Allessandro De Marchi has joined the leaders. Couple more stll trying to bridge. 1km till the foot of the first climb

“Breakaway” now up to about 20 riders. Michael Mathews latest to bridge. Kittel in mid-peloton. Sky trying to control the peloton and let the break go

Blimey, whats with Lotto ?

Nearly everyone up there except Greip’s.

Can Sunweb put Kittel out the back for good here? Looks promising for them so far.

Good start this.

Re the ITV vs Eurosport thing, only gripe about ITV is that the stupid iOS app doesn’t allow you to chromecast live tv so I have to get out the laptop. Just a stupid restriction. That and the adverts. Yes I know, 1st world problems! Commentary on ITV is something I actually listen to as opposed to it just being waffle in the background (with the exception of the droll whit of Sean Kelly who I do miss a bit.)

They’re riding this Flat Chat. The speed is huge ATM.

How long can this last ??

Just caught a bit at lunch just now 😯

Can’t wait for the highlights later, I might actually just record and watch the whole stage 😀

Oh dear.. Luke Rowe dropped from the Yellow Jersey group already.!!! Kittel looks like he’s on his knees already..

Game over for George Bennett and Dan Mclay by the sound of it.

Guardian site has Kittel dropped from what was the Green Jersey group. Any confirmation?

What a huge tart!

Can’t see it yet..
If Kittel is out the back of that group and the winds hit later on, I can see him missing the time cut the way SunWeb are driving it..

Kittel 1m37 back already with 40+ riders for company

Bennett in particular a shocker, 4m40 down with McLay and Pichon

http://racecenter.letour.fr/#/stageprofile

Peloton lined out quite badly already

gah. the good ship quickstep holed dragging that spud Kittel up the hills.

Judging by the faces Kittel is pulling and that QuickStep seem to be suffering a dose of the runs.. I wouldn’t be too shocked if Kittel doesn’t make it through the next couple of days, assuming he makes it to the end of today. He looks massively uncomfortable.
Sunweb driving at the front with the whole team..

I guess it’s likely to get to a point soon when LeFevre has to decide if he’d rather have a green jersey or a potential podium. It’s looking increasingly likely that they are going to struggle to manage both.

#EDIT: Here’s where the transfer market comes into play too, a green jersey and WorldTour points for Kittel doesn’t help quickstep if he’s off to Katusha next year. Then again a podium for Dan might not help them either if rumours about Dan moving on are also true.

Feels like I’m watching the last 20k of the stage.

So what’s Fuglsang been saying about Aru?

Edit… Bennett abandoned.

Kittel 3’19” off already with more than half the stage to go.
If his group splinters, he may not be riding tomorrow.

Also, will Bauer and Martin be expected to contest the intermediate sprint? 😉

Time cut today, probably be about 10% of 4 hrs as the speed is high? So about half an hour? Should be ok. Edit.. may be more generous than that too as it’s a 2 stage.

Ah shame that Bouhanni looks like he’s going to make it.

Pretty good bridge by Bouhanni. Not sure that he’d be able to contest the sprint after that effort but who knows.

Depending on crosswinds Kittel will probably make it today, but it doesn’t bode well for tomorrow and Thurs if he is recovering from illness. He’ll need all his strength just to make it round in the inevitable autobus.

suspect QS are nursing him over the lumps and the gap will stabilise in the last hour as they up the pace for one effort on the flat.
shame cav got squashed as this is just the kind of tough stage where he could’ve picked one up.

Job done for Matthews at the intermediate sprint. Not sure his team would be too pleased if he’d missed that one!

looks like orica scott fancy it

Crosswind carnage!!!

Oh dear, looks like Dan Martin has missed out. Price paid for having men pacing Kittel? Looks like Landa is out the lead group too (Froome the only Sky rider). Can’t see Bardet either.

Landa! Dropped?

QS you useless bastards. I hope Dan Martin eats kittel’s pudding tonight.

Bardet there. Uran not there. Can see one other Sky rider, might be is Landa.

If Kittel has a tummy bug i’d not be wanting his pudding!

Eddy Boss or Matthews…? Looked like Matthews. Got to say well earned by Sunweb.

Ooof 50s lost for Dan Martin.

45kph average into a headwind.
That’ll hurt tomorrow!

Going to be a fast start the next couple of days too as Sunweb go for the sprint points and try and set up Barguil for KOM points.

Can Matthews really win green? Even if he picked up the intermediates the next three days and won on Friday, I think Kittel would get it if he won in Paris. But can he make it over the mountains? Intriguing.

Very good day for Sunweb. It’s a shame that Dan Martin lost some time though.

Wonder if the sight of Kittel rolling over the line with most of his team will help Dan Martin make up his mind as to where he wants to go next year.
As Chris Boardman just pointed out, Quickstep put all their eggs in the wrong basket today.

i don’t think they did, in the real world dan martin isn’t going to jump 5 places in the next 2 days, it was too big of a task really, however, keeping hold of the green and nursing kittel over the line is more important

Can Matthews really win green?

Quick follow up on this.

So Kittel has a 29 point lead. Assuming he wins the intermediate and the stage in Paris and gets 70 points, that takes him to 99 points clear.

So the next 3 days there’s potentially 3 intermediate sprints that Matthews can mop up with Kittel not scoring. So that’s 60 points to Matthews. There’s also the stage win on 19 which, if Sunweb ride like they did today, he could pick up 50 points on as it looks a fair bit harder than the flat classification would suggest with a pair of cat 3 to get over before the intermediate. So a max of 110 points available if he cleans up on the next 3 stages. Oh and there are also points available in the ITT down to 15th so could possibly pick some up there too.

It’ll probably go down to the sprint in Paris. Sagan would have it all wrapped up by now 🙂

Assuming he wins the intermediate and the stage in Paris and gets 70 points, that takes him to 99 points clear.

he’s got to make it to Paris and with the gastrointestinal issues shits knocking around the camp may not be so straight forward 😉 .