It’s Bastille Day, la fête nationale française, and everyone expects the French riders to try that much harder. They were prominent yesterday with Warren Barguil, Romain Bardet and David Gaudu, while today it looked like French hopes were carried by Anthony Perez who led over the Galibier. But on the slopes of the final climb Bardet, Gaudu, Pinot and nearly everyone else were ground under the wheels of the Jumbo-Visma train and left on the lower slopes.
But out front it was British riders who stole the show: first on each on of those 21 crazy hairpins was Tom Pidcock in his first Tour de France, and holding out for third place is someone nearing the end of his career, none other than Chris Froome!! With Geraint being one of few to stay with Vin and Pog, that put 3 Brits in the top 7. Vive la France!
Team of the Day
The only minileague squad to include stage winner Tom Pidcock was Iseabel’s Cela ne vas pas bien se passer, for whom it is working out rather well. They were featured as Team of the Day on Stage 4 but despite scoring 34 velopoints behind the apparently untouchable Thin Fat Boys, have leapt back onto the minileague podium. Also note that Cela ne vas pas bien se passer is one of only 3 teams(**) with all nine riders are still in the race and they are all scoring points:
(**) the other teams with 9 riders remaining are: Thin Fat Boys and (weirdly) Only Half a Leg [no offence, Dan, but nominative determinism lowers expectations].
Stat du Jour
I just noticed that only 34 out of 159 riders are within 1 hour of Vingegaard! And as the fortunes of riders are tumbled on the high mountain ascents, so the time gaps vary wildly, as reflected in the team time competition. Le Tour for sure came to the fore in Stage 10, and Lanterne Rouge joined them tied at the top (“which is nice…”) for stage 11, but on Stage 12 Philippa’s It’s all downhill from here edged out the Edges to regain the lead:
Postcard from the Alps
le quatorze juillet Briançon
This is the 23rd time post-WWII that Briançon has been the start town for a stage of the Tour de France. And each time has signalled an awful lot of climbing ahead, especially when the finish is on the legendary Alpe d’Huez. Fausto Coppi won the day when it was first included in the Tour de France. The last ascent before today was 2018 when Geraint Thomas became the only rider to win in yellow. Every stage is an astonishing sporting feat and every win a crowning achievement.
So Tom Pidcock becomes the second British rider to conquer Alpe d’Huez, and at 22 is the youngest ever. And not far behind was the revitalised Chris Froome: did anyone (except Froomie) really believe he could be challenging on a grand tour stage again? Chapeau!
A word from the (imaginary) sponsors
The contemporary folk band Millicent’s Favourite is playing at Quay Arts Folk Club (Sea Street, Newport, IW) on Sunday 17th July 2022, starting our set from 9 pm. If you don’t fancy coming out but are curious, try us on Spotify: Spotify – Millicent’s Favourite – Farewell to Vinland
<end of advertisement>