Tour de France cycles into stage ten MyZA

Tour de France stage nine. Photo: A.S.O. / B.Bade

Here are five things to know as the Tour de France enters its tenth stage today, compiled by Jamey Keaten.

1. Zzzzzzzzzzz – And on the tenth day they rested. In hotels in and near Saint-Nazaire on France’s western coast, the 182 riders who survived the Tour’s bruising first nine days were sleeping, eating, and sleeping some more Monday to recharge their batteries for the middle section of three weeks of racing.

2. Back in the saddle – You can bet Chris Froome will not have been so devil-may-care as Anquetil. The Kenya-born Briton will wear the leader’s yellow jersey in Tuesday’s tenth stage. The next test to Froome’s grasp on the leader’s shirt comes Wednesday with the first individual time-trial, up to the majestic island citadel of Mont-Saint-Michel.

3. Tight-lipped Brailsford – Dave Brailsford, the manager of Froome’s Sky squad, insists his riders won’t collapse again in the mountains like they did in Sunday’s ninth stage.

Paris-Nice winner Richie Porte and several other Sky riders were dropped on the first big climb. That left Froome, the pre-race favorite, to fend for himself for the next 78 miles and over three more monster ascents. But he held on, solo, to keep the yellow jersey.

4. Dueling Manifestos – The candidates to run cycling’s governing body used the Tour’s rest day to publicize their visions for the future of a sport trying to move beyond its doping past. UCI boss Pat McQuaid, who is seeking a third four-year term, insisted the sport has changed for the better during his tenure as he unveiled his manifesto for cycling’s future.

5. Riders just wanna have fun? – Cyclists know about pain, sweat and hard work. The Orica-GreenEdge riders prove they know how to have fun too. The Australian squad and some filmmaking-savvy helpers have put together an online video tribute to legendary rock ‘n’ roll band AC/DC in which the riders don wigs, strum on floppy toy guitars and even play air guitar on a Tour podium to the tune of the Australian band’s classic, “You Shook Me All Night Long.”

Simon Gerrans and Daryl Impey do their riffs while in the yellow jersey that they both wore last week. Others played along, too. BMC’s Philippe Gilbert and fellow Belgian Eddy Merckx, a five-time Tour champion, get cameos. You can see it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?vfAl1-mBhFpU – AP