Your Move, Sky.

Tour of Britain Stage 6, Stoke-on-Trent - Nottingham:

Whhhhhattt? Cav crashed again and is now out of the race!!

Also Maarten Tjalingii didn't take the start this morning. Is Lotto-Jumbo now #2manteam?

Making up for yesterday's TOTALLY DULL break, we now have this TOTALLY THRILLING break: DVB, Styby, Matteo Trentin, Ian Stannard, Stefan Kung, Tao and Steven Kruijswijk.

Also Sebastian Langeveld is there. I feel like I shouldn't leave just ONE person out.

Brilliant. Fast and narrow descent with sheep!!

Don't have to tell me twice.

Fuckin' WOW.

It's the way the country is built. It's always up and down. Says poor Andre Greipel.

Oh Brian! I might be kind of frightened to ask him questions.

WHAT?! HANK!

HE'S BEEN DISQUALIFIED.

He was caught up in that scrap with Cav and the Movistar yesterday and in the attempt to get back did a bit of a Nibali according to the overzealous commissaires. NOT HANK.

TAYLOR JUST MAKE IT TO LONDON OK?

They better point out Charly's old apartment and Rod's old house now that Rob has flagged them up as points of interest.

Ok there's some enormous group 20 minutes behind.

Including Ian Bibs, just spotted.

There is a group of six about a minute ahead, almost entirely different than the ones announced earlier.

Then a group of 24 with lots of Sky and EBH and some BMCs. DVB looks to be in this group.

I don't want to jinx it but I think Taylor is there.

Those breaks have got 45 seconds. If they stay away over a few more Ks I'll figure out who they are.

Gap is staying around a minute. So it's Stefan Kung, Matteo Trentin, Jens Debusschere, Gorka Izaguirre, Bram Tankink, and Seb Langeveld.

Awww Jens is having a mechanical problem.

Watch out for that sticky bottle Jens!!

Jens has made it back to the break group, but they apparently only have 34 seconds.

I KNEW IT. Taylor confirmed in the yellow jersey group.

Thought we lost Styby? Don't worry, he was just having a piss. Talk about a surveillance state.

Now DVB peels off the back for a little relief.

WELL GOOD. Was that an option??!

Swifty leading our Sky group here. Gap is near a minute again.

OH INTERESTING

SKY HAVE SPLIT IT

NICE ONE

Swifty, Wee Pete, Stannard, EBH

Well we panned away to the uneventful breakaway just as Taylor was powering up like a total beast bringing everyone back together.

OMG Bram Tankink waved to all the school children. I die.

They're just letting this break dangle out here at like 30 seconds.

Andy Fenn is a dad??! Isn't he like 15?

Onto the next climb.

Izaguirre and Stefan are up front as the others are distanced.

Attack from the group behind. A Tinkoff goes off the front.

I feel like Stefan should be officially initiated into the International King Dynasty.

As a reminder, members include: Ted King, Ben King, Leo Konig, and Jeremy Roy.

The Tinkoff joined those guys who got distanced in the break.

Representative of the International King Dynasty Stefan Kung and Izaguirre are still away up front.

They've got 30 seconds.

Ok leader on the road is one thing but what actual shit are we talking calling new yellow jerseys at 50k to go?

Stannard pulling bottles out of all sorts of places.

Bottles flying everywhere.

TAYLOR!!!

Wearing arm warmers still. One of the few.

That enormous peloton (today's Peloton Deer) is 30 minutes behind.

Oh god tomorrow sounds horrible. Please people just make it to London.

YES THEY ARE.

Brian said BMC are sitting in a good place.

But then he also said they've got Gert Floris.

GERT FLORIS.

FFS.

Stefan the King and Gorka have been joined by the breakaway remnants and now have nearly a minute and a half on the Sky/Taylor/DVB/EBH group.

Henceforth referred to as 'the group', cuz Peloton Deer isn't coming back today.

Hmmm. Ian was not very impressed with EBH just there. He wants him to contribute.

EBH has no teammates but Ian doesn't take excuses.

Taylor you beautiful peacock.

Izaguirre going solo!

Wee Pete leading our group behind.

Swifty to the front now.

Everyone thrashing up this climb which isn't even a 'climb'.

Swifty gritting his teeth.

Christ.

ToB reporting on twitter that Matteo has gone off in pursuit of Izaguirre, but I'll await visual confirmation.

Could be Styby; could be Cav, who is no longer in this race; could be Iljo, who is at the Vuelta.

Could be a man called Matteo who is on another team or perhaps not even a professional bike rider.

Ok, so here's what's happening: Izaguirre, Matteo, Stefan the King, and Debusschere are leading by 49 seconds.

Everyone else, including former breakaways, is in the group behind.

(And 30 minutes behind them is Peloton Deer)

Stefan gets the news that he is now an official member of the International King Dynasty.

Dylan hanging tough mid-group.

Taylor pumping along.

Get out Izaguirre. His bonus seconds have meant he's jumped DVB in the standings.

Yeahhhhhhh Garmindale you clever bastards.

EBH has been forced to contribute now but Garmindales are sittin' pretty in their sedan chair.

Wout Poels scuttling up the side from the back here.

13k to go, the break still have 33 seconds.

Cripes this Cult Energy is on the front and digging deep.

Tinkoff also representing.

YOU NEVER DISCOUNT TAYLOR PHINNEY.

Best thing Brian has said or will ever say.

Pete? What you up to?

Oh he was off the back but he's caught back on.

Gap coming down so Matteo goes solo!

Stefan is doing insane things behind him.

He swung over the road but the other two got on his wheel.

He's dragging them up.

Or trying....

Matteo is getting awayyyyyy

I think Izaguirre was just like "They're right fucking there!" to Stefan.

And then Stefan shot off.

OMFG the group is coming up on him.

Stefan definitely should get the cheese today.

He's caught.

Only Matteo remains.

Sky leads the chase.

5.5k to go.

Under 5k, he's got 10 seconds, BMC chased a bit but mostly Sky still.

Ok Brian, why do you hate Garmindale?

The group swings round the corner at him.

A splinter group!

Three went off the front and EBH went off from it!

3k

That must be Wout back there!

 OMFG

Everyone is so close!!!!

2.2k

EBH about to get Matteo's wheel.

2k

EBH takes the lead.

Are they intentionally framing this shot so we can't see the road!?!

Someone is trying to go off the front back there.

Chris Anker

Matteo's like nope, you do ALL THE TURNS

DVB leads his men and the group now

EBH leads out

Matteo is falling back

He's catching up

They're both looking back

COME ON MATTEO

COME ON

THE GROUP IS CLOSE

EBH starts the sprint

MATTEOOOOO

MATTEO

MATTEO GETS AHEAD

HE WILL GET IT


MATTEO TAKES IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Christ everyone was like right there.

Oh Stefan, there he comes.

STEFAN YOU ARE A KING.

Yeah we get it Brian, you're a massive Garmindale hater. When DVB repeats his win you're gonna feel like an ASS.

Styby 4th again.

So Sky and OPQS have split this Tour between them so far. Three stage wins apiece.

OPQS love to pull beautiful things out of dark places.

Matteeeeeeeooooooooo! So proud.

And he's already won a wheel of cheese so what more could a man want?

Fuckin' joker.

Shite you're adorable.

Hmm. That cheese belongs to The King.

That man annoys me greatly, but I have to agree with the sentiment.

I do love black and white photos of guys pouring water over their heads though. They got that one wrong.


Vuelta Stage 19, Medina del Campo - Avila:

Giant are on the front of the peloton.

Adam is at the back, packed to the gills with bottles.

24.3k to go in the Vuelta. No idea what's going on.

2 riders ahead

3 chasing

And some breakaways scattered in the road

And then I guess everyone else.

At 17 minutes?!!

Goujons seems to be at the front.

He came 26th in his first Paris-Roubaix. Well done. Taylor came 15th in his. NBD.

A spectator just shouted "Go Moreno!"

Given the composition of the group that was probably for Dani Moreno but I like to think there are people out there spreadin' the love for Moreno Moser.

Johnny D is being a superstar here.

Goujons under 11k solo still.

FDJ and Cofidis down. Ouch.

He is a pretty good time triallist and you don't often say that about someone from the AG2R team.

Just say "the French".

Valverde attempting an attack. Tinkoff pegs it immediately.

Valverde goes again. LL Sanchez literally gestures 'don't bother."

3k for Goujons

The Walls of Avila are pretty damn cool.

Goujons is actually GAINING time on the little climb at the end.

Gougeard gets the win.

Oliveria for second.

Max Montfort takes third.

The favourites still have 15k to go.

At this point guys are scattered all over the countryside...

So the Teams competition is wide open, is the gist.

Valverde attacks again.

Has an Astana with him.

Nobody really cares, including me.

Inside 4k.

Valverde is going to be caught.

Onto that final climb.

Craddock brings Giant and Co up to AND PAST Valverde.

Johnny D has had enough

Aru getting gapped

Craddock swings off and it's TOM LEADING

Dani Moreno is on Tom's wheel but they have a gap!!!

STRETCH IT OUT TOM

He's looking back at the Flamme Rouge and digging in.

Aru is like HELP ME from whoever is behind him.

TOM IS PUSHING

TOM'S IN

And there's Aru. It's a few seconds though.

LL Sanchez and Cataldo are having a discussion as they roll in. LL is gesturing like and I was saying, you know.. and Dario is following along and nodding, uh huh uh huh.

Don't you worry about Tom: Of course I have also stress. It is hard days and everyone is attacking me. .. But I can handle it.

They will give more than all they've got to keep that jersey, Juan Antonio tells us.

They are so excited about Tom possibly winning, about Giant being a team of DUDES, about the 4 category 1 climbs tomorrow...

I'm out of breath, I'm gonna have to go, says Ashley.