#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.  

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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.  

#TDF2015: Mark Cavendish makes it 26! – Chris Froome in Yellow

Top 21 positions of 7th Stage 

 

Overall standings after Stage 7: Chris Froome in Yellow 

11 seconds ahead of Peter Sagan

After the disappointments of Stage 2 and Stage 5 when Mark Cavendish went too early, Cav timed this sprint to perfection. He skipped from Mark Renshaw, his lead out man, onto the wheel of Alexander Kristoff and held back until André Griepel started his sprint. Mark latched onto Griepel nudging Peter Sagan out of the way and then powered past Griepel on the inside of the bend and won comfortably. Griepel held on for second, Sagan was third, John Degenkolb fourth and Alexander Kristoff fifth. 

This was a great demonstration of why Mark Cavendish is such a great sprint champion. He was understandably delighted and relieved to get this win, especially as this is the last stage for the sprinters for some long time. Only the last stage into Paris is a clear sprinters' stage. This is his first TDF stage win since he took the stage into Saint Amand Montrond in July 2013. Cav crashed out of the 2014 edition on the first stage.

List of all time TDF stage winners

This latest win takes Mark's Tour de France tally to 26 stage victories and finally ceased to share third place with André Leducq in the list of all time stage winners. We have got so used to Cav winning that it is easy to forget what an extraordinary achievement his 26 stage wins is. Only the great Eddy Merckx (34) and Bernard Hainault (28) have more stage wins to their credit. André Darrigade (22 wins) is the only other sprinter close to Mark with Freddy Maertens next on 15. Cav now has 44 stage wins in the three Grand Tours – France, Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta.   

Luca Paolini (Katusha) has been thrown off the Tour after testing positive for cocaine on Stage 4.

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Stage 8: Rennes to the Mur de Bretagne 181.5

Like the Mur de Huy (Stage 3) the finish of Stage 8 should see the GC contenders to the fore on the short, sharp climb up the Mur de Bretagne. They will be keen not to lose seconds on their rivals. The gradient averages 6.9% over the two kilometres but there are sections in the middle of up to 15%. 

My favourites for this stage include Alejandro Valverde, Joachim Rodriguez, Chris Froome, Dan Martin and Zdenek Stybar.   

#TDF2015: Zdenek Stybar wins as Tony Martin crashes out of Tour – 1st Black African KOM

A mix of triumph and despair for Etixx-Quick Step yesterday with  Zdenek Stybar winning the stage, while team mate and Yellow jersey wearer Tony Martin crashed out on the final climb breaking his collar bone in several places. Martin is returning to Germany for surgery. Martin appeared to touch wheels and then overbalanced into another rider causing a crash which caught up Vincenzo Nibali. Only Martin appears to have been seriously injured. Wearing the Yellow Jersey seems to bring bad luck as Fabian Cancellara also crashed out while leading the race.

Losing Tony Martin is a big blow to Etixx-Quick Step – not only have they lost the Yellow Jersey but also they will miss Tony's power especially in the Team Time Trial on Sunday and for helping to leading out Mark Cavendish in the few sprint stages that remain.

Chris Froome is now leading the race and he will have the choice of whether he decides to wear Yellow today. Often in the past when the Yellow Jersey has had to abandon due to injury or a crash after finishing the stage, the next in line has decided not to don the jersey for the following stage. See here.  
(Update: Chris Froome will not be wearing the Yellow Jersey today.)

On a much brighter note Daniel Teklehaimanot (MTN-Qhubeka) became the first black African to wear the Polka Dot jersey of the King of the Mountains, when he picked up all three mountain points on offer yesterday. There is one Category 4 climb very early on (12 kms) into today's stage, so as long as Joaquim Rodriguez, who has two mountain points, doesn't take it Teklehaimanot will hold onto the jersey.

Stage 7: Livarot to Fougères 190.5kms       

 

Today's stage should be made for the sprinters and it could be one of the last before the finish in Paris. The stages to Rodez and Valence may also turn out to be sprint stages, although they don't look straightforward. It may be difficult for an escape to get established as the intermediate sprint comes at 65.5 kms and the Green Jersey competition is hotting up with André Griepel's lead over Peter Sagan reduced to only 3 points – 161 to 158. 

As the last kilometre profile shows the finish is slightly uphill. Given the few sprint stages left, an escape is unlikely to be allowed to stay away. Favourites for the sprint must be André Griepel and Peter Sagan but Mark Cavendish will be very keen to win here having missed out in Zealande and Amiens.