Armstrong's having a mare. He is due a bit of bad luck after all those years of avoiding trouble in all fairness.

Looks like Armstrong has thrown the towel in, could not get up those hills, will he finish the tour? what is his motivation to get up Alpe-d'huez? -

Schleck looks very strong he will take some beating if his team do the business in the team time trial.

Alpe d'huez isn't in the tour this year, neither is the team time trial.

I think Armstrong will finish the tour, purely because it is his last one. Schleck looked superb yesterday, as did Sanchez in all fairness (where the hell did he come from, must have been some descent!), but then I would say that as I had money on at about 400 on Betfair with the intention of laying off later in the tour!

It's between Schleck, Contador and Evans for me, rest fighting for top 5/10 finish. Not a good day for Wiggins but not disastrous, main test will be the Pyrenees and time trial, outside chance for podium if he can handle the Tourmalet. Many twists and turns to come yet though if the first week is anything to go by.

Anyone wanting a good insight into what its like on the tour plus other good races have a look at Cervelo test teams subsite
rlhttps://www.cervelo.com/en_us/testteam/video-documentary/rl

The beyond the peloton videos's are an insightful and honest look at how things are run within a pro race team.

A must watch for any cycling enthusiast.


Talking of which anyone fancy getting together for a rlfans ride out somewhere one day?

Reckon you can take Evans out of it after today. He looked shot to ribbons. Thought he was going to cough a lung up half way up Col de Madeleine.

And a cracked elbow to boot now as well which may explain the blue tape he was wearing.

Looks a straight shoot out between Schleck and Contadour - Schleck needs to break him in the mountains or he is done

Looks set to come down to the individual time trial.

He'll have to go some to drop Contador in the mountains. It got to a point yesterday where they agreed to work together I think. If he goes into the ITT with his current lead you'd have to think AS is screwed

Schleck will need a 1 1/2-2m lead going into the Time Trial to hold off Contador - hope he can do it, especially after Franck's broken elbow earlier in the tour.

Cavendish wins again.

Good bit of battling in the home straight from Renshaw