Sam Bennett just edged out his competition to claim the Stage 10 win. On a gorgeous day in western France that saw the peloton set a scorching pace, Bennett barely nudged past Caleb Ewan, who was denied a second stage win in this year's Tour de France.
That was the best screen capture I could get. Bennett is the one surging ahead in white while Ewan is doing all he can to shove his bike forward on the right. Peter Sagan, on the left coming in third, will have to pass his green jersey to Bennett, a sight that all of Ireland will enjoy tomorrow.
It was great watching the peloton move through towns and around roundabouts at high speeds. Look at the onscreen speedometer during the intermediate sprint.
As a recreational rider, I can't fathom going 65 kph (40 mph) on a bicycle. I'm glad the cyclists didn't go too crazy with speeds because we had a good prediction today.
- Stage 10: 3h 35' 22" (actual), 3h 41' 08" (prediction), 05' 46" slow (2.68% error)
Bennett's average speed, which was essentially the average speed of 65 other riders who got the same stage time, is shown below.
- Stage 10: 13.04 m/s (46.94 kph or 29.17 mph)
That's pretty fast! Elite cyclists are amazing athletes for sure.
Tomorrow's 167.5-km (104.1-mi) flat Stage 11 takes riders northeast from the west coast of France. They begin near the beach in Châtelaillon-Plage and reach the finish line in Poitiers. I hope that the cyclists enjoy great weather tomorrow and that the racing remains fast. Our prediction is given below.
- Stage 11: 3h 39' 48" (prediction)
Barring crashes and other such disasters, tomorrow's middle stage of this year's Tour de France shouldn't see changes to the top rankings for the general classification. Which sprinter will win the day? I'm rooting for Peter Sagan to break through with a stage win tomorrow.
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