Live blog: $5,000 cycling socks (we’ll take two pairs), Team Sky motorhome up for sale on eBay, Matt Stephens completes Ventoux x 3 ride + more

@mdavidford Quite possibly not, but there might still be 21 yellow jerseys awarded; I'm guessing, for example, that if on Sunday it's deemed too hot for a stage some form of shortened, neutralised parade stage, possibly with a sprint finish, into Barcelona would still be held with a podium ceremony afterwards. If there's any day they absolutely don't ride at all, I'm not sure what the protocol might be.

I reckon one of the safest predictions going is that we won't get 21 [contested] stages.

I agree with Dave, I think: if UAE put Pogacar into yellow tomorrow I really wouldn't put it past him to decide to go for 21 yellow jerseys. An ordinary podium contender and an ordinary team would not countenance that but he and they are neither.

😉

I swear you guys are just baiting Surreyrider for shits and giggles now!

It is for this exact reason I never purchased any Canal+ branded jerseys. Only saw it once but it was enough.

@mitsky To be fair (through gritted teeth), hasn't the main damage to Hammersmith Bridge been from IRA bombings and boat strikes, though obviously exacerbated by heavy traffic in the subsequent years?

@Andrewbanshee Yes, and at every age, not just at our distinguished and noble years (I'm 57). I've known several people who have been a bit vain about having to start wearing glasses and so put it off for years even when it was quite obvious that they wouldn't pass the driving test "read a numberplate at twenty metres" requirement (which is itself inadequate, in my opinion). As I understand it, in the USA driver licences to be renewed every four to eight years, depending on the state (apart from Arizona and Massachusetts which are twelve years, for some reason), and an eye test is a compulsory element of renewal. High time that was introduced here.

In fairness, at the time they came out Rapha was also constantly offering deep discounts - it's only more recently they've done away with that - so they were basically just following the Rapha model.

Likewise - I've got heaps of their stuff, and been happy with almost all of it. The only thing I've ever had a problem with was a pair of winter gloves that was a shape that no hand ever was.