Maybe Danny Pate will try something, but I doubt it. He is more of a team mate at this race.

He'll be always a team mate at Sky. Rogers might attack, and EBH will try to follow Gerrans/Valverde in final stages. Rogers might set up something with EBH, but Pate won't go for anything.

Well Danny can beat Rogers any day, maybe not EBH though.

Im sure Ligget and Sherwin think they are on a mid winter holiday, going into detail about the beach and holiday hotspots lol.

I am jeleous that its hot weather there and im sat here drinking a hot chocalote in mid winter.

Got to be Valverde for today

I don't doubt Pate potential, he's awesome team mate but he never showed much in stages like that, while Rogers is definitely a better climber any day.

Feels good to be watching cycling again

Valverde or Hesjedal to win today

Is this serious??

I reckon Gerrans will be tough to beat though today.

I'm very excited for the finish. Interested to see how Edvald will go. And yes, as valverde said, feels good to watch cycling again.

Come on Alex, doing grand job so far.

Im imagining how wasted I'd be, if I was playing the Liggett and Sherwen drinking game

Don't you get a shot for every time they compare the location to France?

lol, I would like to play that game, but seriously Sky can't report cycling, presenter and Boardman stop poking in with your nonsense comments, where are Harmon and Kelly when you need them

Only because he has rarely had the opportunity to work for himself. It is almost laughable to call Rogers a better climber, seeing as Danny pate has podiumed in a Tour de France summit finish, while Rogers has never even come close.

Phil and Paul aren't too bad now that Armstrong's gone. And Boardman knows his cycling. It's just the presenter guy that's an absolute tool. Making a big deal out of the fact that a breakaway formed: "And it was so eeearly!"

Is it just me, or have you heard the explanation of the pronunciation of Leopard from Phil and Paul about 5 times?

Who calls it Le - pid still?

I dont think Phil and Paul are bad, I just find Boardman and the presenter really boring, the presenter highlights simple things everyone knows and then repeat them all night, Im just like Harmon and Kelly more.

Tony Martin finished 2nd on Mont Ventoux in 2009. That doesn't say he's good GC rider, as he's not ( or didn't prove it yet ). Did you check Rogers week stage races and GT's ? They're are kinda better's than Pate. If Pate is so good, he would have already been given chance to prove it long time ago. Simpy he isn't

Although again, he's is one hell of great domestique.

I agree with you. Kelly is one hell of an expert commentator. I'm amazed by how often he gets his predictions right. If only he didn't sound like he's bored out of his skin most of the time.

My small long shot bet on Ballan for the stage win doesn't look good, as he's working his socks off on the front.

Looking forward to see Valverde destroy the field

It gets worse. Are you for real? I understand that you're from the same place as him, so you're allowed to be a fan, but that statement is pretty much 100% wrong. If he was a top climber he would have shown it by now.

Laughable is the key word.

By that logic, if Rogers was a better climber, then he would have mountain stage results as well. But Danny simply hasn't been on a team that has allowed him to display his full potential. Even in the few times that he has had a free role, he has gotten results time after time. But this is beside the point. If Pate and Rogers were given an equal leadership role throughout this race, Danny would outperform him 7 out of 10 times. I don't care if Rogers has higher stats in PCM, because in real life it doesn't matter.

And I'm not saying that Rogers is a bad climber, I'm just saying that Danny is probably better.

He has shown it, that's what I'm saying. But what he has shown has only been a glimpse, due to unfavorable circumstances.