Gallery
Urging the Climbers On
The press surrounding the Tour has may quite a bit of hay over the actions of a few fans along the side of the road, although, given their actions "fans" is far to generous of a word. The lion share of the millions of cycling fans that line the sides of the road are there to cheer on their heroes and every rider who takes on the challenge of the Tour. One of the treats for those along the road is the publicity caravan the precedes the peloton distributing trinkets, hats, t-shirts and noise makers to the waiting throngs. On the mountain stages, Carrefour (a French grocery store chain), who sponsor the King of the Mountains Maillot a Pois. This guy is cheering on the early break in his newly captured polka dot t-shirt. Those assailing the Col de Cabre almost twenty minutes ahead of the peloton incuded Damiel Navarro (Cofidis), Michal Golas (Etixx-Quickstep), Serge Pauwels & Edvald Boasson Hagen (MTN-Qhubeka), and oddly enough the sprinter Peter Sagan (Tinkoff Saxo).
The closest man in the break to the Maillot Jaune was almost an hour behind. So all of the GC riders were happy to let these guys vie for the stage and basically take the day off until the final climb and descent of the day. Well as much of a day off as one can have covering 201 kilometers and two categorized climbs