It was Dauphine week, which then turned into Suisse week. Animals seem to play a huge part in this week’s column, but we also have Daniel Oss at the sewing machine, a Quickstep bromance that just keeps growing and Bedhead getting a few choice words on the road.
This classic Tour de France dress rehearsal was a slow burner, only coming alight in the mountains after two time-trials and two sprint stages. Sky’s Geraint Thomas won his fifth one-week stage race in Indurain-like fashion, off the back of his performances in the time-trials and his consistency in the mountains. He measured his efforts to resist everything that second-placed Adam Yates – winner of the final stage – and third-placed Romain Bardet could throw at him on the ascents and descents. There was to be no repeat of last year’s ultimate stage denouement.
Two surprising stage victories provide double the delight in France and Italy
