Dan Martin made a brave but ultimately futile bid for a second ever Tour de France stage win yesterday, the Irishman finishing runner-up to Rafal Majka (Tinkoff Saxo) on a gruelling day in the Pyrenees.

Chris Froome stamped his class all over the Tour de France yesterday by totally obliterating the field on the first mountain stage of this year’s race.

Defending champion Chris Froome has abandoned the 2014 Tour de France after a third crash in two days.

Mark Cavendish’s bid for the yellow jersey ended in a heap as the Manxman tumbled to the tarmac in a dramatic conclusion to the opening stage of the 101st Tour de France in Harrogate.

Tour de France champion Bradley Wiggins is frustrated the present generation of riders have been left to answer questions about the state of cycling in the wake of the Lance Armstrong affair.

Bradley Wiggins’ hopes of defending his Tour de France title were dealt a blow today after the details of the 2013 route were unveiled in Paris.