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2020-09-04T13:58:34.617 ZHang on. Bradley Wiggins says Dave Brailsford wont let Ineos be bullied, describing their extremely constant tempo on the Col de la Lusette as “a statement of intent”. Full story..
2020-09-04T13:56:19.258 ZProject Fear. Thats what Philippa York is calling Jumbo-Vismas influence on this race so far..
” Theres not quite the sensation of the race being held in check up until Roglic and business decide its time to go however theres certainly a reticence hanging over everybody to show what theyve got as we approach completion of the first week.”.
Heres the full piece..
2020-09-04T13:51:25.447 ZThe lead peloton comes over the leading 35 seconds later on..
2020-09-04T13:51:05.323 ZDe Gendt reaches the top. Its a cat-4 climb so thats another KOM point to add to his two from the previous climb..
2020-09-04T13:49:45.822 Z71km to go.
De Gendt hits the Côte de Paulhe (1.1 km at 7%), the last categorised climb of the day. He has stretched his lead out to 27 seconds..
2020-09-04T13:41:46.164 Z78km to go.
De Gendt continues to hang in front of that lead peloton, 20 seconds ahead now. Its B&B who are turning consistently with Bora now. The Ewan group is at 8 minutes however the Bennett group is still not surrendering, at 4:30, so Coquards guys desire to ensure..
2020-09-04T13:38:50.711 ZCrash ahead group. Hugo Hofstetter (Israel) strikes the deck, along with Marc Soler (Movistar). Theyre both back on their bikes..
2020-09-04T13:37:20.154 ZSean Kelly cant get his head around De Gendts move in the Eurosport studio. “An amateur move”, he calls it. Hes similarly unimpressed/perplexed by the absence of Bennett – his fellow Irishman and Carrick-on-Suir native – from this front group. “Coquard exists!” he exclaims, concluding Bennett must be on a bad day..
2020-09-04T13:32:30.045 ZDe Gendt is alone out front, with a lead of 16 seconds. There are a fair couple of incorrect flats and a couple more real climbs up however this is a largely downhill run to Castres..
2020-09-04T13:30:21.519 ZHuge blow for Bennetts green jersey project. Sagan took 17 points from intermadiate sprint and bypassed Bennett by 5 points.
2020-09-04T13:27:32.262 Z And we have a @DeGendtThomas breakaway alert at the top of the Col de Peyronnenc! Alerte échappée de Thomas De Gendt au passage du Col de Peyronnenc! #TDF 2020 #TDFunited pic.twitter.com/ULegkykDXeSeptember 4, 2020.
2020-09-04T13:27:00.098 ZMeanwhile, Jungels takes the Bennett group over the top of the climb, 4 minutes in arrears and undoubtedly without hope now..
2020-09-04T13:25:30.174 Z92km to go.
Bora take over from B&B when more, and Oss raises the rate..
2020-09-04T13:24:10.613 ZDe Gendt is pressing on … This would be outrageous.
2020-09-04T13:23:28.194 ZAttack from De Gendt! Was that just for the points or is he planning a break?
2020-09-04T13:22:14.917 ZThey concerned the top of the Col de Peyronnenc, and Coquards B&B team take over at the front of the lead group. Thats the very first time any team besides Bora have been on the front..
2020-09-04T13:17:30.359 ZDeclercq is on the front of the chase group on this climb, 3km from the top. That provides Asgreen and Jungels a break, however the big Belgian is not going to have the ability to eat into this gap. 3:30 now and its only going one way..
2020-09-04T13:14:57.155 Z100km to go.
Into the last 100km, and we have a quieter minute, so lets re-cap..
It was a peaceful first couple of kilometres but then Bora lit it up on the first climb, dropping many of the sprinters, and never slowing down because on the undulating roadways. The race has divided in 3 as an outcome, with Sam Bennett in a 31-rider chase group that was simply 20 seconds down at one point however is now at almost 3 minutes. Jungels and Asgreen have actually toiled for Bennett in that group however were no match for the full-squad Bora charge. The rest of the pure sprinters – Ewan, Nizzolo, Kristoff, Bol, Viviani, however not Bryan Coquard – remain in the 3rd group, which is now 6 minutes down and out of the image..
We still have a long method to go and crosswinds and exposed roadways later, so the drama is far from over …
2020-09-04T13:10:06.206 ZDumoulin will have no problem returning through the automobiles and as much as the lot, 6.5 km from the top of this climb..
2020-09-04T13:09:27.984 ZTom Dumoulin has an issue of some sort and needs to stop for a bike change..
2020-09-04T13:09:07.391 ZYesterday was a non-event as far as the GC is concerned but there was one interesting advancement, as Bauke Mollema claimed he heard Egan Bernal chewing out Michal Kwiatkowski to slow down as the sprinted for the line. The Colombian came into the race with a back injury and there have actually been doubts about his fitness. More on that here..
2020-09-04T13:05:17.738 ZThis is how the intermediate sprint played out.
2nd at the intermediate sprint behind @MATTEOTRENTIN, @petosagan is now essentially in green once again! Deuxième au sprint derrière Trentin, Peter Sagan a virtuellement repris le maillot vert! #TDF 2020 #TDFunited pic.twitter.com/RIlUJHV4geSeptember 4, 2020.
2020-09-04T13:04:22.535 ZBora appear to have actually taken a look at the spaces and relaxed a little. They have not knocked it off, and its still a strong rhythm on this climb, but the sense of urgency has actually subsided a little. The Bennett group has actually found a touch more group at 2:27.
2020-09-04T13:00:22.936 Z105km to go.
At 5:30, it appears Ewan, Nizzolo, Kristoff, Viviani, and Bol are completely out of the formula. At 2:40 now, it doesnt look great for Bennett and co..
2020-09-04T12:59:27.635 ZStill, theres plenty that can occur on the rest of this phase, with the capacity for crosswind damage in the future. So far its the sprinters whove been injured however this might well still turn out to be a huge GC day..
2020-09-04T12:58:21.327 ZWhat a trip this is from Bora, whove been on the front all day. Watch Wout Van Aert robbed them off at the finish …
2020-09-04T12:57:04.561 ZIneos, meanwhile, have six riders up front and, like Jumbo, 6s their best echelon rider whos behind, with Luke Rowe in the second group.
2020-09-04T12:55:20.498 ZJumbo-Visma have seven of their 8 riders in the front group, in another strong screen from the Dutch group. However, its their best flat-land/crosswind rider, Tony Martin, whos behind in the 2nd group..
2020-09-04T12:53:45.944 Z109km to go.
And now were climbing up again!
The Col de Peyronnenc (14.5 km at 3.9%) starts right after the sprint. Bora lead the large front peloton, 2:15 ahead of a 31-rider group which contains Sam Bennett and Martinez, and 4:50 ahead of a third group that includes Caleb Ewan and the majority of the other sprinters..
2020-09-04T12:51:50.162 ZAlaphilippe accelerated there as well, presumably to try and scoop some points away from the others in defence of Bennetts green jersey, however he was never going to problem Sagan and Trentin..
2020-09-04T12:51:03.243 ZTrentin nicks it, choosing up 20 indicate Sagans 17..
2020-09-04T12:50:38.604 ZTrentin strikes the front and Sagan reacts. Its neck-and-neck on the line, with Coquard 3rd..
2020-09-04T12:50:15.306 ZTime for the sprint then. Bora still in full force on the front. Trentin and Coquard go up.
2020-09-04T12:49:14.196 ZThe green jersey group is now more than two minutes down. Ewans 3rd group is at 4:20..
2020-09-04T12:48:21.165 ZJulian Alaphlippe not pleased with the moto. Or with me, I cant inform. #TDF 2020 pic.twitter.com/hOFQBjquPwSeptember 4, 2020.
2020-09-04T12:47:27.380 ZTrentin remains in this group and has revealed an interest in intermediate sprints prior to today. Cant see too much other competition for Sagan. Coquard perhaps..
2020-09-04T12:46:18.150 Z115km to go.
Weve come to the top of that uncategorised climb and were now heading downhill. 5km to the intermediate sprint, where Sagan will assist himself..
2020-09-04T12:45:19.860 ZWant to view this madness? Obviously you do. Heres how.
How to see the Tour de France– live streaming and TV.
2020-09-04T12:43:08.672 ZSorry for another Pickering tweet but the male is on kind today..
Anyone know the last time a stage went without a breakaway going?September 4, 2020.
2020-09-04T12:41:22.043 ZThe space continues to grow. 1:45 now. Meanwhile, Ewan and co are at 3:30..
2020-09-04T12:40:28.374 ZWere on that uncategorised climb now and there are once again some really nasty gradients..
2020-09-04T12:39:35.089 ZThe gap transfers to 1:35 as the rate visibly drains pipes from that chase group. Jungels is suffering, he browses and sees Impey and other Mitchelton riders, plus Luke Rowe from Ineos, but theres no aid from them at the minute. Its pretty much Jungels and Asgreen versus the full Bora team, and the numbers are counting..
2020-09-04T12:38:06.177 ZJungels and Asgreen continue to toil on the front of the chase group but theyre struggling versus this committed and constantly rotating Bora unit..
2020-09-04T12:33:47.283 ZBack out onto the exposed plains and the gaps grow to 1:10/ 2:45. The wind is blowing but its more of a head-cross wind at the moment..
2020-09-04T12:30:13.364 ZBryan Coquard (B&B Hotels-Vital Concept) is reported in the front group. Hes the only pure sprinter therein. Phase 5 winner Wout Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) is there, obviously..
2020-09-04T12:29:22.765 ZThe green jersey group slips back to more than a minute now …
2020-09-04T12:28:51.726 ZPeople had actually been grumbling this Tour was boring …
2020-09-04T12:26:22.010 Z131km to go.
Bora are winning this battle! The space grows to 45 seconds. The gap to the Ewan group (with many other sprinters) is out to 2:30..
2020-09-04T12:25:39.312 ZAdam Yates is present and appropriate in the lead group but Mitchelton-Scott have guys in the 2nd group, and theyre riding with QuickStep. They need numbers up with Yates, for one, however likewise Daryl Impey is back there and could be a contender on a stage like this, if the pure sprinters run out the formula..
2020-09-04T12:24:25.725 ZAlaphilippe waves intensely at a moto camera ahead group. He does not want any aerodynamic advantage for his own group, offered he d like to see Bennett return. Back because chase group, its Jungels and Cavagna burying themselves, while Bennett is a few places down the line with Declercq..
2020-09-04T12:22:56.947 ZWere heading towards another uncategorised but (at this rate) nasty climb, then we come down to the intermediate sprint at KM58, then its the long Col de Peyronnenc, which at 3.9% isnt the steepest however at 14.5 km might well issue more damage.
2020-09-04T12:20:31.908 Z136km to go.
Its honours even on the flat as the space in between the primary peloton and Bennetts chasing peloton holds at 30 seconds..
2020-09-04T12:19:54.964 ZThis is Boras line-up. Buchmann is the GC leader, with Muhlberger and Grossschartner providing climbing up assistance.
21 Peter Sagan.
22 Emanuel Buchmann.
23 Felix Großschartner.
24 Lennard Kämna.
25 Gregor Mühlberger.
26 Daniel Oss.
27 Lukas Pöstlberger.
28 Maximilian Schachmann.
2020-09-04T12:17:07.630 ZWere heading through more built-up locations now and were back on flatter roads for the finest part of 15km. Bora still on it..
2020-09-04T12:15:18.218 ZSagan and his group are doing to everyone what Sagan and his team did to everybody on stage 7 in 2013. https://t.co/wRNZ591xlWSeptember 4, 2020.
2020-09-04T12:14:28.300 ZSunweb and Lotto are collaborating in the 3rd group..
2020-09-04T12:13:39.064 Z142km to go.
When again, the Bennett group is at 30 seconds. It has reformed as we head downhill now, and there are at least 30 riders there..
2020-09-04T12:12:08.493 ZBol and Viviani are now back with Ewan, Nizzolo, and Kristoff. That group is at 1:45 now!
As soon as more, 2020-09-04t12:11:00.507 ZBora have drive clear daylight into this gap. They still have almost their entire team on the front..
2020-09-04T12:10:16.313 ZDeceuninck-QuickStep have a headache here as they still require to make sure they have some resources with Alaphilippe, as crosswinds could wreck this phase in the future..
2020-09-04T12:09:30.945 ZThe second group splits now! Bennett has Asgreen but Declercq is having a hard time on those gradients..
2020-09-04T12:08:56.186 ZWere on the uncategorised climb now and its really biting..
2020-09-04T12:08:22.950 ZBennetts group seemed returning on, but Bora have actually eased clear once again. EF are leading that group, with Martinez in there..
2020-09-04T12:07:35.946 ZBora are still riding hard, and we have exposed roads here …
2020-09-04T12:06:41.396 ZIt appears like Sunweb are sending out more riders back for the Bol group.
2020-09-04T12:06:25.714 ZThe Bennett group is returning to the front group now..
2020-09-04T12:04:32.924 ZThatll be since his group is just 25 seconds down, and he now has actually Asgreen to pull it along. On the other hand, Bol and Viviani are in a third group at 1 minute, while Ewan, Nizzolo and Kristoff are at 1:25..
2020-09-04T12:03:50.671 ZBennett provides a thumbs up as the cam motorcycle passes by. He does not seem overly worried at this point..
2020-09-04T12:02:31.538 ZKasper Asgreen sits up ahead group. It appears hes being sent out back for Sam Bennett..
2020-09-04T12:01:57.505 ZWill the sprinters come back? If those little sprinters groups come together and they get teammates around them to mount a collective chase, then yes.
2020-09-04T11:59:26.720 ZAll the GC riders seem to be in the main Bora-led peloton. Simply the sprinters who are on the back foot..
2020-09-04T11:58:52.079 ZBora continue the charge as we head downhill for a number of kilometres prior to an uncategorised 7km climb..
2020-09-04T11:58:03.473 ZHeres how Bora nearly robbed Cosnefroy at the top of that climb..
⛰ He had to produce a substantial effort, however @BenoitCosnefroy handles to score the points at the top. ⛰ Après un effort très extreme, Benoit Cosnefroy prend les 2 points au sommet alors que la @BORAhansgrohe imprime un train denfer dans le peloton. #TDF 2020 #TDFunited pic.twitter.com/5uwfQryUUKSeptember 4, 2020.
2020-09-04T11:56:30.294 ZEwan remains in the last group on the roadway, with a number of colleagues. Theres a long way to go however this might easily leave hand..
2020-09-04T11:55:03.030 Z #TDF 2020 all sprinters dropped. great team effort from our kids September 4, 2020.
2020-09-04T11:54:52.358 ZGreen jersey Sam Bennett is likewise in problem.
2020-09-04T11:53:52.429 ZThe Frenchman is passed by the Bora train in sight of the banner. He introduces a substantial sprint and they simply allow him to get his nose out in front to grab the 2 points. He gives a wave in thanks..
2020-09-04T11:52:46.950 ZCosnefroy is going to get caught here!
2020-09-04T11:52:31.992 ZMads Pedersen, Cees Bol, and Elia Viviani amongst the riders losing contact.
2020-09-04T11:52:13.028 ZWeve got flag-bearing fans on the roadway side and we can see the wind is blowing..
2020-09-04T11:51:23.234 ZCosnefroy has just a handful of seconds in hand now as he goes into the last 750m of the climb..
2020-09-04T11:50:50.010 ZTheres an intermediate sprint showing up at KM58, so Sagan will no doubt fancy that. Whether they can eliminate the sprinters altogether, considering that flat encounter, seems a much taller order..
2020-09-04T11:49:53.642 ZIts working … Nizzolo is dropped, and now Ewan …
2020-09-04T11:49:28.632 ZBora are on the front and are setting a strong pace, looking to make it difficult here for the other sprinters..
2020-09-04T11:49:00.981 ZCosnefroy speeds up 2.3 km from the summit and Schär swings over and calls it a day..
2020-09-04T11:47:20.633 ZCosnefroy and Schär struck the Côte de Luzençon with a lead of simply 15 seconds. Cosnefroy will obviously desire to take the 2 KOM points at the top, but will he commit to a daylong break thereafter? There are more than 50km to the following cat-3 climb..
2020-09-04T11:45:41.267 ZLilian Calmejane is the Total rider stuck in between break and lot..
2020-09-04T11:43:27.073 ZSchär makes it across to Cosnefroy as the roadway tilts downhill..
2020-09-04T11:42:50.513 ZBut now one of them, Michael Schar (CCC Team), goes again. Overall Direct Energie respond – they look keener to enter the break today..
2020-09-04T11:42:11.398 ZThose four are quickly caught by the lot. They never looked too dedicated to that anyhow..
2020-09-04T11:41:21.201 ZAnd now we get a reaction, as four riders clip off the front. Its far from an extreme start..
2020-09-04T11:40:12.121 ZNo ones lured to sign up with Cosnefroy..
2020-09-04T11:39:28.833 ZNo one attacks from the weapon, and now mountains classification leader Cosnefroy is on the relocation..
2020-09-04T11:38:26.498 ZWere off!
Prudhomme rises through the sunroof and waves us underway.
2020-09-04T11:37:45.842 ZThomas De Gendt (Lotto Soudal) is at the front of the lot as they follow the race directors automobile through this neutralised zone. The Belgian has ended up being a little a cliche when it comes to broach breakaways, however Lotto Soudal have Caleb Ewan for a sprint today and will prefer to set that up instead of seeing a breakaway go all the method today..
2020-09-04T11:35:18.847 ZIts an uphill start today, then a dip down, then directly into a cat-3 climb, the Côte de Luzencon (3.1 km at 6.1%).
2020-09-04T11:33:25.916 ZA run-down of todays jerseys prior to we get underway.
Yellow – Adam Yates (Mitchelton-Scott).
Green – Sam Bennett (Deceuninck-QuickStep).
Polka-dots – Benoît Cosnefroy (AG2R La Mondiale).
White – Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates).
2020-09-04T11:31:12.650 ZWere on the relocation – simply rolling through the short neutralised area at the minute..
2020-09-04T11:30:50.508 ZTwo days back, obviously, we had no breakaway whatsoever, which Yoann Offredo appeared to take great offense at. Others grabbed reducing circumstances like the parcours, the wind, the problem of the stages either side, and the fact that even smaller groups have top sprinters and GC riders, however that wasnt good enough for Yoann, who famously assaulted solo from 200km on the 2018 Tour..
” Its the Tour de France! Offredo exclaimed on French TV.
2020-09-04T11:27:50.866 ZThe riders have actually gathered on the start line. It wasnt just Mitchelton-Scott on the rollers – lots of groups were warming up today. Thats normally an indication were in for a quick start, with plenty of interest in a breakaway..
2020-09-04T11:26:19.921 ZSome preview goodness from our friends at Procycling magazine.
” At the confluence of the Tarn and Dourbie rivers sits picturesque Millau, which will send out off riders near the Millau Viaduct, the tallest cable-stayed roadway bridge in the world, towards a day over lots of rocky hills and liquid hills, otherwise referred to as the wind..
” Three categorised climbs up are placed in the very first 100km, with the category 3 Col de Peyronnenc using the longest climb at 14.5 km. After the Côte de Paulhe, simply 1.1 km in length, there is another lumpy area then 44 kilometres of leveled-out pavement into the finish town of Lavaur..
” The Tour has actually visited Lavaur twice, in 2001 and 2011, and the rating is 1-1 in between the break and the bunch. In 2011 Mark Cavendish won the lot sprint, however in 2001 a group of 25 contested the finish that was won by Rik Verbrugghe.”.
2020-09-04T11:23:07.239 ZCoronavirus talk dominated the build-up to this Tour de France, however weve not heard much of it because the race set out from Nice last weekend. Well, it has actually resurfaced after the other days go up the Col de la Lusette, where various riders felt there were too many fans, getting too close, with too few masks..
” I might smell the beer from somebodys mouth, so if they are infected, the riders riding next to them can also get infected,” Thomas De Gendt stated.
Heres the complete story.
2020-09-04T11:19:18.460 Z #TDF 2020 @tacx fitness instructors before the stage … Expecting a quick start to stage 7? pic.twitter.com/EEqXiyNnxkSeptember 4, 2020.
2020-09-04T11:17:13.272 ZIn last nights communiqué, the race organisers cautioned of gusts of 30-40km/ h today. That appears like slightly wishful thinking, but many projections Ive seen have it in the high 20s..
2020-09-04T11:12:57.550 Z” I am most likely the most worried rider on the team this morning,” says Groupama-FDJs Stefan Kung..
Thats since hes their huge Swiss rouleur, whose primary task is to secure Thibaut Pinot on the flat and in the wind. His nerves are reasonable provided were not too far at all from Albi, where Pinot lost a portion of time in the crosswinds last year. He was in anguish after that, and Kung will need to ensure it doesnt happen again..
” Im Thibauts bodyguard, particularly on a day like today,” Kung includes. “Its very important to have a strong group around him, and my role is to make the choice of what to do and when.”.
2020-09-04T11:03:58.740 ZWant to know more about wind? My coworker and certified wind nerd Ed Pickering has actually done a thread.
Biking and the wind. A thread.The Vent dAutan is forecast to blow on the Tour today. The residents state that its a wind “qui rend fou”- which makes people go mad.It blows southern east, in the opposite direction to the Tramontane, which blows from the north west.September 4, 2020.
2020-09-04T10:59:53.612 ZBefore we start, why not catch up on the other days action. Report, results, images all in the link below..
Tour de France: Alexey Lutsenko wins stage 6 on top of Mont Aigoual.
2020-09-04T10:57:37.352 Z Bonjour Millau #TDF 2020 #TDFunited pic.twitter.com/jwPCRpksdESeptember 4, 2020.
2020-09-04T10:56:25.948 ZThe podium event is well underway in Millau, and the riders will be presenting at 13:25 regional time, so in around half an hour. Christian Prudhomme will wave the stage underway some 10 minutes after that..
2020-09-04T10:55:09.842 ZHeres the phase profile. The wind will be coming from the side for the majority of the day, and the diminished from the Col de Peyronnenc is where things could get interesting. The route changes instructions at Castres, tracking west however a little north, which would turn it into a more of a tail-crosswind. It will all depend on the strength of the wind later on, and whether we have the exposed roadways needed to split the race into tiers. The riders will be on high alert for sure..
( Image credit: ASO).
Its stage 7 today, and we have a phase that takes us closer to the Pyrenees this weekend. Hang on, though, this stage, running largely south west towards Toulouse, exposes itself to the regional south-easterly Autan wind, which anticipates anticipate to be out in force this afternoon …
Enjoy Wout Van Aert mug them off at the finish …
The Bennett group has actually discovered a touch more group at 2:27.
2020-09-04T12:57:04.561 ZIneos, meanwhile, have six riders up front and, on the other hand Jumbo, its their best echelon rider whos behind, with Luke Rowe tier the second group. 2020-09-04T12:47:27.380 ZTrentin is in this group and has actually shown an interest in intermediate sprints prior to today. 2020-09-04T12:30:13.364 ZBryan Coquard (B&B Hotels-Vital Concept) is reported in the front group. 2020-09-04T12:24:25.725 ZAlaphilippe waves intensely at a moto camera in the lead group.
