Author: Alex
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Chris Froome’s career reaches its peak while Alberto Contador departs at the top of one | the 2017 Vuelta a Espana final week wrap
The Final Week Wrap is an attempt to give an overview of how the Vuelta a Espana was won. As such, it focuses on the general classification – which is the overall race – rather than stage wins. Preview First rest day wrap Second rest day wrap Final week wrap If there was a theme…
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Vincenzo Nibali and Miguel Angel Lopez do a spot of looming| the second 2017 Vuelta a Espana rest day wrap
The Rest Day Wrap is an attempt to give an overview of where things stand in the Vuelta a Espana. It focuses on the general classification – which is the overall race – rather than stage wins. Preview First rest day wrap Second rest day wrap Final week wrap The second week of the Vuelta…
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Chris Froome does the early riding | the first 2017 Vuelta a Espana rest day wrap
The Rest Day Wrap is an attempt to give an overview of where things stand in the Vuelta a Espana. It focuses on the general classification – which is the overall race – rather than stage wins. Preview First rest day wrap Second rest day wrap Final week wrap You can hang around for a…
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Who will most enjoy the uphill finishes of this year’s Vuelta a Espana
If there’s one thing the Vuelta a Espana is known for, it’s throwing a hill in at the end of a stage. Flat day or mountain day, they tend to find one. There may be a long time trial in this year’s race (and a team trial to start) but it’s the uphill finishes that…
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Chris Froome, jack of all trades, master of three-week racing | the 2017 Tour de France final week wrap
The Final Week Wrap is an attempt to give an overview of how things panned out in the Tour de France. It focuses on the general classification – which is the overall race – rather than stage wins. Preview First Week Wrap Second Week Wrap Final Week Wrap The title of my article on the…
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Stage 21: Dylan Groenewegen denies Andre Greipel his win
I didn’t see this. I was out cycling. Based on the overhead, Groenwegen started sprinting early and held on. André Greipel came from further back and while he finished strongly, he ultimately ran out of road. Not many competitors wish the Tour de France was longer, but Greipel would happily have done another 50m or…
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Stage 20: Chris Froome makes it seem like he was going to win all along
The Tour de France is typically won on climbs and in time trials. This year the climbing was pretty much a draw and Chris Froome won the time trials. Okay, Froome didn’t actually win either of the time trials – Polish specialist Maciej Bodnar was quickest on this one – but he bettered his closest…
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Stage 19: Edvald Boasson Hagen makes a gap
A lesson in the value of riding behind someone else today and the challenge of preventing others from doing so. Drafting means that it is tough to make a gap and gaps need to be created if you’re to leave your rivals behind. Depending on the speed a group is travelling, the rider at the…
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Stage 17: Primoz Roglic unsurprisingly quick downhill
Last year Primoz Roglic was one hundredth of a second away from wearing the leader’s jersey in the Giro d’Italia. He went on to win the second time trial in that race, even though it was the first time he’d ever ridden one longer than 10km. He’s clearly a man who’s still exploring his potential…