From the Press Association:
Dylan Groenewegen won stage seven of the Tour de France in Chartres. The Dutchman beat Fernando Gaviria and world champion Peter Sagan in an uphill sprint at the end of the 231km stage from Fougeres.
It was a first stage win of this Tour for the LottoNL-Jumbo rider and the second of his career after victory on the final stage in Paris last year. Mark Cavendish looked in good position in the final few hundred metres but appeared to sit up after almost tangling with Sagan, crossing the line in 10th place.
The stage, the longest of this year’s Tour, was ridden at such a serene pace at times it might have been mistaken for the first rest day. But things came to life in the final 10 kilometres as the Notre-Dame Cathedral slid into view, with teams fighting for position at the front.
Cavendish’s Dimension Data team were still well placed after a double right-hander with two kilometres to go strung out the peloton, but after he rounded Alexander Kristoff, Cavendish drifted towards Sagan and then pulled out of the sprint. Groenewegen stayed clear of trouble and powered away from Gaviria and Sagan, who have each won two stages of this Tour so far.
The general classification contenders all crossed the line safely in the main group, but BMC’s Greg Van Avermaet doubled his slender advantage in yellow to six seconds by winning the bonus sprint 31km from home. Team Sky’s Geraint Thomas remains in second place, with Van Avermaet’s team-mate Tejay Van Garderen in third, now eight seconds back. Mitchelton-Scott’s Adam Yates and Sky’s Chris Froome remain 13th and 14th, with their deficit to yellow growing to 65 seconds.
Dylan Groenewegen takes the win and here are @Tissot's key moments from Stage 7 of #TDF2018. pic.twitter.com/xLfblzj5XD
— Eurosport UK (@Eurosport_UK) July 13, 2018
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Result of stage 7
1. Groenewegen
2. Gaviria
3. Sagan
4. Démare
5. Laporte
6. Degenkolb
7. Impey
8. Greipel
9. Pasqualon
10. Cavendish
Van Avermaet remains in the yellow jersey.
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Dylan Groenewegen wins the stage
Groenewegen crosses first, ahead of Gaviria! Sagan whizzed in third. Demare fourth. Cavendish came sixth. Elsewhere, news from Sean Ingle:
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Cavendish is picking his way through the pack trying to get right to the front ...
3km to go. It’s up for grabs now! All the big sprinters are primed to pounce ...
Sagan, Cavendish, Gaviria, Démare and more have made their way to the front. They’re setting themselves up for a decisive burst. 6kms to go.
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10kms to go. Straight road ahead. Not a hay bale in sight. No excuse for the race not starting soon.
Excitement! There’s a small obstruction on the road - possibly a hay bale - and it forces the riders to take quick evasive action. All succeed. Good thing they weren’t travelling faster, I suppose.
Sean Kelly is surprised at how slowly the peloton is riding with less than 15km to go. No team seems inclined to make a move or inject urgency. It looks to me - and I’m no cycling expert - that they’re trying to make a point about today’s stage being too long.
“I was a big fan of that same quote,” reveals Mac Scarle. “In fact, I had a postcard with it stuck up in my locker...because I was 14 years old and trying desperately to seem dangerous and ‘alt’.” So what you’re saying is ... Peter Sagan stole your postcard?
Here’s a nice quote from Sagan about his critics, as related by Eurosport’s commentator just now. “They laugh at me because I’m different. But I laugh at them because they’re all the same.”
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Van Avermaet’s lead over Geraint Tomas in the overall rankings is six seconds as things stand. They’re real close to each other in the peloton at the minute.
We’re still building slowly towards the frantic finished we’ve been promised. “A big royal sprint!” vows Sean Kelly on Eurosport. 25kms left to the line. “Is it indeed Tiron Abbey that needs preservation?” gasps Andrew Benton. “Bernard’s base for the Tironensian monastic order he founded, and the first of 117 abbeys of that order, including Arbroath and Kelso, and St Dogmaels in Pembrokeshire?” I believe so. That Bernard got very busy, didn’t he, for a hermit who spent most of his early adulthood living in a cave. A lot of pent-up energy to release, apparently.
Van Avermaet wins the intermediate sprint, clinching three bonus seconds and making the yellow jersey feel a little more comfortable.
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There’s an intermediate bonus sprint coming up in 1km.
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Speaking on Eurosport, Sean Kelly says the fact that there is an uphill finish today makes it even more likely that the stage victory will go to one of the top specialist sprinters, all of whom are well positioned near the front of the peloton.
Van Avermaet and Van Garderen are at the tip of the peloton, with Gilnert, Thomas and Dumoulin right on their wheels. Along with many others. And they’re all about to devour Pichon.
Pichon still has a lead of over a minute with 43kms to go. But there’s a fair posse of sprinters at the front of the pack behind him. This is building slowly to a frantic finish.
The riders will soon arrive in Thiron-Gardais. From perusing the commune’s official website I see they’re seeking donations to help preserve a church built over 900 years ago on the initiative of Saint-Bernard de Tiron church. I also see that local authorities have recently collared a man who was going around selling calendars without a licence. No need for Batman in these parts, clearly. Unless, perhaps, he fancies making a donation to the church.
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Less than 55km left and Pichon is about 1”40’ clear.
Doyle here again. “Hello,” greets Nate White. “I just wanted to drop a note of thanks. Really appreciate the updates on The Guardian and the humour that’s included. Keep it up!” That was obviously meant for John Brewin, who has now gone to the john, funnily enough. That might be more entertaining than this stage, in fairness.
And in behind Pichon, Gaviria comes in, then comes Sagan and then Kristoff. The race for the green jersey is down to those three, it seems, and barring accident or a punch-up like last year, Sagan is going to win that.
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The intermediate sprint approaches, with Pichon’s legs pumping agonisingly. He gains 20 points for crossing the line first, but his moment in the limelight is soon to be over.
Pichon is 5km out from the sprint as the pack chases the winds and takes a minute off him. Team Trek trying to break the pack behind him. The wind is the best chance for anyone to lose or gain serious time, and indeed add some entertainment value. Mark Cavendish will not be caught out this time; he’s made sure he’s near the front of the pack.
Another split in the pack? The wind briefly caused another break in the field, which is bad news for Pichon as the step up in pace ate into his lead. He lost 30 seconds in a matter of metres.
Andrew Benton, fluent in Franglais, emails in. “Apparantement, the last stage to be held on a Friday 13th was in 2012, when Monsieur Davide Millar of Angleterre gagne’d the day’s win. So far, he’s the only British winner of a TdF on a Friday 13th in its entire history. Ou est le Cav, aujourd’hui?”
Cav might be knackered after that japery in the echelons and looks a little leaden in the sprints.
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All calm in the peloton as strategies are hatched for that reasonably imminent sprint. 75km to go which makes it 12km until that sprint.
The gap is over 2’ 6” now as Pichon burns clear. He’s going up a slight incline at 30km an hour. He passes a Stars and Stripes flag, presumably celebrating Tejay van Garderen rather than reliving the Lance years.
With just under 80km to go, Pichon has opened a gap of 1’ 30” or so on the peloton.
Laurent Pichon of Fortuneo-Samsic has taken up the baton and gone off the front. His main achievement might be to snaffle some of those points and seconds but at least someone is having a go. Futility, thy name is Pichon? Almost certainly for the man who had a dig yesterday but he’s enjoying himself.
Offredo’s sad demise captured here.
🏁 - 90 km
— Le Tour de France (@LeTour) July 13, 2018
The echelon attempt condemned Offredo's breakaway. 👋
La tentative de bordure a condamné l'échappée d'Offredo. 👋#TDF2018 pic.twitter.com/wTR0ZKwTFd
The next excitement ahead is an intermediate sprint in which there are bonus seconds to grab. Might Team Sky seek to get Geraint “Dustin Gee” Thomas up there? Or will it be another sprinters’ affair? Chicanery awaits.
Brian Hudner emails in. “Hi Paul/John, I can’t be the only person out there who sees in the name of the French breakaway rider an echo of Offred, the heroine of “The Handmaid’s Tale”? So perhaps his stoicism in the face of untold suffering is some kind of cosmic parallel with his fictional female counterpart ...In any event, he is no stranger to pain on the roads. In April of last year, while training with with a couple of friends in Paris, he got into an argument with a speeding motorist. The motorist produced a baseball bat and blade and Offred(o) suffered a broken nose and damaged ribs. Today is a cakewalk by comparison.”
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So, all is back together and we await the next breakaway.
Dumoulin was in the first group, which meant all the GC contenders were ahead of Dan Martin, only for his UAE team to haul it all back together with some hefty work. What that fun all means is that Offredo’s breakaway is at an end. Stand down, mon ami.
Froome and Thomas from Team Sky are safely in the first part of the split peloton. Where is Tom Dumoulin? Dan Martin is definitely in that second group after yesterday’s big win.
Cavendish the biggest name loser so far identified in that split. His Dimension Data team are trying to find a way back from a group 40 seconds behind the main field.
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The gaps opening up on a long straight road and there are now three groups. Where are Team Sky? They look to be up the front. The first group is going clear. Mark Cavendish is in the second group, which is now merging with the third.
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There have been a few caught straggling out the back and a gap has opened. About 80 riders have gone clear of the rest.
AG2R riders take the front of the peloton. The suggestion is that crosswinds and echelons may be a factor in that move.
Merci, Paul. I am here to be Paul’s domestique as he fills his bidons with lashings and lashings of ginger beer. We approach the 100km out mark. Offredo’s doomed moment in the sun continues.
My mum’s called me in for tea so that nice John Brewin is going to take over until I’m allowed back out.
Offredo is first over the peak and pockets a King of the Mountains point, the first of his career. Some small consolation there for the pain he’s going to feel after his futile breakaway. “Maybe as well as the ‘most attacking rider’, they need a daily classification for ‘poorest sod’?” suggests David Hindle. A fine idea. Maybe there should even be a jersey for the overall winner. Doesn’t matter the colour so long as it smells and is full of holes.
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Offredo has just had a consultation with his team car and complained about the senseless of his breakaway, which he evidently made against his better instincts. He’s basically been told the purpose was to get publicity for his team and he’ll have to just suck it up. He’ll probably suffer over the next few days because of the effort of riding 100km on his tod, but that’s the sacrifice he’s been ordered to make.
We’re approaching the only geographical complication on the riders’ route today: a category 4 climb up the Cote du Buisson de Perpeigne. The climb covers 1.5km at a gradient of 3.5%, peaking at a height of 253 metres.
According to Eurosport, today’s “racing” is so far running 25 minutes behind the slowest predictions. It sure feels that way.
“I’ve done quite a lot of cycling over the years,” announces David Hindle. “I’ve done time trials, the odd bunch race, and trained in many groups. The speed in the peloton, I can understand to a point, because I’ve seen what it’s like and that you go much faster than you’d have imagined possible due to having all the other riders around you. But the one thing I have never been able to get my head around is a breakaway (even as an ex-time triallist). Especially a solo or 2 man escape. The idea of riding those distances at speeds >40kph, sometimes even >45kph. The wind. The endless little hills and gradients that kill you. Can any of the multitude of better cyclists than me out there, explain how you get your head around that? I can fully appreciate the poor sod Offredo, out there on his own now, admitting to his DS that he didn’t really fancy leading a break. Because let’s face it. Who in their right mind would?” The sort of atypical person who gets a kick out of competing in the Tour de France?
Offredo’s is now only five and half a minutes clear, with 124km left. If he happens to have any political or personal message he wants to promote, this would be the time to do it. He’s going to be swallowed up soon.
There’s a monsieur by the roadside playing tunes on an accordion for the riders as they hurtle by. Not one of them threw him any change. Told him he should have taken a guitar instead.
Still 128km to go but a semblance of order is starting to appear in the peloton, with team members beginning to cluster together and plot their moves. Offredo’s lead is just over six minutes.
After 93km of riding, the saddlemen pass through Saint-Leonard-des-Bois, an area with the perhaps-suitably-named Valley of Misery. Although, in fairness, there’s little clue now as to why it got that name - that’s because of the local authorities have grown trees and greenery here over the years - but still amid the distinctive quartzite (or Grès Amoricain) formations.
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Apparently a few drops of rain are beginning to fall - that’s what the lads on the TV are saying, anyway, but they’re not yet big enough to be visible. But the forecast suggests there may be a small downpour. The riders might welcome a cool shower but, on the other hand, it could make for a slippery surface. It’s been easy cycling so far but maybe that’s going to change.
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“Love the updates, especially the WW2 plane stuff!” hurrahs Tom Overbury, merely to butter us up before delivering his criticism. “As a farmer/architect I do object to the caption of French fans standing on straw - not ‘hay’, obviously. Too yellow to be hay which is made from dried grass. Straw is cereal crop stalks (wheat or barley).” I didn’t write that caption but I’ll be sure to take up your grievance with the ignoramus who did. If we let this slide, he’ll be mistaking scarecrows for real people next.
With 150km to go, Offredo remains just over seven minutes in front. There’s no really concerted attempt to devour him, they’re just nibbling away at his lead. He might be trying to summon a second wind, but that would surely only be for the purposes of annoying the peloton rather than preventing the inevitable capture.
The peloton are beginning to take bits out of Offredo’s lead. “Who was the P-51 pilot and did he survive?” asks Andre Benton. “This is one of the great TdF things - lots of local ‘illuminations’ as they zoom around France.” It seems that the two people on board - a Lt Overfield and a Flight Sgt Matthews - landed safely and were rescued by Resistance fighters.
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Offredo is nine minutes in front, the biggest lead anyone has had in the Tour so far. The peloton seem to have decided that’s enough and haven’t allowed him to increase it over the last couple of kilometres. It remains to be seen how long they’ll let him hang out there before dragging him in.
The riders are approaching the commune of La Chapelle-au-Riboul, marking 62.4km into the face. Back in 1944 an US Air Force P-51Mustang crash landed here after being shot by a Messerschimtt Me 109. The P-51 played a relatively large role in the victory in the air because of its ability to penetrate deeper into German air space. All of which is a roundabout way of saying that there’s not much afoot in the race, Offredo being allowed to keep on pedalling on his lonesome up front, his lead approaching nine minutes.
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Offredo’s has been allowed to extend his lead to over seven minutes. He’s more than 11 minutes behind the top of the general classification so the peloton will give him some slack yet.
I’ll say one thing about the riders in this Tour: they’re lucky the World Cup is on. Otherwise the yellow jersey would be N’golo Kanté’s for the taking.
Offredo’s is now three minutes clear of the peloton. So this seems a good time to remind of ourselves of an interview he gave to L’Equipe last week, when he declared that he doesn’t like leading breakaways. In fact, he wasn’t even sure he likes the Tour. He rode his first one last year. “I was reluctant for a long tie to ride in the Tour,” he said. “Because I was scared I wouldn’t be up to it, that I would crack. I lacked confidence in myself. I didn’t know anything about the course. At our first team briefing [last year], when Hilaire asked who wanted to lead a breakaway, I didn’t raise my hand. Firstly, because I don’t like going on breakaways...”
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Offredo’s has stretched his lead out to two and a half minutes, zipping along at a cool 48km per hour, fully 15kmph faster than the peloton.
Possibly motivated by sheer boredom, Yoann Offredo has decided to launch an attack. He opens up a 30 second lead, without anyone behind him seeming bothered.
We have reached a significant milestone: 200kms to go. So something significant may start happening soon. Or not.
This has been a peculiar first 25kms, which is not to say a total non-event.
Several teams are represented in the breakaway posse, but BMC, the team with the yellow jersey are not. The lead is only 13 seconds and falling.
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Degand has been taken back into the warm bosom of the peloton. Fleetingly he tried to incite some enthusiasm for a race, but the 169 other riders just weren’t interested. There’s a long, long way to go. But hold on, what’s this? A spurt of action at the front! A group of 10 riders are beginning a proper breakaway.
Degand’s lead is down to 40 seconds. He’s almost begging to rejoin the comfort of the peloton.
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With 222km to go, Thomas Degand remains in front, almost despite himself. His heart’s not really in this breakaway, and the fact that no one seems bothered to chase him down is only increasing his doubts. He’s cycling along like a boy sent out to buy some milk rather than a man on mission for glory.
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Thomas Degand has had enough of this tedium and decided to make a break for it! And everyone lets the poor fool go. Just the 226km to hold on.
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Well, the first four kilometres have sure made for gripping TV. Nothing has happened.
No one has fancied making a breakaway just yet, which isn’t all that surprising: 230km is a long way to hold off a chasing pack. So everyone is trundling along merrily for now, albeit at a far quicker trundle than you or I could manage.
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And they’re off! The longest stage of the 2018 tour has begun.
Since there have been only six withdrawals so far, there are 170 riders at the starting point today. They’ll all be confident of making it through this stage, which is a flat affair, except for a category 4 bump around the 120km mark.
Preamble
Hello and welcome to coverage of stage seven, during which the riders will make their way from Fougères to Chartres, a trifling 231km away. Look below to contemplate the route our braver heroes are about to tackle:
