Author: MikeFranchetti

Five Times Adriano Malori Proved He Was a Brilliant Rider

On the first rest day of this year’s Tour, Adriano Malori announced his premature retirement from pro cycling. The Movistar and former Lampre rider was a brilliant time triallist, resilient personality and highly popular teammate. An unusual and horrible crash at the 2016 Tour de San Luis has ultimately led to the end of an

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Team of The Tour 2017

The Tour de France is over for another year and we can revert to our ‘normal’ lives without dedicating a chunk of the afternoon to the world’s most famous bike race. Chris Froome silenced (most) of his doubters, Rigoberto Uran rocketed back to prominence and Romain Bardet took his second podium in as many years.

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Showdown On The Izoard: Who Could Win And How?

It hasn’t been easy but on the eve of Stage 18 of the 2017 Tour de France we can conclude the organisers have got what they wanted. They didn’t want Chris Froome to stomp his familiar brand of victory all over this year’s edition and they wanted each mountain stage to be ridden in earnest.

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Tour Talk: Laying Claims To The Yellow Jersey

The second week of the Tour was always likely to be a bit weird. There were two stages ripe for Marcel Kittel, before a dash into the Pyrenees and some lumpy ones in the Massif Central. Overall the week receives a thumbs-up. Team Sky and Chris Froome are simultaneously in total control and spinning into

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Tour Talk: Head, Shoulders, Knees and… Elbows

Tour Talk returns! Stage 9 of this year’s Tour de France may have had more action than the previous eight combined but the resulting situation is a nicely packed top ten, albeit with a few notable absentees. There’s still plenty of racing left but here’s what we’ve had so far.

Fantasy Fives – Stage 7 *Guest Host*

Another day, another sprint and another new blog for the Fantasy Fives results. Demare’s absence from the top ten created some movement in the GC but the imperious Panda and the Peddlers (@ironscally) remain comfortably on top with Michael Matthews delivering another good performance to take third. Marcel Kittel edged out Edvald Boasson Hagen by

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Who’s The Most Exciting Rider at This Year’s Tour?

Dull Tour de France route seeks exciting rider to help deliver spectacular three-week showcase. With a surprisingly open GC race and nothing too taxing on the legs, riders should be up for the opportunity to attack, attack, attack. This year just might be the year for a genuine underdog to try something special; Chris Froome’s

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What’s Wrong With Chris Froome?

There has been plenty of suggestion that Chris Froome’s not quite his usual self. There have even been whispers that Froome might not actually win the Tour de France for a fourth time. Doubts about the bookie’s favourite have emerged as a result of a number of factors: the ASO’s flat and fast route, the

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