Tour smashed to pieces in horror crash; GC dreams die for Hesjedal

Stage 6 -- July 6: Épernay to Metz, 207.5 km (128.9 mi)

Today was meant to be the last day off for the big contenders of this years Tour. A final roll of the dice for the sprinters for at least a week as the race snaked its way towards the mountains. There's an old phrase in cycling when someone puts the hurt on a bunch of his opponents on a climb that he has 'thrown a hand grenade into the group and blown the race to pieces,' well, let me say, had someone literally thrown a grenade into today's peloton as it hammered its way towards the finish, 25 kilometers outside of Metz, there might have been less carnage than what we seen.

A couple of sprint stages; a couple of final kilometer crashes

Stage 4 -- July 4: Abbeville to Rouen, 214.5 km (133.3 mi)
Stage 5 -- July 5: Rouen to Saint-Quentin, 196 .5 km (122 mi)

Crashes inside the final kilometers have become a common sight. Tyler Farrar was the latest victom and it brought out the rage within him. Photograph: Bogdan Cristel/Reuters

The last two days have been the stages the pure sprinters have been looking forward to ever since this Tour began. Totally flat, with yesterday's having not a single categorised climb. It was always going to end up with the big bunch sprint. Sure groups would go clear but inevitably be washed away inside the run for the line. Saying that, yesterday's break almost threw a spanner into the works and had the line come 500 meters earlier, might well have cost the sprinters a shot at glory. Were the race radio's that aid the tempo of the bunch to catch these breaks not working?

Danger: Fun police in attendance at the Tour

Peter Sagan celebrates his first career Tour de France win with a Balotelli impression

You know it's been a controversial free start to the Tour when the biggest debating point isn't the route the organizers have chosen or a doping scandal, but rather the celebrations of Peter Sagan in two of the four race stages thus far. First up he crossed the line doing what appeared to be his best Mario Balotelli impersonation (see above) and followed it up two days later by mimicking Forest Gump running, though it looked more like Lloyd from that Dumb and Dumber scene below.

Le Tour on Twitter: Episode 1

You'll have noticed throughout the Tour so far I have a Twitter feed on display of all the cyclists in the Tour de France as well as a number of journalists and media outlets that are following the race bringing you their thoughts as and when they put them into cyberspace. On top of that, every now and then, I'll post a list of some of the best Tweets I come across from the previous day or days depending when I get the chance to troll through the varied words of wisdom. Here's episode one of this Tweeting saga...

The talented Peter Sagan

Stage 3 -- July 3: Orchies to Boulogne-sur-Mer, 197 km (122 mi)

Sagan runs his way over the line as those behind suffer. Photograph: Lionel Bonaventure/AFP/Getty Images

It was the celebration of victory that I have always dreamed of doing on the bike but never felt there was the onlooking crowd, nor the victory big enough, to match the occasion. So it was with a tint of jealousy that I looked on at Peter Sagan as he crested the final brutal climb -- much like on Sunday but with a greater winning margin still -- sat up and done his Run-Forest-Run style celebration while his biggest rivals grimaced at the onset of pain several yards behind.

Normal order restored to the first week of the Tour

Stage 2 -- July 2: Visé to Tournai, 207 km (129 mi)

Back to normality with a bunch sprint and a Cavendish win Photograph: AFP

It was a sight we have seen twenty times before on the Tour de France. Mark Cavendish breaking from the pack with about two-hundred meters to go and powering his way to the line. Sure it wasn't as definitive as it has been in the past and had it been perhaps ten more meters his old foe Andre Greipel might even have had him, but it wasn't and as the saying goes, it doesn't matter whether you win by an inch or a mile, winning is winning and nobody does it better than Cavendish.

Show of strength

Stage 1 -- July 1: Liège to Seraing, 198 km (123 mi) 

Peter Sagan does his best Mario Balotelli pose. Photograph: AFP

Just as yesterday was always likely to be Fabian Cancellara's stage to lose, so today was always going to be one for the men who can produce an incredible turn of power over a short distance. Like stage one last year in which Philippe Gilbert powered away to take the Yellow jersey, today was set up perfectly for a man like the Belgian or an uber talented young Slovak called Peter Sagan.