Live updates from the first hilly stage; from Binche to ÉpernayWilliam Fotheringham’s stage-by-stage guide to the 2019 TourDrop Barry an email | Tweet @bglendenning 12.51pm BST 144km to go: Tony Martin continues to lead the bunch, trying to control the gap to the five-man breakaway. The gap is 5min 38sec at the moment. The hills at the business end of today’s stage, which ends with a punchy climb, means it won’t end in a traditional sprint finish, which explains the reluctance of the rest of the bunch to do any work. 12.48pm BST The GCN is a veritable treasure trove of hot cycling content for those of us with long live blogs to update when not a great deal is going on. In the accompanying video, they assess the
runners and
riders in this year’s Tour and try to find their idea of winner. 12.41pm BST 150km to go: Now the lads at the front take some grub on board, taking snacks from their team cars as they roll along led by Tim Wellens, who has a big banana sticking out of his jersey pocket in a manner that probably isn’t particularly aerodynamic. The gap is 5min 27sec. 12.36pm BST 156km to go: It’s more or less as you were, with Tim Wellens (Lotto-Soudal), Anthony Delaplace (Arkea-Samsic), Yoann Offredo (Wanty-Groupe Gobert), Paul Ourselin (Total Direct Energie) and Stephane Rossetto (Cofidis) in a breakaway that is now 5min 29sec clear of the punch. Team Jumbo-Visma’s Tony Martin is doing all the donkey work at the front of the bunch, where assorted cyclists are attending to the call of nature, or dropping back to their team cars for refreshments. 12.28pm BST The Australian team of Adam Yates, tend to give Tour video diary. Here’s their piping hot take on yesterday’s TTT. It didn’t go quite as well as they had hoped. 12.22pm BST 12.18pm BST 167km to go: The 106th Tour de France left Belgium and entered France and as predicted in Will Fotheringham’s preview, a breakaway group of five riders has gone clear of the bunch. Tim Wellens (Lotto-Soudal), Anthony Delaplace (Arkea-Samsic), Yoann Offredo (Wanty-Groupe Gobert), Paul Ourselin (Total Direct Energie) and Stephane Rossetto (Cofidis) are in the escape party and the gap to the chasing posse is 4min 12sec. 12.17pm BST 12.17pm BST Following his surprise win in the opening stage, Mike Teunissen stays i n yellow following Jumbo-Visma’s win in yesterday’s team time-trial. Here’s how Jeremy Whittle saw the action unfold. Related: Tour de France: Jumbo-Visma win team time trial as Teunissen stays in yellow 11.48am BST From Will Fotheringham’s stage-by-stage report: On the map, a long flattish stage heading south, with a routine bunch sprint, but there is a sting in the tail. It will be dead quiet as far as Reims, with an early break establishing itself, but the final 30km include three stiff third category climbs one after the other, with very little respite, before a final 500m at 8% to the finish. All of France will look to Julian Alaphilippe on a finish made for the world No 1 but all the favourites’ nerves will be on edge with an intense battle for position. A classic day when at least one will lose the Tour. Continue readingread full article
