu (In search of lost time).

Riders wanting to maintain or improve their overall standing will edit Proust's title to In search of gaining time. The course is virtually dead flat so will suit time trial specialists like Bradley Wiggins. The only potential difficulty is the wind but the forecast is for a light wind (10K) from the north west, so this should be behind the riders for most of the course with only the first kilometres possibly into it – perhaps as far as Illiers-Combray. It shouldn't be much of an inconvenience. 

I expect Bradley Wiggins to win the stage, especially if his form is anything like what it was in the first time trial. He looked pretty spritely leading out Mark Cavendish yesterday. Fabian Cancellara and Tony Martin, who would have provide opposition, are no longer in the race. I also expect Chris Froome to take second place with perhaps Tejay Van Garderen in third.  

Wiggins appears from his Guardian column to be determined to finish the Tour strongly and will want to show that he is the strongest rider.   

Extract from Bradley Wiggins' column in the Guardian: 

'As it is now, I should be able to go out with no fear, nothing riding on the race other than my personal need to put a good performance together. It's not as if I'm looking to make up time on someone to win the yellow jersey or as if I need worry about losing time. I've done it hundreds of times: the pre-time-trial meal, the warm-up, pulling on the skinsuit, rolling down the start ramp. So I want to enjoy it, and try to finish the job off in style.'

I think there will be few changes in the leading places. Vincenzo Nibali is over three minutes ahead of Jurgen Van den Broeck.The latter will have to make sure he does a decent ride, otherwise Van Garderen might overtake him. It will be a major surprise if Nibali does not lose time to Froome, who was around 1.30 faster than Nibali in the Besançon trial. Janez Brajkovic (9th) may overtake Pierre Rolland and Haimar Zubeldia and Thibaut Pinot will have to fight off the threat to his 10th place by Nicolas Roche and, possibly, Andréas Klöden.     

Starting time here. First rider off is Jimmy Engoulvent at 12.00 (CET). Bradley Wiggins will be last off at 16.33. As La Lanterne Rouge, Engoulvent will have to make sure he doesn't go 45 seconds faster than the second to last rider, Jan Ghyselinck, otherwise he will lose his last place. Jimmy is 3 hours 49 minutes and 9 seconds behind Wiggins. 
Keep up with riders' times here. 


News flash 13.00 (BST): Despite a valiant try from Tyler Farrar to grab back the Lanterne Rouge spot by finishing 2.20 mins behind Jimmy Engoulvent, the time gap was not big enough to take the honour away from Jimmy. 


Despite the forecast there is apparently a headwind on the course.

2012 Tour de France: brilliant win by Mark Cavendish makes it 22!!

Mark Cavendish produced a brilliant long sprint at Brive-la-Gaillard to just catch the breakaway group close to the line, while comfortably distancing André Griepel, Matthew Goss, Peter Sagan, Tyler Farrar and others. This win takes Mark Cavendish to an amazing 22 stage victories – the same number as André Darrigade, the great French sprinter, as well as Lance Armstrong. All that pent-up energy built up over the past three weeks acting as a domestique to Bradley Wiggins was released with some 500 metres to go. The overhead video shows him passing the remains of the breakaway – Luis-Leon Sanchez and Nicolas Roche – as though they were standing still. Quite extraordinary!  

Cav managed to get himself over the Côte de Lissac-sur-Couze at 10K and then back in position in the Sky train. As they got into Brive the peloton was led out by Bradley Wiggins, then Edvard Boasson Hagen, who had been in the break. Mark left EBH just after the last corner to catch and then overtake the remains of the breakaway making an unstoppable surge for the line.   

Article in The Independent here about André Darrigade accepting that Cav would overtake his record. Mark has now equalled it and could break it on Sunday in Paris. On this sort of form with the Sky train it looks very possible!

Now only three riders have won more stages: the great Eddy Merckx (34), Bernard Hinault (28) and André Ledcq (25). See here list of all time Tour stage winners. Mark is still only 27 and Meckx, Hinault and Leduc were all in their 30s when they won their last stages. 22 wins in just five Tours is a quite astonishing achievement. 

Bradley Wiggins remains comfortably in Yellow and short of a disaster in tomorrow's time trial will be the first Briton to win the Tour de France.

Latest race standings

Video footage final kms of stage.