That Big Lap of France – The Final Week

Thankfully week two involved much fewer crashes, and some damn exciting racing!  And doesn’t Wiggins look relaxed in yellow, not to mention on the bike…

In the Green Jersey competition, Matt Goss has so far only proved his not good enough to win – I don’t think he should have been hit for his points as badly as he was on Stage 12 (honestly, a warning would have been plenty), but I also think Sagan would have come around him if it wasn’t for that. I personally think Sagan has the green jersey nailed unless he doesn’t finish. What an achievement for your first tour! But would it be the same if Boonen and Cavendish weren’t focused on the Olympics?…  In a word, no.  Sorry.

And speaking of Cavendish, what is going on with him and Team Sky – and more to the point, does it have the potential to unhinge Wiggins’ Yellow Jersey dreams? A ‘no press’ policy is, as Matt Keenan kept saying on SBS here in Oz, indicative of a split in the camp. If there were all on the same page surely there’d be no reason not to talk to the press?… Intriguing.  And what about Chris Froome’s performance?!  Mightily impressive.  But as many have said, let’s not forget that rightly or wrongly he is paid to support Wiggins and is going to be VERY expensive to be bought from Sky.  His time will come though.

As for that Yellow Jersey, Evans seems to have stopped bothering to ride so close to the front so often and I can’t help wondering if he’s just saving himself for one last massive attack on stage 16 or 17 – or perhaps even both – to regain the 3’19″ he currenly trails by… or has he just given up? Wiggins seems to have a stranglehold on the race, but will the pressure of so much time in yellow and any divisions within his team take its toll?  Frankly, I don’t think so, and much like Sagan I reckon this is Wiggins’ Tour unless he fails to finish.

I’m happy to be proven wrong though – it would make for a chuffing exciting final week!

Special mention goes to Peloton Café for ‘The Lounge Room Ride‘ – a great way to raise funds for a worthy cause!

Now to get a family dinner out of the way before I can settle down to watching today’s stage…