GOING FOR BROKE

Bahrain Victorious directeur sportif Rolf Aldag is happy but a little bewildered. Speaking prior to the start of the Tour de France’s 10th stage in Albertville, he has seen his riders clinch two wins and a third place on the first big days in the hills and mountains, but he confesses that he’s been completely taken aback by how those performances have come about. “Seeing how we’ve raced here, I was like, ‘Guys, are you sure? It’s a long way to the line. Maybe you should wait a little longer,’” he says, adding: “But there’s no hesitation. It’s all fall in or fall out.”

Every Tour is expected to begin at ferocious intensity, the pace high, nerves jangling, the fear of crashes almost tangible. Yet, order and a sense of control tend to arrive quickly, imposed to a large extent by the sprint and general classification teams, but also by the knowledge that Grand Tours can’t be rushed, and especially the Tour, where the pressure, the level of competition and the rewards are higher than anywhere. Caution is the watchword. Or