Grassmarket

Off we go with the women’s race... just worried that all the Spanish runners are going to get lapped & get in the way. Beatrice Chepkoech on the pace, Well up so far...last 1k

He did indeed have concussion & abandoned today. But questions will be asked etc etc.

Alaphillipe damn near does it again, van der Poel almost got him on the line as ALP celebrates too early. vdP should have won though, allowed himself to get boxed when he had the fastest finish.

Calabrian Railways need some investment. Ganna gets it!

Apparently this will be Ganna’s first-ever non-TT win.

Time gaps are pretty approximate - varying by about 20 secs a time.

The state of the roads both old and new in Calabria certainly offering plenty proof to the rumours that the whole area is controlled by the Mafia. Very impressed by Filippo Ganna at the moment. In a breakaway contending to be first over the top of the climb - great chance of a stage win with a long descent to come.

More details here - it was a real mess-up. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/54441571

It’s the weird paradox of NCAA gymnastics that it’s the only event women do AFTER their Olympic career is over.

Another special event tomorrow evening (20:30 UK) - the NN Valencia World Record day. Featuring Joshua Cheptegui going for the men’s 10,000m & Letesenbet Gidey going for the women’s 5,000m. Presumably specially choreographed with pacemakers, flashing lights etc.

Very tight sprint in Sicily - Demare gets it from Sagan & Ballerini by millimetres.

Another horrible crash falling over a bottle - Pieter Weening in trouble this time. Pedalling on.

Don’t want to hear from any tennis players complaining how cold it is in Paris!

Think it’s something to do with all the upcoming races which clash. All the Belgian classics, plus week 3 of the Giro will coincide with Week 1 of the Vuelta, so is possibly UCI imposed.

Ganna will also lose the Maglia Rosa - has been delegated to help Thomas. Thomas gets back on to a bigger group on a descent but not looking good. Seemingly a hip injury. Thomas lost a minute already in the foothills. Brad Wiggins thinks it’s a broken rib - end of race. Simon Yates also in trouble! Cannot keep up with 8k to go. Idiot fans out in force today. Jonathan Caicedo & EF Pro wins the stage after being in the day’s breakaway. Looks like Nibali, Fuglsang, Pozzovivo, Majka, Kruijswijk for the overall. Yates & Thomas surely out of it for good. Sagan’s bid for the KoM jersey also a casualty.

Dog (labrador) on the road incident in the Giro - fortunately no damage done to man or beast. 32k to go, building up to explosive climax on Mt Etna. Geraint Thomas had a crash in the neutral zone - is already off the back before the main climb! That looks like it already. Will lose minutes. Plan B is now Geoghan Hart for Ineos.

Like the true gentleman he is, Joe Biden refuses to take advantage of Pres Trumps misfortune. He’s taking the day off.

Of course they do. Why would they turn down all that lovely French money? Same reason the Netherlands Antilles voted to remain Dutch.

Alaphillipe did get relegated for the swerve. Doubt that’ll make him feel better.

Alaphillipe sure he had won the LBL, celebrated too early, Roglič snatched it!

Lizzie Deignan won the Women’s LBL after a 30k solo break. Grace Brown second after a long solo chase, never quite managed to close the gap. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/54406778

Giro d'Italia: EF Pro Cycling team fined for controversial 'duck' kit https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/54405087

Brigid Kosgei wins Sarah Hall puts in an amazing last 1k sprint finish to get second! Chepngetich a bit shell-shocked to get beaten into third after being second for so long.

World record (women’s only race) pace at halfway in London. Cold & wet though. Brigid Kosgei & Ruth Chepngetich contending. Falling off the pace now, more of a tactical race. Getting a bit confusing because there are now lapped runners cluttering the place up. Incidentally, the comms are talking about Olympic Qual times, so it must be valid. Kosgei now running solo for the win.

It’s Sicily: not quite Singapore when it comes to high & incorruptible standards of public works maintenance.