Racing Lines
Art by Maxine Dodd
Tour de France 2016: Stage 16 – Moirans-en-Montagne to Berne
Posted on July 24, 2016
Bonjour! Stage 16 was a trip into Switzerland in honour of Fabian Cancellara for whom this will be his final Tour. The weather was fabulous and hot – perhaps a bit unbearable on a bike! The stage was lead most of the way by Tony Martin and Julian Alaphilippe (Etixx-Quick Step) in a such a strong ride that they both won the ‘most aggressive rider’ award, appearing together on the podium in a unique ‘first’. They couldn’t sustain their amazing performance for the sprint at the end – the big sprinters taking over, Alexander Kristoff losing out by a whisker to the immense Peter Sagan. Here are my drawings:
Tour de France 2015: Stage 6 – Abbeville to Le Havre
Posted on July 10, 2015
Bonjour! Stage 6 saw a complete transformation in conditions – the sun shone brilliantly, there were gentler crosswinds and the course followed the beautiful Normandy coastline to Le Havre. This was an emotional stage – and an historic one – we saw Daniel Teklehaimanot win the Polka Dot Jersey (King of the Mountains), the first rider from Africa (Eritrea) so to do. A wonderful moment, as he gave a ‘thumbs up’ to the camera. In complete contrast, Tony Martin had his saddest moment as he became caught up in yet another accident near the finish. The loyalty of his Etixx-Quick Step team-mates who stopped to help him ride to the line while he nursed a broken collarbone, was wonderful to see, while his team-mate, Zdenek Stybar, ahead of the crash, took the win. Another amazing stage! Here are my drawings:
Tour de France 2015: Stage 4 – Seraing to Cambrai
Posted on July 8, 2015
Bonjour! Stage 4 crossed from Belgium to France through wide fields on narrow, dusty lanes to town streets, but all featuring cobbles, seven gruelling sections in total. A much happier day for most than Stage 3, but for those nursing serious injuries, the cobbles must have been hellish. The top teams and positions stayed pretty much as before; Team Sky rode a great race and there was a lovely moment after the intermediate sprint where Peter Sagan, with a twirl of his finger, appeared to suggest a breakaway among the sprinters (they didn’t accept the invitation!) but the real delight of the day came for Tony Martin who won the stage and the Yellow Jersey – the first time in his career. Congratulations! Here are my drawings:
