Le Grande Boucle 2015: Into the rest day

First impressions was that this was an excellent day of racing. I was at the edge of the couch as Sky came in. The jersey for Tejay, as Dan rightly points out, was always going to be a reach but I did think was possible. So when it became clear that Sky had brought a much stronger TTT team to the race then we saw in June then the narrative for me turned entirely to the separation between the contenders at the end of the first 9 days of racing around France. Movistar showed up. That much is clear. They were disappointed clearly. If they had not lost so much time on stage 2 ...would haves/should haves as all well and good but this why the tour is the tour. No mistakes + Strength + Team = Results. Lost any of these and time goes with it.

Clearly some interesting stories building as we head into the rest day. I think we have a good idea of our protagonists in the race. For me now what I will find interesting is going to who will animate the coming stages in the mountains. Nibali has lost so much time that maybe he can really take a flyer. It is a very dangerous position for the rest of the GC men to be in. Even at two minutes back I can not image the rest letting him free but you can not chase everyone. If you don't chase him down you let him right back in it. I get the sense it is more luck and team discipline that has him so far back and not strength. So we know more when we know it.

Oh and one other thing .... Froome looks STRONG. Those pulls he put in at the front where massive. It going to fun racing in the mountains with lots of strong folks having a go but if Froome is as strong as he looks who can really take him on?

Where we Stand

I am just going to call out Uran as dark horse to watch. Only 1:18 back. I bet out of all the GC men a bit back he may not get chased if the everyone else is watching each other. Just what kind of form does he have?

Quotes from the Day

Tejay (BMC) ... when asked about his ability to reach for the win.

“That’s tall order. First we have to get to the Pyrenees. The Pyrenees are going to be the test to see who’s actually fit enough to win the Tour. The Alps are going to be who has the stamina to make it to the end. We definitely passed the first phase of the Tour very well. With the way I was climbing and feeling in the Dauphiné compared to Froome I think I’m pretty close. We’re really not going to know that until we get to the third week to see who really has the depth to hold it. The Tour is a marathon. We’re not even close to the end."

Geraint Thomas (Team Sky):

I'm annoyed we didn't win. We should have won that. Fair play to BMC they did a good ride but it’s disappointing. It's been a tough week. A lot of people say it, that the Tour starts on Tuesday with the mountains, which is crazy, but we can be happy. We put time into everyone else bar Tejay, but we really wanted that.