Bastille Day usually provides some fireworks at the Tour de France as the French riders all gun for victory, but today’s stage was universally acknowledged as a bit of a bore and the outcome—another sprint win for Brit Mark Cavendish—was all but predetermined.

The general classification remained unchanged after the 121-mile flat stage from Limoges to Issoudun, which was run with riders not using the standard race radios. Teams and riders were not thrilled with the Tour’s experiment in neo-Luddism, and riders showed their displeasure in a variety of forms. Radios will be back tomorrow, another flat stage and, likely, another win for Cavendish, who appears unbeatable in field sprints.

Geoff Van Dyke
Geoff Van Dyke
Geoff Van Dyke was the magazine’s editorial director from 2021 to 2024. He is currently a Denver-based writer and editor.