After a week that saw the yellow jersey lost and regained, narrow time gaps on the climbs and gaping chasms in the crosswinds, our latest photo essay tells the tale of a tumultuous week at the Tour.

Watch racing, go roadside.

Every year the Étape du Tour gives mere mortals the chance to go behind the barriers and experience the life of a pro. On closed roads, nearly 10,000 riders follow the same route as the queen stage, grinding up the climbs, swooping down the descents and finishing, arms aloft, atop a mountain summit.

A balance of high-altitude adventures and set-piece sprints, entertaining fans and empathising with riders, planning the Tour is no mean feat. On the eve of the great race, the second instalment of the digital Doppio reviews each of the Tour’s twenty-one stages.

In the first of four double-shots of digital road racing reportage to be published in July, we review the runners and riders in this year’s Grand Boucle.

Cycling with character.