[themaclad]

Starts tomorrow in Spain


Let's hope the rioting in every area of France has calmed down by the time they hit the Republic

[themaclad]

Not seen any so here's the Bury boyys stage

Britain's Adam Yates beat identical twin brother Simon to win stage one of the Tour de France in Bilbao, Spain and take the leader's yellow jersey.

UAE Team Emirates' Adam, 30, pulled away from Jayco AlUla rider Simon in the final stages of the uphill finish to win his first ever Tour stage.

Two-time winner Tadej Pogacar claimed third in a mini-group sprint.

"My brother came across to me. I didn't know if I should work with him. I asked and they said 'go for it'," said Adam.

Adam, who was unsure at first whether he was supposed to carry on attacking as Pogacar is his team-mate, added on ITV 4: "It's just amazing - I am super happy.

"I knew Simon was going good, I speak to him every day, we are really close and yeah just sharing this experience with him is really nice.

"I just wish he would have pulled a bit easier because he almost dropped me at one moment."

Simon said cramps on the final climb had affected his speed at the finish.

"There was a bit of cat and mouse over the top, and Adam rolled to the front," he said.

"He gave Pogacar the nod, sort of 'can I go? What's the situation?' and it was 'yeah, sure', so he's gone and I've gone across to him.

"At first when he saw me coming across I think he was put in a difficult situation.

"He asked on the radio, 'Should I wait or roll through?' At first he wasn't pulling but I kind of knew that anyway, I knew it was going to be tricky yet at the same time I had to take the opportunity.

"Normally on a finish like that I wouldn't beat Pogacar or Vingegaard in a real fast sprint so to get away with Adam was maybe a chance.

"We're pretty close normally but I had some cramps in the final. It was a humid day so unfortunately he got the better of me but I'm sure there are more chances coming."

Earlier, Spanish rider Enric Mas and Ecuadorian Richard Carapaz both crashed on the descent of Cote de Vivero.

Mas was forced to pull out of the race with what appeared to be a shoulder injury, becoming the first of the 176 riders to abandon this year's Tour, while Carapaz, who was bleeding from both knees, finished over 15 minutes behind the winner.

After a cagey start across demanding terrain, the race was blown wide open on the way up Pike Bidea, the final categorised climb of a bumpy 182km route that began and ended in Bilbao.

Two-time winner Pogacar and the defending champion, Denmark's Jonas Vingegaard, burst clear along with French rider Victor Lafay to reach the summit first but they were passed by both Yates brothers on the descent.

The pair opened up a 20-second lead over a chasing group and were left to fight it out for the stage win themselves.

It was Adam who had the most power in the final 500m, and he gave a final look back over his shoulder before celebrating with his arms aloft as he crossed the line.

There have been questions over Pogacar's fitness after he broke his wrist while racing in April, but he won the sprint for third place, enough to earn him four bonus seconds and give him an early advantage over Vingegaard, who is considered his main rival.

The race stays in the Basque Country for Sunday's second stage, a 208km route from Vitoria-Gasteiz to San Sebastian which features five more categorised climbs.

Stage one results
1. Adam Yates (GB/UAE Team Emirates) 4hrs 22mins 49secs

2. Simon Yates (GB/Team Jayco-AlUla) +4secs

3. Tadej Pogacar (Slo/UAE Team Emirates) +12secs

4. Thibaut Pinot (Fra/Groupama-FDJ) Same time

5. Michael Woods (Can/Israel-Premier Tech)

6. Victor Lafay (Fra/Cofidis)

7. Jai Hindley (Aus/Bora-hansgrohe)

8. Mattias Skjlemose (Den/Lidl-Trek)

9. Jonas Vingegaard (Den/Jumbo-Visma)

10. David Gaudu (Fra/Groupama-FDJ)

General classification after stage one
1. Adam Yates (GB/UAE Team Emirates) 4hrs 22mins 39secs

2. Simon Yates (GB/Team Jayco-AlUla) +8secs

3. Tadej Pogacar (Slo/UAE Team Emirates) +18secs

4. Thibaut Pinot (Fra/Groupama-FDJ) +22secs

5. Michael Woods (Can/Israel-Premier Tech) Same time

6. Victor Lafay (Fra/Cofidis) Same time

7. Jai Hindley (Aus/Bora-hansgrohe) Same time

8. Mattias Skjlemose (Den/Lidl-Trek) Same time

9. Jonas Vingegaard (Den/Jumbo-Visma) Same time

10. David Gaudu (Fra/Groupama-FDJ) Same time

[themaclad]

The big two Vingegaard and Pogacar looked in omninous fomr

Frenchman Victor Lafay produced a brilliantly timed attack to win the second stage of the Tour de France.

Belgium's Wout van Aert had appeared perfectly placed to take the 208.9km stage, which ended in San Sebastian.

But Lafay burst clear with 900m to go and Van Aert was left banging his handlebars in frustration after being unable to reel him in.

Britain's Adam Yates retained the leader's yellow jersey, with his twin brother Simon in joint-second place.

Simon is six seconds back, along with Adam's UAE team-mate and two-time winner Tadej Pogacar.

Stage two of the Tour de France as it happened
Sunday was a day that saw Pogacar claim valuable bonus seconds over his rivals in the general classification by being first to the summit of Jaizkibel, the final climb of the day.

That was where the stage, the longest of this year's Tour, burst into life, with Pogacar beating last year's champion Jonas Vingegaard in a sprint to the top.

The pair did not attempt to stay clear on the descent, and it appeared Van Aert would be led out to a sprint finish by his Jumbo Visma team-mates.

They held off a series of attacks, including one by Britain's Tom Pidcock, but Lafay's late surge took him clear and he had the power to hold off Van Aert and cross the line.

Pogacar picked up more bonus seconds by finishing third, with Pidcock fourth.

"It was a really hectic day, a lot of stress in the bunch," Adam Yates said afterwards. "Wet roads, roundabouts, road furniture, but we made it through with a little bit of bad luck as Matteo (Trentin) crashed on a corner.

"But for us it was a good race, we controlled it all day. Nobody wanted to help us. Then in the final we tried to set it up for Tadej to get the bonus seconds so we did a good job.

"If Tadej had won the bonuses and the stage he could have (taken yellow) but we kept it as a team, so it's job done."

Lafay's win was his first at the Tour de France and the first success by his French team Cofidis at their home race since 2008.

"In the last metres, I looked down at my computer, I saw 500 metres (to go), 400 metres," said 27-year-old Lafay, who added to his Giro d'Italia stage win from 2021. "I said to myself I will inevitably be caught at 50 metres. It's sick."

After two days in the mountainous Basque Country, the race leaves Spain and heads for France for Monday's third stage, a 187.54km route from Amorebieta-Etxano to Bayonne.

It promises to be the first stage of this year's Tour that gives Mark Cavendish a realistic chance of victory as he chases a 35th Tour stage win, which would give him the all-time record over the legendary Eddy Merckx.

Stage two results
1. Victor Lafay (Fra/Cofidis) 4hrs 46mins 39secs

2. Wout van Aert (Bel/Jumbo-Visma) Same time

3. Tadej Pogacar (Slo/UAE Team Emirates)

4. Tom Pidcock (GB/INEOS Grenadiers)

5. Pello Bilbao (Spa/Bahrain Victorious)

6. Michael Woods (Can/Israel-Premier Tech)

7. Romain Bardet (Fra/Team DSM-Firmenich)

8. Dylan Teuns (Bel/Israel-Premier Tech)

9. Jai Hindley (Aus/Bora-Hansgrohe)

10. Steff Cras (Bel/TotalEnergies)

General classification after stage two
1. Adam Yates (GB/UAE Team Emirates) 9hrs 9mins 18secs

2. Tadej Pogacar (Slo/UAE Team Emirates) +6secs

3. Simon Yates (GB/Team Jayco-AlUla) Same time

4. Victor Lafay (Fra/Cofidis) +12secs

5. Wout van Aert (Bel/Jumbo-Visma) +16secs

6. Jonas Vingegaard (Den/Jumbo-Visma) +17secs

7. Michael Woods (Can/Israel-Premier Tech) +22secs

8. Jai Hindley (Aus/Bora-Hansgrohe) same time

9. Mikel Landa (Spa/Bahrain Victorious)

10. Carlos Rodriguez Cano (Spa/Ineos Grenadiers)

Cavendish day today?

[themaclad]

Belgium's Jasper Philipsen sprinted to victory on stage three of the Tour de France as Britain's Adam Yates retained the leader's yellow jersey.

Philipsen, 25, edged out Germany's Phil Bauhaus with Australia's Caleb Ewan in third in the first bunch-sprint finish of this year's Tour.

Britain's Mark Cavendish was in sixth as the race crossed from Spain to the finish at Bayonne in France.

Yates now leads team-mate Tadej Pogacar and his brother Simon by six seconds.

Stage three of the Tour de France as it happened
It was an exciting end to a 187.4km stage that began in Amorebieta-Etxano and ended on the other side of the French border.

Philipsen was led out expertly by his Alpecin-Deceuninck team-mate Mathieu van der Poel to finish half a wheel ahead of Bauhaus and Ewan, but there was some controversy about the way his compatriot Wout van Aert was squeezed out of the race.

Van Aert, who finished second in Sunday's second stage, attempted to pass Philipsen on the inside of the final bend but ran out of room because of the barriers and was forced to slow up.

The race commissaires reviewed video footage of the incident before confirming Philipsen's victory.

"It was a bit of a doubt, but they make it really exciting in the end," Philipsen said after being told the result would stand.

"It was tense but it's the Tour de France and there are no presents. We can be really happy with the team performance. It was a great leadout with Jonas [Rickaert] and then Mathieu did a fantastic job, and I'm really happy to keep it to the finish line.

"I tried to take the shortest route to the finish and I'm really happy to be first over the line."

Cavendish had closely followed Philipsen's wheel as the sprinters jostled for position before the final kilometre but was not able to launch his own decisive attack.

The 'Manx Missile' was still smiling at the finish line, however, and during stage four on Tuesday he will have another chance to break the record of 34 Tour stage wins he currently shares with Eddy Merckx.

Another bunch sprint is expected at the end of a flat route that sees the race travel 181.8km from Dax to Nogaro.

Stage three results
1. Jasper Philipsen (Bel/Alpecin-Deceuninck) 4hrs 43mins 15secs

2. Phil Bauhaus (Ger/Bahrain-Victorious) same time

3. Caleb Ewan (Aus/Lotto Dstny)

4. Fabio Jakobsen (Ned/Soudal-Quick Step)

5. Wout van Aert (Bel/Jumbo-Visma)

6. Mark Cavendish (GB/Astana Qazaqstan)

7. Jordi Meeus (Bel/Bora-hansgrohe)

8. Dylan Groenewegen (Ned/Jayco AlUla)

9. Mads Pedersen (Den/Lidl-Trek)

10. Bryan Coquard (Fra/Cofidis)

General classification after stage three
1. Adam Yates (GB/UAE Team Emirates) 13hrs 52mins 33secs

2. Tadej Pogacar (Slo/UAE Team Emirates) +6secs

3. Simon Yates (GB/Team Jayco-AlUla) same time

4. Victor Lafay (Fra/Cofidis) +12secs

5. Wout van Aert (Bel/Jumbo-Visma) +16secs

6. Jonas Vingegaard (Den/Jumbo-Visma) +17secs

7. Michael Woods (Can/Israel-Premier Tech) +22secs

8. Jai Hindley (Aus/Bora-Hansgrohe) same time

9. Carlos Rodriguez Cano (Spa/Ineos Grenadiers)

10. Mattias Skjelmose (Den/Lidl-Trek)

[themaclad]

This stage could have been named after a Del Amitri track, Nothing Ever Happens only enlivened by the commentary team who were excellent throughout

Jasper Philipsen won for the second day in a row amid a chaotic finish to stage four of the Tour de France in Nogaro.

The Belgian was again led out perfectly by his team-mate Mathieu van der Poel and edged out Australia's Caleb Ewan with Germany's Phil Bauhaus third.

Britain's Mark Cavendish, chasing a record-breaking 35th stage win, was further back in fifth.

Another British rider, Adam Yates, retains the leader's yellow jersey.

Yates is six seconds ahead of his twin brother Simon and two-time winner Tadej Pogacar.

Stage four as it happened
The final three kilometres of a relatively flat 181.8km stage were on the Nogaro motor racing circuit, featuring a wide, straight 800m run to the finish.

Yet riders went down in three separate incidents before Van der Poel launched 25-year-old Philipsen to the line, just as he had in Bayonne 24 hours earlier.

Cavendish, who finished sixth on Monday and is riding in his final Tour, was well placed at the start of the home straight but left his attack too late.

"Carnage, it was," the Manxman told Eurosport afterwards. "Every team would have had a plan for that final and I bet you there weren't any that went right, except maybe Jumbo-Visma getting their guys into the narrow roads.

"It was really a mixing pot of riders in the final. I was constantly analysing who was there, who had team-mates, jumping from train to train.

"When I saw Mads [Pedersen] had [Jasper] Stuyven with him, that's the one, I thought Mads usually goes early, it's a headwind finish on a long straight, wide road so I thought I'd use that and they just didn't go.

"I was waiting. At one point I thought 350 metres, maybe I should hit now, limit my losses. It's the Tour. You gamble. I was waiting for them to go and they didn't go, they all got the jump so I was just trying to get the best position I could."

Philipsen now has four stage wins at the Tour, but this one was so tight that he did not celebrate it as he crossed the line.

"It was close in the end so I was happy they confirmed it quickly," said Philipsen.

"It was a really easy stage, I think everybody wanted to save their legs for the Pyrenees tomorrow and the day after. In the final kilometres entering the circuit there were some crashes so I hope everybody is OK and safe.

"It was a hectic final with the turns in the end and I lost my team as well, but in the final straight I found Mathieu and he did an amazing pull to get me to victory. My legs were cramping and Caleb was coming close."

Cavendish will have to wait until Friday's stage seven, which ends in Bordeaux, for his next realistic chance to break the record of wins that he shares with the legendary Eddy Merckx.The race enters the high mountains of the Pyrenees on Wednesday, with stage five including a 15.2km climb to the top of the Col de Soudet as part of a 162.7km route from Pau to Laruns.

Stage four results
1. Jasper Philipsen (Bel/Alpecin-Deceuninck) 4hrs 25mins 28secs

2. Caleb Ewan (Aus/Lotto Dstny) Same time

3. Phil Bauhaus (Ger/Bahrain Victorious)

4. Bryan Coquard (Fra/Cofidis)

5. Mark Cavendish (GB/Astana Qazaqstan)

6. Danny van Poppel (Ned/Bora-Hansgrohe)

7. Alexander Kristoff (Nor/Uno-X Pro Cycling)

8. Luka Mezgec (Slo/Team Jayco-AlUla)

9. Wout van Aert (Bel/Jumbo-Visma)

10. Mads Pedersen (Den/Lidl-Trek)

General classification after stage four
1. Adam Yates (GB/UAE Team Emirates) 18hrs 18mins 1sec

2. Tadej Pogacar (Slo/UAE Team Emirates) +6secs

3. Simon Yates (GB/Team Jayco-AlUla) +6secs

4. Victor Lafay (Fra/Cofidis) +12secs

5. Wout van Aert (Bel/Jumbo-Visma) +16secs

6. Jonas Vingegaard (Den/Jumbo-Visma) +17secs

7. Jai Hindley (Aus/Bora-Hansgrohe) +22secs

8. Michael Woods (Can/Israel-Premier Tech) +22secs

9. Mattias Skjelmose (Den/Lidl-Trek) +22secs

10. Carlos Rodriguez Cano (Spa/Ineos Grenadiers) +22secs

[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

This stage could have been named after a Del Amitri track, Nothing Ever Happens

Could be worse, they might have been Driving With The Brakes On.

[themaclad]

This stage could have been named after a Del Amitri track, Nothing Ever Happens

Could be worse, they might have been Driving With The Brakes On.

At times they were, today much better, suspect the winner is now safely ensconsed in second place, Vingegaard

---

Australian Jai Hindley won stage five of his debut Tour de France to take the overall leader's yellow jersey from Britain's Adam Yates.

Hindley, winner of last year's Giro d'Italia, claimed a breakaway victory by 32 seconds over the chasing pack.

Defending champion Jonas Vingegaard opened up a lead over two-time winner Tadej Pogacar on the final climb.

Giulio Ciccone crossed the line in second, while Felix Gall finished third.

Stage five results
1. Jai Hindley (Aus/Bora-Hansgrohe) 3hrs 57mins 07secs

2. Giulio Ciccone (Ita/Lidl-Trek) +32secs

3. Felix Gall (Aut/AG2R-Citroen Team) Same time

4. Emanuel Buchmann (Ger/Bora-Hansgrohe) Same time

5. Jonas Vingegaard (Den/Jumbo-Visma) +34secs

6. Mattias Skjelmose (Den/Lidl-Trek) +1min 38secs

7. Daniel Martínez (Col/Ineos Grenadiers) Same time

8. Tadej Pogacar (Slo/UAE Team Emirates) Same time

9. David Gaudu (Fra/Groupama-FDJ) Same time

10. Carlos Rodríguez (Spa/Ineos Grenadiers) Same time

General classification after stage five
1. Jai Hindley (Aus/Bora-Hansgrohe) 22hrs 15mins 12secs

2. Jonas Vingegaard (Den/Jumbo-Visma) +47secs

3. Giulio Ciccone (Ita/Lidl-Trek) +1min 03secs

4. Emanuel Buchmann (Ger/Bora-Hansgrohe) +1min 11secs

5. Adam Yates (GB/UAE Team Emirates) +1min 34secs

6. Tadej Pogacar (Slo/UAE Team Emirates) +1min 40secs

7. Simon Yates (GB/Team Jayco-AlUla) Same time

8. Mattias Skjelmose (Den/Lidl-Trek) +1min 56 secs

9. Carlos Rodriguez Cano (Spa/Ineos Grenadiers) Same time

10. David Gaudu (Fra/Groupama-FDJ) Same time

[themaclad]

Well, well, well, Tad's back, what could have been a long boring two and a bit weeks with Vingegaard cruising to victory is now a two possibly theree horse race, Pogacar back to his best made a statement of intent leaving his main rival with a reduced lead.
Hindley possibly still in it but game on now, two sprinters stages to come followed by up hill on Sunday

Tadej Pogacar produced a stunning attack on the final climb to Cauterets-Cambasque as he soloed clear of defending champion Jonas Vingegaard to win stage six of the Tour de France.

It was a superb response from Pogacar, who lost over a minute to Vingegaard in Thursday's first day in the Pyrenees.

The two-time winner is now second overall, 25 seconds behind Vingegaard in the general classification.

Vingegaard took the leader's yellow jersey from Australia's Jai Hindley.

Hindley fell to third in the overall GC standings having been dropped on the penultimate climb up the iconic Col du Tourmalet, and eventually finishing sixth.

The Bora-hansgrohe rider was two minutes and 39 seconds down on Pogacar in a group containing Britain's Simon Yates and Spanish rider Carlos Rodriguez.

Yates and brother Adam, plus fellow Englishman Tom Pidcock, all sit in the top 10 of the general classification after a gruelling day which saw the race travel 144.9km from Tarbes to the summit finish at Cauterets-Cambasque.

Stage six - as it happened
'It's going to be a big battle until the last stage'
It was a stage that saw Pogacar deliver a sensational response to set up a potentially epic duel between himself and Vingegaard over the 15 remaining stages of cycling's greatest race.

"I would not say it's revenge but it feels sweet to win and to take some time back," Pogacar said.

"I feel a little bit relieved, I feel much better now.

"The display Jonas [Vingegaard] showed yesterday was incredible and I was thinking when they started to pull on the Tourmalet, I thought, 'if it's going to happen like yesterday we can pack our bags and go home'.

"Luckily I had good legs today and I could follow on the Tourmalet. I felt quite comfortable and when I felt it was the right moment in the end I attacked and it was a big relief.

"I would say now it's almost the perfect gap and it's going to be a big battle until the last stage I think."

On Wednesday the Slovenian had appeared to be suffering from the effects of his long injury lay-off as he lost significant time to Vingegaard and dropped to sixth overall.

And when Jumbo-Visma raised the tempo for the Dane to attack on the Tourmalet, scattering what was left of the main peloton, it appeared as though Vingegaard was attempting to utilise identical tactics.

But having resisted his rival's attack near the top of that 17.1km ascent, Pogacar patiently sat on his wheel before launching an unanswerable move of his own 2.8km from the line.

As he accelerated clear, he opened up a gap of seven and then 10 seconds, gradually increasing it until by the finish line he had cut his arrears in half to leave the race delicately poised.

Friday sees the Tour travel 169.9km from Mont-de-Marsan to Bordeaux, with a sprint finish expected and an opportunity for Mark Cavendish to potentially set the outright record for stage wins he currently shares with Belgian legend Eddy Merckx on 34.

Stage six results
1. Tadej Pogacar (Slo/UAE Team Emirates) 3hrs 54mins 27secs

2. Jonas Vingegaard (Den/Jumbo-Visma) +24secs

3. Tobias Halland Johannessen (Nor/Uno-X) +1min 22secs

4. Ruben Guerreiro (Por/Movistar) +2mins 06secs

5. James Shaw (GB/EF Education-EasyPost) +2mins 15secs

6. Jai Hindley (Aus/Bora-hansgrohe) +2mins 39secs

7. Carlos Rodriguez (Spa/Ineos Grenadiers) Same time

8. Simon Yates (GB/Team Jayco-AlUla)

9. Adam Yates (GB/UAE Team Emirates) +3mins 11secs

10. Romain Bardet (Fra/DSM) Same time

General classification after stage six
1. Jonas Vingegaard (Den/Jumbo-Visma) 26hrs 10mins 44secs

2. Tadej Pogacar (Slo/UAE Team Emirates) +25secs

3. Jai Hindley (Aus/Bora-Hansgrohe) +1min 34secs

4. Simon Yates (GB/Team Jayco-AlUla) + 3mins 14secs

5. Carlos Rodriguez Cano (Spa/Ineos Grenadiers) + 3mins 30secs

6. Adam Yates (GB/UAE Team Emirates) +3mins 40secs

7. David Gaudu (Fra/Groupama-FDJ) +4mins 03secs

8. Romain Bardet (Fra/DSM) +4mins 42secs

9. Thomas Pidcock (GB/Ineos Grenadiers) Same time

10. Sepp Kuss (US/Jumbo-Visma) +5mins 28secs

[ritchiebaby]

I'm back in the mix now and I'd just like to add that, brilliant though Ving/Pog might be, as far as I'm concerned it's the Wout van Aert Show. The man's a machine! Half of any prize money earned by Vingegaard should be handed to Wout.

It was a tremendous stage to watch for all different kinds of reasons.

---

As is my wont, I'll add a wee bit of local history by mentioning that golfer Jean van de Welde was born in Mont-de-Marsan. Jean famously threw away the 1999 Open at Carnoustie on the 18th hole with his adventures in the Barry Burn. The town is also the birthplace of Thomas Castaignède, French rugby player.

Bordeaux was the birthplace in 1367 of Richard the Second of England and it even has a whisky distillery!

[themaclad]

Van de Welde played that hole like I played most of my rounds when I used to play, badly