Tour de France 2025 **spoilers**

Temperatures in France have started dropping slight and there is some light rain forecast for the route today, so the roads might be a bit greasy after the dry spell.

As well as the big French names, I wonder if Ewen Costiou will try for the break as he's 5th in the KoM.

However, I think Quinn Simmons is going to go for an early one. The French crowd dont like him ( plenty of booing for him on the Mur last Friday) and he looks like the kind of guy that would get motivation from that.

Wasn't that late (not that I'm still bitter about yesterdays vets race).

there’ll be two races. A decent sized break hoovering up mountain points and then Visma trying to put Pog’s helpers under pressure

In the end Pog out sprints Jonas for the stage win

Tour de France related article yesterday from Paul Kimmage regarding a staff member of Ineos linked with possible doping from the Froome days still being in the team bus for this tour - https://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/cycling/paul-kimmage-revealing-the-links-between-the-team-sky-masseur-and-a-convicted-doping-doctor-at-the-tour-de-france/a1278964315.html

I don't see it. Rest day tomorrow followed by a lot of tough stages. GC teams are likely to take it easy I think. There might even be an agreement between them.

You are not going to make any major time today but you can over the next week.

ITV4 do a very good highlights package - 7 o'clock most days.

Visma were trying to make it hard for Pogacar on far easier stages. So I would be surprised if they didn't try something to increase the stress/fatigue of Pogacar.

But that's what they do - have faith that your man is better/more fatigue resistant and then increase the effort so that your rival's level falls below yours.

Normally I'd say no chance, as UAE have only used 2 riders up front. But they don't have Sivakov and Almeida. They probably don't want to use Yates yet, so that leaves Soler and Narvaez. If Wellens and Politt can last another 20km, then Pogacar for the win.

I'm interested in what Visma will do when UAE run out of energy.

If they are not going to attack ot cant drop Pog, could see visma ride to keep pog in yellow (just) from healy, extra tv work, etc. Marginal gains!

Steve Bauer obsessed with Healy, there are better climbers in the breakaway

Yeah, a big fanboy from that audio clip!

Yep.

It'll be a few more years before they get one, but Paul Seixas is coming along and looks the best prospect since Pinot. But he's only 18 and because Pogacar/Vingegaard.

Edit: This was a reply to "Is it 40 years since a French rider won the tour?"