Attacks from the off. Good decision to take today off work.

Just seen some images of the state of the road on the descent of Col de Sarenne.

Could be fun playing dodge the pothole...

New tarmac on some of those hairpins. And it's just starting to rain. That could be fun. The GC contenders are going down now.

Sagan on the Alpe d'Huez

Sagan on the Alpe d'Huez

Also

Also

Respect to Froome.
TdF winner 2013.

He'd have won it last year if he hadn't had to have carried Bradders.

So they made this year's route more mountaineous to curb the advantage the time triallers had last year.

In response, Team Sky have bossed the race again albeit in a different way.

What are they going to do next year, make them ride with weighted backpacks on?

Best Tdf for many a year.

I don't think Team Sky bossed it in quite the same way as they did last year but Froome has been immense. Contador on the other hand doesn't look the same without his beef.

Nice bet on Kittel yesterday whose odds were ludicrously generous considering Cav has not beaten him in a sprint where Kittel has been 'there' for a long time.

So.....what is going on with Cav? Moves from Sky who didn't support him (4 wins in 2012) to a team where he is the main man (2 wins). What is the difference?

Is he unwell? Injured? Or has 'his time' passed?

I think the competition around him (particularly Kittel and Sagan) is getting better and he's standing still slightly rather than necessarily declining.

He also had at Sky arguably the best lead out train in the peleton at that time to deliver him into perfect position to attack.

He'll still nick a couple of stage wins a year, but he's not head and shoulders above the others like he has been.