Backspin: Home stretch for Le Tour, while La Course, Hammer, Qinghai Lake and more make headlines…

The second full week of the 105th Tour de France is in the books, leaving just six stages remaining in the three-week, 21-stage Grand Tour. Like the majority of most before it, this year’s edition has had its fair share of dramatic moments and intrigue.

From the first week dominated by ‘Classics’ specialists, such as Peter Sagan claiming two of three stage wins so far en route to what will be a record-tying sixth green points jersey. Or what about Greg van Avermaet’s eight days in yellow? And who can forget 2015 Paris-Roubaix winner John Degenkolb’s epic Stage 9 victory over Van Avermaet, Yves Lampaert, Philippe Gilbert and Sagan on the very same ‘Hell of the North’ cobbles he conquered three years earlier.

Since that stage where general classification contender Richie Porte crashed out inside the first 10km, the Tour has suffered some serious attrition with the loss of sprinters Mark Cavendish and Marcel Kittel, then Dylan Groenwegen, Roberto Urán and of course most notably former champion Vincenzo Nibali, who fractured a vertebrae in a freak crash on the Alpe d’Huez on Stage 12.

The daily soap opera that is Team Sky continues as well. Will he or won’t he, should he or shouldn’t he seems to be the topic of debate on whether or not two-time stage winner and current race leader Geraint Thomas, who started the race as the team’s super domestique to defending four-time race winner Chris Froome, will keep the yellow for himself of selflessly concede to Froome, who is currently second on general classification 1 minute 39 seconds behind his Welsh teammate.

Then there’s 2017 Giro d’Italia winner Tom Dumoulin (Team Sunweb) in third at +1:50.

It’s an intriguing situation Blazin’ Saddles explores further. as the race heads into the Pyrenees.

However, with all that reported there happens to be a world of cycling news many may not be aware of on this second rest day of Le Tour. Therefore, allow Eurosport’s ‘Backspin’ a chance to perhaps enlighten a little.

Still speaking of the Tour, seems as though BMC Racing has a saviour in Polish shoe and bag company CCC, which has sponsored a version of the UCI Professional Continental CCC-Sprandi-Polkowice since the team’s creation in 2000.

However, according to BMC Team president Jim Ochowicz this will not be a fusion of BMC Racing and the current CCC team. That said, some staff and riders from the Pro Conti squad are expected to make the move to the new team.

Notable losses in 2019 include Australians Richie Porte and Rohan Dennis, while van Avermaet has already signed with the team for next season.

“We’ll build a team around Greg,” said Ochowicz. “We’re going to look different, we’re going to feel different and we’re going to have some players on the roster.”

The 33-year-old Belgian concurred.

“We can build a good team around me,” said the 2016 Olympic champion. “I’m getting older but I still have a lot of ambition. I’m really happy.

“Let’s bring the next races on.”

In women’s action, freshly crowned Giro Rosa winner Annemiek van Vleuten (Mitchelton-Scott) surged past Olympic champion Anna van der Breggen (Boels-Dolmans) on the finish to capture her second straight La Course title.

The 35-year-old Dutchwoman needed almost every bit of the 112.5-kilometre course from Annecy to Le Grand-Bornand to retain her crown.

Van Vleuten got amongst the favourites group on the final climb up the Col de la Colombiere alongside teammate and Giro Rosa green jersey winner Amanda Spratt (AUS) to eliminate the dead weight.

Van der Breggen pushed on to lead into the descent with van Vleuten chasing until she caught her 28-year-old compatriot just metres from the line.

“It was unbelievable,” said van Vleuten. “With 300m to go I still thought I would get second and then I saw her dying. To win like this … it was a tough ride, but beautiful.

“The gap going into the descent was really small and Anna is also a really good descender, but I always keep believing and keep on thinking that anything is possible and never give up,” the reigning world time trial champion continued. “That was really important today.

“This win is really beautiful, the second time at La Course and especially coming only two days after winning the Giro Rosa, but to win this race in this way is really special and high up on my list of memorable wins.”

Arguably the greatest female cyclist of all time continues to shine after wrapping up the BeNe Ladies Tour (2.1) in Zelzate, Belgium on Sunday.

Marianne Vos (WaowDeals Pro Cycling) took the leader’s jersey with a Stage 1 victory a day after finishing second to Briton Kate Archibald (Wiggle-High5) over the 3.9-kilometre prologue.

The multiple Olympic and world road race champion, who was fresh off a Giro Rosa stage win a week before, successfully defended her one-second lead over Archibald on the final 112km stage to seal her second consecutive BeNe Ladies Tour win.

“The finish was thrilling,” said team sports director Eric van den Boom of the 31-year-old Belgian’s race win. “Which makes the victory even more amazing.”

It may be a rest day for those remaining 150 riders (out of 176) still in the Tour, but across the planet 150 pro cyclists distributed over 22 teams are racing the highest altitude bike race in the world.

The 17th edition the Tour of Qinghai Lake is already two sprint stages in and now turns toward the sky for the next four in the two-week, 13-stage UCI 2.HC Asia Tour road race.

Former Greek national champion Georgios Bouglas (Ningxia Sport Lottery-Livall) went two spots better than last year’s opener by winning Stage 1 and capturing his first 2.HC victory of his pro career. Australian Brenton Jones (Delko-Marseille Provence KTM) “woke up” on Stage 2 to lift the yellow leader’s jersey off Bouglas as the race heads up in excess of 4000 metres during the mountain stages.

“I’ve got the first victory,” explained the new race and points leader. “The pressure is off the shoulders for both me and the team, and now we can concentrate on the next couple of days and finish off this tour strong.”

While Qinghai Lake typically fields a strong sprint contingent due to as many as eight or nine stages being sprinter friendly, it will be the climbers turn in the driver’s seat.

Italian Professional Continental team Wilier Triestina-Selle Italia has brought former WorldTour rider and 2015 stage winner Ilia Koshevoy (BLR) to the dance, but he will face tough competition from the likes of Australian Drew Morey (Mitchelton-BikeExchange) and Italian Antonio Santoro (Monkey Town Continental Team), as well as back-to-back mountains classification winner Mauricio Ortega (Ningxia Sports Lottery-Livall) of Colombia and reigning champion Yonathan Monsalve (Qinghai Tianyoude) of Venezuela.

“I am happy to come back to this race because I like altitude, so I have good hopes for this race,” the former Lampre-Merida rider told Eurosport regarding the race’s average elevation of 2500 metres with a spike of 4200m. “I have good preparation in altitude in Italy before this race.

“I think it’s very important to stay 10 days — two weeks — before this race at altitude.”

The 27-year-old Belarusian, who spent two full seasons with Lampre following a stagiaire role in 2014, feels the 13-stage race could be decided before the halfway mark.

“I think stage numbers three, four, five and six — four stages in a row — will decide GC.”

Velon announced its third and final Hammer Series event set for Hong Kong will take place on October 14. Heralded as ‘Showdown Sunday,’ the two-race event will host back-to-back races against Victoria Harbour.

With no Hammer Climb planned, the deciding series finale will feature 11 WorldTour and three Pro Continental teams vying for final points in the Hammer Sprint and the ever-popular team time trial-based Hammer Chase.

“I’m really excited about the opportunity to compete in the Hammer Series final after our team’s strong performances in Hammer Stavanger and Limburg,” said Australian Cameron Meyer, whose Mitchelton-Scott team lead the series with 181 points after winning Hammer Stavanger in May and placing second a week later in June at Hammer Limburg, which debuted the all-new team-based format last year. “We’ve shown that this racing suits us and we will go in as one of the favourites to take the series title.

“It’ll be really interesting to compete in Hong Kong, I have great memories of racing there and winning two World Track Championships last year. It’s fantastic to have cycling events on a global scale outside of Europe and I’m sure the fans and public will be entertained with some great racing.”

Quick-Step Floors is currently sits second in the series with 153 points, while BMC Racing Team is third with 109.

“Everybody who followed the Hammer Series in Stavanger and Limburg saw how exciting those races are,” said Belgian Quick-Step rider Iljo Keisse. “Racing in Hong Kong, on the streets below skyscrapers, will be a big change of scenery but the racing won’t be any different, we will have a great show.

“We had a super ride at Hammer Limburg where we won the event after a strong team effort, which put us in contention for the overall victory, coming into Hong Kong as second overall,” he continued. “I think we can expect a good fight for the overall win.

“There is still a long way to October but I hope to arrive in good shape to help the team reach the top of the Hammer Series leaderboard in Hong Kong on Sunday the 14th of October.”

In an accidental omission from last week’s results rewind, the ‘Backspin’ failed to follow up on its previous report on the start of the second IncaDivide — the third leg of the BikingMan ultra-cycling racing series.

Peruvian Rodney Soncco topped the elite men’s classifications as 35 competitors vied to be the first ultra-cyclists to cross the Andes in Peru and finish this epic 1,800-kilometre unsupported single stage race to gain valuable points in the third round of the all-new four-race Biking Man series.

Soncco finished in a time of 127 hours 22 minutes, and was one of 20 riders including winning doubles participants Eddy Marquez and Yanis Hernandez (221h34m), both from Venezuela, to stamp all three checkpoints — Cajamarca, Huaraz and Casma — and successfully climbed Punta Olimpica and Yanashalla passes.

With the completion of Oman, Corsica and Peru, only Taiwan remains on the series calendar (October 22-27).