Grassmarket

Carapaz hanging on at the front & increasing his lead as the big names watch each other.

Been a long time coming. Lamine Diack, the ex-head of athletics' governing body, has been jailed after being found guilty of corruption. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/54176537

President Macron is in the house - death knell for any French chance today. 30k to go, last big climb about to start. Looks like being a GC battle, breakaway don’t have enough of a lead to survive.

Pogačar sneaks out of the second group & snaffles the KoM points, putting himself into the virtual lead.

Sam Bennett took the intermediate - well, 10th or something - so looking good for Paris.

Guess the plan will be for him to help Chris Froome in the Vuelta. Early green jersey action today, but nobody getting away.

New Series started last night folks - the 2020 Sand Rally. To me, the purest form of Marble Racing! All marbles line up at the top of a hill - quickest marble to the bottom of the hill wins!

No, both of those were at one time the same Keltic people. Also Galata in Turkey! The Keltic languages were the most widespread in Europe before the Roman Empire. Literally from Ireland to the Urals.

It’s not unique. There are about a dozen groups worldwide calling themselves Gauls, Gaels, Galls or some minute variation.

Kämna taking a big lead on the final descent. Closes it out with a big solo win as Carapaz gives up early. Long wait till the yellow jersey group comes in. Once again Quintana cannot keep pace with climb monster Wout van Aert.

Bernal gives up - is now back with Greipel & Bennett in the Bad Boys group at the back of the classroom. Easily the thinnest guy there.

Pierre Roland is France’s officially nominated Polka Dot Jersey winner this Tour. Wanders off the front to collect the points: nobody bothers to challenge. Hmm....just noticed something interesting. If Chris Froome goes for the KoM in the Vuelta he would become only the third rider ever to do the career Triple - Bahamontes & Luis Hererra being the other two.

What did I tell you? Surprised we’re going all the way to Latvia.

Trentin gets Green Jersey points, is now third overall in that. Davide Gaudu abandons: has been struggling literally since Day 1 as I recall.

Oh look, Ineos riders on the front trying to get into the break. Winner Anacona dooms the break by his presence.

Livestream for Zagreb tonight. Early start. https://www.worldathletics.org/news/news/how-follow-2020-continental-tour-gold

British Ice Hockey announces suspension of 2020-21 Season - not financially viable under current conditions. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/ice-hockey/54158184 Sadly leaves the whole sport in uncertainty, after Team GB had made the World Top 16 for the first time in decades.

Confirmation of what we already know - Biden would be out within weeks of being elected. Kamala Harris has spoken of the 'Harris administration' during a virtual roundtable before quickly clarifying Joe Biden will be president. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8733687/Kamala-Harris-talks-Harris-administration-virtual-roundtable.html

Big performance from Thomas, 4th overall on the day & best of the Top 3 Majka loses 2nd to Thomas.... Yates home comfortably for the overall Blue Jersey! Filippo Ganna of Ineos, long-term TT leader, takes the day by 18secs over Campenaerts. So Ineos having a bad Tour, but looking decent for the Giro.

Top 10 just about to go off in the T-A, so 40 mins to a result.

Yeah, but how many yellow, green & whites?

Was always the Big Man for small prizes.

Rest day for the TdF, so the Tirreno-Adriatico gets some love. Final day is an ITT, with anything possible with six within a minute. TT is flat & beach-side. Britain’s Simon Yates in the lead. https://www.tirrenoadriatico.it/en/classifiche/

Here in Britain we call them “the French.” Damn, everyone makes the same joke. Go figure!

Here’s a delicious rumour I must pass on. The reason Biden does so few public appearances, and they are so brief when he does them, is that his dementia meds cause incontinence. Now, right-wing website, anonymous source, safe to ignore.....but I’ll continue to believe it until the day Joe Biden gives a 60-minute speech or press conference or Town Hall event the way Pres. Trump does on almost a daily basis. https://admin.americanthinker.com/blog/2020/09/startling_anonymous_post_from_a_claimed_biden_exstaffer_lays_out_the_alleged_depths_of_his_dementia.html