The Domestiques

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The Tour reaches its first rest day, but there is no shortage of talking points. Isaac del Toro continues to look completely at home on cycling’s biggest stage, while Tadej Pogačar and UAE keep everyone guessing with tactics that suggest they are ready to take control of the race.
Chris Hamilton joins Tils and Marko to unpack the brutal heat, Tim Merlier’s extraordinary sprint speed, Mads Pedersen’s relentless pursuit of green, the rise of Biniam Girmay, and what is really happening inside the bunch. Plus, the team previews a savage Bastille Day stage that could ignite the GC battle all over again.

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The Tour de France has delivered its first decisive mountain showdown, and Tadej Pogačar has wasted no time putting the race on notice.
The crew breaks down UAE’s Tourmalet demolition, Pogačar’s fearless 107km/h descent and the huge time he gained on Jonas Vingegaard. Is the Tour already over, or is there still enough road left for the race to turn?
They also unpack Remco Evenepoel’s public frustration with Florian Lipowitz, the emerging battle for the white jersey, Olaf Kooij’s chaotic sprint victory and why Mads Pedersen may be perfectly placed to take green all the way to Paris.
Plus, the heartbreak of crashing out in yellow, the UCI’s latest questionable rulings and a look ahead to two sprint stages before Sunday’s breakaway battle.
The Domestiques is live throughout the Men’s and Women’s Tour de France, breaking down the stages and bringing you inside the bunch with the riders. Powered by Black Sheep.

A Norwegian in yellow. A Dane winning the stage. And Lidl-Trek putting on a tactical masterclass.
Matilda Reynolds is joined by Mark O’Brien to break down a brutal opening week of the Tour de France, where the heat, the climbs and the relentless racing have already started to take their toll. We unpack Mads Pedersen’s brilliant breakaway win, Uno-X’s dream day in yellow with Torstein Træen, the suffering of the sprinters, and what UAE’s control of the race says about the battles still to come.
They also look ahead to the first true sprint showdown, debate whether Jasper Philipsen, Tim Merlier or Biniam Girmay has the edge, and preview the coming Tourmalet stage as the GC contenders prepare for their first major mountain test.

The Tour de France is here, and it has wasted no time reminding everyone why it is the biggest race in cycling.
This week on The Domestiques, Tils, Marko and Hollywood break down the opening stages of the Tour, from the Barcelona team time trial and Visma’s early masterclass, to Pogacar’s ominous start, Del Toro’s rise, Remco’s pressure, the first breakaway chances, and the brutal heat already shaping the race. The first week has barely started, but the GC picture is already shifting.
They are joined by EF Education-EasyPost’s Harry Sweeny, who gives a brutally honest update on the toughest stretch of his career. After a flying start to the year at Tour Down Under, Harry looked set for a huge European season before illness, knee pain, surgery, chicken pox at altitude, a mystery nerve issue, and a second operation wiped out months of racing.
Harry talks through the physical and mental toll, life in Monaco, switching off from cycling, rebuilding from a CTL of 28, staying locked in with EF, and why the Vuelta could still be on the cards.
Plus: Hollywood’s Tour kit verdict, Marko’s Hellride downfall, heat training, AI in cycling, sprinters, GC predictions, and the usual amount of abuse between mates.
The Tour is on. The heat is up. And the Sween Dog is rebuilding.

This week on The Domestiques, Tils, Marko and Hollywood are joined by Harry Leask, Olympic silver medallist for Great Britain, former America’s Cup cyclor with INEOS Britannia, and current Beach Road weapon making Saturday mornings miserable for anyone brave enough to sit on.
Harry takes us inside one of the strangest and most brutal roles in elite sport: powering a high-speed sailing boat from inside a tiny, boiling carbon box, where four riders are locked together, producing massive watts with no control over when the next effort is coming. From rowing at the Tokyo Olympics, to training alongside the INEOS Grenadiers, to discovering Melbourne cycling culture via the Hellride and the Queensmen, Harry’s story is as ridiculous as it is impressive.
The crew also previews the opening stages of the Tour de France, including the Barcelona team time trial, the first GC flashpoints, the stages to watch, and why the opening weekend could already cause serious damage. There’s also European nationals chat, special edition Tour kits, Fashion Corner, running injuries, and the usual amount of unnecessary abuse between friends.
The Tour is here. Sleep deprivation begins now.