MATT LAWTON ON THE COL DU TOURMALET: Owner of Ineos Jim Ratcliffe must have sat in the team car on Saturday afternoon and wondered if he had just bought a cycling team in decline.

MATT LAWTON IN NIMES: The tone was one of defiance; the message that Team Ineos are not dead yet. As Sir Dave Brailsford was quick to point out, they sit second and fifth.

The defending champion came off on a right-hander with around 130km of the 177km stage, which started and finished in Nimes, remaining. He was though soon able to rejoin the race.

MATT LAWTON IN VAL THORENS: The 22-year-old Colombian held on to the yellow jersey in stage 20, and is set to be crowned the youngest Tour winner in 110 years.

The 34-year-old suffered multiple broken bones after he collided with a wall during this year's event, but is ahead in his recovery and is targeting next year's race as a potential return date.

The 55-year-old cycling coach confirmed in an interview with The Times that he has had surgery on a tumour which doctors discovered after flagging up concerns over blood tests.

Chris Froome called the rescheduling of the Tour de France a 'light at the end of the tunnel' after it was postponed for two months rather than scrapped.

The new British-built 150mph Jaguar XF Sportbrake is set to be one of the stars of next week’s Geneva Motor Show when it is officially unveiled – as well as making shopping trips rather more fun.

Beloved of intrepid explorers and school run mums alike, the one millionth Land Rover Discovery rolled off the production line today before embarking on an epic 8,000 mile fund-raising expedition miles to China.

It's not every day an international luxury car company holds the global launch of its latest model in Britain — and brings over its top brass to do the honours.

Toyota has sent its British-built family car to boot camp. The result is a toned-up, better performing model.

Sultry pop star Lana del Rey took the wraps off Jaguar's flashy new F-Type sports car, pictured right, as a string of new British vehicles stole the Paris Motor Show from under the noses of the French this week.

I love the look of the new Volkswagen Beetle Cabriolet which makes its world debut at the Los Angeles Motor Show on November 28 and will go on sale in Britain in spring.

James Bond star Daniel Craig performed a top secret mission right under the noses of the world's media at this week's royal global premier of the latest 007 movie, Skyfall, which goes on general release today.

With a longer range, lots of extra space and a heavier steer, the Nissan LEAF might be small but it drives like one of the big boys - and that's no bad thing.

It has classic sporty looks, a spirited driving performance and is an engaging Toyota to suit carefree, boy racers now with families in tow.

Ray Massey test out the sexy new Jaguar F-type sports car, which has a top speed of 186mph and will accelerate to 60mph in just 4.2 seconds.

The French maker promises up to 61.8 mpg from the car, which was unveiled at the recent Geneva Motor Show.

Mercedes-Benz' new flagship S-Class limousine, pictured, could be the cleverest car on the road; it can 'see' potholes and bumps ahead, writes RAY MASSEY.

The luxury 4x4, which BMW dubs a sports activity vehicle, broke cover this week. It goes on sale here in November, writes RAY MASSEY.

Japan's Mazda unveiled its new five-door small family hatchback simultaneously in five locations across the globe this week - including Britain.

My test drive of the new Range Rover Sport was exacting enough, before I tackled the decommissioned jumbo at Cotswold Airport, near Cirencester, Glos.

RAY MASSEY: The first things to catch the eye are the curious blisters of air-filled plastic, which adorn the sides of the door and bodywork.

Production versions will be built at the British sports car maker Caterham's factory in Dartford, Kent, ready for launch next year — with many being made for export.

Order books are now open for the new British-built Honda Civic Tourer with the first deliveries set to reach UK showrooms from February.

Never mind Mustang Sally. It was more 'Mustang Sienna' as the actress Sienna Miller helped the global launch of the latest classic Ford Mustang.

Just in time to add to your New Year wish list comes Mercedes-Benz's latest version of its C-Class compact saloons. And what a high-tech feast it is.

Nifty, nimble and willing 1.6-litre 156 bhp petrol engine linked to a smooth six-speed manual gearbox, which helped propel the car from rest to 62 mph in just 8.2 seconds.

This is the second generation of the family car that broke the mould and helped create a whole new segment of 'crossover' vehicles, which put a 4x4 shape on the frame of a hatchback.

What better way to banish the blues than to contemplate - subject to a lottery win - having some fun behind the wheel of the new Lamborghini Huracán?

As the new year plates arrive, car sales look set to flourish as people are enjoying PPI claim payouts and cheap credit.

Wimbledon top seed Novak Djokovic was in car mode this week to help Peugeot take the wraps off it new 508 model

Ford unveiled its smart new Edge fiveseater sports utility vehicle this week. The Edge will go on sale here next year from around £30,000

Vauxhall has just released details of the new, fifth-generation Corsa super-mini, set for its official launch at the Paris Motor Show in October

The Audi S3 feels smart, comfortable, sporty and grown-up, but also great fun says RAY MASSEY. The stop-start system also switches off the engine to save fuel.

The car is largely based on the concept car revealed a year ago and both the five and seven-seat versions are designed for greater flexibility.

Land Rover Discovery Sport has also received 1,200 orders in three weeks. Chief executive Dr Ralf Speth said the cars are 'at the very heart of Britain's manufacturing renaissance'.

Acceleration from rest to 60mph in 4.5 seconds and a top speed of 168mph. The guiding principle, it says, was 'functional beauty'. The driver can also control wing deployment.

RAY MASSEY tests the new Land Rover Discovery Sport on the snowy roads of Iceland. With an impressive seven seats avilable and fantastic flexibilty this car is perfect for families.

Including the new BMW 6 Series Convertible, Coupe and Gran Coupe. The cabriolet will go from rest to 62 mph in just 5.5 seconds. All petrol models will have a sports tuned exhaust system.

It's a petrol electric sport hybrid with aerodynamic low slung features. It has a combination of the 550bhp twin-turbo V6 engine at the rear and two of its three electric motors fixed on the axle towards the front.

The Passat has been around for 42 years, the first model came out in 1973. The estate car is the fourth biggest-selling VW in the UK. The new model has keyless entry and heated seats.

Built with flexibility in mind, it also has a sliding second row of seats. There is a choice of five turbocharged petrol and diesel engines. It is also the only car in its class to team four wheel -drive with seven seats.

The company have put a great deal of attention to detail into the new model of the Zetec which is both effortless and nimble to drive. Ford have listened to their customers and simplified the car's interior.

The new two-seater Aston Martin Vulcan will set you back £1.8million. The V12 engine is the equivalent of eight Ford Fiestas. The Vulcan will reach top speeds of 200mph and 0-60mph in three seconds.

The new prototype is a two-door 'crossover' aimed at young families but the final version will be a four-door petrol-electric hatchback crossover. It includes a permanent integrated child seat.

The Outlander PHEV can be charged overnight at home, run on electric-only power or operate in hybrid mode, switching between petrol and electric power, depending on which is most efficient.

Just as George Osborne ratcheted up company car tax for thousands of motorists, German giant BMW unveiled its new 'budget buster' — its first mainstream plug-in petrol-electric hybrid SUV.

In a stunt worthy of the latest Bond film Spectre — for which the firm is supplying many of the cars — the XF (pictured) was revealed in a dramatic stunt high over the Royal Dock in Canary Wharf.

The good news is that the five-door hatchback version will be built exclusively at the Swindon factory. Honda announced the Wiltshire works would benefit from a £200million investment.