[Baynative]

Bike Ping

Wow! Another photo-finish to ID the winner. Marcel Kittel squeezed a breath beyond Bryan Coquard after the longest stage of the race. I feel bad for Coquard. He was within a hair of putting his name in the record books and getting kissed on the podium, only to be forgotten by sunrise. But, Peter Sagan (right there as always), knows how to stay close and assess what it takes to keep the Yellow Jersey.

And now the road tilts up. It's not the toughest stage as mountains go, but it's longer than usual with several rated climbs.

Will we see an early statement from the likes of ValVerde or Quintana, or might they cool their jets a while and mark the ambitious wannabes who stretch it out early? As they say, "It's time to start separating the ascenders from the pretenders."

http://www.letour.fr/PHOTOS/TDF/2016/400/header/CLA_IMG.jpg

[Baynative]

Bike Ping

[patriotspride]

Thanks again for an enjoyable thread.

These photo finishes add another level of excitement as you look to see whose wheel actually crosses first.

The overhead shots are great for assessment of body position, but the ground level shots are great.