A bit of a damp squid

Yesterday’s stage up to the top of Mount Ventoux was meant to be a nail biting climax before the usual ceremonial parade into Paris. It turned out to be more about tactics than pure racing.

For us Bradley Wiggins was the real star as he fought off challenges for his fourth place overall. He was dropped by Contador, Armstrong and the Schleck brothers in the final kilometres but still managed to hold on to his position by three slender seconds.

Garate was the first Spaniard to win on the mountain and will remember the day for the rest of his life. If the race for first place in Paris had been closer, it would have been a different story.

Now all that remains is to see if Mark Cavendish can win the coveted last sprint on the Champs Elysees.