Tour de France - Stage 9

Fuglsang and Martin with 31". Kwia caught.

Gap down to 24". Belkin chasing. Nieve still in there. No Serpa.

Nieve near the front. Could it be a Euskaltel victory? Not likely. Don't know if he can sprint. Gap up to 32".

Martin and Fuglsang are going to make it.

Hesjedal back in the yellow group. Movistar still setting the pace. Froome still looking ok. Valverde will have to take significant time out of him as Froome is definitely better in the ITT. I reckon Froome will stay with him but it will be an interesting battle. Quintana to sacrifice himself again? I think so.

Clarke up front. Bardet, De Clerq and Rolland chasiing.

Hesjedal suffering. Starting to zig-zag but he does have a broken rib so kudos for being in the break at all!!

De Gendt back in the yellow group. His sprint was funny as Rolland thought no-one was competing for it. I think things will be calm for a while until the last climb.

Simon Clarke gone ahead. Gap to the yellow group has gone out a bit as they sit up for a short time: 1' 42". Porte still over a minute back, nearly 2 now.

Mountain point group still ahead and S Clarke may have caught them up. Gap of a minute. I don't think they'll make it to the end, unfortunately.

De Gendt
Rolland
De Clerq
Hesjedal
Bardet
Bakelants

MPs

De Gendt makes a late sprint for the mountain points and catches out Rolland. Damn!! Good for drheaton though.

Group of 6 up front Bakelants bridged over. Then favourites 45 secs back with Froome by himself and 6 Movistar. Porte group about 1 and a bit minutes back.

Dennis did not start, Guittierrez just abandoned, thats 2 of my team gone. Now do I let it ride purist wise, or make changes over the rest day, and let that team ride to the end mmmmmm, neither regular and no longer purist

Castroviejo up there with Valverde and Plaza, Froome comfortable sitting on.

Ruben Plaza is the other Movistar. (127) Riders all over the place.

This is going to be a good day! Some real racing! Valverde off the front with another Movistar, Quintana, Rui Costa? Not sure. Froome chases on.

Trofimov (Katusha), Hesjedal y Danielson (Garmin), Antón (Euskaltel-Euskadi) y Rolland (Europcar) up the road with short gap, less than half a minute.

Wondered which Euskaltel rider it would be. Anton a bit pricey for the risk though. Hope Rolland gets some decent mountain points today but doesn't look like there are going to be any break wins just yet. Maybe in the Alps. Porte appears to be behind the yellow jersey group. Don't know why as I've only just turned on the TV. Looks like it's going to be a long day today. Wine and food with the Tour followed by another beautiful evening ride.

No' it's not Anton. Even the Spanish site have got it wrong it's Jon Izagirre. (114) I'm assuming with that that Steephill have the numbers right.

my 5 main riders are in the yellow jersey group at least

This is why I do not like Froome. He has no brains, this stage has breakaway written all over it, Sky should be on the front controlling the race, Froome has blasted his team out the water, idiot. Control the race FFS.

Johnny H trying to get away again!

Out, Froome and Kwiatkowski.
In, Voeckler and De Gendt.

Unashamedly chasing the break today.

Voeckler
Rolland
De Gendt
Nieve
Anton
Kadri
Fischer
Palacios
Mederel

Rolland
Talansky
Quintana
Porte
Ten dam
D V P
Mederel
Oroz
Willems

3 changes today

Dennis will be in a few purist teams(mine included!!).