A member of staff at each of Ineos, Michelton, Cofidis, and AG2R have tested positive and off the race. No impact to riders.
Boardman just made a good point. A team gets thrown out if they have two positives in a seven day period. By getting tested a day early Ineos have ensured that their next test won't be for eight days.
Didn't Michelton get tested a day early, too? Smart move. Ahead of the slower witted teams again.
I mean, aside from the fact it misses the point of the tests but anyway.
The yellow flag is waved to set them off. Kind of amusing that the Yellow Jack was the traditional flag to warn that a ship was carrying disease (it now means the opposite - go figure)
Hadn't realised it meant the opposite.
You'd have thought a flag meaning "stay away" was more useful, wouldn't you? Especially with the recent record of the international cruise industry.
Crashfest ahoy, I reckon. Riders unfocussed by covid test stress and gossip, possible echelon weather and general sprint stage madness.
Apparently the roundabouts in the last 4km have been removed. That's a fair amount of work, probably pushing £1 million to take them out and put them back unless they're small ones.
More of a split due to the crash than real echelons
“Road racing was over and the UCI had banned my riding positions on the track, so it was like ‘Jings, crivvens, help ma Boab, what do I do now? I know, I’ll go away and be depressed for 10 years’.”
“Road racing was over and the UCI had banned my riding positions on the track, so it was like ‘Jings, crivvens, help ma Boab, what do I do now? I know, I’ll go away and be depressed for 10 years’.”
Posts
Let's hope the wind does pick up, there seems to be a bit of wariness by some of the riders.
Antwan Tolhoek, Sam Oomen, Tom Dumoulin, Thymen Arensman, Remco Evenepoel, Benoît Cosnefroy, Tom Pidcock, Mark Cavendish, Romain Bardet
Antwan Tolhoek, Sam Oomen, Tom Dumoulin, Thymen Arensman, Remco Evenepoel, Benoît Cosnefroy, Tom Pidcock, Mark Cavendish, Romain Bardet
Antwan Tolhoek, Sam Oomen, Tom Dumoulin, Thymen Arensman, Remco Evenepoel, Benoît Cosnefroy, Tom Pidcock, Mark Cavendish, Romain Bardet
Gap to the break is only 25".
Antwan Tolhoek, Sam Oomen, Tom Dumoulin, Thymen Arensman, Remco Evenepoel, Benoît Cosnefroy, Tom Pidcock, Mark Cavendish, Romain Bardet
Antwan Tolhoek, Sam Oomen, Tom Dumoulin, Thymen Arensman, Remco Evenepoel, Benoît Cosnefroy, Tom Pidcock, Mark Cavendish, Romain Bardet
Antwan Tolhoek, Sam Oomen, Tom Dumoulin, Thymen Arensman, Remco Evenepoel, Benoît Cosnefroy, Tom Pidcock, Mark Cavendish, Romain Bardet
It doesn't look super windy but this big group off the back (inc. Pinot and Sivakov) are in a proper echelon formation.
Antwan Tolhoek, Sam Oomen, Tom Dumoulin, Thymen Arensman, Remco Evenepoel, Benoît Cosnefroy, Tom Pidcock, Mark Cavendish, Romain Bardet
Nick Roche hurt
....and Richie Porte.
Antwan Tolhoek, Sam Oomen, Tom Dumoulin, Thymen Arensman, Remco Evenepoel, Benoît Cosnefroy, Tom Pidcock, Mark Cavendish, Romain Bardet
@DrHeadgear
The Vikings are coming!
http://tinyurl.com/2nu7r3
Antwan Tolhoek, Sam Oomen, Tom Dumoulin, Thymen Arensman, Remco Evenepoel, Benoît Cosnefroy, Tom Pidcock, Mark Cavendish, Romain Bardet
@DrHeadgear
The Vikings are coming!
And Kirby has just come on the commentary