2015 Tour de France Stage 16

Pete grabs 20 points at a place called Die

The break at this point is now twenty-three

The peloton is taking it easy

Another hot day, not very breezy

Unzipped jerseys flap in the air

The break has a chance today

On the Col de Manse today

The descent is decisive

Close to stage end

A dangerous challenge

For hot tired men

A headwind expected

after Col de Cabre slog

A last chance for glory

for Voeckler, Boss Hog

Rafel Majka crashes slow

Could be a blow for Tinkoff-Saxo

Sky heads the pack

while Sagan descends

He’s amazing!

A man among men!!!

He’s having fun

It’s so refreshing!

Creating his own wind

For yucks, I’m guessing

He’s still a youth

It’s hard to recall

For him racing full out

is nature’s call

A giant leprechaun

A free spirit

Don’t criticize him

I will not hear it!

The break is excited

at 50 K plus

Boasson-Hagen licks his lips

‘It will be one of us!”

Adam Hansen leaps out

Joined by Haller, Marco

Hansen may be the horse darko

The Col de Manse excites Pete 

Reuben Plaza is in front

But Pete continues to hump

Plaza has a lead insurmountable

Pete second again—to his own self accountable

Pantana from Columbia is three

The GC guys led by Nibali

Geraint Thomas goes down

pushed by Barguil 

Geraint Thomas revives

Thank God he’s alive!!!

Holding his sixth place

I’m pretty much at a loss for words

What an exciting race!

2015 Tour de France Stage 21

Rain on the Champs 

The cobbles like ice

The women’s race

was slip slide-y

Not nice

The most aggressive 

rider—Romain Bardet

Will fight with Ma Nature

On his bike to stay

Jens Voigt in a suit

is enormously cute

He has both smile and umbrella

His first Tour commentary

Has been smart and merry

He must be a most happy fella

This year’s race was astounding

fought down to the line

A corker whose memory

will stand test of time

Even just blogging

was a physical test

I will miss the pain

like all the rest

Chris sips champage

diluted with rain

and perhaps tears of happiness?

The sprint lies ahead

highly contested

Andre Greipel would love

not to be bested

Mark Cavendish is on the defense

His team for next season

is on the fence

Today is one of celebration

Tomorrow contract negotiation

Musical chairs for many riders

Blood, sweat and budgets 

make desperate deciders

But now it’s the march around

Arc de Triomphe de l’Etoile

Despite the rain a thrill for all

The GC clock stops

As does the rain

Just 10 more laps

and an end to pain

and the start of fame

for this year’s edition

the sprinters obsessing

on their lead out position

I need to get something off my chest

Peter Sagan’s hair is just the best

Millionaire hair I’m wont to say

He’s got the Green and could win today!

Some say he could stand to lose a kilo

Mais Non! Ne touchez pas a curl on this super-hero!

Punctures galore as the lads race for gloire

The roads are dry 

Lotto paces their guy

The sun comes out

for the final lap

Greipel takes it

That’s that about that!

2015 Tour de France Stage 20

The final stage is up for grabs

The route is filled with tired lads

Attacking attacking the maillot jeune

anxiety-making for Sky’s Chris Froome

He has a good lead, but it’s not unassailable

Quintana is there to take all that’s available 

 A climb quite worrying Col de la Croix de Fer

From any side it’s high up in the air

But all the best climbers will be scurrying

Straight from the gun there’s reason for hurrying

Quintana puts Froome on the defensive

Nibali feels his oats, never mind how offensive

The question is really— How strong is Sky?

They’ll have a job of work to protect their guy

Quintana says he’ll attack early on

He feels that in yellow is where he belongs

The stage is short but highly contested

Alpe d’Huez a real bear for riders not rested

And let’s no forget the crowds at the peak

They’ve been up there partying most of the week

The Sky boys look jaunty at the front

Their job is to stay there lump after lump

Rafal Mjka has eyes for this stage

The wily Pole is poised for his age

Movistar attacks!  That’s Valverde

Still out in front is Geniez

As they begin up the Alpe d’Huez

Quintana attacks again and again

 Hesjedal and Pinot keep on keeping on

Valverde attacks leading Quintana

In the break Winner Anaconda

Another Columbian to help Quintana

Thibaut Pinot wins the stage!

A French rider for FDJ

But Nairo Q. comes of age!

He comes two Hesjedal three

Froome earns Yellow, but not easily

Kudos to Sky also Movistar

The Alpe d’Huez not a hill too far

2015 Tour de France Stage 19

Today’s course is vicious

For good climbers ambitious

The Col du Glandon appears again

In the annals of pain our new friend

But the Col du Chaussy 

begins the day

A cat one nightmare

for a breakaway

Outside category the Col de la Croix de Fer

It’s there to max out pain and fear

A deciding stage of the race this year

How anyone can survive it is unclear

Froome sits pretty with Team Sky

But his win isn’t certain

Quintana could peak from behind his curtain

And which of the climbers could act as spoilers?

Valverde and Contador are constant roilers?

The Polka Dots are highly contested

Bardet and Purito are tied

Fugslang highly invested

All riders today will be sorely tested

The mountains wild beasts which must be bested

Another hot day it’s go from the gun

Most vertical gain, most climbing

For masochists—fun!

Off they go up the Col de Chaussy

Cheers to the lads but I’m glad it’s not me!

Cozy in Cambria with a cup of coffee

In front of telly is the best place to be

Sixty points on offer for KOM

Purito and Péraud lead from the start

Both these men have legs and heart

Teklehaimanot surges

Talansky as well

Marching bravely to the gates of hell

3,000 feet on the first climb

The rain has come at the worst time

Nibali goes! He won’t be ignored

On the winning ship he must come on board

Team Sky dissolves leaving Chris exposed

Some very big engines rev and explode

A huge climb the Col de La Croix de Fer

Quintana needs 90 seconds on Froome

Gesink is under Lotto-Jumbo’s care

The sun reappears and Sky regroups

Rodriquez climbs for 25 points for his dotted suit

Astana leaps as does Contador

Richie Porte unable to close that door

Pierre Rolland is the man in front

He does what he does which is to hump

Rodriguez fades 

Sky is scattered

Can Froome hold on

When it matters?

Valverde attacks

Quintana lurks

Poels supports Chris

I hope it works

While Froome has a mechanical

Nibili attacks—hey, bro—you’re 

not supposed to act like that!

A black mark for Vincenzo

According to Phil

He pedals away

A wind which blows ill

Bardet grabs KOM points

Followed by Froome

And now the descent!

Valverde goes

Nibali flies

I don’t want to root for an

unsportsmanlike guy

Of the Shark of Messina

I could go on

I leave it to History

to sing his song

Meeting Rolland 

They descend together

If ever there were friends 

fair weather!

Talansky is having another great stage

We’ll hear much more from him as he comes of age!

La Toussuiere rhymes with fear

The final Friday peak

Rolland cracks begins to creep

Nibali flies for the first time this year

A half hour more climbing uphill

Quintana makes his move at will

Chris responds but can’t quite do it

Out of the saddle

This moment he’ll rue it!

And yet his time loss isn’t the end

He has one last stage 

The Yellow to defend

I’m a student of 

ethical relativity

Even Phil and Jens fell in line

with the flash win from Nibali

I guess sportsmanship takes a back seat

When you wear the jersey NBC?

2015 Tour de France Stage 18

2015 Tour de France Stage 18

Rodriguez, Joaquim from Catalonia

Would like to earn KOM on his own—yeah?!

He’s been wearing the jersey of Chris Froome

But would like it for himself if there is room

In the break is Talansky, A

He feels he’s getting stronger by the day

His second place on yesterday’s Pra-Loup

Gives him hope for today’s foray

Abandoning the race is Mark R. for Etixx-Quick

I guess the reason is that he is sick

Leaving Cavendish without his lead out man

He’ll have to work around it if he can

Nairo Quintano likes the route

Which everyone agrees is a brute

On the Cote de la Morte Purito takes points five

His hopes for Polka Dots are still alive

The biggest haul is on the Col de Glandon

Out of category it’s a bad one

45 miles left to transverse

The long Col de Glandon is the worst

Roman Bardet steps up 40 seconds clear

helped by French pride and an absence of fear

He takes 25 points and from there he’s unstoppable

He ties with Purito on KOM Dot-able

The final climb as 18 hairpin turns

St-Jean-de-Maurienne 10 KM to go

The descent to the finish shows 

Pierre Rolland takes risks on the chase

At this point it’s Roman Bardet’s race

Robert Gesink rides well and deserves praise

Bob Jungles shines too kudos are due

So the French can feel good about the stage

Barnet wins with poise beyond his young age

Rolland’s great efforts earn him spot two 

But Bardet took the day with lots of ah dieu!

Andrew Talansky enjoyed the break

‘Tho he wishes that they would cooperate

 Tomorrow Quintana must make his move

But it will be tough with Froome in the groove

Roman Bardet gets most aggressive

Celebrate all French fans—let your joie be excessive!

2015 Tour de France Stage 17

A super aggressive start to the stage

TeJay is off the back

And Froome fights off attack after attack

Chris calls time out to try to chill

A relentless pace from the first hill

No one knows what happened to TeJay

His nemesis is the stage after rest day

The

 peloton moves like there’s no tomorrow

But the uphill finish may bring some to sorrow

Peter Sagan is feeling his oats

60 riders out the back diminish their hopes

Quintana is in a mood to fight

Van Gardener is sick 

his race comes to blight

28 leaders ahead of the maillot jeune

TeJay Van G continues in gloom

The break has star power

Porte and Roche lead Sky

also there Degenkolb and Andrew Talansky

Sagan can’t control his exuberant ways

He looks locked in his gear— accelerate!

 Col de la Colle St. Michel

11 KM of Alpine hell

Especially if you’re not feeling well

On TeJay’s troubles I will not dwell

Jens says he’s unlucky

You can say that again

A headache bedevils 

He’s in his own world of pain

But the peloton he regains

The race is half over

The hard part begins

Everyone digs at Froome

A man marked for his wins

Contador attacks taking his chance

Raising the pace with his merry dance

Valverde follows pressuring Sky

Ganging up tactics are worth a try

The race is over for TeJay

We still don’t know what happened today

Team Sky will have battles to chose

So many attack with nothing to lose

Sang froid Sky exhibits in tar melting heat

The descent of Col de Allos will cull the elite

A deja vu for Romain Bardet?

He attacked for the win in the Dauphiné

Under forty miles to Pra-Loup

I’m very excited

How about you?

The break will not collaborate

FDJ takes maximum points

John D and Sagan have noses out of joint

Pinot pulls in front of Talansky

Geschke leads the break

Kwaitkowski abandons

The storm clouds threaten

Pinot agitates

Nibali threatens just like the storm

Attack the descent if he’s in form?

Froome and Thomas are still in for Sky

Pinot goes down—unfortunate guy

Nibali goes followed by Chris

Contador crashes

Sagan stops to help him

Grechke says “yes”

followed by Talansky

but Grechke will win

on a steep climb 

Talansky comes two

with a very good time

Chris survives with aplomb

You must admit

He is the bomb

2015 Tour de France Stage 15

Oh, ‘Urine-Gate’—Sorry, Chris

For the top man

Sometimes it’s like this

The stage begins with a flurry

A nine man break is on the hurry

An elite group including Sagan

It’s a sprint end for a climbing man

Too many chiefs perhaps for

working well together

And then there’s the added weight

of very hot weather

Cav is distanced early

Peraud is out the back

The peloton is still involved

The break has little slack

Sagan has staked his hopes on green

20 points later he’s lean and mean

74 KM are left to peddle

Plenty of time to prove his mettle

The commentators adore Pete

Jens calls him a ‘one man team’

He praise is sincere—how sweet!

38 miles left and the live feed goes dead

It’s Cable Calamity—something I dread

Coitus Interruptus—let’s get real

How else is a Tour de France blogger to feel?

 To forces beyond my control I must yield 

No way to tell what went on in the field

I’ll do an update whenever I’m able

My Tour de France Sunday is still on the table

The Cable return and the stage goes to Greipel

Two Degenkolb, Kristoff, and four is Sagan

Pete has a mechanical but keeps the green

Boss Hog takes fifth the first from him we’ve seen

Greipel says the whole stage was suffering extreme

 He duly thanked his Lotto team