Chapeau, Monsieur Panache.

Stage 7: Le Mans - Châteauroux:

Oh my god, Sky have Nigel Tufnell as DS in the form of Sean Yates.  Swifty was back at the car getting the day’s briefing, in a way.  “Ah the finnnij versa bangawn tayolwin” Swifty was baffled: “Bang on tailwind??”  Mate, I may be from Yorkshire but I can’t understand a word you’re saying.

These crashes are absolutely preposterous. It’s going to be like the old days when 100 guys started and the one man alive at the end was the winner.

Prentice Steffen also as some very interesting and extremely relevant points to make here.

I’m actually quite shocked at the condition some of these guys were allowed to ride on in.

You’d almost want to go in a breakaway every day just to get away from all the nervous, dangerous pelaton.

Oh dear, Phil and Paul really have lost it now. HTC has one mission, and that is "to deliver Mark Cavendish to the missile base!"  What, I cannot fathom, will be the bike riding equivalent of the Cuban Missile Crisis?

HTC are so epic.  Like poetry in motion. Like Dave Z in a time trial.

Romain Feilleiu DOES seem to cause havoc as Cav suggests.

Aaaaand it's number 17 for the Missile from the Isle of Man, where it all began.

Stage 8: Aigurande - Super-Besse Sancy :

Tejay in the break!!

And Addy’s out there too! Addy hung with Cokey Tom during the lonely chase back to the finish after his hideous, concussion-inducing crash. And for this of course we love him.

Just a bit of weeing down the side there.  Where’s PhilGil to regulate Pee Time and get this race to stop?

George is grabbing everyone’s rain gear to take back to the car. What a gracious host.

Phil and Paul love George. And hilarious imagery. "He will do whatever he can to lead this dance, he’s a very good chief of the orchestra."

Is Thor riding on a motorbike while everyone else races? He’s just like laughing and chatting all the time.

“There's the green jersey of Thomas Voeckler-- he’ll be looking for the move.” That is so his vibe.

Oh my god, the poor cows. ‘Red’, white, and ‘blue’ painted. Turned out more purple, white, and pink.  They do not look impressed.

Bit of British pride for David Millar there: "He could pull back 7 seconds on Cadel Evans as easy as you like."

What an epic day for Tejay, I thought he might have it there in the end.

Other:

Oh what, this? Now where have I seen that before? Only me, little french hero Thomas Voeckler.  And yes, the (often drunk) french commentators do call me Monsieur Panache.

Well, who's still able to put there feet on pedals out there?  A handful of concussions here, a baker's dozen of broken collar bones there, Henri Desgrange is finally getting his wish that one man will arrive in Paris alive, and that man will be crowned the winner. 

And with all the other danger and hideousness out there, riders probably shouldn't have to worry about being sicked on.

Meanwhile, Andy Schleck doesn't appear to suffer. Ever.

Also meanwhile, Johnny Hoogerland, hero of the race (and possibly the world) suffers simply far too much.  Let's just recap there: After a car swerved towards him, he was THROWN from his bike INTO A BARBED WIRE FENCE.  I mean come on, that is just too much.  When the car hits Flecha directly and he hits the floor, that's quite bad enough, and then a human body goes sailing through the air in the background, only to become entangled in a BARBED WIRE FENCE.  What if it had been electric?

Johnny Hoogerland, we salute you.