Stage 20 • MONTÉLIMAR > MONT VENTOUX • 167 km

Right guys it's the big one 'The Giant of Provence'

due at Bedoin at 2:00ish UK time and the top at 3:00ish.

Live on ITV4 from 11:-12:00 then 13:00 on to 15:30
http://www.itv.com/Channels/ITV4/default.html

cant wait.

They should well have an off road stage. Cant see the whole of france from a road.

😀

Think the 11-12 is a repeat of yesterday's highlights though, n'est ce pas? Looking forward to Ventoux, should really sort the men from the boys.

Off road stage? Who was it who went XC over a roundabout testerday? 😉

The barren slopes today should be a great spectacle! Off to the French deli now to stock up for lunch!

bradwigginsThe Inventor of Grand theft auto is on our bus this morning, Top guy

Now THATS random!!!! 🙄

Was it Oscar Friere?

it was indeed Friere.
I'm feeling slightly sick, having flashbacks of heatstroke in the moonscape back in May 🙂

i don't have digital yet,so only see the highlights program on monday night/morning!!!i miss channel 4's coverage of le tour!!!did go to portsmouth though when it came to uk around 1994!!!

http://www.fromsport.com/video-40383.html

OK, hands up those who've ridden Ventoux!

*Hand shoots up*

Very odd place…!

*hand up*
twice in one day – meant to be 3 but spent half an hour shivering and redecorating the scorched rocks with 'hint of stomach contents' at end of 2nd. went back and did 3rd a day later…

thanks tankslapper 😀

Good day of sport today F1 and MotoGP qualifying and TdF – Will be interesting watching Wiggins and Armstrong battling it out for third

Twice in 2000. First was the Etape du Tour.

It was quite hard – especially after 100 miles and several 1000m of climbing already!

Even though I was race fit I still weighed around 90kg -I thought 39 x 27 would be a low enough gear – how wrong I was!!!!!!!

Really looking forward to today's stage!

🙂

Good day of sport today F1 and MotoGP qualifying
erm…

They're off!!!

it's a real cracker of a route. If you didn't do the Etape and find yourself out that way, ride this stage's route. It's gorgeous. couple of stunning little climbs and the scenery out around Sault and the south side is just phenomenal

Never been – but really want to go next year. Watch le tour and do a few miles if poss.

Do you think this will be the pic at the end of today? 😆

almost. the bloke on the left will be wearing a yellow top, and the bloke on the right will be looking fairly knackered.

Ready to go today, one last push and we can all get mangled tommorow night in Paris

Saw that from Wiggo too LOL! That would make for an interesting party! Mate of Mrs.T's has been taunting me about him getting VIP tickets to the Garmin enclosure in Paris – GIT!!

70mph winds on top of Ventoux earlier!!!

reading the twitter comments, could be windy, on flat that would favour the bigger stronger riders on Ventoux?

Eurosport saying that there's 110 KPH winds at the top! If it's a headwind or crosswind it'll be awful, and make attacking so much more difficult.

I can't wait for this. So many people need to attack.

I hope there's fireworks with Kloden and Armstrong, can't see him annoying his new boss though.

…apparently 2.5 k people (out of about 9 K) abandoned the Etape according to Roche! That's attrition.

0.5 – 1 Million people on the Ventoux apparently. Going to be amazing atmosphere, just hope the idiots keep their flags etc away from the riders.

It would make an interesting televised execution if one of them does get in the way. I like the idea of giving the outriders tazers.

Hyperbole? "A violent storm is underway at the top of Ventoux". NW wind which means a headwind to crosswind they're saying. Nasty!

omg – let's hope it's a cracker 😀

anyone know what the rules are about neutralsing due to weather? i guess if the weather is bad enough there comes a point when they have to cancel. But what is that point?

I don't think there's a particular point it's just down to assessing the conditions and making a decision.

Did anyone watch BBC News this morning? They sent there sports reporter up Mount Ventoux and showed a clip of what happens when the wind gets up, people were getting blown sideways, backwards, off their bikes etc..

*Hands Up*

Towed a trailer up it in the Mistral

watching a stream and they were saying they were having problems setting up the TV transmitters at the top. Couldn't get the trucks up etc.

Half way through the stage and a break up the road with over 10mins, big gap but i doubt it is enough.

It would make an interesting televised execution if one of them does get in the way. I like the idea of giving the outriders tazers.

Only interesting if the rider isn't slowed or downed, and the perpetrator gets a good kicking. Seen it more than once.

Lets just hope it doesn't happen, and prepare for the crushage!

graah..did Paul Sherwen really just say 'Cilantro and Ba(y)sil'?
hideous.

Eurosport are now talking about a big Forest Fire on Ventoux! They can see the smoke from where they're commentating. They did say the wind was easing on the top. If it was as bad as they were suggesting I'd have thought Tour TV would be showing images of it.

IF it's a million on there (which I doubt) it's apparently equivalent to 7 deep all the way up.

there was a fire plane shown on the live coverage, and i did here there were forest fires in the south of france?

ooh the planes just 'bombed the fire'!

hehe…Images just shown, along with a seaplane "dumping its load" – there you go. Looks pretty big.

Harmon is getting v excited as to whether it's a chemical or water load. Oh dear. Smith thinks it's foamy. It's like a "Carry on" film

ITV4 are going on and on about chemicals!! Its a wetting agent ffs! Like Fairy bloody liquid!!!

Add to the excitement tho' 😆