Stage Seven – Cavendish Finally Breaks Through

Today’s flat stage to Bretagne (Brittany) – not to be confused with Great Britain – followed the script laid out for it.  Early breakaway, with Teklehaimanot collecting another climbing point and keeping his Polka-Dot Jersey.  The Green Jersey boys contesting the left-over points at the intermediate sprint, with Sagan creeping one point closer to Greipel.  The peleton catching the escapees within the last 20 Km.  And the sprinters’ teams winding the speed up near 60 Km/hour for a bunch sprint finish. 

This time Cavendish kept his cool, patiently resisting the urge to surge too soon.  Greipel found himself leading the final charge, and providing the slipstream to slingshot Cavendish around him at the last minute for Cavendish’s first stage win of the Tour.  Sagan also tried to slingshot past Greipel, but failed by a few inches.  Cavendish’s tactics (and the work of his team Etixx-Quickstep) were brilliant.  He probably will not win five stages – as I suggested earlier as a possible maximum.  But he could yet win two or three.  He dedicated this win today to his fallen teammate Tony Martin.  I am happy for Cavendish.

The GC standings remain unchanged.  Whereas Sagan yesterday closed the gap on Greipel for the Green Jersey, today Greipel opened up the gap again, this time by 9 points.  Consolation for Sagan came with the time bonus for 3^rd place on the stage, which moved him into GC 2^nd place overall for the Yellow Jersey, just eleven seconds behind Froome.  Sagan could conceivably steal the Maillot Jaune tomorrow with a strong finish in the uphill finish at Mur de Bretagne; or even on Sunday with a strong ride by Tinkoff-Saxo in the team time trial.  You know these ideas will be on the agenda in the Tinkoff bus and hotel.

Imagine you are in France to watch the Tour de France.  This outdoor market is in Lentilly, a village outside of Lyon.  The Tour passed right through this village last year in Stage 12.  Of course the riders did not stop to enjoy it.

A few Km beyond Lentilly (previous photo) that same Stage 12 swept through the even-smaller village of Pollionay.  You can just see Lyon in the background haze.

Five or ten minutes later, Stage 12 (2014) sped past the village of Vaugneray.

Down a hill and around a bend, and Stage 12 (2014) flew past Yzeron.  My grandson Sam and I made it a point to follow the Tour's route from that stage a few months after the race.  Our pace was relaxed, and we absorbed all the beautiful and peaceful atmosphere of rural France.  A pastry in Lentilly.  A look inside some of the village churches.  A baguette sandwich in Yzeron.  Hard to beat!