The grinning guy in the bottom left has brought me so much joy in the last 24 hours. And @Debs you do a smashing job summarising the stages/results on here each day. Thank you. 
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@Debs , thank you so much for your detailed commentary of the TdF. I’ve been watching for 35 years, watched the 89 showdown between Lemond and Fignon and have witnessed many stages, start, finish and on the road in between in person, with a glass of vin or six! The greatest sporting event a tout le monde! I have to say your summary every day (as well as other great cycling events) is the best from anywhere I know. Keep up the great work!
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Stage 6 Results : MÂCON > DIJON
-
Dylan Groenewegen
Jayco-AlUla, in 3:31:55 - Biniam Girmay (ERI) Intermarché-Wanty
- Fernando Gaviria (COL) Movistar
- Phil Bauhaus (GER) Bahrain Victorious
- Arnaud De Lie (BEL) Lotto Dstny
- Wout van Aert (BEL) Visma-Lease a Bike
- Arnaud Démare (FRA) Arkéa-B&B Hotels
- Alexander Kristoff (NOR) Uno-X Mobility
- Pascal Ackermann (GER) Israel-PremierTech
- Piet Allegaert (BEL) Cofidis, all at same time
(all 174 riders finished Stage 6)
(no changes to the top GC, KOM, and Youth Classifications after Stage 6)
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GENERAL CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE SIX
- Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates, in 26:47:19
- Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step, +45sec
- Jonas Vingegaard (Den) Visma-Lease a Bike, +50sec
- Juan Ayuso (Esp) UAE Team Emirates, +1:10
- Primož Roglič (Slo) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, +1:14
- Carlos Rodríguez (Esp) Ineos Grenadiers, +1:16
- Mikel Landa (Esp) Soudal-Quick Step, +1:32
- João Almeida (Por) UAE Team Emirates, at s.t.
- Giulio Ciccone (Ita) Lidl-Trek, +3:20
- Egan Bernal (Col) Ineos Grenadiers, +3:21
POINTS CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE SIX
- Biniam Girmay (Eri) Intermarché-Wanty, 149 points
- Mads Pedersen (Den) Lidl-Trek, 111 points
- Jonas Abrahamsen (Nor) Uno-X Mobility, 87 points
- Jasper Philipsen (Bel) Alpecin-Deceuninck, 85 points
- Bryan Coquard (Fra) Cofidis, 75 points
- Fernando Gaviria (Col ) Movistar Team, 73 points
- Dylan Groenewegen (Ned ) Team Jayco AlUla, 71 points
MOUNTAINS CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE SIX
- Jonas Abrahamsen (Nor) Uno-X Mobility, 26 points
- Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates, 20 points
- Valentin Madouas (Fra) Groupama-FDJ, 16 points
- Jonas Vingegaard (Den) Visma-Lease a bike, 15 points
- Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Soudal-Quick Step, 12 points
YOUTH CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE FIVE
- Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step, 26:48:04
- Juan Ayuso (Esp) UAE Team Emirates, +25s
- Carlos Rodríguez (Esp) INEOS Grenadiers, +31s
- Matteo Jorgensen (USA) Visma-Lease a Bike, +2:36
- Santiago Buitrago (Col) Bahrain Victorious, +3:25
TEAMS CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE SIX
- UAE Team Emirates, in 80:25:01
- INEOS Grenadiers, +4:54
- Soudal Quick-Step, +5:02
- Red Bull-BORA-Hansgrohe, +6:34
- Bahrain Victorious, +11:27
<<>>
8 Likes
It was not just weird but naughty goings on day too 
Our Cav had a mechanical - chain suck (gets jammed under the bottom bracket)
He panicked just a bit and when on a spare bike rode alongside the race officials’ car, before tucking in behind it on his way back to the peloton but this earned him a fine of 200CHF for slipstreaming behind a car (…it’s a victimless crime, your Honour)
To add to this calamity while Cav was dropped from the peloton, those naughty Visma boys upped the pace at a course change of direction where the crosswind could help try split the peloton, but this only worked too slight; the wind strength 20km/h westerly just not stiff enough to do the damage, the peloton came back together.
Meanwhile Cav’s Astana-Qazaqstan teammate Alexey Lutsenko was also fined 200CHF for sheltering behind a vehicle during the stage, while the team’s sports director Dmitriy Fofonov was fined 500CHF for his car’s role in the offence.
A well deserved win of Dylan Groenewegen - all fair and square here at finish, but…
having initially finished second, Alpecin-Deceuninck’s Jasper Philipsen was relegated for deviation and fined 500CHF (£435) …the UCI called Alpecin-Deceuninck’s boss Christoph Roodhooft with the bad news: Philipsen had been relegated. The jury’s report wrote that he “deviat[ed] from the chosen line by impeding or endangering another rider and [having an] irregular sprint.”
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Anyway it’s time trial stage Friday - this should put a stop to all this naughtiness 
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Friday 5th July 2024
Stage 7 : Nuits-Saint-Georges - Gevrey-Chambertin (25.3km) Independent Time Trial
A day for the GC guys and time trial specialists.
The actual win may possibly be a contest between Tadej and Remco.
List of quick testers
Remco Evenepoel / Soudal Quick-Step
Tadej Pogačar / UAE Team Emirates
Juan Ayuso / UAE Team Emirates
João Almeida / UAE Team Emirates
Stefan Bissegger / EF Education - EasyPost
Bruno Armirail / Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team
Jonas Vingegaard / Team Visma Lease a Bike
Wout van Aert / Team Visma Lease a Bike
Søren Wærenskjold / Uno-X Mobility
Mads Pedersen / Lidl - Trek
Primož Roglic / Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe
Geraint Thomas / INEOS Grenadiers
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Todays 25.3km time trial has started with Mark Cavendish the first rider away 
Another 173 to follow.
Last rider away Tadej Pogačar 
Today’s Stage 7 jersey wearers:
Tadej Pogačar UAE Team Emirates
Biniam Girmay 
Intermarché-Wanty
Jonas Abrahamsen 
Uno-X Mobility
Remco Evenepoel 
Soudal Quick-Step
<<>>
Waiting for their turn:
Is that a grumpy looking Jasper Philipsen sat on the left? …still not happy about yesterday’s decision to relegate him from 2nd to 107th place
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Stage 7 Results : NUITS-SAINT-GEORGES > GEVREY-CHAMBERTIN (ITT)
-
Remco Evenepoel Soudal Quick-Step, in 28:52
- Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates, +12s
- Primož Roglič (Slo) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, +34s
- Jonas Vingegaard (Den) Visma-Lease a Bike, +37s
- Victor Campenaerts (Bel) Lotto Dstny, +52s
- Kévin Vaquelin (Fra) Arkéa-B&B Hotels, at same time
- Matteo Jorgenson (USA) Visma-Lease a Bike, +54s
- João Almeida (Por) UAE Team Emirates, +57s
- Ben Healy (Ire) EF Education-EasyPost, +59s
- Stefan Küng (Sui) Groupama-FDJ, +1:00
(all 174 riders finished Stage 7)
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GENERAL CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE SEVEN
-
Tadej Pogačar UAE Team Emirates, in 27:16:23
- Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step, +33s
- Jonas Vingegaard (Den) Visma-Lease a Bike, +1:15
- Primož Roglič (Slo) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, +1:36
- Juan Ayuso (Esp) UAE Team Emirates, +2:16
- João Almeida (Por) UAE Team Emirates, +2:17
- Carlos Rodríguez (Esp) Ineos Grenadiers, +2:31
- Mikel Landa (Esp) Soudal-Quick Step, +3:35
- Matteo Jorgenson (USA) Visma-Lease a Bike, +4:03
- Aleksandr Vlasov (Rus) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, +4:36
(Stage 7 results produced no top positional or points changes in KOM, Points, or Youth Classifications)
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11 Likes
The Individual Time Trial at least gives you plenty to watch. On a normal stage the whole peleton could flash through in 30 seconds and then its over. At least with the time trial, and judging by the picture, you get to enjoy a good lunch and two bottles of wine!!!
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Saturday 6th July 2024
Stage 8 : Semur-en-Auxois - Colombey-les-Deux-Eglises (183.4km)
The hills are not difficult enough to delay sprinters who have at least some climbing ability, although they are there as a good attack terrain so this stage is not easy to predict.
It’s probably a break will go, and if taken to the finish it will come down to who is the best sprinter.
This maybe a target stage for Mads Pedersen if his Stage 5 crash injuries have recovered enough, and he did allow himself a very easy ride in the time trial yesterday; perhaps in preparation for today…
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…more wine than salad by the looks …priorities right then 
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Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) has been forced to abandon the Tour de France ahead of stage 8, following a worsening of the injuries he sustained on stage 5 of the race.
“Unfortunately Mads Pedersen will not be on the start line of Tour de France Stage 8 after being forced to abandon the race following the crash in the bunch sprint on Stage 5 into Saint Vulbas,” a team statement on Saturday morning read.
Pedersen sustained injuries to his left shoulder and back as he crashed into the barriers late in the sprint finish of stage 5. Initial signs were good with X-rays revealing no fractures, but the team revealed that his condition has been a struggle.
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Stage 8
Points to be gained in the Points Classification today.
Lamargelle at 59km 20,17,15,13,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1
Points at finish 50,30,20,18,16,14,12,10,8,7,6,5,4,3,2
- Biniam Girmay (Eri) Intermarché-Wanty, 149 points
- Jonas Abrahamsen (Nor) Uno-X Mobility, 87 points
- Jasper Philipsen (Bel) Alpecin-Deceuninck, 85 points
- Bryan Coquard (Fra) Cofidis, 75 points
- Fernando Gaviria (Col ) Movistar Team, 73 points
- Dylan Groenewegen (Ned ) Team Jayco AlUla, 71 points
<<>>
Tadej Pogačar UAE Team Emirates
Biniam Girmay Intermarché-Wanty
Jonas Abrahamsen Uno-X Mobility
Remco Evenepoel Soudal Quick-Step
Abandonment:
Mads Petersen 
Lidl-Trek (stage 5 crash injury)
173 riders on today’s start line:
<<>>
Stage 8 is underway!
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Sorry to read this, I was hoping he would repeat the excellent performance he achieved in the Giro.
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I see Remco was riding 62 - 10 gears yesterday 
My legs are aching just think about that!
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I notice from today’s start line selfie photo that they’re all wearing rain protection and long sleeves except Jonas Abrahamsen; so maybe a sign he is intending to bang it one hard from the get go 
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Stage 8 Results : SEMUR-EN-AUXOIS > COLOMBEY-LES-DEUX-ÉGLISES (183.4KM):
-
Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty), in 04:04:50
- Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck)
- Arnaud de Lie (Lotto-Dstny)
- Pascal Ackermann (Israel-PremierTech)
- Marijn van den Berg (EF Education-EasyPost)
- Ryan Gibbons (Lidl-Trek)
- Anthony Turgis (TotalEnergies)
- Fred Wright (Bahrain Victorious)
- Alex Aranburu (Movistar)
- Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step), all at same time
(all 173 riders finished Stage 8)
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POINTS CLASSIFICATION
-
Biniam Girmay Intermarché-Wanty, 216 points
- Jasper Philipsen (Bel) Alpecin-Deceuninck, 128 points
- Jonas Abrahamsen (Nor) Uno-X Mobility, 107 points
- Arnaud de Lie (Fra) Lotto Dstny, 92 points
- Bryan Coquard (Fra) Cofidis, 86 points
- Arnaud Démare (Fra) Arkéa - B&B Hotels, 73 points
- Fernando Gaviria (Col ) Movistar Team, 73 points
- Dylan Groenewegen (Ned ) Team Jayco AlUla, 71 points
<<>>
(Stage 8 results caused no positional changes in the GC, KOM, or Youth Classifications)
10 Likes
Sunday 7th July 2024
Stage 9 : Troyes - Troyes (199km)
A concerning stage for the GC, 14 sections of gravel to navigate which will reduce reliability, they say the tour can not be won today but it can be lost. Gravel roads can cause punctures and crashes, and if either happen in the wrong place then much time will be lost waiting for the team car.
It’s also a long stage so they will be needing the rest day tomorrow.
This tour has so far suffered few casualties, just three in total; one with heat stroke, and two crash victims, but this stage could add to the list.
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Sad news
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