High speeds, strong winds, big crashes
Stage 1 - Rohan Dennis destroyed the field and the record for average speed on a Tour de France time trial, to take the first yellow jersey.
Stage 2 - Carnage, the stage looked pancake flat on the profile, but was also exposed to the elements, mainly the wind, but also some rain. Andre Greipel prevailed in the sprint, as Cavendish opened up too early. Quintana, Nibali, Pinot and Valverde were the big losers losing time on GC.
Cancellara took the yellow jersey courtesy of 3rd place and the 4 bonus seconds.
Stage 3 - The Wall of Huy (pronounced hWee).
It wasn't the wall that did the damage, but the anticipation of the Wall, as the high speed jostling, lead to a big crash, which was resulted in another crash, as riders looked back. Cancellara bravely soldiered on, but with a broken vertebrae, he packed in at the end of the day.
Once they hit the Huy the GC contenders came to the fore, with Joaquin Rodriguez winning from Chris Froome, who took the yellow jersey.
Stage 4 - The cobbles
The cobbles caused carnage 1 year ago, but it was not so bad on stage 4, the weather was better and a headwind prevented the concerted attacks from Vincenzo Nibali, from having an effect.
Tony Martin attacked at the end and time trialled to the end, to take the yellow jersey from Chris Froome.
Stage 5 - Sprint
The first time all the sprinters were together, all eyes were on Greipel and Cavendish. Cavendish jumped too soon, Greipel came through, and just pipped the fast finishing Sagan.
Daniel Tekelehaimanot took the polka dot jersey after a breakaway.
Stage 6 - A climb and a crash
Zdenek Stybar won the stage with a late attack on the steep sharp last climb. However, the big news was the crash in the last kilometre, where Tony Martin, clipped a wheel and fell onto Warren Barguil, who fell onto Nibali, who nudged Froome, who managed to stay up. If the dominoes weren't enough, Tejay Van Garderen and Quintana both fell on top, it was a giant GC bundle.
The net result was a broken collarbone for Martin and the yellow jersey returning again to Chris Froome.
Stage 7 - Cav King again
Another sprint stage, but finally Cavendish overcame Greipel, with a later sprint, on an uphill ramp.
This gave Etixx Quick Step their 3rd stage as well as a couple of yellow jerseys.
The next week we have the team time trial and hit the Pyrenees where the GC fireworks really begin.
Saturday 11 July 2015
Friday 3 July 2015
Tour de France - predicted stage outcomes & top 10
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| The Tour route 2015 |
The Tour de France starts in Utrecht and ends in Paris.What happens on the roads in between, is right now the great unknown, the beauty of bike racing is the great unknown, that 198 riders from 22 teams will start is sure, how many finish and in what order, is anyone's guess.
For instance, who would have had Nibali, Peraud and Pinot on the podium in 2014 (a very rich man if they had the foresight to bet on it!).
But I have taken a stab anyway at predicting the Tour.
For more detailed information on the Tour and stages visit the great cycling blog Inrng .
For the latest results and live updates visit Cyclingnews.com
For the best podcasts on discussing the Tour visit the cycling podcast or ITV.
And you can watch live from 1/2pm on ITV4 and highlights every evening between 7-8pm.
Vive le Tour!
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| The Laurens Ten Dam - The exposed roads of Zelande could cause splits on Stage 2 |
Stage 2 July 05, 2015 Utrecht - Zelande166 km - Mark Cavendish (Etixx-Quick Step)
Stage 3 July 06, 2015 Anvers - Huy 159.5 km - Alejandro Valverde (Movistar)
Stage 4 July 07, 2015 Seraing - Cambrai 223.5 km - Sepp Vanmarcke (Lotto Jumbo NL)
Stage 5 July 08, 2015 Arras - Amiens Metropole 189.5 km - Alexander Kristoff (Katusha)
Stage 6 July 09, 2015 Abbeville - Le Harve 191.5 km - Peter Sagan (Tinkoff-Saxo)
Stage 7 July 10, 2015 Livarot - Fougeres 190.5 km - Mark Cavendish (Etixx-Quick Step)
Stage 8 July 11, 2015 Rennes - Mur de Bretagne 181.5 km - Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha)
Stage 9 July 12, 2015 Vannes - Plumelec (TTT) 28 km - Movistar
Rest Day 1 July 13, 2015 Pau - Pau
Stage 10 July 14, 2015 Tarbes - La Pierre-Saint-Martin 167 km - Nairo Quintana (Movistar)
Stage 11 July 15, 2015 Pau - Cauterets Vallee de Saint-Savin 188 km - Chris Froome (Team Sky)
Stage 12 July 16, 2015 Lannemezan - Plateau de Beille 195 km - Chris Froome (Team Sky)
Stage 13 July 17, 2015 Muret - Rodez 198.5 km - Ryder Hesjedal - (Team Cannondale-Garmin)
Stage 14 July 18, 2015 Rodez - Mende 178.5 km - Simon Yates (Orica-Greenedge)
Stage 15 July 19, 2015 Mende - Valence 183 km - Michael Matthews (Orica-Greenedge)
Stage 16 July 20, 2015 Bourg-de-Peage - Gap 201 km - Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo)
Rest Day 2 July 21, 2015
Stage 17 July 22, 2015 Digne-les-Bains - Pra-Loup 161 km - Romain Bardet (AG2R)
Stage 18 July 23, 2015 Gap - Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne 186.5 km Rui Costa (Lampre)
Stage 19 July 24, 2015 Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne - La Toussuire - Les Sybelles 138 km Chris Froome (Team Sky)
Stage 20 July 25, 2015 Modane Valfrejus - Alpe d'Huez 110.5 km - Warren Barguil (Giant-Alpecin)
Stage 21 July 26, 2015 Sevres - Grand Paris Seine Ouest - Paris Champs-Elysees 109.5 km - Mark Cavendish (Team Etixx-Quick Step)
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| I'm predicting Chris Froome will be in Yellow again in Paris on the 26th July |
1 - Chris Froome - Team Sky
2 - Nairo Quintana - Movistar
3 - Alberto Contador - Tinkoff-Saxo
4 - Vincenzo Nibali - Astana
5 - Thibault Pinot - FDJ
6 - Tejay Van Garderen (BMC)
7 - Wilco Kelderman (Lotto-Jumbo NL)
8 - Andrew Talansky (Cannondale-Garmin)
9 - Romain Bardet (AG2R)
10 - Warren Barguil (Giant-Alpecin)
Green Jersey - Mark Cavendish
Polka Dot Jersey - Robert Gesink (Lotto Jumbo NL)
White Jersey - Thibault Pinot
Team Prize - Movistar
Thursday 2 July 2015
Tour de France - the race for polka dot
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| Richard Virenque holds the record for most KoM wins, with 7 |
Rafa Majka (Tinkoff-Saxo)
Majka was a standout performer at last years Tour, winning 2 stages and taking the climbers jersey. However, this was only possible as his team leader Alberto Contador had crashed out, and it allowed Majka to have a free hand, in a race he originally didn't want to ride after a hard Giro.
He undoubtedly has the talent, but if Contador stays in contention, Majka won't have the same freedom that he had in 2014.
The Polka-dot jersey has lost it's allure from the heady days of Bahamontes, Jimenez and Van Impe in the 60s and 70s.
The General Classification ("GC") contenders shy away from the battle for mountains points, as they save themselves for the final climb, where as the hunt for mountains points, requires a more aggressive strategy of breakaways and bursts of energy on climbs that come earlier in the stages.
However, the winner needs to have good form, as there is the need for consistency, and so the King of the Mountains, rewards the combination of aggressive riding, consistently across several stages and obviously good climbing ability.
Generally, it is the focus of the smaller teams, or teams who have lost their GC contender earlier in the race.
One of the Yates twins, could target the jersey, as well as the inevitable French contenders, such as Voeckler, Feillu, Vuillermoz and Barguil.
Wednesday 1 July 2015
Tour de France - the race for White
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| The White Jersey, is the preserve of the future champion, having been won by, LeMond, Fignon, Pantani, Ullrich, Contador and Schleck |
The White Jersey, or the Maillot Blanc, is the jersey for the best young rider in the race. To qualify, riders must be 25 or under in the year of the race. So this year, that includes anyone born in 1990 or later.
The main contenders for the White jersey are likely to be the following:-
Adam & Simon Yates (Orica-Greenedge)
The twins at Orica-Greenedge are a wildcard option, for Simon this is his second tour, and that may help him.
After Simon's 5th place at the Dauphine he is the favourite of the two for a top 10 finish and an outside shot at the white jersey.
Adam's form is a little more uncertain, but neither Yates is lacking class. Adam may target more stage breaks especially in the moutains.
Thibault Pinot (FDJ)
Pinot finished 3rd last year, winning the white jersey, by beating fellow frenchman Romain Bardet.
Thibault Pinot is showing good form again this year, with a good showing in the Tour de Suisse, winning the Queen stage.
Romain Bardet (AG2R)
Bardet had his breakthrough year, last year with 6th overall in the Tour, alongside a 5th place in the Dauphine.
Bardet was aggressive in the recent Dauphine, winning stage 5, and coming 6th overall, which would have been higher, but for an unfortunate crash on stage 6.
Michal Kwiatkowski (Etixx-Quick-Step)
The world champion is a multi talented rider, he can climb with the best on a good day, but is likely to have different objectives, e.g. support Cavendish, go for stage wins, so is unlikely to target the white jersey overall but could be an outside contender for top 10 if it was his pure focus.
Nairo Quintana (Movistar)
One of the big favourites for the overall, but also eligible for the young riders jersey. He won the white jersey in 2013. He will be the white jersey favourite.
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