France
2015 Tour de France stage 10
Every morning before sign on begins, the biggest race sponsors put on little shows for the crowd. Vittel asks Tour/Vittel related trivia questions and the prize for a correct answer is a ride for you and a friend in the publicity caravan and passes for the VIP area just before the finish line. Wouldn't … Continue reading
2015 Tour de France stage 9 TTT
A team time trial typically opens a Grand Tour or follows shortly after. This year, the organizers slotted the TTT in as stage 9, meaning any ailing rider–and you can be sure there are many after crashes have left riders injured and several teams short handed–will have to dig deeper still so as to not … Continue reading
2015 Tour de France stage 9 warm up
In the morning before the TTT began, each of the 22 teams went out for a final recon ride of the 28k course from Vannes to Plumelec. Rui Costa. Lars Boom. Vicenzo Nibali. Alexander Kristoff. Steven Kruijswijk and Wilco Kelderman. A good morning wave from TT specialist Svein Tuft. Trek. Nathan Haas awaits his teammates. … Continue reading
2015 Tour de France stage 8
While it's been another fabulous day at the Tour, it's also been a long one, so dear readers, I hope you'll forgive me if this one is a little short on text! Tyler Farrar and Reinardt Janse Van Rensburg. Rafael Valls. Romian Sicard. MTN Qhubeka receive their prize for being the … Continue reading
2015 Tour de France stage 7
Today followed the script to a T for a sprint stage: a futile break, sprint teams assuming control in the final 30k, jockeying for position in the final 10k, and lead out men peeling off and saying a prayer as their sprinters do what they do best. Eager to show off now that the … Continue reading
Tour de France stage 6
Judging from all the bunting and decorations around town, Abbeville has been eagerly awaiting the start of stage 6. Bryan Coquard of Europcar, usually the first team to sign on each morning, signed autographs. Lieuwe Westra headed straight to the snack table. Christophe Laporte said the team had been forced to change … Continue reading
2015 Tour de France stage 5
For the second time in two years, Arras played host to a Tour stage. And for the second time in two years, it was a gray and soggy morning. The rain divided its time evenly between drizzling, down pouring, and taking a break. As the team buses arrived, the rain actually let up for the … Continue reading
2015 Tour de France stage 4
At 223.5 kilometers, stage 4 from Seraing, Belgium to Cambrai, France was the longest of all twenty one stages, but the truth is the first 177 kilometers really didn't matter much. The peloton was delighted to let a non-threatening breakaway go in the form of Lieuwe Westra, Thomas De Gendt, Perrig Quemeneur, and Frederic Brun. … Continue reading
2015 Tour de France stage 3: Mur de Huy
Chemin des Chapelles, so named for the bus-stop sized series of chapels on the roadside. Three hundred sixty four days a year, this Belgian road lies in quiet obscurity and then roars to life for the spring classic, Flèche Wallonne when the men's and women's editions race laps up the steep road as it's better … Continue reading
2015 Tour de France stage 2
The Tour organizers have clearly been busy brainstorming new ways to improve the race, from restructuring the points competition to making changes to the daily sign on routine, both for the riders and the fans. The most notable of these sign on changes is the sign on itself. No longer satisfied with old fashioned paper … Continue reading