Scottish Elises

Sir Chris Froome has taken the yellow jersey by 51 sec.

Betting odds are now 1/5 for him to win followed by Contador at 12/1

tut

Fantastic stage (and beautiful countryside) but not quite sure what happened at the start of the stage with Kennaugh - will watch the highlights tonight.

Going to watch it in the alps

Brilliant stage for Froome - totally demolished all of his main rivals and a great show of teamwork by Sky.

I am just back from the Alps where I cycled a few of the cols being used by the Tour this year, including huge climbs up Croix Fry and Semnoz, which is the penultimate stage before Paris. Can't wait to see Froome and co on the same roads!

Mark

..unfortunately French newspaper Le Monde just had to print an article comparing past doping induced performances with Froome's effort the other day. Not surprising for a number of reasons, however lets hope there aren't any serious doping allegations to contend with this year.

We get a lot of team sky interviews, features etc etc in here and I'd be stunned if there was even a hint of doping. They go to such efforts to go on about how they wanted to be the first totally clean team etc etc etc

It is very sad these questions get asked of Froome, but not surprising given the recent history of the sport. Absolutely no doubt Sky is 100% clean. The whole team has been built around a culture of zero tolerance towards doping. I think also the French are a bit sore that the Tour is being dominated by a Brit in a Brit team for the second year running. Amazingly there hasn't been a French winner since Hinault in '85.

Assumptions are being made based on the calculations made by an ex Festina team boss who says that the effort required to climb at the rate Froome did would mean he averaged 460kw which is only comparable to Armstrong, Pantani and to a lesser extent Ulrich.. All dopers. However someone did point out that Froome surpassed an average of 470kw in the Vuelta last year.. He claimed that anything above 450kw average was nothing short of a miracle..

However Contador did point out in an interview that Froome suffers come the third week.

Hope Froome stuffs Contador this year. Anyway.. Off to watch the highlights

Prob more drugs in tennis now.

I'm reading the seven deadly sins at the moment, one mans pursuit of lance and doping from early in his career. It an enlightening read. It clear Lance wouldn't have got away with it for so long if he hadden't been held as an icon. A reporter could name his price to publish a Lance interview, and he used it to control the press. The cycling federation should not have been so easily influenced, but cycling was virtually controlled by press organisations.

The initial piece of evidence against lance was his remarkable improvement in the tour, pre cancer. I'm sure there will be extensive performance info on Froome from last year to provide a comparison to the doubters.

I think it will be a while before we can be sure there is no doping, but as an optimist, I'd like to think it was a superb performance by Froome, backed up by an excellent time trial.

There was also an really nice cavendish doc on itv4 after the highlights show last night. Possibly a repeat but the first time I'd seen it.

The problem for Sky, and all the teams, is that the same "we're purer than a pure thing" noises were made by Armstrong and his pals and their teams back in the day. So no denial will placate the doubters. Sky/Brailsford do not help matters by, for example, refusing to share riders' recorded wattage.

I am impressed with Froome's refreshing patience in answering the doping questions, and his acceptance they are legitimate questions. This is an improvement over some top riders' attitudes in very recent past.

o/t I hope WADA win their appeal to force the Spanish courts to release the Fuentes blood bags...

Sanjoy wrote:Prob more drugs in tennis now.

+1

kerryxeg wrote:I'm reading the seven deadly sins at the moment, one mans pursuit of lance and doping from early in his career. It an enlightening read.

Just downloaded it to my kindle for honeymoon reading - thanks

I also caught the Cavendish documentary and enjoyed it, warmed to him quite a lot actually.

Lazydonkey wrote: Just downloaded it to my kindle for honeymoon reading - thanks

I think your missing the point of the honeymoon, The only book you need in the kama sutra

Or Cavendish.......

"warmed to him quite a lot actually."

Just hope the bride is not expecting too much.

tut

Mont Ventoux today.

tut

......and he bloody well won it.

tut