Wiggins has stacked it. He's in deep, deep trouble

It's been a far more enjoyable (and unpredictable) first week than I thought we were in store for.

I've had my suspicions about Wiggins form before the race even started. I suppose we'll know more soon enough.

Just tuned in - weather looks nice. Guess he went down due to the conditions.

Yep. Nibbles hit the tarmac too, but only after breaking away a bit, so managed to stay with the peloton.
If Sky did have a plan B, that's gone now with Henao and Urán waiting for Wiggins. Lost 90 seconds to the other main GC contenders.

Wiggins only hope is to put 4 minutes plus into his main GC rivals in the TT. He could do that with Nibbles but not Ryder.

My bet on Hesjadal is looking better today after that.

When will Sky learn that they need a 'plan B'?

It only looks like there is a plan B when plan A works. Wiggins wins Le Tour, but there's Froome next to him on the podium and they can say 'well if anything had happened to Brad, we'd have had someone able to take over'. They can keep telling themselves that, but it doesn't make it true. Urán's slipped 20 places today and is no longer in a position to take over as leader.

This is hilarious: https://twitter.com/ukcyclingexpert

This is hilarious: https://twitter.com/ukcyclingexpert

I can guarantee that if anything had happened to Brad they'd have sent Froome 'back' to look after him thereby taking care of Plans A & B in one fell swoop.

Some interesting chat coming out from David Walsh yesterday that Uran and Henao had been told to stay put and not to come back to pace Wiggo back to the group. Plans B & C finally coming out but not until both plans had been compromised pacing Wiggins back earlier in the week.

I've said right from the start that I'm not sure about Bradley Wiggins. He is not in the kind of condition he was in last year and I would not be surprised if we do not see him again after the rest day today.

However - it could of course be that he has been telling the truth about becoming more of an explosive climber and he is lulling everyone into a false sense of security.

Charlie Wegelius was suggesting that Wiggins has been suffering from the same thing Dario Cataldo was earlier in the week

I'd seen Vaughters saying the that Wegelius had mentioned this to him too.

He hasn't looked like Wiggins 2012 vintage at any point during 2013. Virus or no virus I think he's struggling to follow up 2012 and knowing how noisy his 'inner chimp' is I think he needs someone like Shane Sutton to start shouting at him again.