Peleton Less Deep, Mountains High #TDF

Sylvain Chavanel took the yellow on the damp and treacherous road into Spa, he only wore it for one day after that the cobbles of the Hell of the North causing his problems. However, just as Spa is famous for Formula 1 today on a Formula 1 Sunday the French man is back in yellow.

Yesterday on the penultimate climb up the Col de la Croix de la Serra Chavanel in a grop of 7 started to pursue the leading group of 3 including his Quickstep team mate Jérôme Pineau. Pineau had taken maximum climbers points in the first 5 climbs yesterday to secure his early hold on the Polka Dot Jersey being the only man so far to wear it. Meanwhile behind him the man who took the yellow jersey back off Chavanel Fabian Cancellara was struggling to stay with the pace and was only just ridden back up to the pack by the summit.

On the last climb of the Côte de Lamoura the head of the race changed hands within the same team when Chavanel on his second lone breakaway of the Tour overtook his team mate in the spots. In the end he crossed the line 57 seconds ahead of Rafael Valls (Footon-Servetto) and 1'27" ahead of Juan Manuel Gárate (Rabobank). However more crucially, 1'47" ahead of the group of Alberto Contador, Cadel Evans, Lance Armstrong, Andy Schleck and Bradley Wiggins. However, Gerraint Thomas who had been second was 5'12" back on the leader having suffered a puncture on the last climb 10km from the end. But the maillot jaune on the back of Cancellara suffered merely in the legs and not mechanically to end up 14'12" behind.

It means the Frenchman leads today as we skirt the toe of Switzerland by 1'25" from Evans, Schleck is 4th +1'55", Contador 6th +2'26", Nicolas Roche (the son of Tour winner Stephen) is 8th +2'28" and Bradley Wiggins has climbed to 11 +2'35".

Today's stage is the start of the high mountains although as Bradley Wiggins said of yesterday's stage ""I think the stage was harder than a lot of people expected but it's good to get the first mountain one out of the way". Today however there are the arrival of the first category climbs to this tour. The first Col de la Ramaz is a 14km climb averaging 7% gradient. The descent is an even steeped hill getting to 10% in places so it is fast and winding. Then after the descent a minor 3rd Category climb up Les Gets before climbing 14km out of Morzine up to Avoriaz at 6.1%. Not as tough as la Ramaz but at the end of a hard day and other cllimbs just before, somebody might just lose the Tour today.

So the mountains are here, this guy has posted a video of his reconnoiter of those final climbs.

The Hills are Alive with the Sound of Pedals #TDF

When I signed off my Tour report on Wednesday after Mark Cavendish had failed on the road to Reims I said:

"Cav has been one to bounce back before when he hasn't won as expected with a double, Friday's stage is also for the sprinters. So we wait and see."

Well who needs Paul the Octopus?

Two stages later and in first Montgaris and yesterday in Gueugnon it was the Manx Missile that shot to the front in the final 200 metres and was never headed. He is now level on 12 stage wins in the Tour with other great sprinters from my memory:

• Mario Cipollini (Italy) wins in 6 tours over 7 years (1993 -1999) Luçon -Les Sables [93]; Perros Guirec -Vitré, Alençon - Le Harve [95]; Hertogenbosch - Wasquehal [96]; Rouen - Forges-les-Eaux, St Valery-en-Caux - Vire [97], Cholet - Châteauroux, La Châtre - Brive [98]; Laval - Blois, Bonneval - Ameins, Ameins - Maubeuge, Avensnes-sur-Helpe - Thionville [99]
• Eric Zabel (Germany) 6 tours, 8 years (1995-2002) Dunkirk - Charleroi, Pau - Bordeaux [95]; Wasquehal - Norgent-sur-Oise, Turin - Gap [96]; Vire - Plumelec, Marennes - Bordeaux, Sauternes - Pau [97]; Belfort - Troyes [00]; St-Omer - Boulogne, Antwerp - Seraing, Orléans - Évry [01]; Forges-les-Eaux - Alençon [02]
• Robbie McEwan (Australia) 6 tours in 9 years (1999-2007) Arpajon - Paris [99]; Metz - Reims, Melun - Paris [01]; Charleroi - Namur, St Léonard-de-Nobat - Guéret [04], Chambord - Montgaris, Lunéville - Karlsruhe, Mirama - Montpellier [05], Obernai - Esch-sur-Alzette, Huy - Saint-Quentin, Lisieux - Vitré [06], London - Canterbury [07]

Of Course Mark has won all twevle of his to match these sprint kings is just 2 and a third tours. So far:

• 2008 Cholet - Châteauroux, Figeac - Toulouse, Lavelanet - Narbonne, Narbonne - Nîmes
• 2009 Monaco to Brignoles, Marseille to La Grande-Motte, Limoges to Issoudun, Vatan to Saint-Fargeau, Bourgoin-Jallieu to Aubenas, Montereau-Fault-Yonne to Paris
• 2010 Épernay - Montargis, Montgaris - Gueugnon

He has also won back to back stages on four occasions 12&13 in 2008, 2&3 and 10&11 in 2009 and now 5&6 this year.



Today we start to really go uphill. We're entering the Jura region on the way to the Alps on Sunday (no not the Whisky producing Island). It is a rarely visited part of France for the Tour but the narrow roads and forested switch back up and down the six progressively harder clims of the day lie ahead. The toughest climbs of today are only category 2 so it shouldn't challenge any of the GC contenders, but a group might take a change to get away and stay away today.

After the last climb however there is a 4km roll along the plateau into the finish at the ski Station des Rousses. Which may be enough of a chance for Fabian Cancellera to maybe recover any time he may lose on the ascent to defend his maillot jaune. Although yesterday a break of more than a second in the peleton meant that Gerraint Thomas who was in the leading 14 clawed back 3 seconds to make Cancellera's lead down to 20 seconds. Bradley Wiggins and David Millar are also both Brits currently in the top 15. We'll soon be seeing what Brad has for this year and well as discovering what Gerraint might have in the Cols. Millar doesn't usually contest the mountains every day but can do the odd good one.



You can watch it all live on ITV4 from 2:30 this afternoon.

Only (Straight) Men Allowed

It would seem that the Anglican Church is set to have another debate about whether to catch up with other denominations, except the Holy See in Rome, and lift the glass ceiling. For 16 years now women have been allowed to be parish priests but with no hope of progress on the career ladder within the church.

In the same time there have been female Moderators of the Church of Scotland and leaders of the Methodists. Yet there seems no certain move for the Anglican Church because of the threat of the Anglo-Catholics either removing themselves or their wealth from the Anglican communion, or merely causing such an uproar to make the who move nearly unworkable.

Of course the other wing of the Church has recently scored by once again halting the possible elevation of Jeffrey John to the Bishopric of Southwark.

So the only senior post that a women, and presumably a gay man can seemingly hold in the Church of England is that of Supreme Governor. Of course to qualify for that you have to be the first born son, or daughter thereafter/instead of the previous monarch or their closest familial alternative. Not much hope for many then, unless a sensible decision is reached this week over women bishops.

How Could We 'Cav' Doubted? #TDF

*
Well I got on the bus earlier and opened Tweetdeck to some very good news. The picture to the left is a clue.

Yeah earlier today I did ask 'where had the sprinting legs of Britain's Mark Cavendish go to?' well it seems we now know. The answer is simple they were waiting for him in Montargis which is where today's stage ended.

For the second day the three man escape was caught in the closing stages on this occasion with 4km to the finish, with Cavendish's HTC team heading the peleton as the last man ahead of the race Jose Juan Gutierrez (Caisse d'Epargne) is finally swept up. Along with Jurgen Van de Walle (Quick Step) and Julien El Fares (Cofidis) they had been ahead since the early stages. Gutierrez sweeping up all three of the intermediate sprints on the way, coming second to the other two in the two fourth category climbs of the day.

But after HTC has led the sweep up the train seemed unable to keep it as they weaved into Montargis. In fact Garmin took over the lead at one point and Britain's own David Millar (sitting 15th overnight) at the fore. Cavendish and Thor Hushovd are yet again further back riding shoulder to shoulder. But as the last Garmin rider peels off it is Mark Renshaw on the wheel followed closely by a certain Manxman.

As you can tell by the picture Cavendish did indeed win his eleventh stage on the Tour over the last three years. Followed by Gerald Ciolek (Milram), Edvald Boasen (Sky), Jose Joaquin Rojas (Caisse d'Epargne) before Hushovd.

Sprinters are often some of the toughest men in pro-cycling. Day in day out they are getting elbowed at the front of the pack in the closing stages. If something goes even slightly wrong they are involved in some of the highest speed crashes in traffic. Only a crash over a wall descending a mountain can compare. But how much does it mean to someone like Cav to have won today, having crashed out on the first ideal stage, punctured before the cobbles and had nothing to give yesterday? Well I think this says it all.



So congratulations Mark Cavendish, and that comes not just from me but from a certain seven time winner as well. Having apologised to his team yesterday for not being able to repay them for their support he made it up for them all today.



Now if you are quick you can catch the highlights on ITV4 which is about to start.

* Pictures via Tour News 2010

Where Has the Sprint Gone from Cav? #TDF

Yesterday's stage left a lot of questions for Mark Cavendish and the HTC-Columbia team.

His team took control of the race 5km from the finish, last year that would have been enough. His big powerful train would have propelled him towards the front of the peleton ready to launch him towards the line with a couple of hundred metres to go. Sure there were roundabouts in the lead up to the finish but the HTC boys were grouped at the front and looking out for their man.

Then it came Mark Renshaw was at the head with Cavendish in his wheel. Over to the right hand side of the road. Cav and Thor Hushovd had been shoulder to shoulder behind their respective lead out men in the seconds before.

Then against the script over on the left comes a surge from the other sprinter, who was near the front through all the roundabouts, Alessandro Petacchi made a run for the line. There seemed to be no response from Cavendish and Hushovd realised he was on the wrong wheel too late to switch across the road to come in 9th in the sprint, 3 places ahead of Cav who appeared in the last metres to have lost one of his pedal bindings.

But even before that it looks like Cavendish infection earlier this year may have taken something away from him. He may not be quite the sprinter he was over the last two years as a result. Of course it may be like everyone else he was still merely shattered after the Hell of the North the previous day, when he did ride well and came in 25th when there were groups all down the road. There was a 1% incline at the end, not a lot but after the day before it may have been sapping.

Today of course is another day and another day suitable for sprinters. Again it is flat with no real concern providing an escape isn't given too much head. But there may be concern over just how much speed in currently in the legs of Britain's top sprinter, or course come later today I may not have any concerns over that whatsoever. Cav has been one to bounce back before when he hasn't won as expected with a double, Friday's stage is also for the sprinters. So we wait and see.

Gerrymander: Would Labour be Best Using the UED?

The Uxbridge English Dictionary as any fans of Radio 4's I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue will attest is the lesser known, but far more interesting sibling to the better known, and some say more authoritarian*, version from up the Thames at Oxford.

However, while consulting the UEB I looked up Gerrymander, here is the entry.

Gerrymander (jr-mndr, gr-)

Preposition Colloquialism Ulster Six Counties Used to indicate the location of the Republican leader as in 'There is Mr Adams over there.'

Of course such use is far more closer to the use that the Labour party seem to be taking to changing the number of MPs. There are saying that the Coalition are going to be gerrymandering seats if they cut the number down by 50 and make the number of electors in each more equal.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines Gerrymandering as:

To divide (a geographic area) into voting districts so as to give unfair advantage to one party in elections.

So say one party could win all the less populous inner city seats and not really make significant inroads into the rural seats with greater number of voters. In the end mathematically allowing them to win a greater number of seats theoretically with a lesser number of votes nationwide. This could well be seen as a case of gerrymandering. Isn't this the situation that Labour are trying to defend? Many of the inner city seats, in Labour heartlands, tend to have smaller electorates. So just who are the gerrymanders.

Of course having 50 fewer MPs will also save costs while the work of Government will carry on as normal. Considering as recently as 1983 we got by with 635 MPs. Indeed without the realignment in Scotland we would currently have 663 MPs which would be the highest number since the Irish Free State was set up.

Less than a 10% reduction especially in light of the expenses scandal and the need to save money seems a sensible measure. Of course the Liberal Democrats often cited by Labour, of all parties, as being a party of big Government actually wanted to get rid of more politicians centrally at Westminster whilst devolving power downwards.

Next week on I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue will Jack Dee be introducing in the anecdote to sane political statement Harriet Harman appear along with Graeme Garden, Tim Brooke-Taylor and Barry Cryer. Just as long as Harman doesn't insist on the lovely Samantha having an equal role and actually saying something for the first time in 38 years.

A little historical note

The word gerrymander comes from the time that Elbridge Gerry was Governor of Massachusetts. In 1812 one of his party in 1812 redrew an election district that looked to be the shape of a salamander. The painter Gilbert Stuart saw it on the wall of a newspaper office and added head, wing and claws to make it look more like the beast. Saying on completion 'That will do for a Salamander!' The Editor retorted back 'Gerrymander!'


* What do some people really know? Tsk!

Pride in Our Supreme Court

Yesterday I posted abouthow the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) had condemned Britain's return with discretion policy to sexuality refugees which were followed under Labour. Today the UK Supreme Court has stood up for sexuality refugees as well. They ruled in favour of two men one from Iran and the other from Cameroon.

They had been asked to consider if a gay applicant could be refused asylum on the grounds that he could avoid ill treatment if he concealed his sexuality. (I could use a gender neutral term here but the applicants were both male on this occasion and the Supreme Court was considering that specific case to set precedent). The Court of appeal had previously thrown out the cases as they stated that by concealing their identity their situation could be regarded as "reasonably tolerable".

The applicants had gone to the Supreme Court to challenge the tolerability test, saying it was contrary to the Refugee Convention Act of which the UK is a signatory.The Supreme Court Agreed Lord Hope read out their findings saying:

"To compel a homosexual person to pretend that his sexuality does not exist or suppress the behaviour by which to manifest itself is to deny his fundamental right to be who he is.

"Homosexuals are as much entitled to freedom of association with others who are of the same sexual orientation as people who are straight."

Now don't forget that Labour were saying that they were the champions of LGBT rights, yet under them the 'tolerability test' and 'discretion precedent' where the preferred way of dealing with people fleeing persecution because of their sexuality. Both could easily have been overturned by legislation or guidance from the Minister.

I suppose we should thank Labour for setting up the independent Supreme Court who have now ruled that their guidance was actually incorrect. Good to see the independent judicial body standing up for human rights in our country.

In the case of Iran and other countries the people who come to our country seeking asylum because of their sexuality are facing a death penalty if they return. It is a subject I have blogged about too often in the past and expect to sadly have to return to again in the future.