I wasn't going to do a thread this year as there only seemed to be me much interested in the race on here but once again what a thriller the Tour is turning out to be!
It's a sort of watershed race, where the old guard where expected to just about hold on for another year whilst the new pretenders found their feet but it's been fireworks so far!
Before the race even started those who finished 2, 3 and 4 in last years race where not competing (Froome out injured) so the thinking (including mine) was a straight forward win for last years winner Geraint Thomas - but that's not what's been happening so far!
A great 'one day' French rider called Alaphilippe has been an absolute revelation and been riding out of his skin and has been leading the Tour easily, winning the Time Trial and up in the mountains - he isn't supposed to be capable of that!
Yesterday though was his first sign of weakness but he still leads the race.
Thomas is in second and his team mate Bernal is in firth, but two riders who have been around for ages but have never really looked like doing anything in previous tours split them with Kruijswijk in third and Frenchman Pinot in fourth - Pinot looking very strong at the moment.
A young gun Emmanuel Buchmann (German) is in 6th and really apart from perhaps Landa (Spain) who is in seventh, I doubt anyone else is close enough to win in Paris.
The question really is Alaphilippe got the strength to get over the Alps without losing the lead he's got, he's certainly shown the courage and determination to do so.
As it stands today (a rest day) I think Thomas will still do it but he has already shown weakness himself on the Tour already. I think Alaphillipe needs to crack though rather than Thomas out ride him and I wonder if he will enough to lose the time cushion he already has?
Should be a thrilling last week though.
I'm looking forward to it if no one else is!
One to watch for the future is Belgium Wout van Aert. He's already won a stage this Tour (against the best sprinters in the world) but crashed out and withdrawn from the rest of the Tour.
It's a sort of watershed race, where the old guard where expected to just about hold on for another year whilst the new pretenders found their feet but it's been fireworks so far!
Before the race even started those who finished 2, 3 and 4 in last years race where not competing (Froome out injured) so the thinking (including mine) was a straight forward win for last years winner Geraint Thomas - but that's not what's been happening so far!
A great 'one day' French rider called Alaphilippe has been an absolute revelation and been riding out of his skin and has been leading the Tour easily, winning the Time Trial and up in the mountains - he isn't supposed to be capable of that!
Yesterday though was his first sign of weakness but he still leads the race.
Thomas is in second and his team mate Bernal is in firth, but two riders who have been around for ages but have never really looked like doing anything in previous tours split them with Kruijswijk in third and Frenchman Pinot in fourth - Pinot looking very strong at the moment.
A young gun Emmanuel Buchmann (German) is in 6th and really apart from perhaps Landa (Spain) who is in seventh, I doubt anyone else is close enough to win in Paris.
The question really is Alaphilippe got the strength to get over the Alps without losing the lead he's got, he's certainly shown the courage and determination to do so.
As it stands today (a rest day) I think Thomas will still do it but he has already shown weakness himself on the Tour already. I think Alaphillipe needs to crack though rather than Thomas out ride him and I wonder if he will enough to lose the time cushion he already has?
Should be a thrilling last week though.
I'm looking forward to it if no one else is!
One to watch for the future is Belgium Wout van Aert. He's already won a stage this Tour (against the best sprinters in the world) but crashed out and withdrawn from the rest of the Tour.