If Mathieu makes this attack stick it will have been a ride for the ages.
Okay nobody’s catching this.
Unreal. Well done vdP.
I think he has yellow. He was 18" back, and takes 8" for the first time over the Mur and 10" for the stage win, plus whatever gap he has back to Alaphilippe. Pop a cork remembering grandpa.
8" gap to Alaphilippe. Mathieu van der Poel is the overall leader of this race.
Let’s see if Ineos has anybody in the top 10 now.
They don’t. Carapaz finished with the Alaphilippe group, but G was behind a split at 23". It is really looking like the overall is just Rog vs Pog.
I was a little surprised at the frankness with which Chris Horner and Christian Vande Velde commented on the state of (un)readiness of Chris Froome for this year’s spot in the TdF (Team ISUN). The dude certainly seems fragile and not fully recovered from his 2019 accident. Wonder why ISUN decided to give him a spot. Probably to set an example for the younger, less experienced riders. Maybe not something that can effectively be done from the team car.
Froome’s (lack of) form has been obvious through all his races earlier in the season. I presume he’s at the Tour solely because he gets camera minutes for the sponsors. He certainly won’t be contributing meaningfully to whatever success the team attains - which at this point at best are possible stage wins from the breakaway by Woods or Martin.
I’ve heard reports of him being booed by the crowds. What the hell is that about? Are they still sore about that inhaler bullshit?
They aren’t saying “Boo!” they’re saying “Froome!”
I have no idea. There are a contingent of fans that are convinced that he was doping based on his career profile (mediocre in early years, then suddenly untouchable - the questionable TUE’s and such were just fuel for that fire) and so when he was winning repeatedly there was some booing coming from that quarter. Seems a bit much to keep up the hate now that he’s a shell of his former self.
Well that was just brutal.
Don’t tell me! I’m “at the office”, and am recording it to watch this evening. 
You’re in for a treat. SPOILERS!
Effing carnage today, four serious crashes and a very bad day for Jumbo-Visma. Robert Gesink had to give up, Tony Martin and Steven Kruijswijk were also on the asphalt, as was Primoz Roglic in another crash. And Caleb Ewan out as well. Fortunately for us lowlanders Alpecin-Fénix had another glorious day with Mathieu van der Poel still in the yellow jersey and the stage won by Tim Merlier. In Dutch media people are cursing Geraint Thomas who apparently caused the first mayhem with sloppy steering.
And of course Ide Schelling, who kept the polkadot. Yay Netherlands! Something to make up for the lousy soccer match.
Grim.
Chris Horner just threw shade on Sagan for Ewan’s fall.
Roglic looks ruined.
Where? I just watched the latest Butterfly Effect (I don’t usually, because while he’s got good analysis I find the complete lack of even trying to pronounce anyone’s name remotely correctly really grating) and his analysis was basically the same as mine was watching the replay - Ewan’s front wheel was overlapping Merlier’s rear wheel on the right, and Ewan tried to move left taking out his own front wheel. Yeah, Sagan and Ewan had been pushing a bit for position, but there wasn’t really anything in that, and it wasn’t the cause of the crash.
I also disagree with his take on TJV’s tactics today. He was blaming them for leaving van Aert in the front group after Roglic crashed, saying they were stupidly valuing a possible van Aert stage win over Roglic losing time. They weren’t. Wout didn’t stay with the front group to try to win the stage. I mean, he surely would have sprinted for the win had he gotten in position to, but that’s not why he was there. He stayed in front to protect his own GC standing. He’s 4th overall and could easily be in yellow after the Stage 5 ITT. If his climbing form is as good as it was at the Tour last year, he could be a podium threat and is a realistic GC Plan B for TJV. Throwing that away so that Roglic loses 1:15 instead of 1:25 is not a good move when you don’t even know if Roglic is going to start tomorrow. With the downhill run-in it was exceedingly unlikely they’d get Roglic back to the front even if they had peak form Tony Martin, Fabian Cancellara, and Eddie Merckx himself all pulling in front. The counterpoint is that van Aert’s climbing form in the early part of the season was not on par with his performance last year, but he’d packed on some extra muscle for the cyclocross and cobbled classics season, so we’re not sure where he’s at right now.
Firstly, I have no love for Chris Horner - one of the most boring riders in history…so there’s that, but I don’t know why he would, I just rewatched it. Sagan was on his line and didn’t deviate. If anything Ewan was the instigator and got caught up in Merlier’s wheel. Why Ewan tried to battle with someone who is as good of a bike handler as Sagan is beyond me. For my money, this is on Ewan. Exclusively.