It’s the second of this year’s Tour Tweets of the Week and we have controversy (punchgate), surprise (StorkSuperTuck) and a dots duel – and that’s just Chris Froome‘s entries this week. We also shed some tears for Baby Blackbird, shed some tears with Purito, and shielded our eyes while looking at Ashley House‘s Tour Extra wardrobe. We also have some random observations, the Gruppetto and some dancing. Get low on the top tube ‘cos we’re ready to go … 

It ain’t pretty – but it is effective

Chris Froome was active this week. Controversy after controversy, all of which blew Skyhigh on Twitter. First up … Punchgate. In what is actually a time-honoured response of riders to fools who get too close for comfort, Froome punched a crazed Colombian fan – well, more ‘pushed with intent’ – I wouldn’t describe that action as a punch (please note the Bernard Hinault picture below for the pictionary definition of ‘punch’). The number of times I’ve seen tweets detailing what fans would do if they got their hands on the idiots who interfere with the riders on those mountain tops, it’s a bit disingenuous to suddenly be aghast that a rider actually hit out.

Then we had the dots-duel with ‘The Winker’ Rafal Majka. To be honest, I couldn’t have cared less who won that one but it sets up our final Froome segment. At the time, I thought it was odd that there would be a scuffle for those points as I couldn’t imagine Froome gave a flying squirrel for the polka dot jersey … until we look at it from a ‘setting up the peloton’ for the next mountain top.

And finally, the #StorkSuperTuck. The most ungainly thing I’ve ever seen in my life. One thing you have to admit is, Froome really doesn’t care what he looks like – or what people think he looks like. He’s there to win, pure and simple.

Farewell my lovelies

Two departures – one that was not in the plan, one that was. First up, Baby Blackbird had to abandon, due to fever and those nasty injuries from his two crashes earlier in the week. Love him or hate him, you have to admit – he never would have looked around at everyone else when Froome went on the attack on that descent. He would have jumped straight onto his wheel. That’s why we’re so sad that he’s no longer in the race.

The next one had us all in tears. Purito announcing his retirement at the end of the season – and it hurt.

Dancing and other merriments

Ashley House and Juan Antonio Flecha – the dynamic duo – were colourful and energetic during the week.

The most random tweets of the week

I’m just putting these out there because I found them funny and sometimes mystifying.

The Gruppetto

What’s the difference between random and gruppetto? No idea. But I feel there is one.

Attack of the flamme rouge

For Midge.

I really like this.

So all those wheelies were just Robbie‘s way of bluffing. (Who, by the way, is brilliant at commentating – if only he’d Periscope through the whole stage …)

Hmmmmmm. Slim Shady?! Is it just me that feels that he’s more dated than the Beatles ever will be?

The champ …

A great photo from Marshall Kappel.

That one on the far left – that is NOT the same plushie. That is a different, smaller, less nose-y plushie.

Poor Pierre Rolland had a row with a stone wall and didn’t win.

‘Sometimes you’ve got to do bad stuff …’

So is Aru under there somewhere? Is that where he’s been this week?

Some GVA action!

One of the best pictures of the Tour ever.

I think Cav is speaking for a lot of sprinters …

Rain.

Banana head (and no, I’m not talking about Fabrizio).

Does it matter than Dan From Nam isn’t in the Tour – not in this column, it doesn’t. He’s great. He belongs here.

Maybe it was the heat …

There’s no way I was going to put the naked Oleg tweet up. But you get the idea.

The last word