I read about those tacks that some idiot spread on the course the other day. Was it Wiggins who called for the pack to slow down so those affected by it could catch up? That's sportsmanship.

Yep, it's an unwritten rule that no rider should benefit from mechanical problems with bikes, so Wiggins ordered the peloton to slow down and allowed Cadel Evans to catch up. He's now been nicknamed Le Gentleman by the French media.

So do you think Cav has sabotaged his own green jersey attempt by helping Brad, or is he holding back for the Olympic road race?

You're probably right. If he hadn't won the green jersey last year he might not have made that pact.

He was the only one not to have won a medal in China, which must have really, really hurt on the way home.

What's that French for?

It's for them Froggies to talk to each other.

I'm mildly surprised we don't have a thread about this yet. So after 15 stages Bradley Wiggins is leading the general classification in the TdF - we could be on course to have the first ever British winner, yet it's the Olympics that dominates the sport headlines at the moment, and that hasn't even started yet.

Schleck fails drugs test.

2/198. That's a pretty good year for the tour so far.

Read David Millar's book.

Read David Millar's book.

Good idea. Is Lance Armstrong's any good also?

Which one will be 3D and which one will be Daddy G?

it's clearly far too early, as I've not a clue what you mean.

Anyway, today is the big day, on what has been a fairly quiet tour so far. I'm hoping for massive attacks from Evans and Nibaldi all day to wear Wiggins down. The problem for them is Froome sitting in second in the GC, so they're effectively having to do twice as much work.

I wonder about this.

Tactics are what it is about today. The chasers don't want to break Wiggins too early on the ride, as all that would happen is that Froome will be released which means that overall, they've gained nothing other than maybe +1 in the GC. Therefore, it could be that the first part of the day is hard paced, to take it out of both riders, but with the real push coming later on. The hope then being that Froome also breaks from carrying Wiggins all day.

However, I dare say that Wiggins will fix a pace which he won't move from, and let some small breaks occur knowing that he can reel them back, as he did on more than one occasion to Evans last week. The man is a machine.

I may try and get a laptop sorted and work from the canteen this afternoon. This probably won't happen though.

Interesting that Wiggo has said that if he wins the Tour, he'll ride domestique for Froome in the future!

13.00 Bradley Wiggins, whose group currently trails the lead group by 5mins 30secs offered a straightforward appaisal on the Tourmalet. "It goes uphill like all of them, it's very difficult," said the Team Sky leader.

Interesting that Wiggo has said that if he wins the Tour, he'll ride domestique for Froome in the future!

Isn't he just concerned that Froome will think "fuck it" and challenge him in this tour though? This is just a "please don't and i'll be your best bud"

Unlikely. Wiggo is the team leader and Froome will not challenge him unless he no longer has a chance to win.

Sure, it's unlikely, but you never know

Only if the sun gets to him and he suffers a huge attack of The Mentals

Cycling is a fair and gentlemanly sport.

...that's full of cheating druggies.