Tour de France

Bet he's not looking forward to tomorrow's nine sections over cobbles......

...and he's down again.

(Before he even got to the slippery cobbles of Roubaix.)

Three times in two days and he does not look happy.

Tour over.

Unlucky Chris, but I think the cycling gods were trying to tell you something, mate....

Damn, just been watching this.

Porte is a good rider and will now lead the team.  I expect good things for him but Contador to win the Tour now I think.

Agree about Contador.

He's got a great team behind him and he knows how to win this race.

Wonder what Wiggins makes of Froome's misfortune......?

They can't stand each other.

Wiggins isn't a nice bloke, only cares about himself, he cost Froome the Tour of Spain and the 2012 Tour he won and Froome came second because Froome had team orders to carry him up the mountains and sacrifice his own chance of winning both in doing so.

Shame for Froome.

Hope someone else wins other than Contador - he's got a very big drugs cloud hanging over his head.

Like Armstrong, I've never really been able to make my mind up about Wiggins.

Is he good for the popularity of cycling in Britain? 

Undoubtedly.

He's perceived as a "character" and makes for good copy with his daft haircut and "Mod" image.

But, as you say, I've always sensed there was something a lot darker lurking underneath.

Dave Brailsford recently hinted that Wiggins was omitted from the Sky team for this year's Tour because he can be a bit of an arse'ole if he doesn't get his own way all the time.

And I can see that.....

Feel sorry for Froome.

Will Sky make the same gamble next year or was this his big chance for cycling immortality? 

Only time will tell.

(Although I can't see Wiggins riding for Sky next year.)

Wow, great stage.

Nibali puts nearly 3 minutes into Contador - and he won't lose that to him in the mountains - so Contador as got to attack him all through the race now to get time back - makes for a great Tour now and should make things more interesting.

Should be fun!

Shame for Froome. They said on the news it was his wrist that was injured?

Reebok Trotter wrote:Shame for Froome. They said on the news it was his wrist that was injured?

That's his wanking up the creek as well! 

He already seemed to have some sort of banage on it from yesterdays fall.

He was certainly limping when he got into the car to take him away and didn't seem to be able to move to close the car door.

Part of the theatre of the race, it claims good guys just cycling along the road - Froome crashed out on a normal road and not in the dangerous cobbled sections.

The stage as certainly handed the advantage to Nibali - which means the others have to attack him.

Should be interesting what they come up with.

Where the hell did Greipel come from then?

Brilliant finish!

Wow, closest finish I've ever seen!

Missed the last 50k today - went mowing the grass and got my timings wrong......

Highlights on ITV4 at 7.00PM.

Tbh bit of a dull stage until the finish.

Talansky fell yards from the end - he's a contender with Porte for third place on the Tour imo.

I do hope he's ok but one less to worry about if he's not.

Mountains soon!

My favourite part of Le Tour.

Good to hear Simon Yates getting a mention today.

He'll be thereabouts on the mountains - maybe even win a stage if the leaders are playing cat and mouse with each other. Look out for Irelands Nicolas Roche too but he'll be riding for Contador rather than himself.

Not really the big mountains today - Monday's stage is a bit of a brute though.

All the fun will come at the end of todays race when three climbs come one after the other.

Viva la Tour.

First proper mountain stage today.

Should be a cracker.

Nibili's already posted a man at the front - so no doubt he wants him there to help him later in the stage - so the plotting and scheming as already started.

Let battle commence!

Oh dear....poor old Alberto!

 

Contador's fallen - now 4 minutes behind Nibili on the stage - going to be impossible to get that back today I would imagine.

Sometimes the 'field' (peleton) will not push on and let riders catch up again - sort of an unwritten rule but they can't this time because up ahead of them at the front is a young Polish rider (very talanted) who on the 'road' as become the Tour leader - so they can't let him out of their grasp.

All happening and still 5 mountains to go!

Bye Bye...