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.
Category: Opinion
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
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.
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
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
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
All sprinters have bad days. Whether they get dropped, get blocked, puncture or crash, every sprinter will be able to recall days where they just weren’t able to contest a sprint. But when you’re as good as Marcel Kittel – and he really is good – should you be worried about the number of days
At what point in this year’s Giro d’Italia did Tom Dumoulin become the favourite? He certainly looked a threat on Blockhaus, catching and passing Vincenzo Nibali before piling forty seconds into the reigning champion. He immediately looked every bit as strong a climber as his compatriots Bauke Mollema and Steven Kruijswijk (the latter having a