Stage 20 Plat de Jour? Rosbif

Well it's all over folks. Congratulations to Braddles Wiggles the first Pom or Rosbif as they say in France, to win the Tour of France. Like him, love him or loath him, you have to admire the way he has ridden over the last 3 weeks, and the time he clocked last night proves why he was the favorite going into this Grand Tour. The fact that he has awesome big sideys & that he slowed the Peloton when Cadel had an attack of the tacks the other night means that we think he's ok - sort of.

We dearly hoped Cadel would go back to back this year, but to be honest, he never really looked in with much of a chance. Wiggins was always the one to beat right from the start, and he had a stellar team to help ensure that he got to Paris in yellow.

Tonight the peloton rolls into Paris from Rambouillet & there are a couple of little climbs worth one point each, the result of which won't make any difference to the Polka-dot Jeursey standings which little Tommy Voeckler has in the bag.

The young Gorilla Sagan has Green in the bag too, but like sprinters the world over we're sure there will be some hustle & bustle at the intermediate sprint and of course for the big finish on the Champs-Elysées where the Manx Missile, Sagan, Gossy & Greipel the Gorilla will be pedaling for glory- it's guaranteed!

Our pick: For about the 10th time this tour - Go Gossy Go. This is your last chance - dive into the suitcase of courage & have a crack!

Drink Match: Champagne - enjoy a celebratory flute or two of something fresh and bright. A toast to the victors & for more sleep ahead!

A local drop: We love good Australian fizz here, if you haven't been able to track down any Sabre by MH by now, look for some methode traditional fizz from the likes of Clover Hill, Chandon or Brown Brothers who rarely disappoint.

This will be the last MH Le Tour post until next year.

Stay tuned for more blog activity as our eyes focus across the English Channel to London where the Olympics will be sure to inspire more unpredictable predictions with booze to match.

Au Revoir from Mitch & Johnno.

Stage 19 - The Race of Truth!

It was hard & fast last night & the Manx Missile did not disappoint. Another stage podium finish for Gossy who like every one else was caught off guard by big Cav who wound up his machine from about 500 m out & shot past everyone in a bit of a blur. More beast than man is the Missile.
Whilst Gossy missed out, what a ride by young Aussie Adam Hansen who's last 20 km offensive was sensational.

We are up to Stage 19 & it is the final time trial before the ride into Paris tomorrow. Remember this time last year folks? This was the stage where Cadel blitzed the field to close the gap & take the yellow juersey.

The 5 riders ahead of Cadel this year will all start after him, and unless all of them run into straying dogs, maniacal fans, packets of tacks or wandering cattle en route to Chartres, then Cadel's chance of capturing yellow again are essentially impossible.

Wiggins blitzed the stage 9 TT & will likely do the same again here. Given the awesome support he has had from team Sky, his legs should be up to it. Or will team mate Froome have a crack for some previously denied glory? Regardless, the race of truth will be fascinating to see who's got what left in the tank.

Our Pick: Froome to open up a can FU Wiggins & grab a stage win.

Drink Match:
The riders set off from Bonneval just North of the Loire Valley - It's a smorgasbord of lesser known (or loved?) varieties here. Take your pick from sweet Chennin wines of Anjou, the spicy & fruity Cabernet Franc of Chinon, the long-lived Chenin Blanc of Vouvray or the steely and flinty Sauvignon Blancs of Pouilly & Sancerre.

Aussie Match:

White: Get on the local Fumé Sauvignon Blanc styles - try the 3 Monks from Taltarni, the Gembrook Hills Sauv Blanc or try & track down our own newly released 2012 MH Sauvignon Blanc Fumé for Sauv Blanc with texture & complexity - say good bye to fruit tingles & Battery Acid!

Red: Try & track down the racy & infamous Mon Petite Francine by Gary Mills of Jamsheed wines - lip smakin' racy goodness!

Nearly home... MH Tour Blog Stage 18 Preview

With the peaks of the Pyrenees behind them, the jerseys for their year's Le Tour have all but been decided. That means it's time for someone to snatch some glory with a stage win prior to Paris. And with just a few climbs, the way is open for any sprinter still with the puff after the last climb to go for it.

Profile c/o letour.fr

Wiggins has the Maillot Jaune sewn up and onto himself, Sagan the green one, and Voeckler that nice spotty one you get for climbing mountains. Expect them to play fairly safe tonight, and it's time for someone else to have a crack at the stage win tonight.


OUR PICK: We've been tipping it for weeks now, it's time for GO GO GOSSY to pick up a stage win in a flat-out charge to the finish.

DRINK MATCH: We're just east of Bordeaux and the Dordogne here at the finish tonight, so it's time for a nice glass of claret... See if you can find a Cotes de Bergerac for a close-by tipple.

AUSSIE MATCH: Right, into Bordeaux-style material from down under, lets think some icons:
I'd go Yarra Valley for the Mount Mary Quintet myself, but for the other side of country, you'd be hard pressed to beat the Cullen Diana Madeline. Could you drink better on a cold winter night??

It's off to Pau we Go! Stage 15 Samatan to Pau

Well folks, you wanted attacks, and all we got were tacks & lots of them. Bad puns aside, what a night of high drama! Stage 14 captured some of both the highs & lows that make this a truly remarkable sporting event.

The peleton lead by the yellow Wiggle showed great sportsmanship free-wheeling down Mur de Péguere to allow Cadel Evens & a dozen or so other punctured riders back to the main group. Pierre Rolland tried a bit of the 'I no speaker de English', and enjoyed his uncontested and short lived breakaway before toeing the line & getting swallowed up by the peleton. And unfortunately for Kiserlovski the tacks took him off to hospital & out of the race!

But what about that breakaway? Over 15 minutes clear of the peloton when the tack drama unfolded, it was Luis Leon Sanchez who broke away from the breakaway to get a well deserved victory.

So what does Stage 15 have in store for us?

It's back to Pau we go, & tonight it's one for the sprinters. This will probably sort out who's got their eye on the prize in Paris, or who's thinking of London.

Sagan is well clear in the battle for the green guersey, but will he have enough gas in the tank after his brilliant effort to cross the line in 2nd place in the hils last night?

Is Gossy gone? Griepel 'The Gorilla' loves to win, but watch out for the Manx Missile! I reckon Cav will want this win to make a statement to his rivals before London.

After yesterdays shenanigans, the GC boys will take it easy, as there is plenty more action in them there hills to come!

Our Pick: The Missile - Cavendish to show them who's the boss!

Drink match: After last night we need a drink - a real drink. We're in Armagnac country tonight! If that's a bit strong for you then there are plenty of interesting Vin-de-Pays in this part of France plus other small lesser know (but no less remarkable) appelations - try a Malbec from Cahors or a Tannat from the Madiran that'll be sure to add a few extra hairs to your chest.

Local Match: Try an Aussie Brandy such as the St Agnes 7 Star XO, a Malbec from Bleasdale or Ferngrove, or any other odd aussies you have lurking in your cellar!

Into the Pyrenees... MH Tour Blog Stage 14

Tonight we head from Limoux to Foix, in the foothills of the magnificent Pyrenees. It's only 40km from one to another, but the peloton are taking a bit of a 191km detour into the Haute Pyrenees with a couple of massive Category 1 climbs in the last half of the day's ride.

The final climb is still over 40km from the finish, so I doubt we'll see the GC contenders have a real crack, instead aiming not to lose any time. We'll most likely see one of the out-of-contention climbers have a major dip at a breakaway.

OUR PICK: Whilst Schleck and Gesink have the climbing pedigree, we fancy someone like Jurgen Van den Broeck, who looked pretty strong in the Alps a few nights ago.

DRINK MATCH: In the foothills of the Pyrenees, Limoux was actually the first place in France to produce sparkling wine, and they still make some excellent bubbles, particularly Crémant de Limoux. One of the biggest producers is fairly easy to find in Oz, so try a Sieur d'Arques Aimery Crémant de Limoux 1531.

AUSSIE MATCH: Hmmm....what could we Mitchell Harris boys suggest as a great bubbles made in the foothills of the Pyrenees here in Australia???....

That's right, another plug for our new bubbles, SABRE by MITCHELL HARRIS Vintage 2008!

Drop us an email at: info@mitchellharris.com.au if we can interest you in trying it out bottle or two...

When in Rhone...Tour Blog Stage 13

We're back on the flat tonight, for a 215km burn down from the Rhone valley, scooting around Montpellier and onto the Mediterranean coast road down to Le Cap-D'Agde.

It's been a super few days up in the Alps, but tonight will be either one for the sprinters, or we think, ripe for a breakaway pack. It's Bastille Day, so it's not too much of a stretch to imagine one or two of the Frenchies wanting to get themselves (and their sponsors' logos) out in front for much of the race. A stiff sea breeze for the last 50km will still keep the pressure on the GC contenders, but they'll probably stick together again.

OUR PICK: After getting stung 30 points for getting a little wobbly in front of Sagan, we'll go for Gossy to want to regain some pride with a sprint finish.

DRINKING MATCH: Find yourself a Chateauneuf du Pape to drink on this wintry Bastille Night down under.

AUSSIE MATCH: Time to try our little Rhoney-style number: The Mitchell Harris 2011 Mataro Grenache Shiraz fits the bill with spicy, fresh, lively Pyrenees fruit to watch Le tour by...

Go West! Stage 12 Tour Blog

Absolute cracker of a stage last night as the peloton pounded their way over some massive climbs in the Alps. Cadel had to make a move, and so he did, but didn't quite have the legs to carry it off last night. Fellow Aussies Richie Porte and Michael Rogers did a brilliant job of leading the SKY team out, and Froome pulled Wiggins up the hill (with a big nod to looking out for himself in the years to come!) As for Cadel, it starting to look like it won't be his year. But you can count nothing out with a big heart like his!

So, onto tonight...

A couple of big Category 1 climbs as the peloton leaves the Alps, then a gentle descent toward Annonay, where they'll then climb up to the arrivée.

Profile c/o letour.fr

Certainly the GC contenders will take it easy and spin a bit of the lactic acid out of the legs, but how will the rest of the race pan out? We're thinking if the sprinters can remain with the peloton through til the end they'll have crack up to the finish, it which case Gossy could be in with a chance, but it's likely, with nothing to lose, we'll see one of the others have a crack. You could pick pretty much anyone tonight, so.... for:

OUR PICK: Ummm..... Luis Leon Sanchez

DRINK MATCH: We're into the Cotes du Vivarais North of the Rhone here, territory of the light, spicy Rhone red blends. The Gallety ‘Recolte’ Cotes du Vivarais is a spicy, peppery Syrah from just south of the arrivée at Annonay.


AUSSIE MATCH: How about one from just up the road. Our mates at Dog Rock make the delicious Degraves Road Pyrenees Shiraz Grenache Tempranillo. We know, we know, the tempranillo doesn't strictly fit the Rhone blend, but seriously folks, this is one delicious, spicy red. Get on it!


 

Now or never Cadel??? - Tour Blog Stage 11

OK MH Tourists... Things are getting really serious now. As expected, there was no time gained or lost among the main contenders in the GC. A burst from Nibali on the final climb was quickly swallowed up by those seemingly unstoppable SKY riders. A stinking ride from Voeckler gave him yet another stage win for the 2012 tour.

Profile c/o letour.fr

So, two massive Hors Categorie climbs ahead of the peloton as they pour out of 1992 Olympic town Albertville tonight, and a 1100m climb to finish. The other teams will be pulling all the tricks out of their bags in order to isolate Wiggins and give one of the other GC contenders a chance at the maillot jaune. Have no doubt, this massive stage is very likely the turning point in the tour. By the end of the race tonight, we'll have a good idea who will be on the podium in Paris, and, if Wiggins has yet another great ride, we'll probably have our tour winner looking pretty certain.

OUR PICK: It's really now or never for Cadel, so we're tipping him for an heroic summit finish.

DRINK MATCH: One of the interesting grapes of the Haute Savoie is Gringet, which is made into a minerally, zingy bubbles. The big boy in the region is Domaine Belluard, and should be available at least in the big cities here in Oz.

AUSSIE MATCH: Try a Chandon ZD Blanc de Blancs. Zero dosage, for a bone-dry minerally zing....

Bring on the Alps! Tour Blog Stage 10

Serious, serious mountains for the first time tonight .

Three biggies for the tour to get across, including the massive Col du Grand Colombier, a 1250m climb with gradients reaching 18% at times!!

Obviously Cadel, with the work to do, will be keen to peg back some of that 1'53" deficit to Wiggo, but we fear tonight will not be the stage it happens, with the final climb (Col du Richemond) still 40-odd clicks from the finish line, more than enough distance for Team Sky to swallow up any getaway manoeuvre he might attempt.

Profile c/o letour.fr

OUR PICK: Expect to see the GC competitors play it safe and stick together tonight, leaving the stage win open for a breakaway. Could be almost anyone, but perhaps Chris Anker Sørenson, from the heady altitudes of Denmark, could take tonight to stamp a claim on the King of the Mountains Polka-Dot Jersey.

DRINK: A lighter red. Wines of the Haute-Savoie are hard to find here in Australia, but how about an

AUSSIE MATCH: A Bullers or Brown Brothers Mondeuse from Rutherglen.

You're on your own... Tour Blog Stage 9 Preview

A flying finish to last night's medium mountain stage into Porrentruy, with a Pinot just ahead of the pack (a bit of Pinot out in front whilst I pen this too!.)

Evans showed some pure grit, but failed to make up any time on the yellow mutton-chop wearer, Wiggins. This will be where the action is tonight, too. After an outburst last night against twitter critics insinuating dopage, he'll be hoping for a clear head tonight to take a firm grip on the yellow jersey into the final two weeks. It's the 40km time-trial into Besançon tonight, so expect a rocking 50 minutes or so of solo energy.

OUR PICK: Wiggins will be looking to extend his lead, but expect Evans to peg back few seconds and perhaps even just snatch the maillot jaune tonight with a flying stage. For the stage win though, it'll be (once again) Fabian Cancellara with his Spartacus act over Tony Martin.

WHAT TO DRINK: Once again in the heart of natural wine country, the Jura, tonight it's time for a funky Jura red: the light and slightly 'meaty' Domaine Rolet Arbois Poulsard.

AUSSIE MATCH: A funky, natural red? Try our Mitchell Harris 2011 Sauvage Shiraz as your light and spicy little drop for the night. Cool-vintage grapes, tossed into the fermenter, and left largely to nature's whims. Unfined and unfiltered, it's a zingy, peppery Pyrenees Shiraz as nature intended.

(Email and soon-to-be-urban-cellar-door only folks!)

Sauvage: wild, untamed.

Ups and Downs...Tour Blog Stage 8

With Wiggins rocking the mutton-chops as well as the yellow jersey now, the boys invade Switzerland tonight as we enter the Jura mountains on the loopy stage from Belfort to Porrentruy. 5 climbs whilst still in France, and another 3 climbs in Switzerland. Of these, it's perhaps the last climb, the wicked Col de la Croix that might sort a few out tonight. After 141 km, it's a Category One climb and then a flying 16 km downhill to the arrivée. 

Image via SBS Skoda Tour Tracker App

Picking a winner is going to be super-tough tonight. Evans and Nibali will probably aim to use their downhill skills to try to peg back a few seconds on Wiggins, but overall Wiggins and a few others might have more to lose than gain tonight.

OUR PICK: Hmmm...we're tipping a breakaway to head off the swift Evans/Nibbly descent. Swiss Albasini will want a go in front of the home crowd, Sanchez will want to pick up a stage, but for our measly money... Voeckler

WHAT TO DRINK: Into the Jura mountains we're in serious, chunky, funky, cloudy orange wine or vin jaune country. Try a Chateau Chalon Vin Jaune with a hunk of Jura Comté cheese.

AUSSIE MATCH: Try the T'Gallant Claudius cloudy white if you dare, and if you can find it from the cellar door, or the more approachable, delicious, but definitely funky Flamsteed/Mackintosh chardonnay, Salo.

Head for the Hills it's Stage 7

The Carnage continues! Wow it's been a horror few days for quite a few riders with a few permanent casualties. Is it a case of too many young riders not respecting the conditions, or is everyone just as keen as curry to hang on? Either way, last night's bingle put a big dent in the hopes of a few campaigns.
If you saw any of the footage from last night's stage from Epernay to Metz, you'll see why all the teams with GC or other jersey contenders in them are working hard to keep their boys at the front and out of trouble.

It was another exciting finish to one of the last sprint stages for a while. Unfortunately one of Matt Goss's leadout men snapped a chain within a 100m or so of the line so he collected just another minor place. It was the 'young gorilla' Sagan who collected another stage win to shoot 31 points clear of Goss for the green sprinters jeursey. André Greipel who was involved in the a crash early in the stage did amazingly well to challenge Sagan for the win.

Tonight it is Stage 7 from Tomblaine to La Planche Des Belles Filles. This is where the GC contenders will come out to make their presence felt. Apart from a couple of Cat 3 climbs throughout the course, there is a nasty Cat 1 , 6 km climb to the finish with an average gradient of 8.5%. After the last few sprint stages, this is where it starts to get interesting, & where the real GC contenders come out to play.

Stage 7 predictions & tipples:

OUR PICK TO WIN: Cadel to show a bit of 'who's the boss' tonight I reckon. The BMC team will be keen to show the rest of the field that they are here to defend & win again!

DRINK: Located between Burgundy, Alsace and the Jura, it's a mixed bag of Vin de Pays here. Since it is a Saturday night, try a zippy Riesling a tight Chardonnay first and a light & spicy pinot later. 

AUSSIE MATCH: A bit of Vic high country Gewurztraminer from Deletite could be fun, or the brilliant Rodda Chard from Beechworth is always good. The Eastern Peak Pinot from the cool hills outside of Ballarat might get a splash tonight too!

A Bouzy Stage 6 Epernay to Metz

It's a cut & paste from last night with the survivors of the carnage getting the goodies, & again it was The Gorilla Greipel who escaped yet another pile-up (can Farrar stay on 2 wheels tonight!!??) inside 3km with our boy Gossy whizzing in for 2nd. We think it's time for Gossy to step up & get the next one!

Tonight it is stage 6. The Peleton set off east of Epernay in the heart of Champagne, a place that is very fond in the hearts of the MH crew. We been very lucky to be on the end of some truly mind blowing hospitality in this unique wine region. It is in this part of the world that they craft the sparkling wines to which the rest of the world (us included!) aspires to emulate.


Tune in early to the SBS coverage where our mate, galloping gourmand, G Gate, will Sabre the top off a bottle of Champagne, a practice we admire so much we named our first sparkling after it. 


From the chardonnay vineyards of Champagne, the Peleton rolls east toward Metz in another stage for the quick men. Lets hope the Orica-Green Edge boys can get Gossy up to the front once more so he can get this one, & that the BMC boys can keep Cadel clear from the spills for another night or two.

So... who to pick for the win?? Similar to last night, but is Cav about to give up thinking more about London??

Look for the class sprinters again to have a crack....Cav...Goss...Cav...Goss...Greipel...Sagan....ummm??!!


We'll wait & see....
*Although not the official broadcast partner, we did like this Tour update form Clarke and Dawe last night on the ABC. Looks like team Brown Edge might need a bit of help!


Stage 6 predictions & tipples:


OUR PICK TO WIN: Gossy! You've got a 3rd & a 2nd, it's time for the win! You know you can do it....! 

DRINK: It's champagne darling all the way! Try Champagne Paul Bara out of Bouzy (yes it is the best name for a wine region), try some big house Laurent Perrier from Tours-sur-Marne or if you have a lazy $5k or so to blow on a bottle of fizz see if you can track down a Krug Clos du Ambonnay

AUSSIE MATCH: If you haven't got a bottle of Sabre by MH near by, get on to a steely Blanc de Blanc from Clover Hill, a nicely aged of Chandon Tassie Cuvee, or track down some of the good booze from Ed Carr's stable. http://mitchellharris.blogspot.com.au/stage 6

The chaos continues... Tour Blog Stage 5

Once again it's the survivors of the carnage who reap the tour rewards... Greipel getting the goodies after another massive pile-up with our boy Gossy whizzing in 4th.

How are YOU travelling with the carnage of 2am finishes each night this week?

Well, no time to stop now as the tour rolls on, this time on a rolling course from Rouen to Saint Quentin to the north of Paris. Expect a roaring breakaway again, which will once again to script be swallowed up toward the finish of the race. Aussie sprint star Robbie McEwen has won this leg 3 times, and once again we should expect a flat-out sprint finish.

So... who to pick for the win?

Look for the class sprinters again to have a crack....Cav...Goss...Cav...Goss...ummm....

OUR PICK: Go Gossy!

DRINK: (Not much wine in these parts of Aisne) -a Val d'Aisne Blonde Ale
AUSSIE MATCH: Grand Ridge Natural Blonde