CQ Rankings for continental teams:

We continue to be the best placed continental team in the CQ rankings, Kenda surge into second thanks largely down to Salomein, who is a beast and almost wins everything he enters.

The continental rankings have no outcome effecting a team like the CQ rankings do, but here they are nevertheless.

Continental rankings for teams:

Continental rankings for riders:

STAGE 2: Rotterdam - Bruxelles 228 KM's

Stage Favourites:
***Cavendish(YTE) **Farrar(RIM) *Kummer(EUS)

A flat stage for the sprinters who will be salivating with the chance of victory.

We had to get into the break... and we did. Clarke, tried first of all but failed. Fortunately we had Gilbert on the attack who was part of an 11 man strong group including Roux, Riccio and Zhurkin. Bevin probably the fastest as he took the intermediate sprint.

However, despite the strength of the 11 men, of which Gilbert was one of the last 4 to survive, Roux being the last to be caught, the peloton lead largely by Katusha, RIM and Euskaltel would close down and prepare the sprint.

Unfortunately for us we had three riders really suffering with some king of flu, Roche, Stamm and Clarke were feeling really bad. The German was one of five riders to be tailed off the peloton.

Into the sprint, Euskaltel had the perfect sprint train for Kummer....but in the dying meters Cavendish comes out of Kummer's wheel for his 27th TDF stage win, winning by half a wheel. Swift may have been in contention and Sagan finished strongly despite the efforts of Euskaltel's riders to hamper the opposition.

Feillu gets our name some more exposure with a top 10. GC stays the same.

STAGE RESULTS:

STAGE 3: Bruxelles - Spa 193 KM's

Stage Favourites:
***Schleck(ISS) **Van der Sande(AES) *Gautier(DYN)

It is only stage 3 but the hills are already upon us. The second half of the stage littered with climbs, with a steep one 9 kilometres before the finish.

For the second day in a row we got Gilbert into the break, could he get hold of the KOM jersey....NO. The other riders were fresher and more spritely up the hills, Lermarchand (Bretagne) with 3 points would lead the comp at the end of the day.

Like stage 2 the break had a max advantage of around 9:15. ISS, American Express and ExxonMobil were prominent chasers. The Italian, USA and Russian champs riding on the front.

With 65 kilometres to go Volvo's existence just got a whole lot worse as Bardet (2nd on the Vuelta) was one of less than 20 riders to be dropped.

With 47 kilometres to go a big name is dropped. That man is FROOME, he looked empty early on and he is the first GC outsider to drop out of the reckoning

The break were swallowed up by Schleck and Kreuziger who attacked over the last climb with 8 kilometres to go, just catching Fonseca (Saur) who was the last of the break to survive.

But on the descent the big two would be caught, we would have a depleted bunch sprint contesting for victory.

The French champ wins. Jeannesson (FDJ) just holds off a much faster Uran for the stage win, what a tour and what a year for FDJ. Izagirre scraps really well for us, showing his ability after his new contract, to finish 6th. Our best place so far!

STAGE RESULTS:

GENERAL AFTER STAGE:

POINTS:

MOUNTAIN:

The next stage is indeed an epic one, a stage which could quite easily raise the hairs on the back of your neck. Yes stage 4 sees the riders journey from Wanze - Arenberg Porte du Hainaut.

The last time this stage was raced was in 2010, Armstrong punctured before his demise, Hushovd won and Schleck built the basis for his first TDF victory, if you believe the record books!

STAGE 4: Wanze - Arenberg Porte du Hainaut 208 KM's

Stage Favourites:
***Sagan(GPM) **Boasson Hagen(RAB) *Farrar(RIM)

A flat stage with numerous cobbled sections in the second half a real hard man type stage, epic racing imminent.

Early on a 12 group was established, it included some decent cobblers such as Borry(Youtube) and Turgot(Bretagne), Berkhout(RAB) and Gaudin(FDJ). But with 110 kilometres to go the gap was well under control and coming down from 7:00, Gazprom driving hard on the front, most likely for stage favourite Sagan.

With 80 kilometres to go, the first cobbled section is reached, Frank(American Express) attacks and then multiple classics winner Boom (ExxonMobil) goes bang and attacks.

It doesn't take long for Boom to bridge across to the head of the race and start riding on the front. We would be protecting V.D.B but with Gallopin in his element we would also give him every chance to do something today.

Favourites Crash. With 35 kilometres to go and the break at 2:00 Farrar (RIM) and Degenkolb crash on the, ever unpredictable, cobbles. This causes a split in the peloton, 56 riders are in the front group.

Sagan is dropped! Sagan is dropped but Gazprom continue to set a hard pace, before.....

with 28 kilometres to go we give orders for Gallopin to go! He comes to the front of the cobbles alongside Cancellara and Stannard and a gap is formed.

6 riders break away including Puccio and GC MEN?!? Yes Schleck(ISS) and Ellisonde(Gazprom) are also in the move. Ghyslinck(Katusha) looks strongly but his team leader Pinot doesn't and can't go with the pace!

The new break forms with the original Boom break and ride on, some riders including Lander bridge across,....Schleck is dropped, but Ellisonde is still present in the group with 17 kilometres to go . The gap back to Pinot and yellow jersey Martin is well over 1:30.

Gallopin rides on.

The group at the head of the race ride on, I'm happily apprehensive at Gallopin's chances, sweating overwhelming me! There are no attacks just a solid pace being set,

Into the sprint. Lander leads from way out, Boom on his wheel and Gallopin on his......

and Gallopin wins it! He had too much left and Lander and Boom didn't. TDF Stage win for Qatar Optics. Worldwide attention now encumbering the team. Ellisonde was really lucky to get the same time as the winners, Schleck finishes over 2:00 down and Pinot over 3:44 down. What a buffer for Ellisonde, but can he hold a big gap after finishing second in a punishing Giro?

What a moment for the team. Sheiks and people I have never heard off phoning me off the hook. But in truth this was all down to Gallopin, of course Brice helped him early on in the stage, but he rode like a man possessed today.

STAGE RESULTS:

GENERAL AFTER STAGE:

POINTS:

The following three stages were flat, but would they end in bunch sprints?

STAGE 5: Cambrai - Reims 149 KM's

STAGE RESULTS:

STAGE 6: Epernay - Montargis 187 KM's

STAGE RESULTS:

STAGE 7: Montargis - Gueugnon 229 KM's

Stage 7 was a real eventful day aside from Van Avermaet (Apple) overtaking the KOM jersey lead, with the 8 man break splitting half way in the stage. In the downpour many big names lost contact and the peloton came in with only 100 riders.

Feillu sprinted out of his skin to finish third on the hard man stage, I'm having regrets about not offering him a new contract. Sagan claims his second win in three stages, Gazprom bossing the tour so far!

STAGE RESULTS: