FTDF Stage 18 - Hey Arnaud!

Stage 19. A sprint. Arnaud Demare won.

Good for him. I much prefer him to that other French sprinter and massive fin de cloche, Nacer Bouhanni, who is such a con, that his team didn't even take him to the Tour.

Pance Jr. showed wisdom beyond his years when he selected Demare, none of you losers did, so most points to the Charmers.

Team	Manager	Stage 18
The Charmers	Craig E Pance	333
Dudes Riding Using Good Stuff	Drew Stephenson	133
Bile Beans	Vestan Pance	130
History Boys	Warwick Anderson	124
The Golden Lions eating a baguette	Lisa	105
Running with the Bulls and an Inhaler	Delphiakid	98
BarmbyWorld	Clive Jeffery	90
Smugblokes	Mark Philo	78
Do Androids Dream of Chris Froome	Eric Mortier	74
Kloefekappers FC	Jan Van Belleghem	73
Chanbots Ultra	Evil Dr Chan	54

Unless the History Boys all fall off tomorrow, I think the battle is now for second place.

Team	Manager	Total
History Boys	Warwick Anderson	6280
Running with the Bulls and an Inhaler	Delphiakid	4781
Dudes Riding Using Good Stuff	Drew Stephenson	4424
Chanbots Ultra	Evil Dr Chan	4376
The Charmers	Craig E Pance	4211
BarmbyWorld	Clive Jeffery	3947
The Golden Lions eating a baguette	Lisa	3604
Bile Beans	Vestan Pance	3483
Do Androids Dream of Chris Froome	Eric Mortier	3225
Kloefekappers FC	Jan Van Belleghem	2687
Smugblokes	Mark Philo	2602

Stage 20 is the last mountain stage, so if anyone wants to try something (and plenty of people do) then it's now or never. 

FTDF Stage 17 - Nairo Nails It

There was some hype around today's stage, but although the start was novel, it was not long before Sky were on the front and it was business as usual. Now that the final week is upon us, tradition dictates that Nairo Quintana shows his climbing chops, but leaves it all too late to win the race. So a stage win for the little Colombian then.

Geraint Thomas is looking strong, and Chris Froome would seem to be less so. After today it looks like the question of who the leader is at Team Sky had been settled on the road. Shockingly, the Welshman still hasn't fallen off, something one spectator seemed willing to fix.

Danny is back on the scores, but despite our best efforts......

 .....the History Boys continue to rack up the points.

Team	Manager	Stage 17
History Boys	Warwick Anderson	430
The Charmers	Craig E Pance	414
Dudes Riding Using Good Stuff	Drew Stephenson	314
Kloefekappers FC	Jan Van Belleghem	289
Chanbots Ultra	Evil Dr Chan	261
Smugblokes	Mark Philo	261
Bile Beans	Vestan Pance	226
The Golden Lions eating a baguette	Lisa	218
Do Androids Dream of Chris Froome	Eric Mortier	209
Running with the Bulls and an Inhaler	Delphiakid	188
BarmbyWorld	Clive Jeffery	100

With Paris nearly in sight, the History Boys have what can only be described as an impressive lead.

Team	Manager	Total
History Boys	Warwick Anderson	6156
Running with the Bulls and an Inhaler	Delphiakid	4683
Chanbots Ultra	Evil Dr Chan	4322
Dudes Riding Using Good Stuff	Drew Stephenson	4291
The Charmers	Craig E Pance	3878
BarmbyWorld	Clive Jeffery	3857
The Golden Lions eating a baguette	Lisa	3499
Bile Beans	Vestan Pance	3353
Do Androids Dream of Chris Froome	Eric Mortier	3151
Kloefekappers FC	Jan Van Belleghem	2614
Smugblokes	Mark Philo	2524

Stage 18 should be another one for the sprinters. There's not many left though, so probably one for Sagan. He did fall off today, but he's not the type of guy to let hitting "a big rock with my ass" stop him.

FTDF Stage 16 - Alaphilipe Up, Philipe Down

Winning your second Tour stage in the Mountains Jersey is probably pretty sweet. Julian Alaphilipe looked slightly happy.

Not quite so happy was Simon Adam Yates, who looked to have it in the bag, only to fall off in the last few kms. Also taking a tumble was Phillipe Gilbert, who went over a brick wall in spectacular fashion, I hear he was mostly OK, but won't be starting tomorrow.

Geraint Thomas made it through the stage without falling off, but he didn't make it through the stage without getting pepper-sprayed, or tear-gassed, or Novichoked (I'm not sure which - it's not like I'm a chemist).

Winning the stage scores today were DADoCF as I like to call them.

Team	Manager	Stage 16
Do Androids Dream of Chris Froome	Eric Mortier	543
History Boys	Warwick Anderson	464
The Golden Lions eating a baguette	Lisa	271
The Charmers	Craig E Pance	263
Running with the Bulls and an Inhaler	Delphiakid	259
Chanbots Ultra	Evil Dr Chan	236
Bile Beans	Vestan Pance	184
Kloefekappers FC	Jan Van Belleghem	110
Smugblokes	Mark Philo	101
Dudes Riding Using Good Stuff	Drew Stephenson	100
BarmbyWorld	Clive Jeffery	73

With no scoring update from my chief number-cruncher Danny, I had to work out the scores myself. Despite my best efforts at rigging the scores, the History Boys are still winning.

Team	Manager	Total
History Boys	Warwick Anderson	5726
Running with the Bulls and an Inhaler	Delphiakid	4495
Chanbots Ultra	Evil Dr Chan	4061
Dudes Riding Using Good Stuff	Drew Stephenson	3977
BarmbyWorld	Clive Jeffery	3757
The Charmers	Craig E Pance	3464
The Golden Lions eating a baguette	Lisa	3281
Bile Beans	Vestan Pance	3127
Do Androids Dream of Chris Froome	Eric Mortier	2942
Kloefekappers FC	Jan Van Belleghem	2325
Smugblokes	Mark Philo	2263

Stage 17 is short and sweet. Only 65km and three big climbs. There's also some sort of starting grid thing like you get in a cyclocross race - lets hope no one breaks their chain on the start line, like I did at the Grant Park Cross race.

In Velogames news, you may have received an email from George Chapman about his plans for the future. It kind of sounds like a Fantasy Tour de France is too much of a legal minefield for him, but there's plenty of other races out there - and if you want to help out, why don't you Go Fund Velogames.

FTDF Stage 15 - Cort Goes Balls Deep

It was another day where they let a big ol' break fight for the win. I suppose it makes things easier for Team Sky, but it makes working out the scores more complicated. Anyway, the canniest man in the break was Magnus Cort, who was first across the line.

Geraint Thomas made it through another stage without falling off. But he did lose a team-mate after Sky Bad Boy, Gianni Muscon got disqualified for punching some guy.

Another win in the stage scores for the Charmers.

Team	Manager	Stage 15
The Charmers	Craig E Pance	290
Kloefekappers FC	Jan Van Belleghem	280
Chanbots Ultra	Evil Dr Chan	225
Dudes Riding Using Good Stuff	Drew Stephenson	222
Do Androids Dream of Chris Froome	Eric Mortier	178
History Boys	Warwick Anderson	142
Smugblokes	Mark Philo	134
BarmbyWorld	Clive Jeffery	114
The Golden Lions eating a baguette	Lisa	108
Running with the Bulls and an Inhaler	Delphiakid	82
Bile Beans	Vestan Pance	80

Would you believe me if I told you that I very nearly picked Magnus Cort? Well I nearly did, however it would have meant that I unpicked Omar Fraile, our stage winner from yesterday. So I guess it wouldn't have made much difference, the History Boys would be way out in front either way.

Team	Manager	Total
History Boys	Warwick Anderson	5262
Running with the Bulls and an Inhaler	Delphiakid	4236
Dudes Riding Using Good Stuff	Drew Stephenson	3877
Chanbots Ultra	Evil Dr Chan	3825
BarmbyWorld	Clive Jeffery	3684
The Charmers	Craig E Pance	3201
The Golden Lions eating a baguette	Lisa	3010
Bile Beans	Vestan Pance	2943
Do Androids Dream of Chris Froome	Eric Mortier	2399
Kloefekappers FC	Jan Van Belleghem	2215
Smugblokes	Mark Philo	2162

Stage 16 will happen after a little rest day tomorrow. Will there be some tired legs among the race leaders? Will Thomas fall off? We'll have to wait till Tuesday to find out.

FTDF Stage 14 - Strong Day for Fraile

Stage 14 then. Well first there was a big break.

And then Omar Fraile won the stage.

And after I made a cup of tea and had a big poop, the GC guys finished, with Geraint Thomas making it another day without falling off.

Stage scores, History Boys.

Team	Manager	Stage 14
History Boys	Warwick Anderson	407
The Golden Lions eating a baguette	Lisa	332
Bile Beans	Vestan Pance	296
The Charmers	Craig E Pance	263
Running with the Bulls and an Inhaler	Delphiakid	249
Dudes Riding Using Good Stuff	Drew Stephenson	220
BarmbyWorld	Clive Jeffery	190
Do Androids Dream of Chris Froome	Eric Mortier	163
Smugblokes	Mark Philo	103
Chanbots Ultra	Evil Dr Chan	88
Kloefekappers FC	Jan Van Belleghem	71

Overall scores, History Boys.

Team	Manager	Total
History Boys	Warwick Anderson	5120
Running with the Bulls and an Inhaler	Delphiakid	4154
Dudes Riding Using Good Stuff	Drew Stephenson	3655
Chanbots Ultra	Evil Dr Chan	3600
BarmbyWorld	Clive Jeffery	3570
The Charmers	Craig E Pance	2911
The Golden Lions eating a baguette	Lisa	2902
Bile Beans	Vestan Pance	2863
Do Androids Dream of Chris Froome	Eric Mortier	2221
Smugblokes	Mark Philo	2028
Kloefekappers FC	Jan Van Belleghem	1935

Stage 15 has a big hill near the end but then there's a while to the finish. I'm willing to wager that Sagan will manage to be up there somehow or other.