Viva Italia!!

Abu Dhabi Tour Stage 4/ Paris-Tours:

I can't get over yesterday. Can anyone get over yesterday??

There's bad luck and then there's staging the most badass chase/comeback to absolutely BOSS the stage and win the whole damn race only to SLIP in the FINAL FUCKING METERS and lose the stage AND THE WHOLE FUCKING TOUR.

I like Esteban Chaves and hats off showing such extreme class to cross the line with muted celebration, but OMFG Wout!! SO CLOSE in the Tour of Britain and now this??

Next year is Wout's year, I'm calling it.

And next year he will find love. #Woutontinder

It looks like Belgian Ted's got a cool mullet in this photo. Sad to see you go before live coverage starts Ted!

Giraffes in cycling situations!!

Ok so broadcasting started at the same time for both races. An enormous break in Paris-Tours with 7 and a half minutes, and a good-looking (and equally enormous) chase behind with 43k to go.

Up front: Heinrich Hausslar, Captain Curvers, Matteo, Tiesj, Greg VanAv, Ginger Pim, Arnaud Demare, among others. And also the rest of OPQS that isn't in the chase group.

On the chase: Niki!!, Julian Vermotte, Miki Schar, and the pleasing assonance of Marco Marcato (among others)

70k of the circuit over in Abu Dhabi with a few people out front and a duo of chasers. A couple of minutes for each.

Julian Vermotte just went way wide on that turn into someone's forecourt.

Hmmm a Giant has gone off the front of the chase group.

It's kind of a weird one out there in Abu Dhabi. Have there been any fans? It's kind of eerie.

There's Esteban in Wout's red jersey.

Just kidding. Kind of.

Niki is the patron of this chase. He is in control.

Onto the first of three climbs.

(Hey Peter!! Over in Abu Dhabi)

Some dude's gone off the front of the front now.

These guys can't wait to get to their holidays. They are FLYING along.

Front group is going mental at each other but for now it's the TA team making attacks so nothing's sticking.

(Hi Leo!!!! in Abu Dhabi)

OPQS are taking on a lot of this work, in all the groups, sooooo... I'm nervous.

This Abu Dhabi thing is just weirding me out so much. It's like a space race. Like they're on a space station and there are no humans and for some reason they're being made to ride around and around.

Come ride around our empty stadium at night. I mean that's what the invite must've said.

The two Frenchies out there are getting caught at 10k.

I'd like if Heinrich won. He's had a bit of a rough one this season.

I mean that's assuming Niki can't come back from that chase group at 2 minutes.

Whoooooo losing some men here on the climb.

MATTEO bossing on the front trying to split it.

Greg Van Av stays with him, and some other people.

Awww Heinrich on the back of the second group.

Trentin is a killer man. He just made Greg sprint out of that corner!

Now Greg goes!

They lost one guy, so now it's Matteo and Greg and Tosh Van der Sande out front alone.

GO MATTEO.

6.5k.

What's Captain Curvers doing? Was he trying to go solo?

They've got 24 seconds up there.

This chase group is depressing.

It's now or never and I think to be honest, it's never.

2.5k and they have nearly 30 seconds up there.

I mean they're kinda shooting around back there but nothing's working.

1.5k, COME ON MATTEO!!

Goujons is going for Best Placed Frenchman back there.

OH MY GOD CLASSIC GREG, does he have a mechanical!?

What is going on??

He seems to be having a Sep-style wheel breakdown but is still riding along.

Matteo is leading but they're slowing.

THIS IS SO TENSE

They're just slow slow slow.

MATTEO IS LIKE FUCK THIS I'M GOING

Greg can't go, like physically can't go. Fucking hell the unluck.

GO ON MATTEO!!!!!

COME ON!!!

HE JUST TOTALLY HAD THAT.

It was like weirdly no contest in the end.

YOU GO MATTEO.

I win 5 times in France on 7 professional wins. I always win in France actually!

Omg and then they made him speak French. Awwwww so cute! So pleased!

Oh my good lord come on. The heart can only take so much!!

Peter and Marcel are chatting side by side in Abu Dhabi.

Ok 25ks to go over here in The Space Race.

Oh interesting, the on-boards are live this time, that's what everyone was going on about this morning.

Pretty cool. The quality is a bit flou, but you can pinpoint Peter and Daniel Oss and Marcel anywhere.

Eliaaaaaaaa!

Marcel Kittel Cam really, these on-board cameras.

Just two up front now, including Gianluca Brambilla.

Sometimes Brian Smith throws MASSIVE shade on other teams.

Like I do know teams sometimes screw their riders over towards the end of the season when it's announced they're going somewhere else, but that's not what happened with Marcel Kittel this year is it.

Give it a rest Bri.

Luka Mezgec was doing some strategery with Marcel there. High level tactics and hand signals.

Break caught at 15.5k.

Counter attacks go. In the style of the French TAs, nothing too threatening.

Team Wiggins towards the back. Also in the style...

Okaaaaaay, all the feeds go out at 12k?????

Ok. 10k to go.

Omg Harley is there!! Christ not even being supported by his own manager. Poor Gossy. He just cannot catch a break.

He's going to One Pro next year?? Huh. See you at the Nocturne Harley!

Andy Fenn hanging around at the front.

A possible late launch of Marcus Burghardt!?!! YES PLEASE!

Oh here are some humans. Ok, like 12 people came out to see this race.

All together at the bell lap.

They are striiiiiiiinging this out.

I like Marcel Kittel but are the other 3 cameras not working?

3k to go.

So congrats Esteban Chaves. Sad face for Wout.

Wyss KILLING this on the front.

Sky now massively on this.

1.6k.

Andy, Swifty, Elia

Flamme Rouge

Peter is way at the back.

Oh no, that camera was misleading.

Swifty on the front!!!

TAKE US THERE SWIFTY

HE IS GRITTING HIS TEETH

He's off, Elia is freestyling now

Third position behind Oss

He's coming from behind Oss

DO IT

DO IT

PETER WHERE THE FUCK

OH MY FUCKING

THAT WAS MAD

Peter came from like nowhere and I thought was going to take it from Elia on the line!

YOU GO ELIA!!!!!

I mean this race is super fucking weird but WHO CARES ELIA WON HALF OF IT SO I LOVE IT.

Awwww Ben hugs Elia.

Tom Dumoulin gives him a little pat on the back.

Well that was excellent.