Tour de France

And...sky do seem to spend a lot of time at the front of the Peleton without getting anywhere. 

It's all part of the greater plan!! Bore all the rest to sleep and then sneak Froome away when they're snoozing! 

Stange really but they've managed to have 3 tour winners in the last few years, so it seems to work for them.

And...sky do seem to spend a lot of time at the front of the Peleton without getting anywhere. 

It's all part of the greater plan!! Bore all the rest to sleep and then sneak Froome away when they're snoozing! 

Stange really but they've managed to have 3 tour winners in the last few years, so it seems to work for them.

Yup! If you've got enough money, you can buy enough winners.

But I don't see Wiggins going down in history for his attacking style or flair in races, do you?

Brailsford (the 'great cycling supremo', who basically knows nowt about cycling but has a big wedge to buy riders and staff who do) was on the point of getting rid of Froome, when he came 2nd in the Vuelte in 2011 with little support from the team. He then put him in the Tour team to support Wiggins in 2012, without realising that Froome was actually the better rider. Numpty.

Nothing would tempt us into buying much with "Sky" on it, but I have to say that the money has certainly transformed British Cycling these last few years, and that is all to the good. It is like any other big sport, reliant upon huge sponsorship deals. All the teams "buy" in riders, it is not dissimilar to Football! The really big plus though, is that a great deal of it is free to go and watch, something still unique in top level sport. Anyone can just pull up a chair at the side of the road and watch! And we like to take full advantage when we can. Can't wait to be able to go and follow Tour in France!

Just watching Tour live at moment. Have to say, the scenery is breathtakingly lovely. It's always a colourful event as well with all the team colours and flags.

Just a remnder......Sky Pro Cycling is not a British team, in the sense that it does not represent the UK. It's an international team.

Well what a stage!

Now that is how it should be done! Froome went off on a brilliant break from the top of the Peyresourde and never stopped!

An unusual, but obviously effective style (bet his legs ache tonight!).

I'm really amazed that Quintana didn't try a break himself, given that he needs at least a minute lead before they get to the time trials. I'm tempted to say that was a Tour winning break for Froome.

Outstanding, just watched it recorded, literally on the edge of my seat (sofa). What a move.

And how bizarre was the speed and timing of the Flame Rouge collapse yesterday? Mad.

Wow Nellie, so many points to answer!

Firstly, what is this obsession with the olympics? It really is a cycling non-event. When Bernard Hinault approached the age of 21 he made a point of turning professional and joined a pro team, with the specific aim of avoiding being chosen for the French olympic team......because he saw it as irrelevant and an intrusion in his cycling career.

I agree that other teams / riders should also be making breaks, instead of the metronome tactics that they seem to adopt. But Sky are particularly boring.

Why do you (and the television coverage) regard Sky as somehow a 'British' team? Pro teams are not organised on a national basis. Sky are sponsored mainly by an Australian and several other international companies. Their Tour team has 4 British riders (if we include Froome) and 5 riders from other countries. They spend the vast majority of their time training and racing in Europe. Most of their team live in Europe. They are not a British team. They are not the 'home' team. They are another international team who happen to have a large amount of sponsorship money to spend, mainly due to a rather dubious sponsor.

That was about 100yrs ago!! It's no good living in the past, Ian. Things move on and most the top road cyclist at the moment will be there at the Olympics riding for their countries, and be proud to do so I'm sure.

As for Sky having large amouts of sponsership money, so do all the teams of the leading protagonists.

Yet another stage in which boring Sky led the way. Same old, same old, what!!

And another Brit wins a stage and pulls on the Yellow Jersey. Great ride by Chris Froome, who really fooled them all on this stage. BMC seems to be having problems about who their leading GC contender is. Surely it should have been Richie Porte who sacrificed himself to try and catch CF and benefit TJV.

Some of the top riders will be at the olympics because their sponsor hs insisted on it. As a cycling event, the olympic road race is 4th division stuff. Track cycling is amateur league and for those who cannot make it in proper cycling.

If 'living in the past' is wanting cycling to be more exciting and dynamic, rather than a bunch of riders following whatever their team's computer has decreed and all sticking together in a bunch, to decide the race on a time trial.......then bring on the past! 

And at least Froome does ride more as an 'old style' cyclist and he will go on a break. The Sky computer probably exploded when he went yesterday 

Anyway.....yes, it was a great race for the Kenyan, Froome.

I don't know why BMC would have any confusion about their leader, clearly it should be Teejay.  Porte is fine for the odd stage as a domestique, but he's no team leader and no Tour winner.