[ritchiebaby]

Tomorrow sees a wickedly difficult 198.9km stage from Sorgues to Malaucene. Not content with climbing Mont Ventoux once, they then have to go on a 54km loop to do it again, with an even steeper gradient. The last 22km is virtually all downhill, but thankfully the weather forecast seems to be fine and mostly dry, so the accident risk should be low.

Given recent results, I expect Mark Cavendish might try for some intermediate sprint points for a change and that Tadej Pogacar will likely increase his overall lead. Any thoughts of a similar procession for 3rd place can be forgotten, as only 54 seconds cover the current 3rd to 8th positions.

Thursday's and Friday's stages are both flat and surely Cavendish will target one of them (probably Friday after a tough day in the mountains tomorrow) to try to equal Eddie Merckx' all-time record of 34 stage wins.

[themaclad]

Ventoux so good they did it twice

[ritchiebaby]

Tadej Pogacar did indeed increase his overall lead to 5m18s, but looked vulnerable for a few minutes, as Wout van Aert dominated the top class climbers over Mont Ventoux to comfortably win the stage. He is surely a future winner of the TdF, being an excellent time triallist, as well as a close second to Cavendish in yesterday's sprint finish and now a threat to the specialist climbers.

Mark Cavendish made it inside the time limit over 40 minutes behind the winner thanks to virtually the whole Deceunink Quick Step team pacing him home with around 7 minutes in hand. On Stage 9, he made it with only 90 seconds to spare. It's going to get even harder over the next 10 days to keep doing it, but he is on record as saying the Green Jersey is only a bonus, it's the stage wins he wants, which might come in the next couple of days. He currently leads the Green Jersey race by 58 points from Michael Matthews and will surely be safe in the next two days with plenty of points available.

Van Aert is now second in the Polka Dot Jersey competition, only 6 points behind Nairo Quintana. Jonas Vingegaard, the rider who gave Pogacar a real fright today is 5m32s behind Pogacar in the Youths competition.

Tomorrow is a stage made for the sprinters, being 159.4km from Saint-Paul-somethingaboutthreechateaux to Nimes, which lays claim to the fact that jeans originated there - de nimes. Hopefully the riders will speed past the crocodile farm early on in the stage. There is a late intermediate sprint after 132.7km.

[themaclad]

Apologies should have posted this yesterday too busy watching something apparently coming home

Belgium's Wout van Aert claimed a fine solo win on stage 11 of the Tour de France as leader Tadej Pogacar showed a first glimpse of vulnerability.

Van Aert dominated the double ascent of Mont Ventoux to finish one minute 14 seconds ahead of Kenny Elissonde and Bauke Mollema in Malaucene.

Denmark's Jonas Vingegaard distanced Pogacar on the second climb of Ventoux.

But the defending champion recovered to catch Vingegaard on the descent, and retains a significant overall lead.

Pogacar is now five minutes 18 seconds ahead of Colombia's Rigoberto Uran with Denmark's Vingegaard moving into third, a further 14 seconds behind, as Ben O'Connor dropped from second to fifth after a difficult day for the Australian.

An emotional Van Aert said he was "lost for words" after securing what he described as "maybe my best victory ever".

The versatile Belgian national champion, 26, has won three flat stages of the Tour before and several elite one-day races, but this is his first mountain stage win, having shown his climbing ability in support of Primoz Roglic last year.

"I didn't expect to win this stage before the Tour but yesterday I asked the team to go for the breakaways," he said.

"It's one of the most iconic climbs in the world and it's maybe my best victory ever."

Van Aert's preparation for the Tour was impaired by appendicitis surgery last month, but he showed his stunning versatility here, winning a brutal stage in the mountains just as day after finishing second to Mark Cavendish in a bunch sprint.

His victory also helps to salvage Jumbo-Visma's race after a tough start that has seen their leader Roglic withdraw before stage nine because of injury, with Robert Gesink and Tony Martin also pulling out.

Van Aert added: "It was really hard to get to this Tour at a proper level and we've had so much bad luck with the team.

"But it's so nice that if you keep motivated some day it will work out. I can be really proud."

Jumbo-Visma will also be buoyed by the showing of Vingegaard, 24, who has assumed the team leader role and showed he is prepared to not let Pogacar make the rest of the race a procession to a second consecutive Tour title in Paris.

Ineos Grenadiers did most of the work on the front of the group of favourites all day, with Geraint Thomas adopting domestique duties in service of Richard Caparaz, who is now fourth overall, before the Welshman peeled off to drop to 48th overall.

Though Ineos' tactic did not put Pogacar in trouble, they did manage to distance O'Connor, Wilco Keldermann, Alexey Lutsenko, Enric Mas, Guillaume Martin and David Gaudu, who struggled in particular to drop from 10th to 15th overall.

The next two stages could well end in bunch sprints, giving green jersey leader Cavendish, who finished safely within the time limit on stage 11, the chance to equal and pass Eddy Merckx's record of 34 stage wins.

Stage 11 result
1. Wout van Aert (Bel/Jumbo-Visma) 5hrs 17mins 43secs

2. Kenny Elissonde (Fra/Trek-Segafredo) +1min 14secs

3. Bauke Mollema (Ned/Trek-Segafredo) Same time

4. Tadej Pogacar (Slo/UAE Team Emirates) +1min 38secs

5. Rigoberto Uran (Col/EF Education Nippo) Same time

6. Richard Carapaz (Ecu/Ineos Grenadiers)

7. Jonas Vingegaard (Den/Jumbo-Visma)

8. Alexey Lutsenko (Kaz/Astana) +1min 56 secs

9. Wilco Keldermann (Ned/Bora-Hansgrohe) Same time

10. Enric Mas (Spa/Movistar) +3mins 02secs

General classification after stage 11
1. Tadej Pogacar (Slo/UAE Team Emirates) 38hrs 25mins 17secs

2. Rigoberto Uran (Col/EF Education Nippo) + 5mins 18secs

3. Jonas Vingegaard (Den/Jumbo Visma) +5mins 32secs

4. Richard Carapaz (Ecu/Ineos Grenadiers) +5mins 33secs

5. Ben O'Connor (Aus/AG2R Citroen) +5mins 58secs

6. Wilco Kelderman (Ned/Bora-Hansgrohe) +6mins 16secs

7. Alexey Lutsenko (Kaz/Astana) +6mins 30secs

8. Enric Mas (Spa/Movistar) +7mins 11secs

9. Guillaume Martin (Fra/Cofidis) +9mins 29secs

10. Pello Bilbao (Spa/Bahrain Victorious) +10mins 28secs

[ritchiebaby]

With Peter Sagan withdrawing because of a knee problem, his teammate Nils Politt took full advantage of his new-found freedom to easily take the stage win. Politt finished 31 seconds ahead of Imanol Erviti and Harry Sweeney with the peloton around 15 minutes behind. All the main protagonists are in the peloton having a relaxing day out and having time for a picnic along the way.

Tomorrow might be a little more nervous for the sprint teams, as I'm sure Cavendish will have a proper dig at winning the stage. It's 219.9km from Nimes to Carcassonne with an intermediate sprint roughly halfway. I'll be posted absent for tomorrow and Saturday entering the Pyrenees, but should be back for Sunday in the proper mountains.

[themaclad]

The man with the teeth wins the stage


Nils Politt soloed to victory on stage 12 of the Tour de France as Tadej Pogacar retained the leader's yellow jersey.

The German broke clear with 12km left on the 159.4km run to Nimes after being involved in a long-range 13-man breakaway.

Pogacar finished safely in the peloton behind Britain's Mark Cavendish.

"It's a dream to win a stage in the Tour de France. It's the biggest win you can have," Politt said.

On Friday the race travels 219.9km from Nimes to Carcassonne.

Politt's victory came after his Bora-Hansgrohe team-mate and three-time world champion Peter Sagan was forced to withdraw prior to the start in Saint-Paul-Trois-Chateaux.

But while Sagan, who has won a record seven green jerseys at the Tour, is still feeling the effects of a crash with Caleb Ewan on stage three, Politt showed he was in excellent condition, a day after a punishing double ascent up Mont Ventoux.

He latched on to a strong group of riders containing current world champion Julian Alaphilippe and launched a superb late attack to ride away from Imanol Erviti and Harry Sweeny, who finished second and third.

"I felt good in the last few days, I was trying to do my best today but to come away with aa victory is unbelievable," he added.

All the pre-stage talk had centred on Mark Cavendish with the flat parcours designed to favour the sprinters.

However, after a 10-minute delay to the start due to the wind, the conditions then contributed to a frenetic start as several early attacks split the peloton.

And it ensured that the Manx sprinter would have to wait for his opportunity to equal Eddy Merckx's record of 34 stage wins.

Stage 12 results
1. Nils Politt (Ger/Bora-Hansgrohe) 3hrs 22mins 12 secs

2. Imanol Erviti (Spa/Movistar) +31secs

3. Harry Sweeny (Aus/Lotto-Soudal) Same time

4. Stefan Kung (Swi/Groupama-FDJ) 1mins 58 secs

5. Luka Mezgec (Slo/BikeExchange) 2mins 06secs

6. Andre Greipel (Ger/Israel Start-Up Nation) Same time

7. Edward Theuns (Bel/Trek-Segafredo)

8. Brent van Moer (Bel/Lotto-Soudal)

9. Julian Alaphilippe (Fra/Deceuninck-Quick-Step)

10. Sergio Henao (Col/Qhubeka NextHash)

General classification after stage 12
1. Tadej Pogacar (Slo/UAE Team Emirates) 47hrs 22mins 43secs

2. Rigoberto Uran (Col/EF Education Nippo) + 5mins 18secs

3. Jonas Vingegaard (Den/Jumbo Visma) +5mins 32secs

4. Richard Carapaz (Ecu/Ineos Grenadiers) +5mins 33secs

5. Ben O'Connor (Aus/AG2R Citroen) +5mins 58secs

6. Wilco Kelderman (Ned/Bora-Hansgrohe) +6mins 16secs

7. Alexey Lutsenko (Kaz/Astana) +6mins 30secs

8. Enric Mas (Spa/Movistar) +7mins 11secs

9. Guillaume Martin (Fra/Cofidis) +9mins 29secs

10. Pello Bilbao (Spa/Bahrain Victorious) +10mins 28secs

[themaclad]

Britain's Mark Cavendish made history in the Tour de France as he equalled Belgian great Eddy Merckx's record of 34 stage wins.

The Deceuninck-Quick Step rider won the sprint into Carcassonne by a few inches ahead of team-mate Michael Morkov.

Briton Simon Yates of Team Bike Exchange abandoned the race following a crash in which several riders fell down a ravine.

"It's what I dreamed of as a kid. I've worked so hard for it," said Cavendish.

Tadej Pogacar of UAE-Team Emirates remains in the leader's yellow jersey.

An emotional and physically drained Cavendish embraced each of his team-mates at the finish and cried out "we've made history" as he hugged Davide Ballerini.

Cavendish added: "I'm so dead - 220km in that heat, in that wind. I went so deep there - they boys were incredible. I can't believe it.

"For a lot of the day it didn't feel like it was going to happen. I was so on the limit. You saw that at the end [which was] slightly uphill.

"It is just like my first one [win on the Tour]. It was what I dreamed of as a kid and it is what I dream of now. I have worked so hard for it."

If Cavendish can survive the mountain stages in the Pyrenees to come, he could yet eclipse the mark that Merckx, a five-time overall winner of the Tour, set in 1975.

The Manxman should have two more opportunities to take the record outright, first on stage 19 into Libourne and then on the final day of the race on the Champs-Elysees in Paris, where he has previously won four times.

More to follow

Stage 13 results

1. Mark Cavendish (GB/Deceunick-Quick-Step) 5hrs 04mins 29secs

2. Michael Morkov (Den/Deceunick-Quick-Step) Same time

3. Jasper Philipsen (Bel/Alpecin-Fenix)

4. Ivan Garcia (Sap/Movistar)

5. Danny van Poppel (Ned/Intermarche-Wanty-Gobert)

6. Alex Aranburu (Spa/Astana)

7. Christophe Laporte (Fra/Cofidis)

8. Andre Greipel (Ger/Israel Start-Up Nation)

9. Magnus Cort (Den/EF Education-Nippo)

10. Jasper Stuyen (Bel/Trek-Segafredo)

General classification after stage 13:

1. Tadej Pogacar (Slo/UAE Team Emirates) 52hrs 27mins 12secs

2. Rigoberto Uran (Col/EF Education Nippo) + 5mins 18secs

3. Jonas Vingegaard (Den/Jumbo Visma) +5mins 32secs

4. Richard Carapaz (Ecu/Ineos Grenadiers) +5mins 33secs

5. Ben O'Connor (Aus/AG2R Citroen) +5mins 58secs

6. Wilco Kelderman (Ned/Bora-Hansgrohe) +6mins 16secs

7. Alexey Lutsenko (Kaz/Astana) +6mins 30secs

8. Enric Mas (Spa/Movistar) +7mins 11secs

9. Guillaume Martin (Fra/Cofidis) +9mins 29secs

10. Pello Bilbao (Spa/Bahrain Victorious) +10mins 28secs

[theo_luddite]

Have to say that's one helluva'n effort by Mark Cavendish. Eddy Merckx was THE man on a bike when I was a kid. To equal his number of stage wins marks him out as special. Merckx has a few more yellow jerseys though I believe. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Beryl Burton was the woman on a bike, until her daughter beat her but that's a whole other story.

[themaclad]

Bauke Mollema claimed a fine solo victory on stage 14 of the Tour de France as Guillaume Martin moved up to second overall behind Tadej Pogacar.

Dutchman Mollema broke clear of the rest of the breakaway with 42km of the 183.7km to Quillan left and won his second Tour stage by over a minute.

French rider Martin came home in a chasing group to move up seven places in the general classification.

Pogacar finished in a reduced peloton and leads by just over four minutes.

Mark Cavendish completed the stage well within the time limit alongside four of his Deceuninck-Quick-Step team-mates, over 25 minutes behind Mollema.

The Dutchman is over 30 minutes adrift in the general classification race this year but took advantage of indecision among his breakaway colleagues as he descended from the penultimate climb of the day on the Cote de Galinagues.

Once he had ridden clear of his 13 former companions - with an attack that bore similarities to his triumph on stage 15 into Le Puy-en-Velay in 2017 - he was able to pace himself perfectly to the finish.

"It's amazing to win a stage again," said Mollema

"I was feeling good so I thought, 'Let's go from far out'. I had the confidence I could ride alone and keep going for a long time."

Sunday's 191.3km route from Ceret to Andorre-La-Vieille sees the race leave France for the only time in this edition as it reaches the highest point on this year's route, at over 2,400m on the Port d'Envalira.

Stage 14 results
1. Bauke Mollema (Ned/Trek-Segafredo) 4hrs 16mins 16secs

2. Patrick Konrad (Aut/Bora-Hansgrohe) +1mins 04secs

3. Sergio Higuita (Col/EF Education-Nippo) Same time

4. Mattia Cattaneo (Ita/Deceuninck-Quick-Step) +1mins 10secs

5. Michael Woods (Can/Israel Start-Up Nation) Same time

6. Omar Fraile (Spa/Astana) +1mins 25secs

7. Elie Gesbert (Fra/Arkea Samsic) Same time

8. Quentin Pacher (Fra/ B&B Hotels)

9. Louis Meintjes (SA/Intermarche-Wanty-Gobert

10. Esteban Chaves (Col/BikeExchange) 1mins 28secs

General classification after stage 14
1. Tadej Pogacar (Slo/UAE Team Emirates) 56hrs 50mins 21secs

2. Guillaume Martin (Fra/Cofidis) +4mins 04secs

3. Rigoberto Uran (Col/EF Education Nippo) + 5mins 18secs

4. Jonas Vingegaard (Den/Jumbo Visma) +5mins 32secs

5. Richard Carapaz (Ecu/Ineos Grenadiers) +5mins 33secs

6. Ben O'Connor (Aus/AG2R Citroen) +5mins 58secs

7. Wilco Kelderman (Ned/Bora-Hansgrohe) +6mins 16secs

8. Alexey Lutsenko (Kaz/Astana) +6mins 30secs

9. Enric Mas (Spa/Movistar) +7mins 11secs

10. Mattia Cattaneo (Fra/Deceuninck-Quick-Step) +9mins 48secs

[themaclad]

Sepp Kuss broke away on the final climb to win stage 15 of the Tour de France, as Tadej Pogacar strengthened his grip on the yellow jersey.

The American rode clear on the ascent of the Col de Beixalis and comfortably held off Alejandro Valverde.

Pogacar repelled several attacks on the punishing 191.3km stage to Andorre-La-Vieille as he extended his race lead.

French hope Guillaume Martin was the big loser dropping from second to ninth in the general classification.

Britain's Mark Cavendish rolled over the line with just under nine minutes to spare from the cut-off time and will retain the green jersey as the points classification leader when the race resumes after Monday's rest day.

Kuss, 26, who showed considerable promise with a near faultless ride in the 2020 edition of the race while supporting Primoz Roglic, becomes the first American since Tyler Farrar in 2011 to win a stage at the Tour.

"It's incredible," said Kuss."I was suffering a lot in this Tour, I just didn't feel I had the spice in the legs but today I knew it was finishing where I live and I was really motivated for that.

"I know the final climb fairly well but I don't ride it so much in training because it's so hard. I knew in the beginning it's really tough so if I got a gap there I could try to hold it to the finish."

Pogacar stays cool under pressure
Meanwhile, Pogacar delivered a performance befitting his status as the defending champion.

Despite being isolated as Movistar and then Ineos Grenadiers upped the pace on the final two climbs, the Slovenian remained vigilant and shut down repeated attacks as Jonas Vingegaard, Richard Carapaz, Ben O'Connor and Rigoberto Uran, all attempted to drop him.

"We were expecting attacks and Ineos started to do a hard pace pretty soon, but I felt good," Pogacar said. "I had no worries for the last climb, I just followed the others, it was all okay.

"I'm really happy the time gap didn't come down because today was one of the hottest days for sure. I felt good and I'm really looking forward to the next week."

Stage 15 results
1. Sepp Kuss (US/Jumbo Visma) 5hrs 12mins 06secs

2. Alejandro Valverde (Spa/Movistar) +23secs

3. Wout Poels (Ned/Bahrain-Victorious) 1mins 15secs

4. Ion Izagirre (Spa/Astana) Same time

5. Ruben Guerreiro (Por/EF Education-Nippo)

6, Nairo Quintana (Col/Arkea-Samsic)

7. David Gaudu (Fra/Groupama-FDJ)

8. Dan Martin (Ire/Israel Start-Up Nation) 1mins 22secs

9. Franck Bonnamour (Fra/B&B Hotels) Same time

10. Aurelien Paret-Peintre (Fra/AG2R Citroen)

General classification after stage 15:
1. Tadej Pogacar (Slo/UAE Team Emirates) 62hrs 07mins 18secs

2. Rigoberto Uran (Col/EF Education Nippo) + 5mins 18secs

3. Jonas Vingegaard (Den/Jumbo Visma) +5mins 32secs

4. Richard Carapaz (Ecu/Ineos Grenadiers) +5mins 33secs

5. Ben O'Connor (Aus/AG2R Citroen) +5mins 58secs

6. Wilco Kelderman (Ned/Bora-Hansgrohe) +6mins 16secs

7. Alexey Lutsenko (Kaz/Astana) +7mins 01secs

8. Enric Mas (Spa/Movistar) +7mins 11secs

9. Guillaume Martin (Fra/Cofidis) +7mins 58secs

10. Pello Bilbao (Spa/Bahrain-Victorious) +10mins 59secs