That's all for today folks ...
Many, many thanks for your time and your emails on a day of racing that was far more exciting than this particular reporter expected it to be. The riders tackle the Alps tomorrow, on a day when they’ll face the Col de la Croix de Fer and the Galibier. Tune in tomorrow, when we’ll bring you all the action.
Marcel Kittel speaks: “I can’t say I am happy about losing all the points, but there was nothing to do,” he says. “It is what it is. I gave of my best on the climb, but it wasn’t our day today and now we have to move on.” He makes no mention of being ill, which is not to say he wasn’t feeling poorly.
GC top 10 after Stage 16
Dan Martin was the day’s big loser, dropping out of the top 10 after getting caught on the wrong side of the split when Sky formed the echelon in the crosswinds 20 kilometres from home. It probably didn’t help that three of his team-mates were babysitting Marcel Kittel in the grupetto 10 minutes further back - despite the best attempts of Jack Bauer, who did a massive turn in a bid to get Martin back in touch, they were unable to bridge the gap.
Nouveau classement général, Quintana revient dans le top 10 / New GC, @NairoQuinCo is back in the top 10! #TDF2017 pic.twitter.com/wlRhNcQWnI
— Le Tour de France (@LeTour) July 18, 2017
Top 10 #TDF2017 pic.twitter.com/1ON5NS3kSi
— Le Tour de France (@LeTour) July 18, 2017
Sprint serré, @blingmatthews gagne aujourd'hui ! / Matthews takes the win, it was close! #TDF2017 pic.twitter.com/4eaJwe5dPx
— Le Tour de France (@LeTour) July 18, 2017
Michael Matthews speaks: “To get my second one in three days it’s ... I don’t really know. It probably won’t sink in until tomorrow.” He goes on to say that he had originally tried to get in the breakaway, but was being marked by Dan Martin. When he heard that Marcel Kittel had been dropped , he and his team-mates tried to do as much damage as possible in the quest for green jersey points. He’s reduced the deficit from 79 points to 29.
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Matthews keeps the win: John Degenkolb, who I originally mistook for Greg Van Avermaet, has had his complaint thrown out. It seems he was unhappy with some sort of flick or contact n the run-in, but reports suggest the jury has decided it was something and nothing.
I’ve also had an email telling me that “Belgian TV [are] reporting that one of their team saw John Degenkolb ride over to Michael Matthews after the finish, point right at him and tell him “fuck you”. Matthews came off his line a little there are clearly impeded the German.” Thanks to whoever sent that in.
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Stage 16 top five
1. Michael Matthews
2. Edvald Boasson Hagen
3. John Degenkolb
4. Greg Van Avermaet
5. Christophe Laporte
It seems that John Degenkolb has lodged an official complaint, saying that Michael Matthews cut him up on the run-in.
Edvald Boasson-Hagen made a pig’s ear of that. Looking for his first stage win since 2011, the Norwegian mistimed his late surge and was beaten by a wheel on the line. It looked a lot tighter in real time, but Boasson-Hagen had the beating of Matthews there if he hadn’t left it so late. The Australian didn’t even know he was coming up his outside, as he was focussing totally on Degenkolb, who was on his inside.
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Michael Matthews wins the stage!
Michael Matthews finishes a great day for himself and his team by winning the stage and taking the maximum number of points available, while his main rival for the green jersey remains out on the road.
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It's a three-way photo!
Degenkolb, Boasson Hagen and Matthews cross the line together.
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200m to go: Matthews hits the front!
1.6km to go: Daniel Bennatti grits his teeth and jumps off the lead bunch with a brave but doomed solo effort.
2.8km to go: Movistar are grafting at the front of the lead group, as they don’t want Dan Martin to get back in touch with their group.
3.6km to go: The gap to the Kittel group (remember them?), for anyone who’s wondering, is now almost 12 minutes.
7.5km to go: Andre Greipel and Alexander Kristoff are among the sprinters to miss out on getting into the lead group, while Marcel Kittel’s woes have been well documented. You’d have to fancy Edvald Boasson Hagen for the stage win at the moment. He’s in the front group and has his lead-out man with him. Greg van Avermaet is another puncheur who is well placed, with three team-mates to help him out.
9km to go: Correction: Rigoberto Uran is in the lead group. Apologies, but it all happened so quickly it’s a mite difficult to keep on top of it. Dan Martin is the only GC contender to have been left behind and he’s 24seconds behind.
12km to go: Among the potential stage and Tour winners in the front group, we have Michael Matthews, Greg van Avermaet, Edvald Boasson Hagan, Fabio Aru, Romain Bardet, Simon Yates and Chris Froome, which has spat out the rest of the Sky riders. Mikel Landa is struggling to stay in touch. Dan Martin and Rigoberto Uran have been left behind and are frantically trying to get back in touch but the gap appears to be widening.
13km to go: Correction: Dan Martin has been caught on the wrong side of the split and been left behind by the echelon. In the panic when it formed, Trek’s Jarlinson Pantano crashed and looked to have hurt himself quite badly. Axel Domont also came down.
14km to go: A brilliant recovery from Fabio Aru, who looked to have been caught out by the Sky echelon, but manages to bridge the gap. There are splits throughout the peloton, but all the GC contenders are in the front group.
16km to go: Sky have six riders at the front of the bunch, putting the hammer down as they string out the peloton. They form an echelon and a gap opens. Here we go!
17km to go: The gap back to Marcel Kittel’s group, who haven’t been shown on TV for a while but may well have stopped for a beer if the clock is right, is now more than nine minutes! Nine!
18km to go: Kwiatkowski and Froome take over at the front, controlling the pace of the peloton as it meanders through a small village.
20km to go: Fabio Aru and two other Astan riders take over at the front of the bunch, while Sky’s Michal Kwiatkowski escorts Chris Froome further towards the front. These are nervcy times in a bunch where all the main GC contenders want to be as near as possible to the front in case of crosswinds.
21km to go: The gap from the main group back to the Kittel group is now over eight minutes!
22km to go: Sky lose a few places in the peloton after taking the wrong side of a roundabout and losing their position at the front. They force their way forwards to a position of prominence again.
25km to go: The flags on the side of the road show the riders are struggling into a very strong headwind. Behind them, the Kittel group is now 7min 45sec behind. Meanwhile, the truth is finally out: “Be honest Barry,” writes Nick. “The reason Sky and therefore Brailsford get such an undeserved hard time from you, is due to the Guardian’s agenda with Sky and Murdoch.” I would respectfully argue that the presence of the word “undeserved” in that mail speaks volumes about who exactly it is that has the agenda.
30km to go: Team Sunweb continue to tow the peloton towards the finish with what ITV’s David Millar describes as something of “a status quo” having descended on the peloton. There have been no crosswinds for them to contend with yet; they’re currently riding into a strong headwind. “You’re often caught out a the moment you think when nothing’s going to happen, then all of a sudden you find yourself in the third group on the road,” says Millar. “It all happens so quickly.”
34km to go: Alberto Contador attacks off the front of the bunch, catching Sky’s Michal Kwiatkowski unawares as he rode with a musette dangling from his mouth. Having missed out at the feed zone, Kwiatkowski throws his lunch to the side of the road and heads off in hot pursuit to close down the attack.
Man down! Serge Pauwels from Dimension Data crashes in a bottle-neck as the road narrows. He gets back on his bike and continues.
37km to go: It’s pancake flat as the peloton starts to break up after their earlier exertions. They’re still going at a ferocious lick as a grupetto of riders, who seem to have decided their day’s work is done, forms off the back. The gap from the stage leaders to the Kittel group has judged edged past the six-minute mark.
Matthews wins the intermediate sprint: It’s not much of a contest as Michael Matthews is gifted the 20 points at the intermediate sprint., with Andre Greipel rolling over in second place. Sonny Colbrelli was third. Marcel Kittel is 5min 20sec behind.
44km to go: “For those maintaining Sky are getting an unfair ride, I’ll reiterate that this is a direct consequence of their puritanical entry into professional cycling,” says Guy Hornsby. “Many, many teams have doped, many recent riders (Contador, Diego Ulissi, Tom Danielson, Luca Paolini as well as Cardoso) have been banned. Indeed Sky dropped their own clanger with the signing of Jonathan Tiernan-Locke, subsequently dumping him the moment it arose – but none of them claim to be as virtuous as Sky do, or ever have.
“Brailsford may not like Cycling News, but it’s articles like this one that perfectly summarise the hypocrisy they employ, both over TUEs (saying they’d withdraw a rider with an allergy) and transparency (telling the media in 2013 to ‘get organised, and you tell me what could we do so we wouldn’t have to ask these questions’). Then at the merest sign of trouble, they start banning press, refusing access with Brailsford behaving like a sulking teenager.”
47km to go: the gap from the yellow jersey group to the green jersey group isa 4min 38sec and continues to grow as the former approaches the intermediate sprint.
53km to go: “I have to say that your coverage of the Sky debate seems extremely biased by your own opinion and does not represent a fair assessment of the situation,” writes Ian Townshend. “No other team carries the same assumption that they should share everything with us and constantly prove their innocence.”
Hmmm? I thought the same rules applied to all cycling teams, but apparently I’m mistaken.
“There is an inherent lack of transparency is elite sport as no one wants to reveal their methods and they are all to some degree maximising the grey areas of the rules to gain an advantage,” continues Ian. “I understand that people’s expectations of Sky are higher as a result of them holding themselves out to be whiter than white but we can hardly act so surprised when they don’t tell us everything. Their methods have clearly given both BC and Sky an advantage which they don’t want to share.
“They have been extremely successful and in this day and age this requires them to exploit the rules where possible. Again, hardly surprising that they don’t want to talk us all through the details. Brailsford actually has no responsibility to answer our questions. He must respond to the various governing bodies and I feel that he does. Why can’t we just enjoy their success without the constant scepticism and not be so naive to think that they are not pushing the boundaries.”
An interesting view, although I find this notion that we should “just enjoy their success” is bizarre, while the notion that Brailsford has been transparent and co-operative before “the various governing bodies” you speak of is preposterous. But hey, it’s all about opinions, innit? But nothing will convince me that Brailsford hasn’t been a victim of his own sanctimony.
57km to go: The speedy, single file descent to the Rhone Valley continues as Nacer Bouhanni gets on to the back of the peloton after expending a massive effort. The gap from the lead group to the Kittel group is now out to four minutes.
Gerard Fitzgerald writes: “Sky wouldn’t be getting such grief if they hadn’t being so sanctimonious at the start,” he writes. “Their refusal to join Vaughters et al in their transparency grouping is strange. Sky may have not doped but they have pushed right up to the line of cheating. Very much like Michael Rasmussen 10 years ago. If you want to be the cowboy with the white hat you better be cleaner than clean.”
We’re getting plenty of mails on this topic and apologies if I don’t get around to using them all. Sky’s sanctimony does seem to be getting under a lot of people’s skin, while sympathy for Chris Froome seems to be a prevailing theme among our readers.
Paul Griffin writes: “Such a shame about George Bennett abandoning,” he says. “He was a breathe of fresh air. And probably a fillip for Kiwi sports fans after their nation choked at their national sport so recently. Twice.” Oof!
64km to go: The sprinter Nacer Bouhanni (Cofidis), his team-mate Nicolas Edet and Nils Politt (Katusha-Alpecin) are trying to bridge the gap from the Kittel group to the yellow jersey/Michael Matthews group. They’re 50 seconds behind, as Bouhanni gives his pace-making team-mate an occasional push to help him along.
Intermediate sprint: Today’s sahaping up to be all about the green jersey, although the forecast crosswinds could liven things up. There are 20 points on offer to the winner of the intermediate sprint that’s 43.4km from the finish, and a further 30 points up for grabs to the winner of the stage. If Michael Matthews was to take all 50, the gap between himself and Kittel in the battle for the green jersey would be down to 29.
An email from Mark Newitt: “It’s not about doping, but something asking difficult questions about other teams,” he says.
72km to go: The peloton descends from the Massif Central to the Rhone Valley led by Michael Matthew’s Sunweb team, who continue to increase the gap to the Marcel Kittel group. It’s 3min 26sec and rising.
77km to go: Today’s stage has been enexpectedly entertaining thus far and things look likely to hot up even further in the near future as the riders approach the flat finish and the crosswinds that await.
The word from the Quick Step team, incidentally, is that Kittel has been suffering from stomach problems, but was reported to be feeling better. He certainly doesn’t look well. He’s being nursed through today’s stage by three team-mates - Sabatini, Vermote and Stybar - whose time might have been better spent working with Dan Martin in the yellow jersey group. Quick-Step are already down to seven riders following the withdrawals of Philippe Gilbert and Matteo Trentin.
78km to go: Kittel’s group is 2min 50sec behind the yellow jersey group, where Michael Matthews, his main rival for the green jersey is safely ensconced with his team-mates who are making the pace.
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84km to go: “For the sake of an idle muse, can you go over how far back Kittel would need to be to miss the cut today?” asks Matthew Trim. “Any chance it could happen if his group fractures and he is on the wrong side of an echelon?”
Well Matthew, to the best of my knowledge, the cut-off depends on many factors: the calculations are made taking into account the level of difficulty of the stage (there are four categories of difficulty not counting team time trials - I’m guessing today’s wouldn’t be particularly high) and the average speed of the winner (which is shaping up to be very high), so it’ll be hard to know until somebody wins it how close he needs to be. Looking as poorly as he does - and there’s a very good chance he may have the gastroenteritis that did for his team-mate Philippe Gilbert - I’d say it could be touch and go for Marcel today. By contrast, it could be a very elaborate bluff!!!
86km to go: The gap from the yellow jersey group to Marcel Kittel in his green jersey continues to grow. It’s now 2min 24sec.
88km to go: George Bennett abandons. The Kiwi rider was 12th on GC but hopelessly adrift of the field and has given up the ghost. I don’t know if he’s ill, injured or had a crash ... but his Tour is over. I’ll bring you more information as I get it.
95km to go: The camera cuts to Marcel Kittel as he’s nursed over the Col du Rouvey. He is suffering very badly and looks dreadful. His team-mates have given up trying to pace him back to the yellow jersey group and look instead to be focussing their attention on just getting him to the finish line.
An email from Ashley Roberts: “I have to disagree with your response to James Austin,” he says. “It’s perfectly possible to criticise Sky while also criticising the free ride which many commentators and fans give to the likes of Astana, Valverde, and Contador (to name just a few) who have a much more dubious or downright proven history of doping. For many there appear to be double standards and blatant hypocrisy at play.”
It is indeed, Ashley, but I fail to see how the “whataboutery” regarding other teams or riders that is employed when attempting to stick up for Sky is even remotely relevant to Sky’s myriad shortcomings in the transparency department. Plenty of people criticised and continue to criticise Astana, Contador and Valverde, but the Sky story currently garners more column inches because it is still ongoing and they refuse to help people trying to get to the bottom of it.
100km to go: The peloton heads towards the summit of the Cat 4 Col du Rouvey, the day’s second climb. The gap back to the Kittel group is almost two minutes.
Lotto joining with Sunweb, also Cummings in there for a good while as well... hard finish definitely one for Boasson-Hagen
— William Fotheringham (@willfoth) July 18, 2017
An email from Michelle O’Hara: “I can understand Brailsford’s frustration,” she says. “Cycling news is tabloidesque in its approach to Sky. They definitely have questions that should be answered but why is the focus constantly on them? I have seen little discussion, for example, on Cardoso of Trek being suspended shortly before the tour started for taking EPO. The sport won’t clean itself up by simply focusing on the one team and ignoring failed drugs tests in another.”
Again, thanks for the email. To answer your question, I would say the reason the focus is constantly on Sky is because they refuse to answer those questions you speak of, despite having originally promoted themselves as paragons of virtue and transparency. Because of this, reporters presume they have something to hide and can be forgiven for presuming as much, even if they don’t have anything to hide. As for the point about Cardoso - his suspension was widely reported, as far as I remember.
A bad day for George Bennett: The Kiwi LottoNL-Jumbo rider began today’s stage in 12th place overall on GC, but has lost 4min 43sec already. He’s in a group of three riders that are three minutes behind the green jersey group. The green jersey group that is 1min 40sec behind the main peloton.
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A cry for help: “Wonder if you or any of your readers can help - the level of knowledge and expertise in these parts is very impressive,” says Lizz Poulter. “I’m going to Marseille on Saturday (last minute decision) and when I went to the website yesterday I was able to book two tickets for the white jersey end of the Stade Vélodrome but then discovered that tickets had to be picked up before 13-07. Does anyone know if I’ll be able to get in? I’m going to Marseille on Thursday, so could swing by the venue well before Saturday’s stage starts.”
Well, anyone? I can’t see it being too much of a problem - just bring your receipt and any other paperwork, then make the very fair point that if the tickets had to be picked up before yesterday, then perhaps they should have been sold before yesterday.
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115km to go: The peloton is back together after the successful pursuit of Sylvain Chavanel. Sunweb are keeping control at the front of the bunch, while Marcel Kittel is in a group over a minute behind.
An email from James Austin: “David’s views on Sky seem a bit much; Sky have high budget but many of their key riders came through their system - including Froome, Rowe (the road captain) and Thomas,” he says. “Their tactics are the same that every top team has used throughout cycling history -La Vie Claire, Renault, Discovery etc.
“It’s interesting that people focus so heavily on the TUE issue, which seems completely within the rules, and give a pass to other teams and riders with far more suspicious histories (Movistar, Astana etc.) I don’t notice anyone booing Aru despite him hailing from a team and nation with a far greater history of doping.
“Sadly all the attacks prevent Froome from getting the credit he deserves. He’s a fantastic all-round rider with more panche than people give him credit for - even if he’s a little dull. I suspect we’ll only appreciate him when he’s gone.”
Thanks for the mail, James. I can only speak for myself, but it’s Sky’s constant breath-taking hypocrisy in the face of their original, incredibly pompous and holier than thou pronouncements upon arriving on the scene that makes it difficult for me to warm to them.
Their lack of transparency in recent months has been jaw-dropping and is only exacerbated by Brailsford’s apparently steadfast belief that none of it actually happened and there’s absolutely nothing to see here. Any “whataboutery” regarding Astana or Movistar or Fabio Aru is irrelevant, in my opinion. Anyway, over to you, Marina ...
The green jersey is dropped from the green jersey group. Marcel Kittel is in big trouble, his face a mask of anguish and pain as he struggles to stay in touch with the group that’s already been dropped by the peloton. There are rumours he has been ill, so you can only sympathise if he’s got a dose of the gastro-enteritis that forced his team-mate Philippe Gilbert out of the Tour today. Sympathise with Kittel, obviously ... and anyone cycling downwind of him. Ouch.
Sylvain Chavanel attacks: The Frenchman attacks off the front of the breakaway quintet. Thomas De Gendt tries to go with him, but quickly throws in the towel. The peloton have caught the three other escapees and are about to catch De Gendt. I suspect it won’t be long before Chavanel throws in the towel.
How things stand with 1267km to go: Nicolas Edet (Cofidis), Daryl Impey (Orica-Scott), Thomas Degand (Wanty-Groupe Gobert), Thomas De Gendt (Lotto-Soudal) and Sylvain Chavanel (Direct Energie) have a lead of 22 seconds over the peloton, which is being led by the riders of Team Sunweb riding for Michael Matthews, with assistance from BMC. Matthews is second in the green jersey category and is trying to maximise his gains now that Marcel Kittel has been dropped from the peloton.
131km to go: The focus is on the green jersey as Marcel Kitteland Nacer Bouhanni find themselves in a group struggling badly to stay in touch with the yellow jersey group, where Michael Matthews and his Sunweb team-mates are making the pace. Matthews is 79 points behind Kittel, but could make up 50 today if Kittel stays dropped. He’s in a bunch of over 40 riders that are almost a minute behind the yellow jersey group.
An email from Guy Hornsby: “I’m a massive fan of stages with crosswinds, and the chaos they can cause (Stage 13, in 2013 was a belter) but it’s hard not to talk about Sky at this juncture,” he says.
“I’m a huge fan of their riders, and even Froome, who doesn’t inspire, is a worthy champion, but their PR department should be binned. Riding into the sport on a wave of transparency and chest-puffing, they’ve managed to alienate so many people. And while Brailsford is clearly a cycling genius, his performance on this Tour leaves a pretty bitter taste.
“Banning journalists, no access to the maillot jaune on rest days, broadsides and swearing … all it does it turn more against them, at a time when – should the TUE scandal be learned from – some humility and warmth would go a long way. Being seen as either aloof, incompetent or lying is not a good spot to be in, but it’s all of Dave’s making. I say this with a heavy heart, and as a massive British cycling fan.”
It’s difficult to disagree with much of that, although I’m not sure I’d have have Brailsford in the “cycling genius” category. He certainly hasn’t looked too clever in the past 12 months.
135km to go: Geschke has given up his effort to bridge the gap to the breakaway and has joined his teammates on the front of the peloton. Every single Sunweb rider is lined up there, towing the rest of the field at a pace so ferocious that the gap to the five riders in the breakaway is down to 40 seconds.
137km to go: The peloton is towed along by Team Sunweb, who are putting the hammer down to help Michael Matthews take points off Marcel Kittel, who is being cut adrift. His group is now 35 seconds behind the bunch and the gap is growing.
143km to go: Sylvain Chavanel (Direct Energie), Thomas Degand (Wanty-Groupe Gobert), Thomas De Gendt (Lotto-Soudal), Darryl Impey (Orica-Scott) and Nicolas Edet (Cofidis) lead the stage and now have a lead of 52 seconds over the yellow jersey group, which has reeled in Michael Matthews. Sunweb rider Simon Geschke is on the road between the two groups. Behind the yellow jersey group, the Kittel group is not quite in touch, but is hanging in there.
144km to go: The peloton has been smithereened as Thomas De Gendt breasts the metaphorical tape at the summit of Cote de Boussoulet to take two King of the Mountains points. He’s followed over the top by Sylvain Chavanel and then Michael Matthews, who’s been paced up to lead group by Laurens ten Dam. Behind them, the yellow jersey group is about to be re-joined by the Kittel group. Confused? I’ll attempt to clear it all up.
146km to go: Michael Matthews attacks off the front of the bunch as Marcel Kittel drops out the back with about 30 other riders who are finding the early pace too punishing. Two Quick-Step riders are trying to pace the group of dropped riders back on to the yellow jersey group. So much action, and we’re still one kilometre to go to the summit of the first climb.
147km to go: Sky try to close down the attack because Dan Martin forces them to do so by man-marking Michael Matthews. The Australian doesn’t look too happy to see Kittel’s team-mate up on his wheel, as Martin’s presence means Sky are obliged to reel him in due to his high GC position. We’re all together again.
147km to go: Halfway up the first climb of the day and our breakaway group is growing all the time as one rider after another jumps across from the main bunch. Among them? Michael Matthews, Marcel Kittel’s main rival for the green jersey. Kittel is towards the back of the bunch, already suffering from today’s ridiculous fast pace.
148km to go: Our four-man breakaway becomes a five-man breakaway as Alessandro De Marchi (BMC) joins the escape party. The gap is only 12 seconds, but the quintet are: Steve Cummings (Dimension Data), Sylvain Chavanel (Direct Energie), Thomas De Gendt (Lotto-Soudal) and Thomas Degand (Wanty-Groupe Gobert).
Another breakaway: The bunch reforms and Sylvain Chavanel, Thomas De Gendt and Thomas Degand take their turn to attack. Steve Cummings emerges from the bunch to bridge the gap. Behind them, the peloton is already fractured with plenty of riders struggling in the gutter and we’re only starting the first climb.
An email from David, who is unhappy with Sky. I’m guessing his surname isn’t “Brailsford”: “I’ve been a cycling fan since the 90s, watching it with my granddad,” he says. “The only bits of British success were Yates in a breakaway or Boardman in the prologue, but we supported those bits. When Sky came in and we have, now, multiple Tour winners, I’m ashamed. Their arrogance, dodgy TUE usages, insolence with the press, money throwing for the super-domestiques and bullying attitude (UK cycling) have left me ashamed. The reference was made to Bruyneel, their behaviour is appallingly similar to the whole Armstrong organisation. Allez Bardet!” In the interests of balance, it should be added that other opinions on Sky are available. Feel free to send yours in.
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Another breakaway: Maurits Lammertink (Katusha Alpecin) and Angelo Tulik (Direct Energie) attack off the front of the bunch and are joined by Marcus Burghardt (Bora Hansgrohe). The gap is 17 seconds as the riders of Katusha and Sky attempt to form a block across the front of the peloton.
The breakaway is caught. Showing no sign of finding its early groove, the bunch reforms and more counter-attacks begin off the front. The prevailing mood this afternoon seems to be one of extreme edginess.
The race has yet to settle down. Several Sunweb riders are sitting on the front of the main bunch, while two BMC riders attempt to take Greg van Avermaet across to the breakaway, which also has two Direct Energie riders in it.
Christian Prudhomme signals the start of racing. With the winds howling, we could be in for an unexpected treat today. The thinking is that various teams will throw the kitchen sink at Marcel Kittel from the gun in an effort to deny him the green jersey. Team Sunweb’s Michael Matthews is his nearest rival in that category. Already, a group of about 20 riders, including one from Sunweb and AG2R’s Jan Bakelants and Marcus Burghardt (Bora Hansgrohe), have opened a gap of 15 seconds on the bunch.
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Hmmm ... According to the lads on ITV, the field has been reduced to 175 riders due to the withdrawal of Philippe Gilbert, but I make it 174.
They're riding on Stage 16
Riding but not racing, as the peloton rolls out behind the car of race director Christian Prudhomme ahead of the signal to start racing.
Barriers being blown down near finish... https://t.co/jbGNExrR1n
— William Fotheringham (@willfoth) July 18, 2017
Crosswinds forecast for today ...
While today’s stage is expected to finish in a sprint, crosswinds of up to 70km per hour have been forecast for today. Should they materialise, they could have a big impact on GC. As ever, our friends from the Global Cycling Network are on hand to explain (a) why and (b) how professional bike racers can use to them to their advantage when it comes to putting the hurt on their rivals.
Philippe Gilbert drops out
Quick-Step Floors has announced that their Belgian rider will not start today’s stage due to illness. Gilbert has been suffering from viral gastroenteritis. It’s a bad start to a day Quick-Step will be hoping ends in star sprinter Marcel Kittel’s sixth stage win of this year’s Tour. Gilbert becomes to 24th rider to leave or be asked to leave this year’s Tour, reducing the field to 174 of the 198 starters.
Sad news: @PhilippeGilbert won't start today's #TDF2017 stage due to a viral gastroenteritis. We wish you health and a fast recovery, Phil!
— Quick-Step Cycling (@quickstepteam) July 18, 2017
Speaking of Johan Bruyneel ...
His old buddy Lance Armstrong, a man with whose work some readers may be familiar, has been doing a daily Tour de France podcast called Stages with Austin radio personality JB Hager. Considering Armstrong’s “previous” as a liar, bully and the mother of all drug cheats who conned his way to seven Tour de France wins, which have since been stripped from his palmares, pleasures probably don’t get much guiltier, but I think it’s very entertaining and packed full of expert insight.
Curiously, Armstrong seems to share my view that Chris Froome should be very wary of Mike Landa. “If I’m Chris Froome, I don’t trust him as far as I throw him,” says Lance. “I’m not saying he’s a bad guy, good guy ... but I am saying what I sad the other day: he’s leaving the team. So, when that happens you have different interests.”
An eventful rest day for David Brailsford
For the second successive rest day, the international written media were not granted access to Chris Froome, despite his status as race leader. While some of them were invited to listen in on his broadcast interviews, in which he was asked only about the race, one journalist did feel the lash of Sir David Brailsford’s tongue.
Brailsford launched a bizarre attack on Barry Ryan of Cycling News, telling the Irishman he was not welcome at yesterday’s Sky media event. “You’re not invited,” said Brailsford. “We have invited the people we we want to speak to. You’ve been writing shit about me.”
The “shit” to which Brailsford is believed to have taken exception was an an article written by Ryan, entitled Strong and Stable? Dave Brailsford’s Year of Saying Nothing, which was published near the end of June. When Ryan asked Brailsford what parts of the piece he considered inaccurate, the Sky chief said “I’m not getting into that. It was opinion, you write shit. We make ourselves available and you write this shit.”
When Ryan pointed out that the only team boss to have behaved in this way with the media on the Tour was Johan Bruyneel, in 2009, Brailsford asked “Are you accusing me of running a doping programme as well.”
Ryan said “Well, UK Anti-Doping are investigating that,” at which point Brailsford said: “You can stick it up your arse” and walked off. If today’s stage is even half as entertaining, we’re in for a fun day’s racing.
Stage 16: Le Puy-en-Velay to Romans-sur-Isère (165km)
After yesterday’s rest day, the riders resume battle with a trip towards the Alps from the medieval mountain city of Le Puy-en-Valey, which hosts the Tour for the sixth time. Just 29 seconds separates the top four riders as the race enters its final week, while Dan Martin is fifth on GC, just another 43 seconds off the pace despite the injuries he sustained in the Stage 9 crash that ended Richie Porte’s Tour. Indeed, you could throw a blanket over the first seven on GC, with Mikel Landa and Simon Yates in sixth and seventh, at 1min 17sec and 2min 02sec respectively.
Anyway, here’s Will Fotheringham’s take on today’s track, from our stage-by-stage guide to this year’s Tour. He’s expecting a sprint finish once the riders descend from the clouds.
A similar stage to this in 2015 went to Greipel but not without a certain amount of pain as the early move was reeled in. It will go to a sprinter but one who can survive the opening hills, going up to 1200m-plus. Greipel, Arnaud Démare and Sagan are the likely names, or maybe the Briton Ben Swift.
Cycling News helped make the headlines on yesterday’s rest day (more of which anon), but in the meantime here’s their preview of talk/fly-through of today’s terrain. The riders are due to begin racing at 12.40pm BST.
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