Updated at\u00a008.27 EDT<\/p>\n
134km to go: \u201cWhen you win quite a few, you kind of forget where they all are,\u201d says Sean Kelly on commentary, having been reminded of a stage success in this vicinity during his career.<\/p>\n
Sean Kelly. Photograph: John Pierce\/ShutterstockShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a008.25 EDT<\/p>\n 136km to go: Laurence has given up, and will soon be swept up by the main bunch. No stage win for Ineos Grenadiers today (and almost certainly no stage win for any of these four teams in the break, either, in truth.) Quinn Simmons (Lidl\u2013Trek) is the rider driving the pace on the front of the peloton.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a008.21 EDT<\/p>\n 139km to go: Then it will be a question, for the sprinters\u2019 teams, of ensuring the break is caught in good time for a sprint in Valence. It\u2019s tempting to say it\u2019s a strong group out front, but then again, is there any such thing as a weak group when it comes to Tour de France<\/a> breakaways?<\/p>\n Wine country. Photograph: Mosa\u2019ab Elshamy\/APShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a008.19 EDT<\/p>\n 142km to go: The intermediate sprint arrives after 47.9km at Roche-Saint-Secret-B\u00e9conne. So it looks very much like the sprinters will be racing either for fifth place (11pts), or fourth place (13pts), if Laurance admits defeat in his brave attempt to bridge to the four-man breakaway.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a008.13 EDT<\/p>\n 146km to go: Vincenzo Albanese (EF Education\u2013EasyPost), Quentin Pacher (Groupama\u2013FDJ), Mathieu Burgaudeau (TotalEnergies) and Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X Mobility) are the riders up front. They have 2min 40sec now.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 148km to go: Jonas Abrahamsen, you will remember, won stage 11:<\/p>\n The gap between break and peloton has now flown out to 2min 32sec. Laurance is still trying to get across but is more than 90sec down.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a008.06 EDT<\/p>\n 152km to go: It\u2019s 1min 06 sec for the break now. Laurance (Ineos) is still trying to get across, about 18sec down. There is no consensus behind, it seems, between teams that want to get involved in the break and those who want to shut things down and let them go.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a008.03 EDT<\/p>\n 155km to go: A four-rider break has gone up the road: Vincenzo Albanese, Quentin Pacher, Mathieu Burgaudeau and Jonas Abrahamsen. They have nearly a minute already. The peloton has almost ground to a halt behind, so safe to say the sprinters\u2019 teams are generally happy with this break.<\/p>\n Axel Laurance (Ineos) is trying to bridge across. But hang on, now it\u2019s kicked off again in the bunch behind \u2026<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a007.58 EDT<\/p>\n \u201cRiders are tired,\u201d says Sean Kelly on commentary. \u201cNo one wants to make too much effort in the earlier part.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s a winding start on narrow roads and it looks very much like certain teams are up at the front trying to shut this down.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 158km to go: The attacks keep coming. Nothing has settled yet. The front of the peloton is strung out.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 159km to go: Iv\u00e1n Romeo (Movistar) has attacked. He fancies a day in the break. How many riders will be allowed to escape? Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X Mobility) is also up there.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a007.51 EDT<\/p>\n Stage 17 has begun<\/p>\n Christian Prudhomme waves his flag from the team car, and we\u2019re off.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a007.50 EDT<\/p>\n \u201cThe majority of teams think it\u2019s going to be a sprint,\u201d says Adam Blythe on the TNT Sports motorbike of prospects for today. \u201cBut there\u2019s a lot of pressure on the French teams, and a lot of teams without much success \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n The race is on!<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Rowe, on pundit duty, was just saying the sprinters\u2019 team should lock this down by combining to ensure it\u2019s a small and manageable breakaway.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cMaybe he could have taken the stage or maybe not,\u201d writes Gary Naylor, \u201cbut Pog being satisfied to mark Visma produced a great result for France, a great result for two of the race\u2019s four jerseys and might find him an ally if he needs one on Friday.\u201d<\/p>\n Tadej Pogacar shakes hands with Ben Healy. Photograph: Mosa\u2019ab Elshamy\/APShare<\/a><\/p>\n James emails: \u201cIn relation to the comment on why Pogacar didn\u2019t go for the win on the stage, in the interview included in the ITV4 highlights, he said that he liked the winner (he talked about him as a true climber), and gave the impression that he allowed him to win. Maybe this was a bluff (and possibly also a little arrogant), but that was certainly the impression he gave in his interview.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cWe are really looking forward,\u201d Milan said before today\u2019s stage. \u201cIt\u2019s one of the most important, yes [in the points classification].<\/p>\n Jonathan Milan. Photograph: Beno\u00eet Tessier\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n Matt White, Luke Rowe and Robbie McEwen are the pundits working with the presenter Orla Chennaoui on TNT Sports.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a difficult one,\u201d says Rowe of Lidl-Trek\u2019s attempts to go for the intermediate and the stage win for the current points classification leader, Jonathan Milan.<\/p>\n \u201cHopefully the breakaway is small and they can win the sprint from behind, with points still available, but he (Milan) needs to win the stage today. That is clear.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a007.36 EDT<\/p>\n William Fotheringham mentioned the Club des Cingl\u00e9s du Ventoux in his excellent piece a few days ago \u2026<\/p>\n So I may as well tell you for the 10th time that I joined that particular club back in 2016. Mont Ventoux is a beautiful place to ride a bike, and happily, you don\u2019t have to complete the three different ascents at anything but your own pace.<\/p>\n Mont Ventoux. Photograph: Colin Flockton\/GodingImages\/ShutterstockShare<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cYesterday and on Superbangers<\/a> (pardon my atrocious French spelling) Tadej Pogacar was favoured to win the stage,\u201d writes Mark from Florida. \u201cBut he didn\u2019t even try to – why? Is he afraid of being too tired on later stages? Is he afraid of blowing up on a climb and losing the tour? Is he afraid of being considered greedy?\u201d<\/p>\n As far as I could see yesterday, it just so happened that the breakaway was a bit too far ahead. Pogacar had the legs to accelerate away from Vingegaard in the final metres, so safe to say he would have won the stage had they caught the break. But in the grand scheme of things it doesn\u2019t matter for him, yesterday was about protecting the GC lead first and foremost. I don\u2019t think Pogacar is shy of going for as many stage wins as possible, either.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a007.29 EDT<\/p>\n As if by magic, an electronic mail message drops into my inbox.<\/p>\n \u201cNot sure anything could rival yesterday TBH,\u201d writes Jem. \u201cA day of proper racing, great win for Paret-Peintre, so close for Ben Healey and masterful from Pogi \u2013 fair play to Vingegaard as well for having a go.<\/p>\n \u201cFor today, at least I don\u2019t have to feel embarrassed by watching blokes go up a mountain at similar speeds to those I plod round reasonably flat country lanes at. Instead, I just have to watch blokes going along reasonably flat French country lanes at speeds I rarely reach even going downhill!<\/p>\n \u201cReally enjoying this year\u2019s race \u2013 a win for Bini would do me today so fingers crossed for him.\u201d<\/p>\n Valentin Paret-Peintre on stage 16. Photograph: Christophe Petit-Tesson\/EPAShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a007.45 EDT<\/p>\n You can send me your opinions, thoughts, predictions and the like on email<\/a>. Don\u2019t be shy.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Yesterday, of course, was a dust-up between Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard on the punishing slopes of Mont Ventoux. I didn\u2019t see the full stage, just the highlights, but I don\u2019t believe Pogacar was ever in serious trouble, despite Visma-Lease A Bike throwing the kitchen sink at him and his team. Read Jeremy Whittle\u2019s report right here:<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n The official Tour de France withdrawals page<\/a> is a handy resource. Mathieu van der Poel abandoned yesterday due to pneumonia, just in case you missed it.<\/p>\n Mathieu van Der Poel racing on Sunday. Photograph: Luca Betinni\/GodingImages\/ShutterstockShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a007.13 EDT<\/p>\n William Fotheringham\u2019s pre-race assessment of today\u2019s route:<\/p>\n Stage 17, Wednesday 23 July: Boll\u00e8ne to Valence, 161km<\/p>\n Potentially a bunch sprint, the last of the Tour, but teams with a sprinter who can climb \u2013 think Intermarch\u00e9 with Girmay for example \u2013 will try and burn off the slightly heavier brethren such as Merlier on the drag to the Col de Pertuis after 66km, particularly if the green jersey is in play; here\u2019s a chance to gain valuable points. It will all hang on wind direction, morale and the peloton\u2019s dwindling reserves of strength.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a007.07 EDT<\/p>\n Preamble<\/p>\n![\"William](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/William_Fotheringham,_L.png\")
William Fotheringham<\/p>\n