Lucky Luke.

me neither. pre-steak contador is the closest in recent times I think.

Realistically Froome wouldn't be where he is today without Sky. It is his job and obviously a firm commitment for him personally to honour the team plan and put Wiggins - love him or hate him - on top of the podium in Paris. What happens afterwards though is anyone's guess.

Yes, attacking on the last descent is too little too late. He needs to do what Andy did last year on the one occasion where he looked like a bike racer worthy of respect. Attack on the first big climb and team up with someone up the road. Easier said than done when Rupert Murdoch's black motorbikes are chasing you though.

crap I spoke too soon it's still in rotation

Great to see Sidi have canned that ridiculous shoe cooking ad this year.

This year's team car obviously a major upgrade on the one they had at the Giro

If you're using a soft bag make sure you remove your derailleur. I did not and had to borrow a bike to ride Sani.

Hopefully there will be an early solo effort by one of the top 10 guys today. Put a teammate up the road from the get-go, then attack on the first big hill and try to join up with them. Opportunities for Nibali today with 30km + of descent in the last 45km.

Ye Wiggins is only 32, he no doubt has a few tours left in him. Maybe the Giro can be a leadership opportunity for Froome.

Read it, I don't have the insight you do but my thinking is along the same lines Sky is the team to be on right now if you want to go places. Wiggins and all of the guys behind the team are 150% committed to winning a tour for Britain. And the money is there to throw behind their effort. After that who knows how the pecking order will present itself.

Personally I agree, my feeling is Froome will not leave Sky in the near future, as long as the winning trajectory continues uninterrupted.

maybe just stay home and then backdate one

If lance would just tell us what happened - address very specific allegations - the issue would be put to bed, instead of attacking the people who actually talk about, in great detail, what went on during the massively long period during which he dominated the sport.

Here you go.. not too sure on the upcountry guys, these are just the riders I've trained and raced with, results are just ones I happen to have remembered. Donkey - road, won the Cape Cobra, Kriek - road, won Ride for Sight, Thornman - road, won last DC with CPT Market, Tarmac - road & mtb, some track and DH there too from way back, won Killarney multiple times, won the TT 30-34 UWC worlds qualifier, WP subvet TT champ, won a few other things too, PrisonBreak - road, WP TT champ aged 40, went to biathlon worlds a while back if I remember correctly, and set the fastest time on the bike, Andrew Mclean - no need to go into detail here Jules - solo-ed to victory at the brutally hard UWC Road World Champs qualifier last year, from like 5 k's in - madness. Also handy with the mtb and SS apparently.

Fastest I've been since March is running to the bottle store at closing time

How are you doing Dennis? I've changed my focus to the pie-eating olympics. I'd get back on the bike but I'm afraid of breaking it at the moment

I quite enjoy Wiggins barking profanities at the press, certainly livens things up. At the same time there is considerable inconsistency there in terms of his previously uncompromising stance against doping. If you compare the angry outspoken rider of 2007 - Wiggins actually considered retiring from cycling - after being forced to abandon the tour due to another Cofidis doping scandal.. compare his words to the guy we see today who - inexplicably - is tended to by Dr Geert Leinders, the same doctor in charge of putting Rasmussen on the podium in that very same year. A doctor who has not denied that he presided over team doping at Rabobank. A doctor whose relationship with Rasmussen led to perhaps the most farcical dope damaged tour of all time. In no way does the presence of Leinders amount to evidence of any wrongdoing. But at the very least, it does merit a reasoned stance on the very real and damaging issue of doping at the tour, from the rider who looks very likely to win it. That's just the team doctor. I'm not going to go into the history of their DS Mr Sean Yates.

Which facts specifically are you waiting for? A great many people have told us what the facts are and only one guy and his legal team has consistently disputed them.

Ferrari and del Moral have gone down - lifetime bans from USADA - and by extension WADA. http://www.usatoday....rari/56130256/1 Ferrari, who lives in Italy, was a consulting doctor for Armstrong and the U.S. Postal Service and Discovery Channel teams from 1999-2006, according to USADA. USADA said Ferrari developed a special mixture of testosterone and olive oil to be placed under the tongue to help riders recover from races and training. He also helped advised riders how to use EPO and avoid detection. Some high profile tennis players with clouds over them now: http://tennishasaste...and-tennis.html In denouncing the USADA accusations as false, García del Moral expressed particular concern about their effect on his reputation and that of his athlete clients. Among other sports stars, he said in an interview that he had worked with Sara Errani, an Italian tennis player who on June 8 won the women's doubles title at the French Open and a day later played in the women's single final only to lose to Maria Sharapova.

bingo

Must be crap stuff, getting arrested is the most we've seen of this guy all tour.

not without it's drama so far http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/cofidis-hotel-raided-di-gregorio-arrested-at-tour-de-france

Hopefully there are some big downhills coming up and we will see some fireworks from Nibali, maybe Evans too. If Sky has a weak spot at all I think this is it.

ha no comment, don't want to spoil the vibe here

I don't think Evans has a hope at this point to be honest, he will probably crack at some point. Sky are too strong and will continue to pace like motorbikes just like USPS used to do. Launching significant attacks will be nigh on impossible - at least that is how it looks to me after this TT. I think Wiggins actually took his foot off the gas towards the end of his ride.