[Marco4]

So, the Australian Rohan Dennis takes yellow. Nothing between the favourites, though Nibali has 10 seconds or so.

[Marco4]

Tomorrow is Utrecht to Zeeland, and it promises to be quite an interesting one - a lot of the land is reclaimed from the sea and it is very very windy (Norfolk style).

[Marco4]

If the weather doesn't take effect, this should be a stage for the pure sprinters. There isn't the terrain (a tiny hill a week way out) for the likes of Sagan or Degenkolb, of whom much more later in the week, to distance the sprinters so it would be no surprise to see a bunch sprint.

Personally, I think the interesting part of yesterday was the performance of Europcar. There was no desire to push themselves at all during the TT.

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85th was their best finisher. Sure, the likes of Voeckler and Rolland are just keeping in the black for stages they like, but it suggests to me that they might be targeting today's stage (or possibly tomorrow). On that basis...

Coq Watch As sprinter for Europcar, Bryan Coquard is my pick of people to watch today. 28/1 for the win, I'll get 1/3 that for a top three finish, and I've got faith in the boy.



Aside from that, its a good test for the likes of Cavendish and Bouhanni to show their teeth and, obviously, would be no surprise to see Cav emerge victorious.

[themaclad]

Not a great day for Cav

[Lord Snooty]

Not watched any of this yet. Might get to see more once Wimbledon's finished. Starting the tennis a week late has cocked everything up.

[Marco4]

Yeah, he went too early and, seeing him interviewed after, he well knows it. Not a happy Cav. That said, he does tend to need the fire in his belly to provoke his best, so don't write him off just yet. Bit hillier today; Mur De Huy should be interesting - one for the day racers who can provide a bit of punch like, say, John Degenkolb.

Vincenzo Nibali might do something, though, because being a minute odd down puts a hell of a pressure on with the cobbles due on Tuesday. Don't be surprised if he does it a little like Sheffield last year.

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Here's the profile. Few climbs for the Grimpeurs to grab ther jersey on.

[Marco4]

Can't think anyone should be as short as Alejandro Valverde's 13/8 today, but Dan Martin at 11/2 and Michael Kwiatkowski 22/1 look interesting. Tony Martin is desperate to wear yellow. I don't see him winning the stage, but at 250/1....

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Here's today's map. Going inland a little from the odd, odd scenery of Zeeland. I'll try dig up some of the aerial shots from yesterday. Creepy stuff.

[Marco4]

Ouch.

[ritchiebaby]

An interesting day with Cancellara ruled out of the rest of the Tour with two broken vertebrae. It's good to see Chris Froome getting out in front and letting the other main challengers chase him down. Easy does it over the cobbles tomorrow and any time lost there could be made up nearer the finish.

[Marco4]

Yeah, was a really good day for Froome; looked as though he was really trying to get the extra time, maybe after the last time over the cobbles he was hoping to avoid as much pressure as possible.