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The fine isn't the problem with the French Thug - just should've been kicked straight out of the race.
From what I understood he'd been shoulder barged before the "punch" (which wasn't much of a punch really) so I'd imagine that was taken into account as just a bit of rough and tumble. It's hardly like Bouhanni is popular, even in France. As a Giro red-jersey winner he should be trotted out on TV and newspapers a lot but he's not.
Tommy V gurning from the start, brilliant!
Allesandro De Marchi, Phillipe Gilbert and Sylvain Chavanel away at the front. Marcus Burghardt (yay he's in my velogames fantasy TDF team!) and BOH team mate Pawel Poljanski chasing hard
Pippa back in the studio
edit - Rolland chasing. Calmejane now up with Poljanksi.
edit 2 - looks like there's about 10 riders now (Calmejane, Poljanksi et al) in a group well off the front of the peloton, chasing, the threesome at the front - they've got 1 minute on the peloton and have started the forst climb
Kittel at the back, alongside Luke Rowe, but I didn't spot Cummings...
wow, aggressive start all round
looks like the intermediate group were caught on the climb - Barguil, Contador and Landa have now launched an attack off the top of the first climb, Calmejane trying (and failing) to catch them
De marchi alone at the front
can't decide which to do first, plan my funeral or buy a used watch 😐
Landa?!
Edit - used watch then funeral
Yep, is to make Astana, AG2R, Cannondale etc work hard to bring him (Landa) back as he's a threat at only 2 or so mins down.. Aru and Bardet don't have many teammates left so will have to do it themselves..
Contador just wants to cause carnage, love watching him race..
Joey - see my posts at the end of yesterday's thread. I wanted Sky to do that. I just wasn't sure they had the guts.
Is Froome up to it today? Attack up to Landa on the last climb?
Or is Landa in it for Landa today?
Although would be interesting to see what happens if Aru, Bardet etc decided to call Sky's bluff and let Landa go.. would Sky pull him back to keep Froome as leader, would Froome chase his own teammate down in order to still lead the team, or would they just let Landa gain time on everyone?
Edit: Ah sorry, misunderstood your point!
Let Landa go I think. Brailsford is not that sentimental.
And Kwiatkowski now. Oooh.
They have to be hoping Froome can attack back to his lead out.
Froome sitting at the back of the group at the moment, think he was one teammate with him.. maybe a bluff though
Landa now working with Contador. Be interesting if he can get a big enough gap to put Aru and Astana under pressure. Aru might need to do the chasing himself.
I'm more interested in what happens if AC/Landa pull out 3-4 mins to see how Froome/Sky reacts.. joint leadership?
They have to be hoping Froome can attack back to his lead out.
Usually what happens is simply that the break get reeled in naturally, Sky will have been doing very little other than sitting in it and then suddenyl Froome has two more domestiques right there when he needs them.
It's not so much an attack back up to them as them drifting back into the peloton.
I don't think it'll happen, group not big enough and too many will want to chase. But if Landa does finish the day in yellow with a big gap and Froome sat in 3rd a few seconds behind Aru then Sky would likely consider that a very good day's work.
Only following the text commentary, but looks very interesting day so far. Are Bardet and Aru biding their time for the final climb and descent..?
It is interesting. Both Landa and Bertie up front with 2mins33s over Aru, but Quinty, Barguil and Kwiack only 50s back to Landa.
54k to go and they've just gone over a bump.
24km descent 😯
the way I ride that's a lot of arm pump from braking.
I rode that 24km descent a couple of weeks ago, incredible fun! At a considerably slower speed though!
According to the BBC text feed there are 22 different groups out on the road!
Just been off looking at pre-owned watches. Have I missed anything?
Quintana, Contador, Kwiatkowsk, Landa and Barguil all in the front group. Could be very interesting. All with interests in working hard.
Sounds great with roads closed. Will Froomey be doing his special knackers-on-the-top tobe style descending again??
EDIT - I don't get it, what's the market for pre-owned Casio watches?
Second hand FitBit - minimal use...
I think Landa might just end up in yellow tonight, that would be brilliant by Sky if he did 😀
#anyonebutaru
Fuglsang has abandoned.
Landa needs a few seconds on Aru to become virtual leader.
Plus a win bonus hopefully.
Looks like some riders want to get off and walk!
According to the BBC text feed there are 22 different groups out on the road!
Copying my club run leading style. Except I can get my groups split into 22 even if I only have 9 riders in it, I'm that good.
(I'm usually in the last one)
This is savage stuff.
Cruel stuff for Dan Martin.
fingers crossed for a clean & tidy descent for all
Ha!
A Frenchie on Frenchie day.
Nice win for Barguil. Well deserved. So what's the gap?
why was froome (& kwiatkowski) riding on the front?
#youknowwhoyourmatesare
? Wtf was that all about?
[quote=scaredypants ]why was froome (& kwiatkowski) riding on the front?
Presumably because they wanted to bring Yates and Martin back - I think that was a mistake and they should have just let them go.
So no change to the top 4 on GC, but 5-8 have all moved up a bit, Landa now a significant factor at just over a minute - is Quintana back in it at just over 2?
New GC...
1 Fabio Aru (Ita) Astana Pro Team 55:30:06
2 Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky 0:00:06
3 Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:00:25
4 Rigoberto Uran (Col) Cannondale-Drapac 0:00:35
5 Mikel Landa (Spa) Team Sky 0:01:09
6 Daniel Martin (Irl) Quick-Step Floors 0:01:32
7 Simon Yates (GBr) Orica-Scott 0:02:04
8 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar Team 0:02:07
9 Louis Meintjes (RSA) UAE Team Emirates 0:04:51
10 Alberto Contador (Spa) Trek-Segafredo 0:05:22
Froome turning into Wiggo...
Bit harsh Chunky, Froome seems quite a likeable chap.
Fair point...
Watched most of rhis one, fairly interesting. Froome semed happy enough
Froome semed happy enough
Landa up the road and get everyone else to work on the climbs was the obvious plan for Sky. And now he's even better placed to apply pressure. And another day ticked off with the gap from Froome to Aru still at 6s. I can't see why they wouldn't be pleased enough with that.