Looks like Talansky is up front with Nibali, and the Sky team mostly back with Contador.

Edit… ah no, looks like Talansky is back with Contador too.

Boom and Vanmarcke have been caught, Nibali group about to catch the remaining 4; Martin, Clarke, Hayman and Gallopin.

Talansky is back with Bertie & co.

Really strong group that up front, can see them pulling out more time.

Cancellara in the front group, this is going to be fun

Thanks guys

4 from OPQS up front. Renshaw vs Cancellara vs Sagan for the sprint?

Is Terpsra still up there?

He’s in my fantasy team for this stage today.

Guardian twitter feed keeping up with the action. this is from 2 minutes ago;

The Guardian ?@guardian

Chris Froome boost as Tour de France removes two cobbled sections http://gu.com/p/3qz5b/tw @Guardian_sport

Ah right, Talansky in a small group between Nibali and Contador.

No sign of Terpstra.

Given he’s placed quite highly in PR and presumably quite decent at finding the right place to ride in such situations it doesn’t seem all that irrelevant – not given that this stage was one where Wiggo was touted as being quite a useful man to have on your team.

Wtf am I doing sat at work when I should be watching this thunderf**k of a bike race.
Going to have to watch the recorded live coverage when I get home, the highlights won’t cut it

Had a feeling this stage would be epic and boy oh boy it’s delivered.

Wtf am I doing sat at work when I should be watching this thunderf**k of a bike race.
Going to have to watch the recorded live coverage when I get home, the highlights won’t cut it

what he said

They’ll be so so much criticism for having pave on a tour stage, but this is just fantastic sport.

Great to see something other than mountains and time trials making an impact. Bring on the crosswinds next!

If I were Sky, I’d be looking closely at footage from yesterday to see if the rider who took Froome out yesterday targetted him.

Eyes on Fabian and Sagan..

If I were Sky, I’d be looking closely at footage from yesterday to see if the rider who took Froome out yesterday targetted him.

🙄

News link about it in the OP.

They’ll be so so much criticism for having pave on a tour stage, but this is just fantastic sport.

I’m not so sure. The riders could possibly have agreed to take it easy today but someone took advantage of the possibility to crank the pace up and see what would happen. It’s brilliant (although I feel hugely sad for Froome)

What happened to Tony Martin?

So glad I set the recorder to tape the live stage!

Geraint Thomas said it would “carnage” out there today

Being Welsh it’s no surprise he understands rain 🙂

its true, some of the best ‘proper’ rough stuff bike racing ever, like it should be, a mans man race today and i think thats were froome failed, he didnt mentally have it following the crash yesterday.

Nice post from Tinkoff Saxo twitter feed

Twitter link

So glad I set the recorder to tape the live stage!

Bit miffed I didn’t 🙁

Gee attacking Bertie with Porte on his wheel

thats were froome failed, he didnt mentally have it following the crash yesterday.

blah blah blah

Thomas is a class rider!

thats were froome failed, he didnt mentally have it following the crash yesterday.

Can’t believe anyone doubts Froome’s mental toughness 🙄

Anyway… back to the race…. bloody hell Astana, riding away from Sagan and Cancellara with 10k to go!

In a podcast interview with Brailsford pre-tour, he was saying it was time for Geraint to work on his climbing and become a GC guy. Looking forward to that – he’s always been one of my fav riders.

Nice squeeze past Spartacus by Sagan who seemed to lean in on him.

Gwan Nibbles!

In a podcast interview with Brailsford pre-tour, he was saying it was time for Geraint to work on his climbing and become a GC guy. Looking forward to that – he’s always been one of my fav riders.

Interesting, yet more over emphasis on stage races and not one day classics from Sky? sad to see

Can see them giving this to Boom if he helps them to the line.

Given he’s placed quite highly in PR and presumably quite decent at finding the right place to ride in such situations it doesn’t seem all that irrelevant – not given that this stage was one where Wiggo was touted as being quite a useful man to have on your team.

In the wet Giro last year he was bloody awful in the wet. Descended like I do (which is slow) and crashed a lot. I don’t think he’d have been any help today.

I like this from the Eurosport feed

Nibali in 2006: ‘Roubaix is the race of my dreams. It fascinates me, maybe because I like mountain biking. I’d like to do & win it one day.’

Glad I put him in my team 😀

In a podcast interview with Brailsford pre-tour, he was saying it was time for Geraint to work on his climbing and become a GC guy.

Whereas my heart sank, he should keep the meat on him and do this against boonen and cancellara in a propper classic :-/

Astana have been fantastic today.

Contador is out of it at this rate. Bad day for GC favourites

Crashing twice on an already injured wrist will take anyone out, all the internet hard men calling Froome a wimp can STFU.

Anyway.. Allez Nibbles!!! seriously classy ride today, much as I feel for Froome it’s been a fantastic day’s racing.

Westra awarded the Combativity prize for the day. Good on ‘im!

atlaz – Member

Contador is out of it at this rate. Bad day for GC favourites

…except Nibali