BBC Sportcycling

606: DEBATE Your thoughts on the action

By Andy Nicolson

1706: Phew, that was some finish.

I'm off to wuff down a recovery drink and do some stretches.

I think this might be my last stint of this Tour. Sniff. Hope you've enjoyed the coverage - we're back on Tuesday. Salut!

1703: "Top three in the GC all within 10 seconds, oh I love cycling. Kohl 7s behind Schleck, Evans 8s.

Say what you want about Evans and Menchov's riding styles, but this is more exciting than any tour with Lance ever was."
TheGSgirl on 606

1701: So, Frank Schleck and CSC have the yellow jersey. They've found Cadel Evans' weakness, and it's his isolation in the mountains. But they'll need to put more time into him ahead of the individual time trial on the penultimate stage.

A cracking finish, which sets up Tuesday and Wednesday's stages perfectly.

1657: Here's what I reckon that all means: Frank Schleck is in yellow, followed by Kohl +7", Evans +8", Menchov +38", Vandevelde +39", Sastre +49".

1655: Menchov's home and Frank Schleck has shot off, gaining around 10 seconds on Cadel Evans.

1654: Bernhard Kohl looks like he wants the yellow jersey... he's home ahead of Sastre and a little way back Valverde.

1652: Valverde's joined Sastre, Kohl and Menchov, and they've opened up 25-second gap to Evans et al.

1650: Oh, and here's the sprint for the stage win and Simon Gerrans has won it from Martinez and Pate.

1648: It's attack central... Sastre, Kohl and Menchov are maybe 50m ahead... Evans and Frank Schleck are seemingly tied together.

1646: Andy Schleck tries again, but Evans is like a limpet. Wait! Sastre's jumped off!

1644: Looked for a moment like Menchov and Evans were off the back of the group, but they're all together... it's winding up!

1642: At the front, it's still Pate, Gerrrans and Martinez with just over 2km to go.

1641: But wait - Menchov's made it back to the group. Good riding!

1640: Andy Schleck made a break... Denis Menchov followed him and fell...

That could be a big blow to his hopes.

1637: Even if they don't attack Evans today, Team CSC must be quietly happy that once again the yellow jersey is on his own, while the Danish squad have three riders in that select group.

1634: Meanwhile, back in the break, Pate, Gerrrans and Martinez are clear of Arrieta.

1631: All of the main men are together, making Evans work without exactly attacking him.

1627: The peloton's beginning to stretch out - a group of around 12 riders have moved clear. All of the main contenders are there.

1625: Bit of action at the front; Martinez has upped the pace. Arrieta has dropped out the back. Hard luck, MagpieMatt!

1622: The breakaway foursome look like I felt riding home from work yesterday: knackered.

CSC are cranking it up, Jens Voigt gurning away on the front just like he did on Hautacam.

1617: "I reckon it'll be Arrieta to take it."
MagpieMatt on 606

1616: The CSC train is really powering the bunch forward. It seems like a great deal of effort for the team classification.

Eleven minutes 15 seconds to the leaders.

1611: Come on then, 606ers - let's have your predictions for who of the four will take the stage.

1606: Kurt-Asle Arvesen (CSC) is pulling the bunch up the Colle del Morte, but the Silence boys are sticking like glue.

The gap is under 13 minutes as the break begin the climb to Prato Nevoso.

1602: The peloton is in and out like a concertina as they put the hammer down and bring the gap down to 13mins 35secs.

But the breakaway quartet are inside the final 20km.

1555: "It has to be Martinez, I can't see anyone else being able to keep up with him on the final climb."
Generic_Fanboy on 606

1552: Stuart O'Grady (CSC) is setting the pace at the front of the bunch, but the gap is holding around 14mins 40secs.

The four riders are on the short, category 3 Colle del Morte. Does that mean Mountain of the Dead?

1548: Meanwhile, BBC Television Centre is awash with choristers competing in the Last Choir Standing programme.

A long line a magenta-pink clad ladies just made their way across the circular courtyard we refer to as 'The Doughnut'. They rather resembled a procession of T-Mobile WAGs. Or would have done a couple of years ago.

1545: "Don't think that the break will be caught today. One of the four will win but the stage will probably be memorable for the fight behind in the bunch for the GC. In all probability the stage winner will be almost ignored in the grand scheme of things.

The main question will be can Evans cover the breaks? There's a lot of people within striking range from a wide selection of teams so i reckon a load of people will have plans to go on the offensive!"
jmb on 606

1530: The leading four have just over 40km to go with an advantage of 14mins 22secs. Will that be enough to hold on? And why are CSC doing the work at the front of the bunch?

1528: The crash has disrupted the Lampre effort at the head of the bunch, but the gap is still falling.

1524: Crashes either side of a roundabout in the bunch. Cunego and Vandevelde involved... everybody seems to have remounted.

1523: "I think Evans will be watching the Schleck brothers and Vandevelde might head off up the road and take the stage."
MagpieMatt on 606

An interesting shout - Vandevelde has slipped under many people's radars. Remember, he was putting in some altitude training between the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France.

1518: Cadel Evans's Silence team are showing the same Wim and vigour as Lampre at the front; the gap is now 15mins and 15secs.

The four are about 40km from the foot of the final climb up to Prato Nevoso.

1510: Four Lampre riders at the head of the eel-like peloton, sucking up the lead of the breakaway, which is now down to 15mins 45secs, with 57.5km to go.

1507: "Lampre are having an absolutely bobbins tour thus far and really want a stage win to make up for it, in particular a win on Italian soil would particularly suit the sponsors and national pride. It's not beyond the realms of possibilities for there to be an alliance between them and Silence-Lotto to chase down the break and then for Lotto not to chase down Cunego if he goes on the attack in search of the stage win."
BBC Radio 5 Live's Alex Murray on 606

Makes absolute sense to me, mate!

1505: Cadel Evans and a number of his Silence-Lotto team-mates have joined the Lampre pacesetters, who have shaved 30 seconds off the gap in the last few minutes.

1502: BBC Radio 5 Live's Peter Slater is live on air now...

1500: The Lampre boys are on the front of the bunch again as they pass through the feed station at 102km. They're going to have to cane it to bring the break in - 17 minutes separate them.

1457:BBC Radio 5 Live's Peter Slater will be live on air in a few minutes (UK only).

Clicky click the link above to hear the live commentary.

1454: It's worse than thought for the 2006 winner, Oscar Pereiro - a broken shoulder and femur.

No news on Robbie Hunter who went down with him.

Sixty nine kilomtres left for the front four, who are almost 17 minutes ahead.

1439: Reports suggest a broken collarbone for Oscar Pereiro. Thomas Voeckler has definitely returned to the bunch now.

1438: "Cadel is so serious about the yellow jersey that he's not even taking time to stop when nature calls. A teammate's pushing him while he pees, it wasn't mentioned if it was Wim who got that job... but he is shown in front, talking to Schleck right now. Come on Wim!"
The GSGirl on 606

1436: There are not many happy faces in the bunch. Wet and cold, are words that look pertinent.

1434: Race radio packed up in the squall over the top of the Agnel, to the effect that Voeckler is still away from the front of the main bunch.

The gap to the peloton from the break is up to 14mins 44secs.

1430: Oscar Pereiro (Caisse d'Epargne) has fallen on the descent and has gone back to the doctor's car.

1425: The four-man break have a 12mins 17secs gap to the peloton, Voeckler having been swallowed up.

1417: Thomas Voeckler (Bouygues Telecom) has got his head down and is making a solo effort to bridge the gap to the break. The weather, unlike Voeckler, has closed in.

And there's still 100km to go.

1413: Climbing points at the Col Agnel:

1. Egoi Martinez (EUS) 20pts
2. Jose Luis Arrieta (ALM) 18pts
3. Simon Gerrans (C.A) 16pts
4. Danny Pate (GAR) 14pts
5. Thomas Voeckler (BTL) 12pts
6. Bernhard Kohl (GST) 10pts
7. Remy Di Gregorio (FDJ) 8pts
8. Yaroslav Popovych (SIL) 7pts
9. John-Lee Augustyn (BAR) 6pts
10. Jens Voigt (CSC) 5pts

1410: The main bunch are coming over the top... just waiting for confirmation of the placings for the climbing points, but Bernhard Kohl is the new leader in the King of the Mountains.

1405: Stop press! Wim Vansevenant's at the front of the peloton!

1400: Like a back-street salon, there are some real tight hairpins on the descent, some of which look like they have an odd camber - could be interesting when the bunch gets over.

1355: The four escapees are putting on gilets for the descent now they're over the top of the Agnel and in Italy.

The climb was too much for Stijn Devolder; he's abandoned. The Belgian was in 26th place.

1350: "Wim is wearing a clown suit? Then he should be easy to spot..."
Im_partial on 606

Not the only circus act in town, it would seem...

1348: Riders are are falling off the back as the climb kicks up. The peloton is beginning to resemble a very long-tailed comet. Except that it's not moving as quick. Obviously.

1343: Regarding race numbers and James Bond (see 1300 and 1328):

"009 appeared in the pre-title sequence of Octopussy dressed as a clown."
GrumpyForest on 606

Good knowledge!

1340: The break are near the top of the Col Agnel, and will soon cross into Italy.

Buongiorno!

1330: 51km covered by the four riders out on their own, and if Lampre were intending to reel them in, they're going to have to try harder - the gap is now 13mins 40secs.

1328: "'He's number 009 (wasn't that particular character played by Sean Bean in a Bond film?) - I'll keep my eyes peeled for him.'

No, no, no. You're thinking of GoldenEye, when he played 006 agent Alec Trevelyan."
GoodPandaPanda on 606

Many thanks, GPP (see 1300 below). Trevelyan is currently being played by Robbie McEwen, if you follow me, while Bond is Yaroslav Popovych.

1321: Five Lampre riders have attached themselves to the front of the main bunch at the foot of the Agnel. They're probably thinking of bringing the breakaway back to try to set up Damiano Cunego for a stage win.

1316: "My brother has conquered the remote and switched channels to watch F1 (the most boring sport in the world except for golf and cricket probably - I really don't get the BBC). So I'm off for a run. If you could all cross your fingers for the next 40 minutes or so that the east of Belgium doesn't get any rain..."
TheGSgirl on 606

Wot?!?! You're not glued to this enthralling live text commentary? Shame on you.

1313: The fantastic four - Martinez, Arrieta, Pate and Gerrans - are about half way up the Agnel, and have stretched their lead to 12mins 30secs.

Still no sign of Wim-Away. But moving that on, his namesake and film director, Wim Wenders, made some great films. Paris, Texas and Wings of Desire spring to mind.

1308: "Lots of ill-feeling towards Cavendish on that other thread too, and it's unwarranted IMO.

This young man has given us an excellent 2 weeks of racing, and I wish him all the best in his quest for gold in Beijing."
Im-partial on 606

My thoughts entirely.

1305: For some riveting F1 action, Sarah Holt is covering the German Grand Prix.

It's a bit like standing on a motorway bridge, if you ask me. But you didn't, so I'll leave it there.

1302: As the main bunch passes Ch�teau-Queyras, the break is up to 11 minutes.

1301: Some more on our man at the back:

"Alright folks, we're on the lookout for a blonde, blue-eyed fellow of 36 years. He is 1,74m tall and weighs 65 kg. He answers to the name Sevie and will often answer any question with a hilarious response."
TheGSgirl on 606

1300: In the absence of any meaningful action, we're back on Wim-Watch, Wim Vansevenant being the lanterne rouge - the guy at the very back of the general classification.

He's number 009 (wasn't that particular character played by Sean Bean in a Bond film?) - I'll keep my eyes peeled for him.

1250: Controversial stuff on 606 regarding Mark Cavendish:

"Cavendish is so over-rated as evidenced by his weak withdrawal. The Tour is 21 stages not just as many as you need to complete to get some wins. His stage wins mean nothing if his intention all along was to withdraw. There is no way he can be called a star. Outside of a small part of the UK he is considered nothing more than an amateur. He should have stayed the course if he wanted to be taken seriously on the world stage."
burgundy05 on 606

1245: Pate is a head (geddit?) with the other three by 6mins 27secs after 31km - not far from the foot of the Agnel.

1242: "What about the invisible man, Denis Menchov? I wonder if he'll come out to play today? I truly hope that Valverde has some legs as well, as he deserves to have a decent couple of climbs."
Im_partial on 606

Is Denis a menace to Evans' aspirations?

1235: A quartet of Silence-Lotto boys are strung across the front of the peloton, which is ambling up the slopes, while the other foursome in the break are now 4mins 40secs - and counting - away.

1230: If golf's your bag, Ben Dirs is on Open live text duty.

1228: The descent of the Col Agnel is a long one, and if it's as wet over the top as it is on the approach, it's going to be a hairy old ride down. The gap's rising towards three minutes after 21km.

1224: Aussie Simon Gerrans (Credit Agricole) has joined the front trio, of which Martinez is the best placed in the overall standings, in 64th place.

1221: The nascent break has a gap of 1 minute 25 seconds.

1218: Three riders have escaped off the front after 15km - Egoi Martinez (Euskaltel), Jose Luis Arrieta (AG2R) and Danny Pate (Garmin)

1216: Unlike the start, the weather's pretty good at the finish, where a stage of the Tour concludes for the first time.

1215: A colleague, who shall remain nameless, has a memory of Prato Nevoso, the finish of today's stage:

"I went to Prato Nevoso in 96 and had a fling with my ski instructor (typical!)... phoned my mum and told her I didn't want to come home... but after two weeks I realised it was all a bit silly and girly of me so did fly home!"

1210: David Millar's right at the front, clearing his nasal passages - could he fancy a tilt at a breakaway?

1207: They're off, the temperature's only 20 degrees, the rain is lashing down and the attacks have started straight away.

1150 BST: Good morning and welcome, once again, to our Tour text commentary.

Cav's gone home, so we're forced to focus on the yellow jersey, and where better to do that than in the Alps?

Today the riders head from Embrun - where it's pouring down - across into Italy to the mountain-top finish at Prato Nevoso; a 183km stage that is likely to see Team CSC take the fight to Cadel Evans.