Mark Cavendish doffs helmet to Tom Simpson memorial on Mont Ventoux; Kids pulling wheelies photobomb peculiar patriotic procession; Ineos Grenadier 4x4 has cyclist horn; 99km/h; Wiggo's fashion show; Froome packs his running shoes + more on the live blog

Pure class and dignity shown from Mark Cavendish as he passed the Tom Simpson memorial. Fair play Cav. Now go and beat Eddy’s record and show em what the Brits are made of. #TDF2021 pic.twitter.com/S6MXB7cMvJ

— George Poole (@GeorgePuddle) July 7, 2021

Even in the heat of battling the time cut, Mark Cavendish found a moment to doff his helmet in respect to the Tom Simpson memorial on the upper slopes of Mont Ventoux. The memorial marks the spot where Simpson tragically died during the 1967 Tour and is regarded as a pilgrimage site for many cycling fans.

Fans often leave bottles as a mark of respect and Cav threw his cap onto the memorial on the first ascent before removing his lid and raising it skyward second time around. Let's hope there is some common sense applied by the UCI and the commissaires don't feel the need to slap Cav with a hefty post-stage fine...

Cycling writer Chris Sidwells, Simpson's nephew, thanked Cavendish for his gesture...

Thanks @MarkCavendish Removing your helmet at the Memorial stone was kind respectful gesture from a champion and a gentleman.

— Chris Sidwells (@ChrisSidwells) July 7, 2021

And while writing this the news we all wanted to hear has come through...It's coming home! It's coming home! Cavendish is coming home! The green jersey has made the time cut...

Here they are, all safe inside the #TDF2021 time limit 😃
What an incredible team 🙌
Photo: @BeelWout pic.twitter.com/o82UMJje11

— Deceuninck-QuickStep (@deceuninck_qst) July 7, 2021

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 WELCOME TO ENGLAND. 😂 pic.twitter.com/fC4mD6PIwv

— The Sportsman (@TheSportsman) July 7, 2021

We've got too many questions about this one...it's safe to say Euro 2020 has some people feeling particularly patriotic. I should hope these pesky patriots parading past potholes paid their 'road tax'...Maybe the Ineos Grenadier 4x4 should have a 'pedestrian peep' to let parading football fans know you're there?

 Thankfully there was a kid photobombing while pulling wheelies for that all-important cycling angle.

Any Welsh, Scottish or Irish readers can stop laughing now...

Not sure you need to be "gently" made aware of this coming up behind you https://t.co/4QZVQKif2C pic.twitter.com/NqgulS9bAz

— Andy Arthur (@cocteautriplets) July 7, 2021

Picking out your comments and reaction to the 'toot' button took a while...I'm guessing that's probably not the reaction the brand was hoping for when it came up with the "gentle hoot" idea...

Fire this bullshit into the sun. https://t.co/t1Z01wvdts

— Pro Elbows (@pro_elbows) July 7, 2021

cyclists can quickly acknowledge the toot with the rapid deployment of the middle finger 🖕🏻

— Multiblah (@wcycle17) July 7, 2021

Ah, this must be the 'Richmond Park' spec.

— Harry 🚲 (@nottheUCI) July 7, 2021

Graham wondered: "Do they really think a cyclist would be unaware of a massive 4x4 tailgating them, if the 4x4 didn’t have a ‘toot’ button?"

OnYerBike christened the 'toot' the "bow before your master button"...While, Phil Barker added: "Oh, a big red button specially for when there's a cyclist, nope, can't see that being used inappropriately at all."

Keep your thoughts coming in...

What a lovely sight 🤩
🌈 #TDF2021 pic.twitter.com/qZDURMlfL7

— Deceuninck-QuickStep (@deceuninck_qst) July 7, 2021

Today's time cut is expected to be around 48 minutes, based on the stage winner's average speed being 37km/h. The peloton and leaders are on the descent but Cav, with most of his team for help, is still climbing Ventoux for the first time and was more than 15 minutes behind the last time we heard anything. Fingers crossed, it could be tight...

Julian Alaphilippe was the first rider over the summit first and is in the breakaway with Wout van Aert, Bauke Mollema and five others. They have just under five minutes on the yellow jersey with 62km until the finish.

Bradley Wiggins is prepared for Guy Ritchie's newest movie. pic.twitter.com/EC6cudsKfy

— CafeRoubaix (@CafeRoubaix) July 7, 2021

Yesterday, Talksport ran a story comparing Bradley Wiggins' new look to UFC fighter Conor McGregor. The resemblance was essentially just them both having a shaved head, beard and a chest tattoo. But with the shades and the coat too, maybe they were on to something... 

Now, would I rather see Brad fight in the cage or McGregor ride the Tour? That's the question...

 

 

 

 

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Yeah, I could have gone round her earlier, but I was enjoying myself too much making a point.... #cycling in #Sheffield #hardglare pic.twitter.com/WW2HvLMOlB

— CyclingInASkirt (@CyclingInASkirt) July 5, 2021

We all know the story. The stage was shortened, crowds packed onto the lower slopes so a moto got stuck, Richie Porte crashed into the back of it, Chris Froome crashed into Porte. With his team car minutes behind, Froome started running and running...The now-famous images were shared by news outlets from every corner of the globe and were even put to the Benny Hill theme in one viral meme...

Former F1 champion Jenson Button paid tribute to Froome's efforts by hopping off his bike to run part of the way up the climb.

During the first week of this year's race Froome joked that he has his running shoes packed and ready in the team car in case history repeats itself...

The team at @INEOSGrenadier have just revealed their full interior. Check it out! #BuiltOnPurpose https://t.co/lrBdlibJUD pic.twitter.com/XuBWA2EmWC

— INEOS Grenadiers (@INEOSGrenadiers) July 7, 2021

The Ineos Grenadier, the new 4x4 from Sir Jim Ratcliffe that the Ineos Grenadiers cycling team is controversially named after, had its interior released to the world this morning...and it comes with a cyclist 'toot' button. Described as "amazing" by Toby Ecuyer, head of design at Ineos Automotive, the button is apparently there so drivers can offer a "gentle hoot" to cyclists to "make them aware that you are there"...

Ecuyer said: "Often when you are approaching a cyclist, if you want to make them aware that you are there you often try to do a gentle hoot and it ends up as a full-blown claxon which scares the living daylights out of everybody. You never quite get it right and it comes out as aggressive." Right. The 'toot' is separate from the main horn and is supposedly a kinder, quieter option, although the video does not demonstrate it being used.

Thoughts?

In December, Brexiteer Ratcliffe scrapped his plan to build the vehicles in Wales, with production instead being moved to the former Mercedes-Benz factory in Hambach, France...The cycling team has also come under fire for its relentless promotion of the 4x4...

"It's just not a great look really": Debate over heavy promotion of Ineos Grenadier 4x4 continues, with the vehicle now popping up in the background whenever a rider is interviewed. https://t.co/L928zuzqG3 #cycling pic.twitter.com/xKCJJ1AEsn

— road.cc (@roadcc) September 15, 2020

It's a hat-trick! 3️⃣3️⃣for Cavendish 😍#TDF2021 pic.twitter.com/vr8o7ouh5C

— ITV Cycling (@itvcycling) July 6, 2021

Win number 33 was like so many of the rest: impeccable lead-out, explosive kick, blur of green jersey, Cav's hands in the air and a brilliant post-stage interview. It's got us all dreaming of win number 34, and possibly even 35, at this year's race...

Seriously though, has a thing in sport ever been more written in the stars than Cav breaking Merkx's record on the Champs Elysee? It's meant to be. Only trouble is him NOT winning one of the remaining sprint finishes in between now and then 😅 #TDF2021

— Katy M, Bike Edition (@writebikerepeat) July 6, 2021

Ex-England rugby star Brian Moore even made the case to the masses for Cav's Tour being up there with the drama of the Euros...we're not arguing, Brian.

The Euros, understandably, are capturing all the headlines, but what Mark Cavendish is doing in the Tour de France is as dramatic a story.

— Brian Moore (@brianmoore666) July 6, 2021

The memes were great too...

extremely real tweet don’t go check pic.twitter.com/rmLcWJOTzV

— Robyn (@robynjournalist) July 6, 2021

There is a pretty big football match happening at Wembley tonight, the Olympics still to come, Andy Murray's brief Wimbledon return and almost certainly something else I'm forgetting...but where does Cav's comeback rank in the sporting summer hierarchy?