High cost of entry to even begin to train is definitely part of it. Bike, shoes, helmet, race fees don’t come cheap. Not a mainstream sport with loads of sponsors using high school and universities as feeder training camps (mostly applies to US).
You also need actual roads, a lot of impoverished areas don’t have usualble surfaces. Running is comparatively very cheap & accessible.
Days like today I wish I was unemployed.
The other étape I'll definitely be watching is on 16th. It goes through Sommières, Calvisson and Vergèze on its way to Nîmes, all places I know from the last set of school exchanges. The school was in Calvisson, and over the years, I stayed with teachers in Sommières and Vergèze. Nîmes is a great place.
Ha, yeah. I can usually make room for watching and riding a couple of times Mon-Fri, though I’m less Paolo Savoldelli these days on the drop down to Bradwell after Col d’Abney.
I think it's a tough ask, given his form this year, for him to win a stage, especially given how competitive the sprint was on Monday. Maybe if he gets a fantastic lead out from his team as I can't see him doing it the 'hard way'.
Yep. Seven possible sprint stages remaining including today, and any Cavendish win will maybe have to come with some help and a reduced bunch. Biniam Girmay’s far from a typical sprinter though, so not impossible.
