Video: The Best of the Tour de France - Stages 15 - 21

Return to the roads of France one final time with GoPro, which brought us some amazing footage from this year's Tour de France thanks to bike mounted cameras. The result was images from within the peloton like nothing we've ever seen before. If you want to know just what it is like to ride in the greatest cycling event in the world, just have a look at this video. You'll come away with even more respect for these amazing athletes.

Tour de France 2015: Chris Froome Claims Second Tour Victory

The 2015 Tour de France came to an end yesterday on the streets of Paris, where the peloton arrived after three weeks of racing, covering more than 3000 km in the process. During that time, there were a lot of ups and downs for the riders, with plenty of high drama and incredible feats of strength and endurance. At times, it seemed that this was a race that was going to go exactly by the numbers, with little in the way of excitement. But the final days in the Alps proved that to be completely wrong, and gave us a new contender for future editions of Le Tour.

Heading into the weekend, Chris Froome continued to hold on to the Yellow Jersey worn by the race leader, and for the most part it seemed like he'd ride into Paris with little resistance. The Tour had moved into the Alps, and once again the British rider was showing his strength in the mountains. But on the final two days, two riders rose up to challenge the Froome, and in turn showed that he was a bit more vulnerable than we suspected.

On Friday of last week, 2014 winner Vincenzo Nibali went on the attack and showed that his legs still had plenty of strength in them. He ended up winning the stage and gaining back precious time on his rivals, although it didn't help to get him on to the podium in Paris. Still, it gave fans an idea of where Froome stood, and showed that he could be dropped on a major climb by a determined rider. That was something that Nairo Quintana took to heart on Saturday, attacking on Alp d'Huez – the most storied mountain stage in the sport. Quintana wasn't able to overcome the 2+ minute difference between him and Froome, but he did make it interesting, while managing to put the Sky rider in a world of hurt on the final climb.


In the end however, Froome proved once again to be too much for the peloton, and on Sunday's ceremonial ride into Paris, he claimed his second win in the Tour in three years. It was a strong performance once again by the Brit, although it also showed that he wasn't unassailable. The young man has quite a career ahead of him on the Tour, but his rivals will be emboldened by the fact that he showed vulnerability in the final days, proving that some will be able to ride with him given the chance.

For his part, Quintana showed that he has a bright future ahead of him as well. At the age of 24, he rode away with the White Jersey for the Tour's best young rider, finishing second overall. Probably most importantly, the Colombian rider seemed to gain confidence as well, and I would expect him to give no quarter next year when he and Froome meet again.

Peter Sagan managed to claim the Green Jersey that is awarded to the race's best sprinter, despite the fact that he didn't win a single stage for the second year in a row. This is the fourth consecutive year that Sagan has won this competition, although I suspect he'd like to get a few stage wins too. The big German sprinter Andre Greipel was clearly the fastest man in the peloton this year, but Sagan was easily the most consistent over the three weeks of racing.

In another display of just how good Chris Froome is as a rider, he also managed to win the Polka Dot Jersey given to the winner of King of the Mountains competition. That means he was the best climber in the race this year in addition to leading the General Classification for most of the past three weeks as well. No rider has managed to claim both the Yellow and Polka Dot Jerseys in the same year since the great Eddy Merckx did it back in 1970. So while Froome may have shown some signs of vulnerability, he still managed to put on a show for the ages.

The Tour is always one of my favorite events each year, and I'm always sad to see it end. Unfortunately for me, my schedule this year didn't allow me to see as much of it as I would have liked, nor cover it as completely as I typically do. Still, it was fun to watch where I could, and catch up with race reports on the days that I could not view the stage in its entirety, if at all. Now, on the Monday after the final stage of the 2015 Tour, I am already going through withdrawal and starting the countdown to 2016. The make-up of that race will be very different, and it will be a fascinating one to watch for sure.

Video: The Best of the Tour de France - Stages 8 - 14

With GoPro cameras attached to their bikes, the riders on this year's Tour de France are providing us with some unprecedented footage from out on the road. Last week we got a great look at some of the best shots from Stages 1-7, and now we have a new video that does the same from Stages 8-14. Take a look at what it is like to ride in the peloton with some of the most amazing clips from Le Tour ever.

Tour de France 2015: Van Garderen Exits Race, Froome Tightens Grip on Maillot Jaune

With the second rest day now behind us, and the Alps taking center stage, the Tour de France continues to race towards the finish line in Paris. And while it is beginning to look like a win by Chris Froome is once again a forgone conclusion, nothing is settled until the peloton rides down the Champs-Elysées on Sunday. And if you don't believe that, ask Tejay Van Garderen. 

Yesterday, the American rider was sitting in third place in the General Classification at the start of Stage 17. But a short time after the start of the day's activities, he was forced to abandon the Tour altogether, citing illness. It was clear early on that Tejay wasn't up to the task of chasing Froome, or the other Tour front runners. He tried valiantly to stay with the leaders, but lost power on the first climb, and quickly exited, driving away in a team car in tears. 

The young American wasn't the only one to see their chances of glory slip away. Alberto Contador was part of a crash on trick descent near the end of the race, and ended up ceding two additional minutes to Froome. That puts him out of striking distance, barring some unforeseen miracle of course. 

But the stage also brought the Alps at long last, which could have been the undoing for the race leader. Instead, he looked as strong and poised as ever, as he calmly fended off all challengers. Heading into todays stage, he still holds the Yellow Jersey, with a 3 minute and 10 second advantage over Nairo Quintana and a 4+ minute lead on third place rider Alejandro Valverde. For Froome to lose the race now would require an epic collapse on his part, and at this point he doesn't seem to be showing any signs of weakness. 

Froome also continues to own the Polka Dot Jersey in the King of the Mountains competition. If he continues to gain points on major climbs, he could end up not only winning the race overall, but heading home with a second jersey as well. That hasn't been done by another rider in quite some time. 

Over the past couple of days, Peter Sagan has consolidated his hold on the Green Jersey that goes to the race's top sprinter. He now holds a commanding lead over Andre Greipel, and seems assured of his fourth straight win in this category. 

Finally, Quintana is still riding in the White Jersey of the best young rider. He now has an almost 10 minute lead over the next closest rider, and isn't likely to surrender his lead heading into Paris. 

Of course, the Alps have been known to throw a few kinks into the race in the past, and until the peloton has passed safely through the mountains, just about anything can happen. The race will ultimately be decided on Saturday, when the riders take on the legendary Alp d'Huez. A mountaintop finish on Le Tour's most historic climb will prove once and for all if Chris Froome is indeed the champion that we all think that he is. 

Tour de France 2015: Things Get Testy Out on the Road

We have now entered the final week of the 2015 Tour de France, and at this point it looks like it will be nearly impossible for anyone to catch Chris Froome. But there is a lot of riding to go just yet, and the mighty Alps still lie ahead. So, while Froome and his Sky team look unbeatable at the moment, there is a lot of riding yet to come, and anything can happen before the peloton arrives in Paris next Sunday.

Over the past couple of days we've started to hear a number of disturbing reports from Tour officials about how things have gotten somewhat testy between the riders on Team Sky, and some of the spectators along the road. This past weekend it was revealed that not only was Ritchie Porte punched in the ribs by on the first stage in the Pyrenees last week, but both he and Luke Rowe were spat on as well.

If that wasn't bad enough, team leader Froome had a cup of urine thrown in his face while the offender in question proclaimed him a "Doper" in French. That incident occurred on Saturday on the ride between Rodez to Mende, and resulted in increased security around the Team Sky bus following the stage.

The success of Froome and Team Sky has led some members of the media – particularly in France – to question whether or not the cyclists are achieving their wins by fair means. There has been no indication that any members of the team are actually doping, but their dominance of the race has caused some to question just how they can be so much better than the rest of the peloton. Whether or not there is any use of performance enhancing substances on Team Sky remains to be seen, but based on what we know right now, they are winning the race based on good team tactics, exceptional cycling talent, and a unified presence out on the road.


As we head into the second rest day tomorrow, the riders are preparing to enter the Alps later in the week. It is on those massive slopes – including a mountain top finish on the legendary Alp d'Huez on Saturday – that the 2015 edition of this race will be deiced. But heading into those final days, Froome has a 3 minute and 10 second advantage over second place rider Nairo Quintana, and an additional 22 second lead over third place rider Tejay Van Garderen.

Since he is the race leader, Froome is wearing the Yellow Jersey, although he is also leading the King of the Mountains competition which gives him the Polka Dot Jersey as well. That particular shirt is actually on load to Joachim Rodriguez, who wears it each day out on the road.

Peter Sagan continues to dominate the competition for the Green Jersey, despite the fact that he has yet to win a stage in this year's Tour. At the moment, Sagan has a large point lead over second place sprinter André Greipel, and it is now starting to look like he will ride into Paris in Green for the fourth year in a row.

Finally, the White Jersey remains on the shoulders of Quintana. This jersey is given to the best young rider (under the age of 25) in the Tour, and the next closest cyclist is nearly 8 minutes back. It would take a massive collapse on the part of the Colombian rider to not finish in second place in the General Classification, and ride onto the Champs Elysees in White.

The rest day tomorrow gives everyone a chance to catch their breath before the real race begins. The rest of the week should be filled with lots of excitement as the competition unfolds on the slopes of the Alps. It should be interesting to see if anyone can challenge Froome. It will take a herculean effort to unseat him at this point, but there are a few riders who may be up to the challenge.

Video: GoPro Cameras Capture the Best of the Tour de France

Ever wonder what it is like to ride in the peloton of the Tour de France? Than check out this video from GoPro that captures video from the race unlike any you've ever seen. This year, many of the riders have GoPro cams on their bikes, and the footage that has been shown so far has been dramatic to say the least. This is a view of the race that we haven't seen before, and it is pretty amazing.

Tour de France Update: Froome Tough To Beat in Yellow

My very busy schedule over the past couple of weeks has made it more difficult than usual to keep up with what is happening with the Tour de France this year. While I have tried to watch as many stages as I can, there just hasn't been enough time in the day to follow it as closely as I would like. That said, I have continued to stay abreast of the proceedings, and while I haven't been writing detailed daily summaries as I have in past years, I've still been keeping a close eye on the race.

At the moment, the riders are in the Pyrenees where they are taking on the first major climbs of the year. Yesterday's tough stage helped set the tone for what is likely to come, as Chris Froome, along with his Sky team, continue to look impressive. Froome was the odds on favorite to win the 2015 Tour heading into the three-week long race, and at the moment it is starting to look like no one will truly challenge him. After yesterday, the Kenyan-born rider from the U.K. only tightened his grip on the Yellow Jersey.

Froome's closest rivals are American Tejay Van Garderen who sits 2 minutes and 52 seconds back, and Nairo Quintana Rojas who is holding down third place at the moment at 3 minutes, 9 seconds off the pace. Last year's Tour winner Vincenzo Nibali is more than 4 minutes back, while Alberto Contador – this year's other major contender – is holding down the sixth position over all and currently looks like he isn't riding anywhere close to Froome's level.

With his crushing riding in the first stage of the Pyrenees yesterday, Froome also took control of the Polka Dot Jersey that is awarded to the best climber in the race. He racked up quite a few points on his way to the stage win, and then went for more today on the ride up the Tourmalet. It is possible that he thinks he could pull off the rare double by taking home both the Yellow Jersey and the Polka Dot in the same year. Since he is currently holding both of those shirts, the Polka Dots were on loan to his teammate Ritchie Porte, who is second in the King of the Mountains classification at the moment.


The battle for the Green Jersey that goes to the top sprinter in the Tour de France has been an interesting one so far. Early on, Andre Greipel was cleaning up points in the category with stage wins and major points from intermediate checkpoints. But than as the race shifted locations, it was Peter Sagan who started to take charge. Now, the two men have been exchanging the jersey back and fourth between them, with just 7 points currently separating the two. Sagan has the jersey headed into tomorrows race, but whether or not he can hold on to it, and wear it on the ride into Paris, remains to be seen.

The White Jersey for the best young rider on the Tour is currently on the shoulders of Quintana, who has a more than 3 minute advantage over his closest rival in the category. While the Colombian rider would be happy to head back home in White, he still has designs on the Yellow Jersey as well, and will probably try to close the time gap that has opened between him and Froome.

Tomorrow is another very tough mountain stage. It is a 195 km (121.2 mile) ride from Lannemezan to summit of Plateau de Beille, which features a Category 2 climb, and two Cat. 1s before the mountain top finish that is rated as "Beyond Category." It is believed that there could be attacks on Froome's Yellow Jersey on that final climb, as Nairo Quintana looks to improve his position and put the lead back into striking distance before the riders temporarily leave the mountains behind.

The stage should definitely give us an indication of whether or not anyone can challenge Froome, or if he is destined to win his second Tour de France in three years.

Tour de France 2015: Greipel Continues to Dominate Sprints

Today was a typical early stage of the Tour de France. It featured plenty of riding, less than favorable weather conditions, several nasty crashes, and a sprint finish that provided a level of excitement in the final few kilometers. It also did nothing to impact the General Classification standings, although the sprinters got to strut their stuff once again.

The 189.5 km (117.7 mile) stage ran from Arras Communauté Urbaine to Amiens Métropole was most meant to be flat and fast. But poor weather that included rain and high winds, kept speeds slower than expected and helped to cause the peloton to split, while also bringing about several nasty crashes.

The real fireworks didn't begin until the riders lined up for a sprint finish. The top sprinters in the world made their way to the front of the pack to put themselves in position for a win, with the speed and intensity of the race rising dramatically in the final few kilometers. As the tempo increased to heart-pounding levels, riders like Andre Greipel, Mark Cavendish, and Peter Sagan went head to head for the stage victory. In the end, it was Greipel who made it to the line first, easily out pacing his rivals. Sagan and Cavendish finished second and third respectively.

It could be another controversial day in the media for Cavendish, as somehow he managed to lose the wheel of his lead out man Mark Renshaw in the stretch run. This didn't put Cav in the best of positions to go for the win, even though he tried his best to make up for the slip. Whether or not he'll find a way to throw his teammate under the bus again remains to be seen, but in the early days of the race, the relationship between the two riders has to be strained a bit.

At the end of the day, Greipel managed to add to his points total and hold on to the Green Jersey once again. Sagan also stays in white as the best young rider in the tour as well. The Polka Dot Jersey that goes to the King of the Mountains remains squarely on the shoulders of Joachim Rodriguez, although a few Category 4 climbs tomorrow may change that.

In terms of the GC, Tony Martin remains in Yellow and had no difficulty defending his top spot on the leaderboard today. There were no real chances for anyone to take the maillot jaune away from him, and he's likely to continue holding on to it for a few more days. The real contenders for the win – including Chris Froome and Alberto Contador – are lurking not far back, and are simply waiting for the first stages in the Pyrenees to make their move. That will happen this weekend.

Tomorrow, the riders will take to the French roads once again as they tackle a 191.5 km (119 mile) stage that runs from Abbeville to Le Havre. This is once again a route that favors the sprinters, although a few climbs will add a bit of interest along the way. Look for the familiar names of Greipel, Sagan, and Cavendish to be fighting it out once again, although this will be a stage where a breakaway could conceivably survive. Now that would bring some interest to the early proceedings.

The 2015 Tour de France is Underway!

One of my favorite annual events got underway this past weekend when the 2015 Tour de France began with an individual time trial in the town of Utrecht, Holland. As is typical with Le Tour, the opening days have been filled with carnage and controversy that have already left its mark on the peloton.

As mentioned, Day 1 was an individual time trial that was most notable for the fact that it was won by Rohan Dennis of BMC. He managed to complete the entire 13.8 km (8.5 mile) course in under 15 minutes, which put him in the Yellow Jersey just ahead of Tony Martin and TT specialist Fabian Cancellara.

Heading into Day 2, the riders were anxious to head out onto the first real stage of the race. It was a 166 km (103 mile) route from Utrecht to Zélande that featured a sprint finish that was won by Andre Greipel. It was this stage that brewed the first level of controversy as Greipel, Peter Sagan, and Cancellara all beat sprinter Mark Cavendish to the line. As they approached, it appeared as if Cavendish stopped pedaling, indicating that he had given up going for the win, which allowed Cancellara to earn a high enough spot to get bonus time that would put him into the Yellow Jersey.

After the stage, the media and cycling fans tore into Cavendish for not going hard all the way to the finish line. Had he finished stronger, his teammate Tony Martin would have earned the maillot jaune. For his part, Cav turned on his lead-out man Mark Renshaw, saying that he went for the sprint too early, leaving him hanging out to dry and without enough power to complete the final leg. The infighting has already put a dark cloud over the Etixx-Quick Step team in the early days of the race.


Day 3 was a defining one for the 2015 Tour. It was a 159.5 km (99.1 mile) slog across the Mur de Huy in Belgium that brought some tough climbing to the early days of this year's race. It was eventually won by Joaquin Rodriguez, but not before 2013 Tour winner Chris Froome grabbed the Yellow Jersey while out on the road.

The biggest news of the day was a massive crash that sent 20 riders to the ground and caused Tour organizers to suspend the race momentarily while the medical crew and cyclists worked to normalize the situation. When the dust cleared, several riders were forced to withdraw, including Cancellara who suffered a broken vertebrae in the fall.

Today, the race returned to France at last with a 223.5 km (138.8 mile) stage that took place between Seraing and Cambrai. The riders were forced to take on the infamous cobblestone roads of the north which always cause havoc on the peloton and their bikes. This was the case once again, with many cyclists having mechanical issues as they struggled to hang on with the lead group. On a day like today, most of the riders just try to survive, as the cobblestones have ended the Tour dreams of many of them in the past.

The hero of the day was Tony Martin however, who has languished in second place over the early stages of this year's Tour. As the peloton approached the finish line with just a few kilometers to go, Martin took charge of the race and sprinted out ahead of the other riders. The time trial champion was able to hold off a late attack and reach the finish line first, claiming the Yellow Jersey at long last. Although he has no designs on actually winning the race, Martin wanted so badly to claim the maillot jaune, even for a short time. He'll now take to the road tomorrow in yellow.

With this big win, Martin also holds the Green Jersey, while the White Jersey for the Tour's best young rider goes Sagan. There haven't been many climbing points up for grabs just yet, but the Polka Dot Jersey is currently on the shoulders of Thomas De Gendt.

Tomorrow, the peloton turns towards the Somme, a brutal scene of battle from World War I. The stage will be 189.5 km (117.7 miles) in length between Arras Communauté Urbaine and Amiens Métropole. It will be a sprinters stage once again, with the fastest men in the world lining up to take the win.

The Tour is just getting started. There is plenty of drama and competition yet to come.

Bradley Wiggins Sets New Hour Record For Cycling

With the 2015 Tour de France now less than a month away, it is certainly time to start thinking about cycling once again. If you've been reading my blog for any length of time, you probably already know that Le Tour is one of my favorite events to follow each year. It is cycling's grandest stage, and a daily dose of inspiration for those of us who like to ride.

This past weekend, 2012 Tour champ Bradley Wiggins, who has all-but given up road racing in favor of returning to the track, set a new UCI hour record. For those who don't know, the hour record is an attempt by a rider to go as far as possible in just 60 minutes. It is conducted on a track instead of the road, and the cyclist rides completely alone. The event has received quite a bit of attention in the past year or so, as last September Jens Voight set a new mark by traveling 51.11 km (31.7 miles) over the course of his ride. Since then the record was broken three more times, with Brit Alex Dowsett the current record holder at 52.937 km (32.89 miles) going into the weekend.

The 35-year old Wiggins, who is known for being a powerful cyclist both on and off the track, managed to smash that mark however, and by most accounts it didn't appear that he was even working all that hard to do so. At the end of the ride, Wiggo had managed to travel an astounding 54.526 km (33.88 miles), beating the old record by a kilometer and a half.

This is an impressive feat for a rider who has struggled with injuries since winning his Tour de France nearly three years ago. He was left off the Sky team altogether last year, and more recently he has expressed his interest in returning to track cycling, which is where he got his early start, and has continued to show his prowess.

After hearing that his record had been broken, Dowseet – who is a road cyclist himself – has already said he would like to try to regain the title. It is unclear as to when exactly he would do that, but it seems that there is a real arms race going on right now to push the hour record even higher. Wiggins has already indicated that this was his one go at the mark, and that he would not continue to try to extend the distance. Considering how impressively he handled the ride, it seems he could probably go further, but having shown what he can do, it seems Sir Bradley has other things he'd prefer to concentrate on.

Congratulations to Wiggins on this very impressive feat. Now who is going to step up to challenge the record next?

Video: Cyclist Conquers Pyrenees on a Fixie

Here's a video that the cyclists amongst us will be able to appreciate. It features rider Patrick Seabase as he rides an exhausting mountain stage from the 1910 Tour de France on a fixie bike. Yep, that's right. He rode all 192 miles (308 km) through the Pyrenees on a bike that doesn't have any brakes or gears. Just watching him struggle to go up the slopes is enough to make my legs tired, and going back down had to be a scary affair as well. To find out more about Seabase and hi amazing ride, check out this interview he did with Red Bull.

Lance Armstrong Admits That He Would Dope Again

Lance Armstrong is back in the news once again this week thanks to an interview he gave to the BBC. In that interview Lance talks openly about life after his ban from professional cycling – or competing in any sports for that matter – saying that the fallout from his confession to doping throughout his career has been "heavy." But the part of the interview that continues to make headlines is when the former seven-time winner of the Tour de France admits that he would "probably do it again" in regards to using performance enhancing drugs while racing. This quote has of course let many shaking their heads, particularly if it is taken out of the context of the interview. But if you step back and take a look at what Lance is saying, his words really should come as much of a surprise.

During the interview Lance is asked if he had to do it over again, would he still use PEDs. His answer was "If I was racing in 2015, no, I wouldn't do it again because I don't think you have to," In that statement Armstrong is saying he'd ride clean if he were part of the peloton today, because the sport is cleaner in general But he goes on to follow up that sentence by saying "If you take me back to 1995, when doping was completely pervasive, I would probably do it again."

The sport of cycling has come a long way since Armstrong dominated the Tour back in the late 90's and early 2000's. It is indeed cleaner, although it is far from perfect. But when Lance was winning races testing for EPO and other banned substances was either primitive or nonexistent altogether. Practically everyone who was riding at the time was using some kind PED to get ahead. When most of the peloton was taking part in the practice, riders had little choice but to either get with the program, or be completely left behind by the sport.


In the interview with the BBC, Lance is simply being very honest with his answer. Those who are shocked by what he said probably don't understand the era in which he competed. It was a time when performance enhancing drugs were common. So much so that since Tour de France officials vacated Armstrong's seven titles they have been unable to award the wins to anyone else because most of the other top riders have tested positive for banned substances along the way as well.

I have often contended that much like the "steroid era" of baseball, the results of that period in cycling should still stand as well. It was a different time when the use of PEDs were so predominant that it was more unusual to find a rider who competed clean than it was to find someone who juiced. That isn't to say that it was right, only that the riders were mostly on a level playing field because nearly all of them were using something. Much like baseball, it is a good idea to compartmentalize that time period, recognize it for what it was, and move on with cleaning up the sport. Fortunately, there have at least been significant gains made in that area, even if there is still work to be done.

As for Armstrong, he is hoping to get his lifetime ban from sports lifted to he can start competing in events once again. There is no denying that he is a true competitor, and he would like nothing more than to strap on a pair of running shoes, or get back on a bike, and show us what he can do once again. He feels that it is time that we forgive him for his use of PEDs. But what he doesn't understand is that for many of us it isn't the revelation of his doping that has shocked us. Rather, it was the tactics that he took to cover up the doping that is most troublesome. When he was at the height of his popularity he made ruthless, systematic efforts to ruin the careers and lives of anyone who dared say that he wasn't riding clean when he won the Tour de France. A number of people became pariahs in the cycling world, and the court of pubic opinion, thanks to Lance's efforts to discredit them. It is that shameful behavior that is most difficult to forgive, and it will take an awful lot to reshape his public image as a result.