So far by the end of stage 14 today, the riders have been in the saddle for a minimum of 68 hours, covered 2728.4km (1695.4miles!!) and ascended to heights over 2000m above sea level.
The distance is the equivalent of cycling from London to Bucharest, the Romanian capital!
That's quite some achievement in my opinion!
Stage 12: Bourge-de-Peage > Mende: Friday 16th
A nice mixed stage with some category 3 climbs, some category 2 climbs, some sprint points, finishing in a short 3.1km category 2 climb with a gradient of nearly 10% in places.
Early breaks are reeled in quickly and young Geraint Thomas hits the deck but dusts himself off and carries on.
A break of 18 riders goes clear, none particularly significant to the lead, with the exception of Vinokourov, Astana team mate of Contador and ex-doper.
As they hit the final climb the bunch are more or less all togother, with Vino and one or two others out front still.
Halfway up the climb Contador catches Schleck napping and accelerates up the steepest section chasing Rodriges who broke away. Pulling away from him he takes on Rodriges in the sprint to the finish overtaking Vino but ultimately losing the stage to Rodriges.
Schleck comes in 10seconds later, meaning Contador has trimmed his lead down to just 31seconds.
Also amongst the Schleck group were Menchov, Sanchez and Gesink all in the top 10 in the GC
Wiggo comes across the line in 14th in the next bunch losing 31seconds on the stage winner.
Geraint comes in 5minutes after Wiggo and Cav and Millar come in together over 12minutes after the leaders.
Not a good day for Schleck, Team Sky, or the Brits.
Ironically enough the Garmin sprinter Tyler Farrar, who was involved in the incident that got Mark Renshaw expelled, retires from the race through injury picked up early on. He broke his wrist on stage 2 or 3!!
Sami Domoulin failed to even start the stage withdrawing citing fatigue after the previous days stage.
Tomorrow is a bit of an easier day with nothing more testing than a couple of category 3 climbs, dare i say it a sprint finish for Cav?
Stage 13: Rodez > Revel: Saturday 17th
Next year I think they should introduce a jersey for the unluckiest rider (as they have in the womens Tour, the Malchance jersey). Maybe make it brown (like the AG2R Mondial teams shorts)
Anyway this years runaway winner would be Lance Armstrong, strengthening his hold on the jersey by crashing in the neutral zone today.The 'neutral zone' is as it sounds, the zone from the start town out to the wider roads where racing is prohibited by virtue of them having to follow the referees car.
Unlucky Lance!!!
Anyway onto today's stage the breaks come and go as is the norm.
With 8km to go a group splinters off the front with a minimal lead. In there is yesterdays escapee, Vinokourov, and Nicholas Roche sport the beautiful team colours above. The Peleton is closing them down at pace with the sprinters teams on the front.
Cav's HTC team are doing the lion's share of the work with Lampre assisting along with Milram.
Vino breaks off from his fellow escapees and powers to a resounding victory, hopefully not drug fuelled this year!!
The Peleton is winding up for the bunch sprint and Cav takes a useful 2nd place ahead of Petacchi and Boasson Hagen. If you take Vino out of the frame that's a remarkably similar top three to previous sprint stages.
The Brits Geraint and Wiggo roll home in the Peleton and the others filter in later, having done their relative domestique duties.
Only one withdrawal on the stage from the Cofidis rider Taaramae. 175 riders remain for tomorrows stage.
Stage 14: Revel > Ax 3 Domaines: Sunday 18th
Welcome to the Pyrenees!
Todays stage starts slowly and ambles along nicely with sprinters points up for grabs early on.
From the second sprint point 102km in the road slopes gently upwards, building up to the uncategorised (very very steep) ascent up the Port de Pailheres.
Now in terms of steepness its a 30km climb from 400m up to the summit 2001m an ascent of 1600m!!
Savage is an understatement!
From the off a break goes away and is reduced from 12 to 5 riders, including Geraint. They get up to 4minutes over the 'Peleton', rising to over 10minutes once Radioshack slow the chase.
Why, well its all about the team competition, Radioshack lead but their closest rivals had a man in the break so were chasing it till he dropped off......
As they approach the climb the break is being reeled in by Team Astana, a 5minute gap won't be enough to see the break survive.
Halfway up the climb Geraint slips off the back of the breakaway, won't be long before the pack swallows him up. Noble effort Geraint, some Sky coverage at last!
Mean while the soldier that is David Millar slips off the back of the Peleton. Hang in David, you can do it!
Schleck takes the unusual step of returning to the team car to collect food and water, an odd move by the Yellow Jersey rider, one can only assume he is going back for some advice......
Christophe Riblon has moved clear of the break away group, as they approach the summit.
Wiggo gets dropped before the 'Peleton', what's left of it, reaches the summit and then descends like a man possessed to get back in touch.
Riblon hits the final climb, having dropped his one remaining rival, and has a gap of 2 and a half minutes.
Previous winner Carlos Sastre has broken from the Peleton to try and bridge to the leader Riblon. Gaps are appearing everywhere.
Vino then tries to bridge to the Sastre group and Gesink gets dropped off the Peleton as a result.
The battle for the 3rd place is hotting up with Samuel Sanchez and Denis Menchov matching each other's accelerations. Jurgen van den Broek is still in the mix as well.
Attack by Contador! As Vino slips back into the group Contador strikes out with a fierce acceleration, matched by Schleck all the way. The catch and pass Sastre like he's on the brakes!
Menchov and Sanchez accelerate and catch the sparring duo of Contador and Schleck.
Attack by Contador again matched by Schleck. Menchov and Sanchez yet again catch up in their own personal duel.
Schleck is almost at a standstill waiting for Contador to make a move. Virtually in a track stand position (balancing so as not to put a foot down but virtually static) they eyeball each other before Contador attacks and Schleck once again sits on his rear wheel.
Amazing stuff, by now the 'Peleton' of leading riders has overtaken them whilst they mess around.
These two just breeze past them all again, effortlessly and almost mockingly.
Menchov mean while has made a break for it at the front, pursued by Sanchez who is reeling him in slowly.
Riblon crosses the line for a brilliant solo win. He broke away very early in today's stage so a gigantic effort and brilliant stage victory for him and France.
Menchov and Sanchez cross the line together, gaining themselves 14seconds back on Contador and Schleck.
3rd place will have to be decided elsewhere, definitely a battle to watch though.
Menchov has been more aggressive than I've seen him at previous Tours, maybe the Silent Assassin (as he is known) has found his voice? About time after falling off a lot last year. That job is Armstrong's now. As a previous Giro d'Italia winner he's promised much but delivered little in previous Tour's.
Schleck and Contador finish in the same group with Schleck out sprinting them to the line. Trying to gain seconds or merely to show that there was plenty left in his legs?
Wiggo comes in with one other rider, 5minutes down. Its been a tough old day out there for the Brits. Geraint comes in with the bulk of the field, 15minutes after Riblon, and Millar comes in fractionally in front of the 'Autobus' (that's the group with all the sprinters and non mountain people. It chugs along at a slow pace and is always a large group. Safety in numbers). All the other Brits finish safely in the group Autobus 37minutes down on the day.
Port de Pailheres Wiggo drops to 18th place, Geraint is in 58th place and the Lantern Rouge is Anthony Roux.
More mountains tomorrow and the next day..........and the next day!
In fact they are due to climb the slopes of The Tourmalet mountain twice in successive stages, but that is for later.......
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