After Christopher Froome won the ride to the top of Mont Ventoux today you started seeing people talking about drugs.

Both Christopher Froome and Nairo Quintana were born and raised at altitude. Froome was born and grew up above 1600 meters (a mile) in Nairobi, Kenya, and Quintana above 2800 meters in Tunja, Colombia. Their respiratory systems are extremely efficient at altitude, which means they don’t tire like the flat-landers. There is a reason Kenyans keep winning marathons.

If Quintana were not about a foot shorter than Froome, he would have been the first to the top, but he has to work harder.

Givors to Mont Ventoux

Distance: 242.5 kilometers.

This is the longest stage on the Tour, it comes on Bastille Day, and finishes at the top of the 1912 meter Mont Ventoux that is reached by road that would give a snake a backache because of all of the hairpin turns. You start with three category 4 climbs in the first 45 kilometers. Then about 100 kilometers of hills before a category 3. After another 50 kilometers of hills, they expect a sprint to speed you to the final 20.8 kilometer climb at an average of 7.5% to reach the top of the Hors Catégorie Mont Ventoux.

Pierre Rolland, along with every other French rider, would love to win this stage on this day.

Christopher Froome added the stage and the Polka Dots to his bag today taking the climb to the top. It will be worn by Mikel Nieve, because the number two in the category, Nairo Quintana, is back in the White. Froome also extended his overall lead by over a minute.

Christopher Froome ( GB – SKY – 001 ) [Yellow] 61h 11′ 43″
Peter Sagan ( Svk – CAN – 011 ) [Green] 357 points
Mikel Nieve Iturralde ( Esp – EUS – 116 ) [Polka Dot] 83 points [Froome]
Nairo Alexander Quintana Rojas ( Col – MOV – 128 ) 6 [White]

Team: Saxo-Tinkoff ( TST – 091-099 ) [Yellow numbers]
Stage winner: Christopher Froome ( GB – SKY – 001 )
Combative: Sylvain Chavanel ( Fra – OPQ – 152 ) [Red numbers]

Top Ten:

1 Christopher Froome ( GB – SKY – 001 )
2 Bauke Mollema ( Ned – BEL – 164 ) + 04′ 14″
3 Alberto Contador ( Esp – TST – 091 ) + 04′ 25″
4 Roman Kreuziger ( Cze – TST – 094 ) + 04′ 28″
5 Laurens Ten Dam ( Ned – BEL – 167 ) + 04′ 54″
6 Nairo Alexander Quintana Rojas ( Col – MOV – 128 ) + 05′ 47″
7 Jakob Fuglsang ( Den – EUC – 063 ) + 06′ 22″
8 Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver ( Esp – KAT – 101 ) + 07′ 11″
9 Jean-Christophe Péraud ( Fra – ALM – 081 ) + 07′ 47″
10 Michal Kwiatkowski ( Pol – OPQ – 153 ) + 07′ 58″

The Rest of the Top 30:
[Read more →]

La Fête Nationale
Bastille Day

Thank you for the help with the Revolution.

Some background.