perhaps we are seeing why age catches up quickly to GC grand tour riders is it it’s effect on your powers of recovery that gets you in the end ?

My money is on Chaves to win today’s stage.

early bench mark from Tony Martin 40:14

How did Peterson do? He was being towed around by treks T5 Van 😉

do you mean Pedersen ? 41:04

Yeah, soz predictive txt..

getting quite wet out on parts of the course now, some “cobbled” corners look lethal!

Rohan Dennis just set a good start

Just Dumoulin and Yates left to start.

both looked tense !

<h3>16:39:17 CEST</h3>
<div class=”contents”>

Thibaut Pinot comes through the first intermediate and he loses 1:14. That’s a huge amount of time this early on.

</div>

40 dead for Rohan Dennis

So Dennis up by 14s, Froome dropping time should see RD back in the top 10, Aru move up somewhere and Chris?? Pinot out of it by now

tom 17 down on Dennis

Jeez Pozzovivo looks bad on a TT bike!

38 down at inter 1 for Yates, TD 17s Down so in the right range

Yates is doing OK !

Yates 38secs down (on Dennis) at the first split

Tom doesn’t look his usual silky self

19s back for Tom, holding on there

Tom 19 down on Dennis

ooo minute 7 for Yates so 48s lost so far,

48 secs down on tom !

sly edit there 😉

So Dumolan 22s down on Dennis, what can Yates do?? 3mins to go

come on lad push!

1:37 down, come on Simon YATES!!!!
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class=”cl_maglia desk”>118</td>
<td class=”cl_nome desk” colspan=”2″>YATES Simon Philip</td>
<td class=”cl_naz desk”>GBR</td>
<td class=”cl_squadra desk”>MITCHELTON – SCOTT</td>
<td class=”cl_id”>MTS</td>
<td class=”cl_tempo”>41:37</td>
<td class=”cl_distacco desk”>+01:37</td>
<td class=”cl_pos”>22</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
So 1:15 lost today, very tidy and all in the plan I hope

fantastic!

Great job Yates! Keep it up for the next few days and it’s yours!

Amazing result for Yatesey! But how much has it taken out of him? His team need to protect him now from all the inevitable attacks in the mountains, expect him to ride defensively now!

I’m kind of hoping that they are saving Chaves legs for the final run in (after he blew)

I think all the top contenders look tired it’s been a hard race.

He did rather well all things considered that Yates fella.

56s is not that much of a gap but then GT’s have been won by far less.

56s, it’s about the same amount of time it takes me to eat a chocolate brownie…

56s to Dumoulin only though, who doesn’t look like he can out-compete Yates in the mountains, the rest of the contenders are 3mins plus down. Yates has just said it changes his tactics to be more defensive, and you can’t blame him. But I think he has the legs to grab more time if the right situation arises. He’s in a really strong position, and i’ll be eagerly following the next few days.

56s, it’s about the same amount of time it takes me to eat a chocolate brownie…

I don’t think these guys eat chocolate brownies.

I don’t think toms team looks strong enough for him to go on the attack in the mountains (not from distance anyway) It might get confused if say Sky try and smash it wide open but I think they’ll probably drop  Froome in the process.

I think Brailsford is also playing the long game and if anything Sky will support Mitchelton Scott in an Anglo alliance. It’s no secret Sky want both the Yates. Also, favours can be returned in July….

I’ll have some of whatever Fabio Aru is taking, please.

Vampire ! 😉