Le Tour 2024

Good luck to Cavendish as he tries again for the record 35th stage win. Look out for Tom Pidcock - he could well win a stage especially one with a downhill finish. He has to be the best descender in recent times. 

Evenepoel has found humility, something not especially noticed before and the coverage of him I caught around the Dauphiné was really good and made you warm to someone who maybe didn’t inspire that kind of reaction before.

Roglic, of the other pretenders to the win, has been the best of the rest. However, he’s yet to get to full power and even then has never really had Pogacar’s number.

The only one who has is Vingegaard. After a punctured lung and the last to leave hospital, GPR is spot on re him getting to the start line is a victory in itself. For the race, I hope he’s a lot better than we would believe. His demolition of Pogacar last year was quite some demonstration.

For the first time in ages, this race won’t have a sprinter in yellow. It’ll likely be a GC rider from the start, unless they let a breakaway go and have a brutal fight amongst the GC group later in this stage - most unlikely imo.

I’d love to see Roglic win, after so many near misses and having to obey team orders in his last race for Jumbo Visma so Sepp Kuss won the Vuelta, having been in a breakaway that gained so much time on the rest of the GC group. No team orders and he’d have won.

Bora Hansgrohe do have some very good support riders for the mountains.

Let it all unfold and let Cav get his 35th stage win somewhere.

It’ll be fascinating that’s for sure.

Geraint not going for GC - he's helping Martinez & Benal who are the designated GC men. 

Pogacar had gone down with Covid but had recovered before the start of the Tour.

A couple of less strenuous days follow. Tuesday is the next tough stage. The sprinters can look for some success in this toughest of tough editions of the race.

That's fine!

I can't explain to anyone who doesn't follow cycling how ABSOLUTELY THRILLING that stage was...we watched the last 2h. maybe 3... there were around 5 riders in a breakaway, only a handful of minutes in front. Bardet broke from the peloton and made the bridge, just as the weaker elements started to fall away... finally, there were only two left at the front, Bardet and his amazing young team-mate Frank van den Broek... We were shouting at the screen: "Don't look back! Just go for it!"

The stage was a switchback, a lot of short but fairly steep climbs followed by sinuous descents... towards the end,t he road got wider, the gap was dropping and it looked as if the breakaway couple would be reeled in - but not a bit of it! They held on by 50m or so. Chapeau!

Also, a huge result for Bardet for two reasons - although he's made the podium twice (one 2nd, one 3rd) he's NEVER worn the 'maillot jaune' - before today... and it's his LAST TOUR before retiring. He is a much-loved rider for his brave - sometimes crazy - attacks, and the result is hugely popular. 

Thanks also to van den Broek, who made sure not to contest the finish. I hope his day will come, too. 

Pogacar couldn’t shake Vingegaard, who looks fitter than everyone expected. Evenepoel closed a near 40 second gap to finish in front of Pog and Ving. Barguil launched a huge effort to keep his yellow jersey but came up 6 seconds short.

Geraint Thomas dropped on the ascent of the Mur de Luca.

Roglic nowhere to be seen.

The first two days have been harder than everyone expected.

Another French winner Vauquelin in his tour debut won by about 40 seconds. It was his team’s first ever stage win.

The King of the Mountains Abrahmson (Norway?) also has the Green Jersey and looks like an interesting talent for the future.

Pogacar in yellow.

Sprinter’s day tomorrow.

I fancied Pog before the start, but now I'm far less sure about that.