Hi,
First Up cheers to Mike for doing a sterling job with these threads.

With the spectacular Gorges du Tarn (canyon), the Millau viaduct and the green mountainous Lozère, stage 14 looks like an appealing touristic brochure. But the bike riders might too busy to enjoy the breathtaking landscapes. Five years ago, Alberto Contador counted one more mountain finish than the race organizers because he included the 3-km long uphill leading to the small aerodrome of Mende. In 2007 and 2010, he won up there… during Paris-Nice, so he knows what he’s talking about but…

Today’s stage should be a beautiful ramble though the Massif Central. There’s a lot of competition for the most beautiful bit of france but this might well get my nod. The most obvious landmark on the route today is the Viaduc Millau.

I reckon Purito and Majka are going to have theireye on today or perhaps Vuilerrmoz, so I reckon the break will get closed down. Hopefully be a few interesting digs on those final few climbs.

Yesterday’s stage was a great cat and mouse affair and I reckon the break will be kicking themselves. It was still in their hands with 30km to go… Someone else who’ll be kicking themself is Sagan who’s making a speciality out of almost winning. Good to see Matthews seems to be back in the game though.

Someone who probably couldn’t kick themself if they wanted to is Peraud who looked… sore. He must be a doubt for the day.

General Classification after Stage 13
GBR 1 FROOME, Christopher (SKY) 51:34:21
USA 2 VAN GARDEREN, Tejay (BMC RACING) + 2:52
COL 3 QUINTANA ROJAS, Nairo Alexander (MOVISTAR) + 3:09
ESP 4 VALVERDE BELMONTE, Alejandro (MOVISTAR) + 3:58
GBR 5 THOMAS, Geraint (SKY) + 4:03
ESP 6 CONTADOR VELASCO, Alberto (TINKOFF – SAXO) + 4:04
NED 7 GESINK, Robert (LOTTO NL – JUMBO) + 5:32
FRA 8 GALLOPIN, Tony (LOTTO SOUDAL) + 7:32
ITA 9 NIBALI, Vincenzo (ASTANA) + 7:47
NED 10 MOLLEMA, Bauke (TREK FACTORY RACING) + 8:01

Thanks to lemonysam for stepping in. 😀

Peraud to start if Twitter is to be believed

Peraud to start if Twitter is to be believed

Great news, utterly nails!

Just saw this one

Well done lemonysam, thank you.

I think we all winced at Peraud’s off yesterday, both when it happened and after!! I’m not sure I could have kept in a straight line while being treated by the medical car, must have stung a bit!!

Difficult stage today, I think a breakaway might just do it after the near miss yesterday. GC will be cagey, marking each other with maybe a couple of attempts to take a few seconds over the last 3 climbs. They’ll all have their eyes on the Alps methinks.

Beautiful looking stage btw!

There’s a lot of competition for the most beautiful bit of france but this might well get my nod.

My mum used to live a couple of hours away in Tarn et Garronne, it is such a beautiful part of the world. Shame she sold up and moved to the midlands!

[video]http:// http://www.steephill.tv/players/youtube3/?title=Backstage+Pass+-+Stage+13&dashboard=tour-de-france&id=vCxp2a7hw-0&yr=2015%5B/video%5D
[video]http:// http://www.steephill.tv/players/youtube3/?title=Bikecam:+Stage+13+On+Bike+Highlights&dashboard=tour-de-france&id=IDfpArruPIE&yr=2015%5B/video%5D

What’s clear from interviews yesterday was how difficult is was to get the break established. It’s never televised which is a shame. Chris Boardmam was saying in their podcast it would be better to see the first hour go and have a nap and come back for the last 2 hours which sounds like a perfect day.

I don’t think a break will stay away today. Valverde, Dan Martin and Peurito to race it out in the finale. Maybe some gc action with a few days to go before the Alps.

Excellent thread again, cheers. I did look at doing it but had to go to Waitrose 🙄

My predictions?

A sucker for a break me, FDJ out front with my ever faithful Bretagne Sache boys, and I do think this will stick. I’m so hoping for a 30k solo win, so hoping 😀

Perichon, pleeeeese let it be him.

😆

A day for some Dan Martin heroics..

Ah, the gorges du Tarn.
Hopefully we’ll get some lingering aerial views of villages like Hauterives on the opposite side of the river from the road. They’re beautiful places, even moreso than Ste Enimie.
Love that area

Cheers lemonysam, while trying not to look that closely is that pic NSFW or not?

These lads need some armour.

First Up cheers to Mike for doing a sterling job with these threads.

QFT. And cheers Lemonysam.

Meant to say on yesterday’s thread but **** me, how much POWER has Griepel got, he’s motoring away on those sprints! I watched him gut himself in the classics this year and became a fan, I wonder if he can hang on today. Seems unlikely. I don’t think anyone can touch him Champs-Elysées!

So, just looked at the profile properly…no chance, GVA for 2 in a row!

Catching the end and a win for Africa! and then some fun in the other podium places with TVG dropping back

Cracking finish by Cummings! No messing as he flew by!

I’d love to know what Valverde said to Contador a few seconds before he dropped him.

Also, a bit cheeky of Froome to sprint past Quintana on the line. A better champ would follow him in and give him a pat on the back for a ride well done.

Compared to the other finishes this looks like some waste ground on the outskirts of Milton Keynes, some seconds here or there in the GC but nothing too serious apart from TVG

That was a brilliant finish!
Loved Bardet’s reaction with 100m to go, Pinot was gutted afterwards

and if you appreciate the win https://www.givengain.com/activist/141101/# they are looking for some donations.

Party For Qhubeka

Looks like a very worthwhile cause

Also, a bit cheeky of Froome to sprint past Quintana on the line. A better champ would follow him in and give him a pat on the back for a ride well done.

yep. Froome is making no friends. It was good to see all of the main contenders out by themselves at the end even if they didn’t get any distance. It gets a bit tiring to see the whole sky team out front all the time and it does make me think back to csc even if I don’t really think that is happening

And well done Cummings. The speed he went by at was fantastic

Who’s the chancer on the podium in a disheveled white shirt and braces.

The French, the most stylish nation on the planet!

IME that doesn’t generally apply to politicians and definitely not Flamby.

Great to see a local (born 2 miles from my home) winning today.
Mate works with his aunt & he really is just one of the lads who often takes the time to support & encourage people achieve something special 🙂

Also, a bit cheeky of Froome to sprint past Quintana on the line. A better champ would follow him in and give him a pat on the back for a ride well done.

Disagree.

At the top of an HC climb when one gets the win and the both get sackloads of time in everyone else (and in the days before time bonuses) then yes, but as everyone is scrapping up a Cat2 in the high midfield of the finish? Go for it Froomey, just like Valverde did the other day.

Just checking in – didn’t see the stage and not going to get to watch the highlights. Fantastic for Steve Cummings and fantastic for MTN. Sounds like I’ve missed a great day!

steephill.tv has the last 10km as and when you want to watch

The Tour went past my house today in millau and I am in Kent ! gutted .

Disagree.

Why be a bit of a knob when there’s naff all to play for?

Why be a bit of a knob when there’s naff all to play for?

In what way is there nothing to play for? Quintana is his main rivial for GC!

I have the impression it was more a bit of physocologial warfare though, which again is fair enough.

What’s not fair game though is throwing urine in the face of the yellow jersey and spitting at people. Surely the gendame should be shadowing the yellow and dealing with this shit?

Because it might count! You don’t know how Froome is really feeling, he might be looking at Quintana thinking “Fark, he’ll have me in the Alps, this’ll depress him!”.

Great stage, brilliant to see MTN get a win, I love it when a wildcard gets the win and great to see the African squad get a win.

FFS @ the piss.

Yeah disgrace Froome racing to try and beat one of his main rivals to the line…

Great win for Steve Cummings.

Bit of a knob for wanting to race, take a few more seconds ( well one anyway ) showing your competitors you can take what they’ve got and give back more. That would have been hugely satisfying for Froome especially with all the rubbish he’s been getting. The commentator called it even the lunge at the line.
Bit of a knob….. loads on here.

Nice to see the French throw away a win. Well done Cummings really enjoyed that. And I thought Froome played it just right. Quintana has to take it to Froome and the response was perfect. I’m still here but the others are not.

As for the fans – no wonder they want to come back to UK asap.

I get that its racing and time is time. It was just my initial opinion of the most aesthetically perfect sprint we’ve seen all Tour, that’s all. Sprinting right on the line having been towed up the latter half of the climb (granted Froome did well to bridge in the first place) for 1s… it can either be seen as strategically perfect or a bit of a cheap shop. Maybe either way it has the right effect and demoralizes Quintana and one thing is for certain, Froome won’t care what anyone thinks 😀

theres still the Alps to come, i guess he wants a big a time gap as possible, 3 minutes is nothing to be fair

I thought it showed weakness Tbh if you are worried about 1 second. Sky starting to look more tired as a team.

I thought it showed weakness Tbh if you are worried about 1 second.

You do understand the concept of racing, don’t you? The aim is to come first. To “win”.

For reference, see this chap;

and this chap;

8 Seconds

So it’s okay for Quintana to ease up with his teammate Valverde closing but bad form if Froome overtakes? I can’t believe the bollox some people spout.

It’s a **** race! Or would some prefer the quaint notion of just taking part?

Well done Froome in my book. Psychological seconds gained are the sweetest.

And as for Steve Cummings, brilliant to watch him do what he did.

It’s not like it was for the stage win. They rolled in outside the ranks. They matched each other equally. I’m not even sure Froome cares too much about the seconds. Looks like a psychological game to me. He asserts his dominance at every opportunity. Which is basically on every stage, and I think it probably works…

Fantastic stage and two races for the price of one, both won by Brits. Steve Cummings wins the stage and Chris Froome wins the race for GC. Does it get any better than this?