The pictures of the 2013 apotheosis, with the pack riding past the Louvre and around the Arc de Triomphe, are still fresh in everyone’s minds. These two highlights will be back this year, as well as the traditional climb up the Champs-Élysées, which is much trickier than it seems! It will all lead up to the spectacular pictures of the final sprint, magnified by the France Télévisions footage. I will go out on a limb (I won’t) and say Cavendish will take another win in Paris to go with the four he has got already. But that is just my opinion…

Well yesterday was somewhat predictable, big dog Martin getting the win, Bardet losing a place to Tejay (but by 2 seconds, and with a puncture – horrible), and Nibali riding solidly.

Not the best highlights, but it was just a TT…

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1pk7xmcAa0[/video]

He passed 5 riders on the way to the win, the last one being his 10 minute man.

Photos from stage 20.

Kittel seems trashed after the mountains, but he took the TT yesterday easy, and might have recovered for today. Otherwise, it could be Giant-Shimano looking to put Degenkolb up for the win. I’ll also have my eye on Kristoff, as his tour has been getting better and better. But as you all already know, I really want Sagan to do it.

It will probably be Kittel though.

A few useful links

Live Cycling News Text Updates
Steephill
Official Tour Live Feed App
Classifications
Withdrawals
Fantasy League Standings
Loser League Standings

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/nibalis-journey-ends-in-tour-de-france-victory

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/kelly-this-tour-de-france-will-be-remembered-for-the-crashes – there has been some important ones..

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/porte-says-sky-has-taken-anabsolute-kicking-at-tour-de-france – I’m sure some of you will agree

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/valverde-my-body-was-just-saying-no – shut up body?

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/brailsford-remains-confident-in-portes-grand-tour-leadership – I still love him too

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42iYf7RU0Kc[/video]

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mh9USnsHN0[/video]

And just in case you weren’t aware, have a read of this

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/racing/tour-de-france/la-course-2014-preview-130977

Nice post, good work.

Martin is a beast, he’s been the one I’ve been cheering the loudest for this tour. Nibs…..hmmmm…..a bit too good for my liking…

Heading towards the start of my last ever stage in the Tour de France. Including today i will have done 340 stages in the Tour!! Almost a year of a tourstage every day…
Yep- you folks are allowed to call me mad or insane….
But hey- i never pretended to be just normal…

Peraud involved in a crash, chasing back on.. It’s not over till it’s over.

Porte in the break 😀

That was an in-Seine finish from Kittel.

Thanks for the daily threads Realman 8)

Many thanks from me RealMan for the huge effort you’ve put in over the last 3 weeks. 8) Always interesting and informative with great clips and pics.

Any chance of doing the same for the Vuelta? 😉

Kittel – meh.
thanks RealMan – I’ve been internet time-poor recently so your summaries have helped to keep me up to date.

Yeah, thanks RM your threads have made great reading 🙂

Thanks to RealMan. These threads have been great.

Realman, thanks! Soon be the Tour of Spain.

Another message of thanks to realman for your time and effort to produce these daily threads, which along with the Fantasy League has made the Tour even more involving for me this year 😀

Echo also the request for similar daily preview and review for the Vuelta please!

Thanks for sorting these Tour threads Realman.

Nibali/Chavenel and others showing some class there after Peraud went down. Was that Porte still racing off the front when everyone was shutting off the gas?

How brilliant was it seeing the girls racing on the Champs-Élysées!! Awesome!

nice one, RM.

vuelta a few weeks away now, hope froome-dog is on form for that.

Still to catch up on Sundays parade around Paris. Enjoyed the TT though, got to love Tony Martin. One for the spittle fans…

The final stage isn’t the same without Cav. Really enjoyed watching La Course, and hopefully Bertine et al can build on that and get at least a one week TdF for the women next year.

Another thank you here RealMan. Great threads. Would lap up some Vuelta ones too..

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/tdf-stage-22-fin