Alberto Contador, of Spain, wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey, center, rides in the pack as it turns into Champs Elysees during the 20th and last stage of the Tour ((AP Photo/Bas Czerwinski)

A third Tour de France win for Alberto Contador, not a huge surprise, given the number of mountain climbs in this year’s event, but nevertheless a great achievement.

I expect the pundits will throw in the moment that Contador rode away from runner-up  Andy Schleck, when Schleck who was wearing the yellow jersey, was encountering mechanical problems – apparently not the done thing in the gentlemanly sport of cycle racing! What is so ironic is that Schleck was beaten into second place overall by the scant few seconds that he lost on stage 15, when Contador, ignorant of Schleck’s misfortune, attacked and disappeared into the distance.

How did the Brits do? Mark Cavendish finished his tour with every sprinter’s dream: a stage win on the Champs Elysee. This last win takes Cavendish’s 2010 Tour de France stage win tally to five. Highest placed rider at 24th spot on General classification was last year’s fourth-placed rider Bradley Wiggins. The next man down the field was Welshman Geraint Thomas in 67th place. 170 riders finished this year’s tour.

Sprint Bonuses

• If you visit London on a regular basis, and are happy to get about by bike, the Barclay’s Cycle Hire is enrolling users at present. Anyone who registers now is able to use the bikes almost straight away, whereas casual users will have to wait until the end of August. The £45 annual fee gives members an access key to bikes around the capital. The first 30 minutes on the cycle are free, with charges going up to £50 for 24 hours use. As an example: a morning, 4 hours would cost £15.

• After 30 years, the Dutch high end bike company Koga-Miyata have split with the Japanese company Miyata. Citing the mix of the more basic Miyata bikes with the up-market Kogas as ‘ not to be ideal’, Koga’s export manager Pieter Rijstra went on to say that the change will begin on 1st September 2010.

• Cycling is one of the few sports in which you can use the same equipment as your heroes, even if there may be something lacking in the performance department! So the news that SRAM have a limited Tour Edition groupset coming out soon will get the lookie-likies rushing to their piggy banks.  Possibly the world’s lightest groupset,  at 1800 grams, is out in September.

• The first of three London sky rides took place last Sunday in Ealing. An estimated 13,000 cyclists took part. These closed road events are planned in a number of locations around the country in an effort to get more people cycling. To find a Sky Ride go to www.goskyride.com .

See the unusual people there:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tirhv_KcVTs&feature=related

And this chap too:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpY3XpV9wGA&NR=1

• Here’s an idea that the island could adopt in the uphill struggle to get more people cycling: Hackney City Farm is trying out a scheme where they go to bus stops, and offer the people standing there the loan of a bike, a planned cycling route and a cycle buddy to help them along, for the cost of a bus fare. The Farm’s Environment and Enterprise manager, Gustavo de Oca is targeting bus route 55, which runs from Leyton to Oxford Circus.  Here’s the website: http://ymlp.com/zYVtz6

• Sportive riders who like to travel may well like to consider the Sky Ride Etape Hibernia which takes place on August 22nd in County Clare. Among the 2000 cyclists riding the event, will be Irish cycling legend Sean Kelly. The 82 mile sportive will be held on closed roads. http://www.etapehibernia.com/

• With the opening of the Cycle Superhighways comes the news that any businesses with over 50 staff, and within 1.5 kilometres of a Superhighway, can apply to Transport for London for funding for cycle parking, cycle training and cycle maintenance classes for their employees.

• BBC 4 is fast becoming the bike rider’s favourite TV station; hot on the heels of Clare Balding’s ‘Britain by Bike’,  comes ‘Ride of My Life: the Story of the Bicycle’. The documentary, which is broadcast on 27^th July, is a prequel to the launch of Robert Penn’s book:’ It’s all About The Bike’, which comes out on Thursday 29th. July.

Here is an excerpt from the documentary:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URQ6y3U9v-4&feature=player_embedded

And Finally,

With the holiday season upon us, perhaps this link to the pleasures of cycling in France may inspire you to spend a few days on your bike across the water.

http://www.bicyclegourmet.com/french-travel/french-lifestyle-cycling/

Arthur Lamy is a freelance writer and tourist guide specialising in cycling: www.cycleinjersey.com