This view is a split screen view of the two men battling for the stage and the Tour de France itself..two friends and compatriots, but both having completely different experiences on this day. Roglic just was not himself – he looked wrong on the bike, pale in the face and even his helmet was askew – so different from the sophisticated talent we have seen day after day on this Tour – Pogacar meanwhile was smooth, strong and very fast – zooming up the notorious climb with great skill and style.

Have a good day today.. 🙂

The time-trial champion, Wout Van Aert, put in a great round on this TT – crossing the line here with a 28 second lead on the rest…He left nothing and gave it his all – Great ride!

Have a good day today.. 🙂

Another much-loved rider, Tasmanian star, Richie Porte, who, like Pinot, has more than his fair share of extreme events on this race over the years. This year, Richie has been fantastic yet again, and finally in position for a place on the podium, if all goes well on this run. I wonder though, in these moments of reflection before starting out, if his thoughts turned to his precious new baby, who was born while her daddy was riding this great race….No better motivation or inspiration.

Have a good day today.. 🙂

The next few images, I have called ‘Start line reflections’, initially because I am fascinated by the reflections in the helmet screens that riders wear. The thought then dawned on me that the wait for the rider before setting off may also be a time of reflection? I expect mostly they are thinking about the job in hand, but are there a few seconds when their thoughts turn elsewhere? I wonder…

The first image is the great French hero Thibaut Pinot waiting for the countdown. I wonder if he could hear the fans chanting his name, ‘Pinot! Pinot!’? He is such a popular rider, and along with so many great French stars, bears the weight of the whole country desperate for a win. Any fan of the England football team knows exactly how the French fans feel – it would be fantastic for a win soon – it’s a long time coming!

Have a good day today.. 🙂

Stage 20 was the only time-trial of this year’s race, but with a fantastic course finishing on La Planche des Belles Filles – one of the most iconic settings, which has become a firm favourite with fans since the Tour first visited in 2012.

The first image shows Rémi Cavagna (DQS) making the climb past a huge numbers of fans – most of whom were wearing masks, but some taking them off or were without all together in order to cheer on their heroes.

Have a good day today.. 🙂