dave_ragg1984

Well that's fantastic bowling then. "They think it's going to spin. I can bowl at 2000 rpm but I'm going to bowl straight."

We took 4 wickets before the close of play, so calling it a mistake is a bit harsh. He might have known the rule and declared then on purpose. Get an early tea and have a long session at them. If that was the case then it worked.

I'd take the captaincy off him and keep him in the side. If his form doesn't return before the end of this series, he then has 9 months before the next test match which is plenty of time out of the firing line.

Granted, relieving Cook of the captaincy will probably help his batting no end. But you'd completely get rid of a player who at the age of 29 has over 8000 test runs and more centuries than any other England test batsmen ever?

The bowling was gash because we'd just scored 226. The fielding performance wasn't good but we'd have been switched on if needed. We're winning the T20 this year. Fred is scoring the winning runs in the final. And then he is getting knighted.

FFS.

I have a buyer lined up for the test match ticket if you don't want it.

Algeria played well against Germany, but the team that deserved to win won that game.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2R1AyIV-tQM is it over the line though?

I don't know about going over for Euro 2016, but next time they do l'Alpe d'Huez I'm seriously considering it.

I'd imaging for a professional cyclist, sitting on the front of the bunch checking out your food bag is pretty standard stuff. Its actually probably harder the further back into the peleton they are because of just how close to each other they ride. And any kid bouncing on the pedals up Holme Moss, no matter how far they have ridden or are riding, is pretty impressive stuff. That hill is a really hard ride, and where I was was the steepest part of it and some of them were dancing up it. Now I know kids have no weight to them, but their bikes looked heavier than them half the time! They could have started riding from the bridge for all I know, but some of them were seriously impressive.

Cragg wasn't categorised, but it was given a french sounding name. I think it said on the telly that it was included in Cote de Ripponden, which seems a bit odd to me. There is a 4 mile descent between the end of the Cragg Vale climb and the start of the one out of Ripponden. I don't know if they did Holme Moss the easy way, as I've only done it that way, but I asked my brother and he said its easier coming up the other way. He's done that a few times and the way they did it dozens of times. The climb past Holme band club just to get to the start of the Holme Moss climb is hard enough and really takes it out of your legs before you get to the bridge where it ramps up again. I don't think they were going full steam up it, but they were going some to reel the break in. Marcus Burghardt broke the Strava record for Holme Moss from the band club to the top of the summit, with a time of 12:48, which is ridiculous. Riders who uploaded their ride yesterday (Ted King, David Lopez and Lars Boom) make up 4 of the top 5 on there now. Burghardt averaged 13.7 mph, which on a climb like that is seriously good.

If the weather is bad, yeah it can be pretty tough for the last 4km because its exposed. But generally Cragg Vale is a pretty easy climb. It only averages 3%. There is a little bit in the middle where it ramps up, but I'd reckon for a pro that climb would be like me or you riding on the flat.

It would probably be a lot more interesting if you stood on the side of the road for a few hours. Watch the caravan go through, and the procession of support vehicles, and feel the atmosphere rise as the race gets closer. But then again, with a flat stage, watch at the finish line. If you are going to watch them whizz past, might as well watch as full gas.

What an absolutely stunning day. Got on Holme Moss at 6am. Got a brilliant spot about half way up the climb, before the last bend on the steep bit. Could see down the climb to see the race approaching from Holme Village. The atmosphere all day was top notch. The kids getting cheered up the climb was really good. Some of them were bouncing up it like they were on the flat! When the race came through, it was just amazing. You are literally inches away from some of the worlds finest athletes. Got some great pics of the riders going past, including a few of Kittel in yellow. Geraint Thomas looked cool as ice at the front of that peleton. It really was one of the best days.

The atmosphere in harrogate was something else. Once cav crashed you could have heard a pin drop. Saw Cav in his team car about 90 mins after the stage near the train station. He was getting a lot of cheers but he looked so gutted. He just didn't want to be there. That's bike racing though. Trekking up holme moss in 4 hours. Feel like a kid waiting for Christmas.

The left turn right at the top of Cragg Vale? At Blackstone Edge Res?

Blackstone Edge road is closed all the way from the lake on Sunday, so that's a pretty long walk uphill from Hollingworth Lake to top of Cragg Vale. I think it will be just as packed there as anywhere as well to be honest.

Our plan on Sunday is to get a taxi up isle of Sky early doors and get dropped off as close as they can to Holmefirth and just walk from there up holme moss until we have a good spot.

I don't think Quintana was ever planning on riding this years tour. Shame for us like, but he was pretty damn good in Italy. I think Contador looks very good. Not sure how much Froome struggling at the back end of three Dauphine wad down to his crash or just not being able to keep up. Bertie might wish he'd chased that break down sooner though. It will be interesting to see how much of an effect Kreuziger being stood down has on Contador.

Cycled up Cragg Vale and down to ripponden tonight. If it's windy on the last 4km of Cragg on Sunday that could split the peleton. It was very windy tonight, which makes a simple climb a lot harder. Cragg Vale and Ripponden look ace with all the bunting and yellow bikes. These villages in Yorkshire have really gone all out to welcome the tour. Can't wait for the weekend.

Apparently Sundays route is an absolute killer of a stage in terms of the amount of sharp hills, especially once they get in to Sheffield. The main contenders will just be happy to get over the line without losing any time on each other. I've ridden Cragg Vale a couple of times (its very easy, just long) and Holme Moss a few times (its not easy at all. The climb out of Holmfirth just to get to the start of Holme Moss is hard enough) and I can imagine that after 200 km of racing on hills like that, a 900m climb that maxes out at 33% would be absolutely hellish. The first couple of stages should be great. Stage 5 with 15km of cobbled sections looks like one to look forward to in the first week too. As the cliche goes, no one will win the tour in Yorkshire (or Nothern France's cobbles) but they can certainly lose it. Gutted Wiggins and Millar haven't been picked. Delighted that Thomas Voeckler will be riding though. And I'm really hoping he will be in a breakaway going up Holme Moss on sunday, as that is where I intend to be.

I can't see Quintana challenging Froome at all this year... Contador on the other hand looks in very good form.

James Rodriguez - goal of the tournament

It's a fair point... But it wasn't mid fight!