Cecilie is everything we want cycling to be. It is her attack that makes the race, and makes it worth watching the last 30~25 km.

Pay offs, EPO, cortisone , Jiffy bags , blood bags,testosterone patches , all this I can handle 
but , fuck! If GVA is riding in the crazy orange CCC kit next year I’m going to have to start watching curling 

^for realz

@Mark Taylor
Rumour is that Giant will provide the bikes for CCC-Ochowicz. This could lead to some very orange TCRs. Just add blue (or white) bartape .....

https://www.eurosport.com/cycling/tour-de-france/2018/fractured-vertebra-ends-vincenzo-nibalis-tour-de-france_sto6855063/story.shtml
  

Oh man, I don't quite like Nibali, but that majorly sucks!
---
on a separate but related note, Annemiek van Vleuten riding up to Dutch corner and hanging out, is one of the coolest things to happen at Alpe D'Huez today

I've come 180 on Nibali. After MSR I don't think I will ever underestimate him again. That's a shit way to end a Tour, especially when he was a real contender.

Seems like all the usual cycling sites are stating that the motorcycle took Nibali out , clearly a fan was a cause , those flares also , why do people let them off on the mountain ? 

Some of the sites are linking to the fan videos that clearly show the culprit. I've also seen some video of a fan rushing Froome. I don't understand why the police don't spend more time swinging their truncheons ahead of the peloton arriving, to be honest. I'm fine if people want to get super drunk & rowdy on the course; just don't also expect to come home with all your teeth.

Also, 

Where there is smoke there is fire - this guy should be booted from the sport.

https://www.velonews.com/2018/07/tour-de-france/moscon-booted-from-tour-after-altercation-with-rider_472901

Longer form (and better) article, as usual from CyclingTips

https://cyclingtips.com/2018/07/today-at-the-tour-team-skys-moscon-problem/

What I really wish we could have seen was Sagan's effort up the climb to the Mende airstrip.  I'd love to see how he managed to meter his effort on the climb, as he must have crushed it once over the top to finish fourth.

mugwump said:

What I really wish we could have seen was Sagan's effort up the climb to the Mende airstrip.  I'd love to see how he managed to meter his effort on the climb, as he must have crushed it once over the top to finish fourth.

Seriously. That was yet another magic trick. The guy is a legit Warlock.

About as calming as throwing a pail of petrol on a trash fire, isn’t it? 

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/brailsford-blames-tour-de-france-roadside-reactions-on-a-french-cultural-thing/

FFS Dwayne Johnson is more diplomatic

I personally Cant stand Brailsford and i thought that putting Portal in front of the camera was a much better idea,but honestly at this point diplomacy seems like a waste of time

I don’t see a way out of the mess until they give Brailsford his walking papers.

Apparently, Movistar and Lotto-Jumbo have better things to to than have their secondary GC riders attack the final mountain in order to challenge Sky.  

Apparently they all want to make it a one day race.

This seems lucky!

Ian Boswell training peaks wahoo file. In the last two climbs, he would spend over 20 minutes over 365 watts. each climb.

He would finish over 13 minutes down to the winner of the stage, about 5ish minutes from the GC leaders.

http://home.trainingpeaks.com/public/workout/GTVUQANPQXNCCE3A2TDO4Q6SEI

Man I can be as cynical as the next fan, but I live for moments like that in pro cycling.

People keep talking about how someone is going to melt down on stage 17 but this tour doesn't really match the Grio. They've had like 2 sprint stages and a rest day in the last 4 days.

I'd love to be proven wrong but I'm anticipating a big nothing burger tomorrow, especially with Nibali out of the running.

It's getting nuts out there