TASTE OF THE TOUR: Chestnuts and Rhone Valley delights
July 18, 2017 (20:00) [ Indexed from New Zealand Herald ]
LE PUY-EN-VELAY, France (AP) " After 2,600 kilometers (1,600 miles) of racing, the Tour de France has saved some of its best gastronomic and cultural treats for last. Oh, and let's not forget the race: Deliciously poised for the final... More...

Brailsford: Landa 'very supportive' of Froome in Tour
July 17, 2017 (20:00) [ Indexed from New Zealand Herald ]
LE PUY-EN-VELAY, France (AP) " Mikel Landa has been so strong over the last two weeks that there is no doubt he could be a team leader at the Tour de France.Despite riding in support of Chris Froome, Landa has been impressive in... More...

Bike problem nearly derails Froome on Stage 15
July 17, 2017 (20:00) [ Indexed from New Zealand Herald ]
LE PUY-EN-VELAY, France (AP) " Chris Froome fought back from a bike breakdown to cling onto his race leader's yellow jersey on the tricky Stage 15 of the Tour de France, won Sunday with a courageous solo breakaway by Bauke Mollema... More...

Tour de France: Kiwi George Bennett tweets frustration at drafting riders
July 16, 2017 (20:00) [ Indexed from New Zealand Herald ]
Tour de France cycling hero George Bennett has found the energy to take a shot at race officials for allowing riders to slipstream off TV motorbikes.The Kiwi slipped a spot to 12th overall in the general classification overnight,... More...

Bike problem nearly derails Froome on Stage 15
July 16, 2017 (20:00) [ Indexed from New Zealand Herald ]
Chris Froome fought back from a bike breakdown to cling onto his race leader's yellow jersey on the tricky Stage 15 of the Tour de France, won today with a courageous solo breakaway by Bauke Mollema of the Netherlands.The back wheel... More...

Froome takes back Tour de France yellow jersey from Aru
July 16, 2017 (20:00) [ Indexed from New Zealand Herald ]
RODEZ, France (AP) " Fabio Aru was dropped in the last 500 meters of Stage 14 of the Tour de France won by Michael Matthews and relinquished the yellow jersey to Chris Froome on Saturday.Aru lost touch with the leaders in the final... More...

Tour de France: Froome takes back yellow jersey from Aru
July 15, 2017 (20:00) [ Indexed from New Zealand Herald ]
Fabio Aru was dropped in the last 500 meters of Stage 14 of the Tour de France won by Michael Matthews and relinquished the yellow jersey to Chris Froome on Saturday.Aru lost touch with the leaders in the final short, sharp ascent... More...

Cycling: This time it's a trial but Hamish Bond is awesome
July 15, 2017 (20:00) [ Indexed from New Zealand Herald ]
Ambition, resilience and doubt have fought for tenancy in Hamish Bond's mind as he advances his time-trialist cycling dream in Europe.The double Olympic rowing champion has been on a mission to perfect his technique since heading... More...

TASTE OF THE TOUR: Intestines for breakfast, black paintings
July 15, 2017 (20:00) [ Indexed from New Zealand Herald ]
FOIX, France (AP) " After two hard days of intense racing in the Pyrenees, Tour de France riders who needed a break will be disappointed.The stage on Saturday does not take place in altitude but features a difficult finale hard... More...

Kiwi streaker takes on Tour de France climb
July 14, 2017 (20:00) [ Indexed from New Zealand Herald ]
New Zealand cyclist George Bennett isn't the only Kiwi turning heads at this year's edition of the Tour de France.Triathlete Josh Harris made a notable television appearance during Stage 13 overnight (NZT) when he ran alongside... More...

Tour de France: George Bennett slips out of top 10
July 14, 2017 (20:00) [ Indexed from New Zealand Herald ]
Kiwi rider George Bennett has slipped out of the top 10 in the Tour de France's general classification after stage 13.The Lotto NL-Jumbo rider crossed the line in 22nd place, four minutes and eight seconds behind stage winner Frenchman... More...

Tour de France: Cycling legend Julian Dean heralds Bennett as 'NZ top athlete'
July 14, 2017 (20:00) [ Indexed from New Zealand Herald ]
Could Tour de France cycling star George Bennett be New Zealand's best athlete?That's a huge can of worms to open up, but Kiwi cycling legend Julian Dean has taken to social media with his views, after Bennett climbed another spot... More...

George Bennett slams penalty for accepting water from fan
July 13, 2017 (20:00) [ Indexed from New Zealand Herald ]
Kiwi rider George Bennett remains in the Tour de France top 10 despite being handed a 20-second penalty for accepting water from a fan, which he has labelled 'bulls**t'.Bennett finished eighth in the 214km 12th stage and moves to... More...

TASTE OF THE TOUR: James Bond, ancient stew and rare grapes
July 13, 2017 (20:00) [ Indexed from New Zealand Herald ]
PAU, France (AP) " It's a shame that Tour de France riders will be too busy pedaling for a restaurant stop on Thursday.Because in the Pyrenees, as they scale mountain climbs steep enough to make all of them hungry, they'll be racing... More...

Chris Froome loses Tour de France lead
July 13, 2017 (20:00) [ Indexed from New Zealand Herald ]
Chris Froome cracked during a grueling climb to the finish and lost the overall lead in the Tour de France to Fabio Aru today after a demanding stage won by Romain Bardet.Froome's Sky teammates had perfectly controlled the race... More...

Tour de France: Lance Armstrong tips Kiwi George Bennett as future winner
July 13, 2017 (20:00) [ Indexed from New Zealand Herald ]
And in the category of damning with faint praise ... fallen Tour de France hero Lance Armstrong has tipped Kiwi George Bennett as a future winner of the great cycle race.After his 10th-place finish at last year's Vuelta a Espaa... More...

Tour de France: Marcel Kittel strikes again, as peleton braces for Pyrenees
July 12, 2017 (20:00) [ Indexed from New Zealand Herald ]
German rider Marcel Kittel claimed the 11th stage of the Tour de France in a sprint finish, taking his tally to five stage wins since the start of this year's race. The Quick-Step Floors rider, who now has 14 stages to his name... More...

Kittel wins Tour stage 10, Froome keeps race lead
July 12, 2017 (20:00) [ Indexed from New Zealand Herald ]
BERGERAC, France (AP) " Marcel Kittel has no serious challenger for the King of the Sprint title at this year's Tour de France.The German sprinter won the 10th stage with remarkable ease on Tuesday, while Chris Froome stayed safely... More...

The French Connection helps Auckland move greener
July 12, 2017 (20:00) [ Indexed from New Zealand Herald ]
How can Auckland make its transport network greener? In the third part of the Herald 's French Connection series, Jamie Morton looks at our public transport potential - and some odd ideas from Paris. Imagine being able to dream... More...

Cycling: Marcel Kittel stamps sprinting class on Tour de France
July 11, 2017 (20:00) [ Indexed from New Zealand Herald ]
Marcel Kittel has no serious challenger for the King of the Sprint title at this year's Tour de France.The German sprinter won the 10th stage with remarkable ease this morning, while Chris Froome stayed safely in the main pack to... More...

Kiwi Jack Bauer punched by fellow rider during Tour de France
July 11, 2017 (20:00) [ Indexed from New Zealand Herald ]
Kiwi Jack Bauer was punched by a fellow rider late into stage 10 of the Tour de France.The Quick Step rider was struck by Nacer Bouhanni of Team Cofidis, with the incident captured by a overhead camera. Bauer was working to set... More...

TASTE OF THE TOUR: Sweet white wine and a big nose star
July 11, 2017 (20:00) [ Indexed from New Zealand Herald ]
BERGERAC, France (AP) " After a well-deserved rest day, the Tour de France peloton gets back to work on Tuesday through the colorful landscapes of the Perigord region.Here's a gastronomic, sporting and cultural glance at the 178-kilometer... More...

Tour de France: Kittel wins stage 10, Froome retains yellow
July 11, 2017 (20:00) [ Indexed from New Zealand Herald ]
German rider Marcel Kittel won the 10th stage of the TourdeFrance in a sprint finish today, while Chris Froome stayed safely in the main pack to retain the race leader's yellow jersey.A sprint specialist, Kittel perfectly timed... More...

Froome denies barging into Tour rival Aru
July 11, 2017 (20:00) [ Indexed from New Zealand Herald ]
BERGERAC, France (AP) " Race leader Chris Froome has described suggestions that he deliberately barged into rival Fabio Aru during a grueling Tour de France stage as "crazy."Froome, who leads Aru by 18 seconds after nine stages,... More...

Cyclist Eltje Malzbender fighting her way to fitness after crash
July 10, 2017 (20:00) [ Indexed from New Zealand Herald ]
Te Awamutu Sports cyclist Eltje Malzbender says she has to consider herself lucky to have a second chance to reconstruct her life after a serious crash.Her unwavering determination and work ethic have been critical to her ongoing... More...

Froome retains lead on ultra-tough Stage 9, Porte out
July 10, 2017 (20:00) [ Indexed from New Zealand Herald ]
CHAMBERY, France (AP) " Chris Froome fiercely defended " and even extended " the overall lead in the Tour de France on an ultra-tough day of high drama and punishing climbs in eastern France's Jura mountains on Sunday, seeing both... More...

Watch NZH Local Focus: Crankworx cranking Rotorua economy
July 10, 2017 (20:00) [ Indexed from New Zealand Herald ]
The first financial results of the Crankworx Mountain Biking Festival have been announced, with the event racking up a surplus of $4.5 million dollars."Crankworx Rotorua 2017 is really the start of a new era for us, as we move into... More...

Kiwi Tour de France star George Bennett frightened by crashes as he cracks the top 10
July 09, 2017 (20:00) [ Indexed from New Zealand Herald ]
Kiwi George Bennett, who is riding into Kiwi sports lore in the Tour de France, says life flashed before his eyes on a day of horror crashes in the famous race.Bennett, who lies 10th on general classification after finishing seventh... More...

Tour de France: Richie Porte crashes out on final descent of stage nine
July 09, 2017 (20:00) [ Indexed from New Zealand Herald ]
Richie Porte's Tour de France dreams have been shattered after the Australian was involved in one of the worst crashes in the race's history.Porte was part of an elite group screaming down the treacherous Mont du Chat descent in... More...

Kiwi cyclist George Bennett in Top 10 on Tour de France
July 09, 2017 (20:00) [ Indexed from New Zealand Herald ]
Kiwi cyclist George Bennett has shot into the top 10 on the Tour de France's general classification after stage nine.The Tour of California champion has finished seventh on the brutal 181.5 kilometre stage from Nantua to Chambery.Bennett... More...

Cycling: Froome faces up to the monster
July 09, 2017 (20:00) [ Indexed from New Zealand Herald ]
After 1400km in eight days of racing, the suffer-fest called the Tour de France turned the pain dial up a notch or five overnight (NZT). How does scaling half the height of Mt Everest in one day sound?That was the monstrous challenge... More...

Adopted Mana Williams-Eade cycles the country for Voyce and vulnerable children
July 09, 2017 (20:00) [ Indexed from New Zealand Herald ]
A young man who was put into state care as a baby is cycling the length of the North Island to raise money for vulnerable children.Mana Williams-Eade, 19, will cycle 1100km from Wellington to Kaitaia over seven days starting from... More...

TASTE OF THE TOUR: Pike cakes and wildcats in the Alps
July 09, 2017 (20:00) [ Indexed from New Zealand Herald ]
The climbs, high-speed descents and hairpin turns on tap for Stage 9 of the Tour de France will be enough to make even spectators watching at home dizzy.Fortunately, the culinary offerings available as the race enters the Alps on... More...

Tour de France Stages
July 09, 2017 (20:00) [ Indexed from New Zealand Herald ]
July 1 " Stage One: Duesseldorf, Germany, individual time trial (14km-9 miles) (stage: Geraint Thomas, Britain; Yellow Jersey: Thomas)July 2 " Stage Two: Duesseldorf to Liege, Belgium, flat (203.5-126) (Marcel Kittel, Germany; Thomas)July... More...

Calmejane grits teeth to win Stage 8 of Tour
July 09, 2017 (20:00) [ Indexed from New Zealand Herald ]
STATION DES ROUSSES, France (AP) " Speeding away on a small mountain road more suited to goats than riders, Lilian Calmejane won Stage 8 to the Rousses ski station in the Jura Massif on Saturday, for his first victory in his first... More...

Cycling: Lillian Calmejane beats cramp to win Tour de France stage
July 08, 2017 (20:00) [ Indexed from New Zealand Herald ]
Frenchman Lilian Calmejane has fought off a bout of cramp to claim a dramatic solo win in the eighth stage of the Tour de France, snatching the polka-dot jersey as mountains leader. The race's overall favourites remained quiet... More...

TASTE OF THE TOUR: Cheese in a box and Brel's favored wine.
July 08, 2017 (20:00) [ Indexed from New Zealand Herald ]
The guys on the bicycles can count themselves lucky; at least they get to burn off the calories on the moving feast also known as the Tour de France.For those who follow the peloton in cars, however, this first week has been testing... More...

Cycling: Kittel smiles after photo finish
July 08, 2017 (20:00) [ Indexed from New Zealand Herald ]
Another day, another victory for Marcel Kittel in the Tour de France. But this time, the German made his move nearly too late and edged Edvald Boasson Hagen, of Norway, only in a photo finish to win his third stage - and second in... More...

Without Sagan and Cavendish, Kittel eases to Tour stage win
July 07, 2017 (20:00) [ Indexed from New Zealand Herald ]
TROYES, France (AP) " Marcel Kittel had little trouble winning the sixth stage of the Tour de France in a mass sprint finish Thursday with Peter Sagan and Mark Cavendish both no longer in the race.Chris Froome held on to the leader's... More...

Court rejects Sagan appeal to be allowed back into Tour
July 07, 2017 (20:00) [ Indexed from New Zealand Herald ]
TROYES, France (AP) " Sport's highest court has rejected Peter Sagan's appeal to be allowed back into the Tour de France.The world champion was sent home from the race for elbowing British rival Mark Cavendish during Stage 4 on... More...

Tour de France: Marcel Kittel eases to stage win
July 07, 2017 (20:00) [ Indexed from New Zealand Herald ]
Marcel Kittel had little trouble winning the sixth stage of the Tour de France in a mass sprint finish today, with Peter Sagan and Mark Cavendish both no longer in the race.Chris Froome held on to the leader's yellow jersey after... More...

Tour de France: Cavendish lashes out at social media
July 07, 2017 (20:00) [ Indexed from New Zealand Herald ]
Mark Cavendish has appealed to social media users to stop sending "vile and threatening" comments to him and to his family after the horror smash on Tuesday which forced him to pull out of the Tour de France and led to the hugely... More...

Cycling: Froome gets Fabio message
July 07, 2017 (20:00) [ Indexed from New Zealand Herald ]
After losing two of its biggest stars in one horror crash, the Tour de France needed a pick-me-up.Italy's Fabio Aru answered the call.On the first mountain climb of this 104th Tour, after the lower altitudes where Mark Cavendish... More...

Cavendish recalls 'puddle of blood' after horrific crash
July 07, 2017 (20:00) [ Indexed from New Zealand Herald ]
VITTEL, France (AP) " British rider Mark Cavendish commended the "courage" of Tour de France jurors for disqualifying world champion Peter Sagan for a horrific crash that took both of them out of the race on Tuesday.Speaking Wednesday,... More...

TASTE OF THE TOUR: Mushrooms on menu as race hits mountains
July 05, 2017 (20:00) [ Indexed from New Zealand Herald ]
After the flat terrain and wooded valleys of Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg, the Tour de France goes up in altitude on Wednesday, climbing into the dense pine forests of the Vosges Massif in eastern France " one of five mountain... More...

Tour de France: Kiwis escape race carnage
July 05, 2017 (20:00) [ Indexed from New Zealand Herald ]
Nelson's George Bennett continues to lead the Kiwi contingent through four days of the Tour de France, with all seemingly escaping the fourth stage carnage relatively unscathed.Bennett, Jack Bauer, and rookies Patrick Begin and... More...

Tour de France: Froome beaten but gets yellow jersey
July 05, 2017 (20:00) [ Indexed from New Zealand Herald ]
Italy's Fabio Aru accelerated away from three-time Tour de France champion Chris Froome and other top contenders for the yellow jersey in an impressive show of strength on the first mountain climb of this year's race, winning Stage... More...

Cavendish withdraws, Sagan disqualified after Tour crash
July 05, 2017 (20:00) [ Indexed from New Zealand Herald ]
VITTEL, France (AP) " Mark Cavendish has been forced out of the Tour de France after suffering a fractured shoulder blade in a serious crash caused by world champion Peter Sagan, who was disqualified from cycling's showcase event.Hours... More...

Cycling: Peter Sagan disqualified from Tour de France for causing serious crash
July 04, 2017 (20:00) [ Indexed from New Zealand Herald ]
Peter Sagan's Bora-Hansgrohe team has announced they have officially lodged a protest against the Slovakian's expulsion from the Tour de France. Race officials expelled Sagan following today's crash involving Mark Cavendish, which... More...

Tour de France Stages
July 04, 2017 (20:00) [ Indexed from New Zealand Herald ]
July 1 " Stage One: Duesseldorf, Germany, individual time trial (14km-8.7 miles) (stage: Geraint Thomas, Britain; Yellow Jersey: Thomas)July 2 " Stage Two: Duesseldorf to Liege, Belgium, flat (203.5-126) (Marcel Kittel, Germany;... More...