Spoiler alert if you're following the race.

This thread doesn't get a lot of love, but goddam if today wasn't awesome. Mandela Day was being celebrated by MTN Quebeka which is the very first African team in the Tour -- a wild card team at that. The coverage focused on their orange helmets with #mandeladay on them and also the Mandela quote Tweeted by race leader from team Sky, Chris Froome, who was born in Kenya.

There was a 20-man breakaway and the first mention of Stephen Cummings from MTN Quebeka was in the last 2-3k when he pulled into third place on the road. At about 1k Cummings shot past Romaine Bardet and Thibeau Pinaux (who teammates buried themselves to put him in position to win) and won the stage. It was incredible! The team's first stage win in the TDF happened on Mandela Day with a come from nowhere finish. Amazing. Nelson was smiling down on them today.

At least no one threw a cup of urine over Chris Froome in today's stage

I have been watching pretty regularly. Stupid recording for stage 14 cut out at 3k....

Not a Froome fan at all and feel in my gut he's doping but he's innocent until proven guilty and I hope they find that fucking Frenchman and put him in jail.

The "exchange" with the cameraman while Sagan was changing bikes earned the team director a day off.

Really?

Was a nice shot with the watte bottle but seems excessive.

Who can forget the French Television car swiping Hoogerland into a barbed wire fence on day 9 in 2011 - now that was a good reason for the car's occupants to be kicked off the tour.  Throwing a water bottle - please!

 

Of course being a tough pro cyclist, Hoogerland got on his bike and rode to the finish, then spent overnight in hospital.  Went on to complete the Tour.

 

 

 

Hoogerland in hospital overnight after his barbed wire incident in 2011.  Note the compression trousers to keep swelling down.  And the iPad and phone.

 

Jeez

 

It's incredible that wasn't the worst crash of the day. 🥵

 

 

Went to a place that sold biscuits and gravy today; my bad.

The tenth USA rider to win a stage at the Tour de France won on Sunday ten years after the last USA stage winner. Sepp Kuss, the Durango Kid had a great win in the Pyrenees!