As we come to the end of three weeks of watching the world’s best cyclists ride around France we can enjoy the feeling of riding in our own little Peloton, while the word actually means “ball” it’s most often used to describe a twisting snarling mass of racers cutting through the coutryside, looking after leaders, getting sprinters into the right position, or just clinging on at the back! Fear not once the TDF finishes we move straight into the Olympics, with the time trials taking place next weekend and the road races the weekend after that. (and plenty of track and BMX mixed in too). Football never did come home, but cycling is always “a la maison”. While in some sports the olympic gold is the pinnacle, it’s easy to say that the Maillot Jaune is well above a medal when it comes to the cycling pecking order, with this in mind, all eyes will be on 33.7km individual time trial on Sunday from 1.40pm onwards, will the “race of truth” change any of the standings? After 21 days of racing over 2,174 miles will it come down to the stopwatch in Nice?

Back on home soil, we have three routes to test your racing ability, are you planning on being a domestique, a leader or maybe saving yourself for the final sprint? I’m afraid there will be no team cars, but as usual the velos will look out for each other out on the roads.

All three routes head in the same direction and have the same expected finish time, well before the first TDF rider leaves the start ramp in Monaco.

9am 50 miles https://ridewithgps.com/routes/47610201

10am 33 miles https://ridewithgps.com/routes/47609663

10.30am 25 miles https://ridewithgps.com/routes/47610363

Rides start at the advertised times from Ivinghoe church and return to the Rose and Crown for refuelling purposes.