Tour de Yorkshire, Cambridge...and oh yes France as well!!

[Panwearsjaune]

T minus 35 days and counting, to the Grand Depart from Leeds 5th July, with two stages in the White County, and then a third from Cambridge to the Mall in London. It's just soo exciting! It's the biggest biking event in the world, with approx 190 professional riders in about 20 teams racing across tarmac and cobbles, up mountains and down Dales and ending on 27th July on the Champs Elysee, Paris in the now traditional sprint finish there. So here's the thread to share in it all, swop info about accommodation for Tour watchers, road closures, the parcours (courses), peloton gossip, potential meet ups, tv coverage, who's got the nicest legs etc.. and everything to do with the thrills and occasional spills with the event that is a game of poker played out every day on 380 wheels. OF course if you are a newbie to all of this and are curious about the whys and hows of racing then ask and someone will pop up to answer questions. Hopefully.

So I'll depart here next with the routes of the UK 3 stages being taken so no-one gets lost and ends up in the dreaded broom wagon.

Amazing, looking forward to the highlights tonight. Not a good day for contador, incredible performance from Nibali and Astana.

I don't like Contador (I actually change one letter in his name, to make it more - ahem - MN rude grin]) so him losing time has helped console me for the loss of Froome.

fail!

Me neither. Highly sceptical of his "dodgy steak" story.....

I didn't like the way he took advantage of one of the Schlecks who had had a mechanical problem to ride into yellow, then pretended he hadn't noticed (in 2010? can't remember).

I've not warmed to Contador either so I'm quite glad the race has opened up and won't be a procession.

And the way he rode away from Andy Schleck (on Mont Ventoux? definitely on a mountain stage) when Andy had a problem with his chain. Traditional Tour etiquette called for him to slow down until Andy got back, but he didn't, he attacked and took the stage. Very unsporting, I thought.

X-posts, Endoplasmic. Great minds...

Truly great stage, culminated by being v pleased with Contador losing time because of outstanding riding from Astana and boom :D

Good for Cav! I've had similar surgery (twice) but had to wait 12 months for it so it didn't really fix it properly - I bet Cav will be up and zipping about soon.

Looking forward to the highlights this evening - they should have stayed in England, it's been a lovely day here!

frosty I was thinking the same thing, beautifully sunny and warm here in Yorkshire. Our cobbles aren't slippy.

What a cracking stage, Contador under pressure - good, not a fan, Nibali rode a real yellow jersey stage, Eddy Merckx looked impressed at the end. Great ride from Lars Boom and of course Geraint.
I'm not sure about Astana as a team, Vinocourov is the director after all.

That was a great ride by Nibali and Fuglsang, just not quite as good as Boom Boom Shake Shake The Room. It'll be interesting when they get to the mountains.

What a stage! So pleased for Boom; this win can't hurt for Belkin looking for a new sponsor.
Sorry for Froome but the first thing about being a pro racer is to stay upright. Looking where he's going instead of down at his computer might help. He is not a pretty sight on his bike. If Sky has any sense now they will just look for stage victories. Or they can burn themselves out trying to drag Porte into the top ten.
Race now much more open. I'd love to see Nibali win. He knows how to ride his bike!

Stage 5 results: velonews.competitor.com/2014/07/news/results-2014-tour-de-france-stage-5_335302

GC standings: velonews.competitor.com/2014/07/news/results-2014-tour-de-france-stage-5_335302/2

1. Vincenzo NIBALI, Astana, in 20:26:46
2. Jakob FUGLSANG, Astana, at :02
3. Peter SAGAN, Cannondale, at :44
4. Michal KWIATKOWSKI, Omega Pharma-Quick Step, at :50
5. Fabian CANCELLARA, Trek Factory Racing, at 1:17
6. Jurgen VAN DEN BROECK, Lotto-Belisol, at 1:45
7. Tony GALLOPIN, Lotto-Belisol, at 1:45
8. Richie PORTE, Sky, at 1:54
9. Andrew TALANSKY, Garmin-Sharp, at 2:05

10. Alejandro VALVERDE BELMONTE, Movistar, at 2:11 11. Romain BARDET, Ag2r La Mondiale, at 2:11 12. Tejay VAN GARDEREN, BMC Racing, at 2:11 13. Rui Alberto FARIA DA COSTA, Lampre-Merida, at 2:11 14. Geraint THOMAS, Sky, at 2:16 15. Thibaut PINOT, FDJ.fr, at 2:25 16. Tom DUMOULIN, Giant-Shimano, at 2:25 17. Yury TROFIMOV, Katusha, at 2:25 18. Bauke MOLLEMA, Belkin, at 2:27 19. Alberto CONTADOR VELASCO, Tinkoff-Saxo, at 2:37 20. Jan BAKELANTS, Omega Pharma-Quick Step, at 2:39

My Sky box overheated and didn't record today's stage. I am so devastated

Still in at today's stage.

Froome out after three falls today, on top of the tumble yesterday . I'm thinking with his wrists strapped he may not have had as much control while cornering as usual. He'd have struggled big time over the cobbles.

Very pleased for Lars Boom and Belkin today.

Was well impressed with Nibali. He's a rider I like, but I feel the same as canutesauntie about Astana because it's managed by Vinoukourov the unrepentant doper

I'm another who's not a fan of Contador thanks to steak-gate and chain-gate when riding against Andy Schleck a few years ago. He clearly hadn't had steak for breakfast today . I was not unhappy to see him so far down the GC after today, and ditto Valververde.

I wonder what Sky's new tactics will be now? They might decide to work for Richie Porte, but his form hasn't been the best this year. One thing is for certain, there will be endless discussion (again) about why Wiggins was left out of the team.

The rest of the Tour is going to be very interesting.

Felix - surely it will be on catch up somewhere?

GT was right wasn't he? Last man standing. And yes Bertie was roundly booed on the podium at that stage end.
What a Tour this turning out to be! Spills and thrills that can happen at any time.

Boom Boom Shakes the Froome, apparently.

Ds, dh and I were already Contador haters not fans of Contador after he breeched cycling etiquette with chain-gate, even before he was caught doping the dodgy steak. So we too are happy that he is down the GC - but he's still a risk .

G and Porte did a great job to stay in contention. Should be an exciting time up in to the mountain stages.

All not lost! DP has managed to save it so we only missed 13km.

Not the biggest fan of Froome but did feel a bit sorry for him hobbling about then getting in the back of the car. I'm going soft

Sorry, Pan

Just keeping an eye on the ever-increasing peloton discipline.

Froome should have listened to Jensie. Keep the rubber side down everyone....