Stage 18 Vuelta 2016

Stage 18 Vuelta

   Contador animates Quintana

   A cracking second banana

   Froome on the back foot

   By hook or by crook

   Will try to slay it mañana

Olympic Haiku

Cancellara wins the Gold

A final grace note

for his excellent career

Stage 21 Tour de France 2016 Chantilly--Paris

Everyone looks pretty

as they near Paris city

after three weeks of war

The mood is fine

they've lots of time

to toast and bask in gloire

Of course the sprint is everything 

on this Sunday ride

I say "chapeau" to all the lads

they should be filled with pride!  

Every stage produced real thrills

Descending danger gave us chills

Relatively carnage free 

Ventoux will live in history

"Forward ever Backward never" 

Champs just never quit 

For sheer persistence 

Sky's Chris Froome is it

Movistar and Quintana

finished rather high

They went to every length

to support their guy 

Majka and Pete for Tinkoff

showed they've got the right stuff 

Adam Yates graduates to be a contender

Purito did a solid Tour

in this his career ender

Romain Bardet the Frenchman for AG2R

ends up on the podium 

A Gallic superstar 

This is my sixth Tour

blogging the race in rhyme

Every year a learning curve

Better every time

I feel a little teary

as this chapter ends

I hope I have the happy task 

Of doing this again

Kittel has bike problems

Tony Martin leaves

He is having issues

with his famous knees 

Etixx-Quick 

must feel sick 

Their fortunes took a downward click

Teklehaimanot excelled throughout 

I wanted to give him a shout

And all others whom I failed to mention 

You have had my full attention

I still have hopes for B. Coquard

Coquard flats

That's that about that

Andre Greipel wins it!

Sky and Chris maintain

About the 2016 tour

I've nothing to complain

Stage 19 Tour de France 2016 Albertville-- Saint-Gervais

A short but intense stage

with lots of climbing 

For podium spots so many pining

Both start and end are vicious

promising points and place delicious

A break of twenty 

power plenty

De Ghent leaps ahead with purpose

Majka's there to make things worse

Astana pops up for Aru

a vision of stage win in view

Trying Team Sky's grip

to soften

on mountain climbs both steep and often

A short stage threatens the grupetto

Time limits force heads down and go

The Montee de Bisanne

today's big peak

will show good outcomes don't come cheap 

Ditto several descents hairy

Even Chris Froome is wary

Tom Demoulin comes a cropper

Abandoning this season topper

Majka earns the KOM

It starts to rain on tired men

The roads are slick

Rolland goes down

Others as well

Chris Froome falls in descent hell

Gerraint gives Chris his bike 

Bardet takes this chance 

to fight

Raising hopes for La Belle France

On his bike he seems to dance

He wins the stage with Gallic flair

He throws his hands up in the air

Climbing on Gerraint’s bike

Chris’ll probably be sore tonight

Stage 18 Tour de France Sallanches--Megeve

Tom Dumoulin does an excellent ride

Dressed aerodynamically 

Richie Porte does a fabulous ride

but can't go as fast as he

Chris signals his goal

with disc wheel on his bike

The yellow he'll hold

with Paris in his sight

Nairo looks sleek

But ends up beat

Aru makes an impression

Ditto Yates and Bardet

Chris wins the day 

30:43 a dynamic show

He dominates with 3 days to go! 

Stage 17 Tour de France 2016 Berne--Finhaut-Emosson

Cavandish wants to medal in Rio

He needs to train so the Alpes had to go

Those daunting climbs he's decided to miss

You really can't blame him for this 

A rapid pace and break of power

ahead of schedule by quarter hour

Working for Majka is Peter Sagan

not too big to lend a hand

The pack is 12 minutes behind 

It will be hard to make up this time 

Pete grabs sprint at Martigny

Takes 20 points easily

A do or die day for Quintana

Time gained on Froome would be manna

17 miles of climbing remain

For many lads a crying game

TJ cracks on the climb

It just might be Richie Porte time

Pantano and Majka duel on the downhill

But Col Emosson is test of will

Zakarin joins from Katush

The climb ahead an ugly truth

Balke Mollema hangs around

Hoping Froome will lose some ground

500 meters of pure hell

The Russian rider does quite well

Pantano comes a hardy two 

Majka three gets points galore

Porte opens a winning door 

Froome stays right behind

Quintana looses time

An uphill TT looms tomorrow 

Will it bring Nairo more sorrow?

Zakarin breaks Russia's drought 

Froome gains time and proves Sky's clout

Stage 16 Tour de France 2016 Mourans-en-Montagne—Berne

After an hour on the road

Etixx-Quickstep rules the load

Tony Martin and Alaphilippe

hold the lead the field to beat

Behind the duo four men chase

But Tony and Julian lead the race

The finish, Berne, is home to Spartacus

He wants to win to excite all of us

The sprinters see a hint of light

In Berne today there’ll be a fight

Tony is giving a master class

in going strong and going fast

Martin sets a searing pace

completely dominates the race

Dynamic duo Batman and Robin

fly with style and no head bobbin’

The four man chase is enveloped

The pack in back starts to develop

Katush is strong for Kristof

 Coquard would like to get off

Boss Hog fights for Dimension Data

Celebrating Nelson Mandella

The pace is hard not soft

Julian A fades before the climb

Now it's Tony Martin time

At 33 KM he's done

His merry escapade was fun

And served to soften up the pack

Many dropping off the back

Now the cobbles 

Coquard wobble

Sagan gets a squeaker win

If there's a superman it's him