• Rupert Guinness
• 18 mins ago

The 3450km Tour de France passed the half way mark on Wednesday. But for Tour debutant Damien Howson the "real" race was about to start.

• Rupert Guinness

A "devastated" Michael Matthews conceded he will reassess the value of challenging Marcel Kittel for the green jersey at the Tour de France after the Australian saw the German sprint star increase his points lead in Tuesday's 10th stage from Perigueux to Bergerac.

• Rupert Guinness

The rehabilitation of Richie Porte from a fractured collarbone and pelvis sustained in a horrific high-speed crash that ended his Tour de France on Sunday is aimed at preparing the Australian rider for a full return to racing next season rather than for any remaining major events this year.

Marcel Kittel claimed his fourth victory in this year's Tour de France when he powered to an impressive Stage 10 win in a bunch sprint on Tuesday.

The only Australian to win the Tour de France has backed his compatriot Richie Porte to bounce back from Sunday night's horrifying crash.

• Rupert Guinness

Speaking from hospital in the Alps, Porte said he hoped to race again this year.

• ANALYSIS
• Rupert Guinness

No one will be feeling the pain of Richie Porte's exit from the Tour de France more than the man himself.

• Rupert Guinness

Tour de France favourite Richie Porte has suffered a serious crash on the final descent of stage nine of the Tour de France.

• Tom Cary

Tour de France organisers were accused of "getting what they wanted" after a day of carnage and controversy on the road from Nantua to Chambery yesterday (Sunday).

• Richie Porte

With all the climbs for stage nine into the Alps, someone is going to have a bad day.

• Rupert Guinness

The image of Australian Tour de France contender Richie Porte as a wide-eyed budding cyclist remains etched in the memory of the person who gave him his first big break as a professional, Andrew Christie-Johnson.

France's Lilian Calmejane won stage eight of the Tour de France from Dole to Station des Rousses.

• Richie Porte

Tour de France stages like what we raced Friday are anything but recovery days for general classification riders like me.

• Rupert Guinness

Marcel Kittel team won Tour de France stage seven in a photo finish from Edvald Boasson Hagen.

• Rupert Guinness

An American team racing in the Tour de France is doing what US President Donald Trump would not do, by putting its weight behind an initiative supporting the Paris Accord on climate change that he withdrew the US from.

• Rupert Guinness

Mat Hayman can see Esteban Chaves is struggling in his first Tour de France. But it is not due to the physical demands of the race; nor the pressure of expectations from the teams, sponsors, media and fans to the mayhem and circus of the race that attracts hundreds of thousands to its 3,450km race route for every one of its 21-day duration.

• Richie Porte

It was one those days at the Tour de France where you felt that if organisers halved the distance the result would have been the same, with a bunch sprint deciding the winner.

• Martyn Herman

Marcel Kittel burst through to win a bunch sprint at the end of the sixth stage of the Tour de France, while Australia's Michael Matthews finished eighth.

• Richie Porte

What was I thinking when Fabio Aru attacked with 2.2 kilometres to go in the first mountain finish of this Tour de France on Wednesday before he went on to win the stage?