Tour t' France

It's nearly time for the biggest race of the year, the event that has everyone so excited that the England football team made sure they'd be back in time to see the start in Leeds. Froome and Contador are the big favourites for yellow, with Nibali as biggest outsider. Meanwhile Sagan is the favourite for green, just ahead of Cavendish and Kittel.

Teams (riders left):

Sky (7):

Movistar (8):

Katusha (6):

Tinkoff-Saxo (7):

Astana (9):

Cannondale (8):

Belkin (8):

Omega Pharma - Quick-Step (8):

AG2R-La Mondiale (9):

Garmin Sharp (7):

Giant Shimano (8):

Lampre-Merida (5):

FDJ.fr (8):

Lotto Belisol (7):

BMC (8):

Europcar (9):

Trek (6):

Cofidis (7):

ORICA-GreenEDGE (6):

IAM (6):

NetApp-Endura (8):

Bretagne-Séché (9):

Will be interesting to see whether someone like Pinot, Van Garderen, Mollema, Konig, Talanksy, Van den Broeck can make the podium because I don't think Nibali is in top shape climbing and isn't as good as he was.

If he wasn't riding for Froome, Pete Kennaugh would be my tip for an outsider top 10, but as it is it'll have to be Kwiatkowski or Konig. 

I fancy Contador to take the victory overall, don't think Sky have a strong team with Porte struggling all season and Henao injured. 

What do you guys think?

Also Cav to pick up 4 stage wins, Sagan for green tho

Olly wrote:If he wasn't riding for Froome, Pete Kennaugh would be my tip for an outsider top 10

Actually, Sky have announced their team and he isn't riding at all.

Lowlandbrit wrote:

Olly wrote:If he wasn't riding for Froome, Pete Kennaugh would be my tip for an outsider top 10

Actually, Sky have announced their team and he isn't riding at all.

I saw and was shocked, but it seems both he and Stannard are struggling with illnesses

Belkin have been working hard to get ready:

Dave Millar dropped from the Garmin squad

Disappointing from them

Pah, the Belfast Giro was better, so it was.

One British rider for every stage in Britain is pretty ridiculous, especially with a British team involved. Kennaugh's omission in particular looks stranger by the day. Maybe all the teams just really value the Commonwealth Games?

Scratch that; Orica have pulled a late surprise and included Simon Yates. All squads are now confirmed.

We're under way.....

Ah God's county is truly, truly beautiful.

Kittel to win today

Cav never starts well

Yeah, Cav always takes a good three or four stages to find his speed. What does he need, three or four stage wins to leapfrog into second in the all-time 'stage wins' list?

Something along those lines, think he needs 8/9 to catch up with Mercx, Cav's on 25 atm

Anyways watch it on Eurosport if you can, coverage is 1000 times better and you dont have to listen to the Armstrong fanboy Liggett

Yeah, usually always watch it on Eurosport with Kirby & Sean Kelly

Olly wrote:Kittel to win today

Cav never starts well

There we have it

Cav falls, looks like a broken collarbone.

All his own fault, leaning into Gerrans. Stupid

occassion got to him, trying too hard

Cavendish was straining every sinew, and my own humanity bounds me to feeling sorrow on his part.

dislocated shoulder, announcing tomorrow his future in the tour. Can't see him doing much if he continues.

I can't feel to much sympathy for him, it was an incredibly silly and dangerous move to lean on Gerrans like that, especially when in a full sprint.

These things happen far too often with Cav, causes himself so many issues

Anyways I don't think he'd have won, not his sort of sprint and Kittel is a monster (who has already covered my world cup losses!!)

I'd also get all over Contador whilst his odds are high, strong team, in great shape, Sky are weak, worth a punt and a certainty for a top 3

Cav out of the Tour

Gutting

This first week is starting to look like that Giro from a few years ago, that everyone said was going to ruin the race but ended up being fantastic.

Great win by Nibali, shame Astana managed to mess up the Italian jersey. Just horrible.

Froome went down, looks a nasty hip graze but he should be alright. Andy Schleck has quit already, due to a knee injury.

John wrote:Andy Schleck has quit already, due to a knee injury.

Hard to understand why they even brought him, he's barely even been peloton-filler for a while now. Sad to see such a talented rider completely break down.

A real shame Cav got injured and we lost the battle between him and Kittel. With him out Kittel is just far too good for this field

expecting fireworks on the cobbles, it's wet aswell. froome already looking uncomfortable.

Froome has abandoned. Oh dear british sport.

After all that talk of the cobblestones putting him in danger, he doesn't even make it that far. You know who would have enjoyed this stage? Bradley Wiggins.

Unfortunately rather predictable if you believe in The Curse of Wiggo, the power of Voodoo etc. Awesome responsibility now on the no. 2. Shall we laugh or cry? It's certainly one of those years for Great British Sport.

This stage is absolute carnage, but it's great seeing some proper racing in the Tour.

Nibali taking more than 2 mins off Contador.

A fantastic stage, good to see a cobbled stage in a grand tour. Too often its all time trial and mountains but good to see that the winner will be able to make/take time on a different terrain.

Unlucky for Froome, but he's had a year like that with crashes, why I bet on Contador (although he didn't look great today, he'll obliterate Nibali in the mountains)

I love the inclusion of a mini Paris-Roubaix stage, and God cooperated with some weather to make it a tough man's day. Awesome from Nibali to be up there with the big Classics guys. Good news for Contador though is that, excluding Nibali, he didn't lose much if any time to the guys he will be racing against later in the race.

I have a feeling that we might see a younger rider well up to the front of the GC at the end - Kwiartkowski for me is one to watch.

Not too upset by the abandon of Froome - hasn't been in great form in the last few weeks, so it was asking a lot for him to retain the title. Interesting now to see if Sky look for Porte to place high on GC, or if they just go stage hunting.

Porte was strong last year bar one mountain stage where he lost 18 minutes or so. So he should fly the Sky flag. Shame for Froome but like others I enjoyed that mini classic as much as the Yorshire stages. It's very tough when it rains as most riders can be stuck in the wrong part of the peloton and have to wait a few miles to be able to move hence the big gaps despite it being a flat stage. Nibali mountain bike experience certainly helped him as well.

Porte has been in horrific form all year, so unless there's been a change I hope SKY support geraint Thomas for some stage wins!

Talanksy is the one I have some money on as an outside bet to make the top three. Pinot might be another to keep an eye on

I didn't enjoy watching the stage at all. Rain or shine my view is that these cobbles should not feature in a Grand Tour-it's just too much of a lottery with a good chance of a pro getting seriously injured. It turns the Tour into a Freak Show.

Nonsense, cobbles should be allowed. This is professional cycling, some of the best bike handlers in the world. If they can't ride on this & be tested, then its embarrassing. Livens up the show & the entertainment......its a grand tour, it shouldn't be easy with paved roads from start to finish.

Fun finish, Kristoff must be wondering what he has to do to win a stage.

No more Stef Clement means we're down 10 riders so far.

edit: 12 now, van Poppel and Atapuma are out too.

TJ's fallen. Interesting finish to come here

what a finish. Sagan got pipped. few crashes too.

Looks like we could get two good finishes here. Five men in the breakaway to fight it out for the stage win (including Simon Yates), and then the main group with a chance to take a little time off each other. It's also started tipping it down.

Fancy Kadri from the breakaway

Nibali on these descents in this weather could be deadly

Blel's spent the last 10km looking like he's about to topple off his bike, but that's a great win (and good shout by Olly). Lot of people behind him struggling with the first day of climbing.

Great tour so far, and really enjoyed it today. Really pleased for Blel, that was a great win. Good showing by Chavanel and Yates as well.

A shame there are no terrestrial highlights of the Giro Rosa, as I wouldn't have minded watching Pooley getting her stage win there!

Think today should set some alarm bells ringing in Astana, Nibali was left all alone on a relatively short climb. On longer stages we could see a situation where Nibali is all alone with ages left ala Froome last year

What a ride this is by Tony Martin. Clearly decided to make today the second TT.