Hectic race from the start until the end. Raced like a classic from which you'd have cut the boring first 100 km! Very little actual flat, but a lot of false flats in a hilly landscape, even before they reached the steeper hills of Lauragais (the last 50 km).
Q. Simmons in the shape of his life again, but one more time a bit short in the end. He hasn't spared his efforts since the beginning of the tour: when he's not ahead, he's either trying to get ahead, or working for his team.
Astonishing performance from the winners who started soon after km 0 and resisted non-stop counter attacks all day!
(And disastrous TV direction again. Not sure if you get the same final cut on the international signal, but showing cycling really hurts the French TV director...)