MATT LAWTON IN VALLOIRE: To some extent it felt like normal service had been resumed here in the Alps, the sight of five Team Ineos riders leading the yellow jersey group up the final climb.

Thibaut Pinot's dream of becoming the first French winner of the Tour de France for 34 years is over after the Groupama-FDJ rider was forced to abandon early on stage 19 to Tignes.

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.

MATT LAWTON IN PARIS: Brailsford believes Bernal is capable of maintaining the team's dominance of the Tour de France for years to come. At 22, he is the youngest man to win in Paris since 1909.

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.

French sports minister Roxana Maracineanu looked to clarify the situation around the biggest race in cycling, which has already been rearranged to take place on August 29.

There was a touching farewell at the RAC Club in Pall Mall, London, to a much-loved and well-respected motor industry boss who really has put his own money where his mouth is.

The extra cash injection and prospect of thousands of new jobs comes as the firm is set to announce Jaguar and Land Rover production in booming China.

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.

Ray Massey does a mini test drive on the latest model and he is impressed by the sporty style of the new Alfa Romeo Giulietta 1.4 TB MultiAir 170bhp TCT Veloce.

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

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.

Start queuing for the Dacia Sandero - it’s Britain’s cheapest car at less than £6,000. Renault bought the Romanian car-maker in 1999 as its ‘budget’ brand and the UK market is the final piece of the jigsaw.

This is the fourth generation of the Honda CR-V, which has established itself as a mainstay of Middle Britain for adaptable family transport since the first generation arrived in Europe in 1997.

It accelerates from rest to 62 mph in 3.9 seconds and will cost around £77,000 when in showrooms early next year (for delivery in summer).

Production of the third generation Octavia started this month at the Mlada Boleslav plant in the Czech Republic, ahead of its March launch in Britain.

It will be in showrooms this spring, priced at £160,000, following its global unveiling at the Detroit Motor Show on January 14. Bentley describes it as its ' performance flagship convertible'.

Mailonline has had an exclusive first drive of the astonishing new ‘green’ super-frugal car offering 2p a mile motoring that could swiftly put Osborne and the Treasury out of business.

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.

RAY MASSEY: As controversial table-manners go, it certainly beats resting on your elbows. This remarkable stunt came as the dashing Earl of March hosted a sumptuous sponsors and press dinner.

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.

Jaguar's sexy new F-type sports car hit the road this week and from my exclusive first drive, I can tell you that the cat has got the cream, writes RAY MASSEY.

French car-maker Citroen has piled in with a practical five-seater cabriolet that allows the whole family to enjoy wind-in the-hair motoring, writes RAY MASSEY.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a growing family must be in want of a multi-purpose car, writes RAY MASSEY of the £23,895 KIA Carens '3' 1.7 CRDi manual.

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 Peugeot 205 GTi became an icon of the Eighties. Now, almost three decades on, comes what Peugeot believes is its true spiritual successor - the 208 GTi, 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.

All roads lead to Germany next week as the Frankfurt Motor Show gets under way. Mercedes-Benz will be showing off its first-ever SUV.

It’s no slouch. On Germany’s unrestricted motorways, it’ll cruise happily and legally top-down in the ‘slow’ lane at 100 mph.

This is not so much a van as a luxurious business-class aircraft cabin on wheels. I had to ferry three adults, two growing teenagers, and luggage.

Let's hear it for 12 plucky drivers who drove for 24 hours at an average speed of 125 mph in British-built Vauxhall Astra hatchbacks.

It's not every day I get a police escort down The Mall from Buckingham Palace. But I did - well, sort of - in this head-turning electric car from BMW.

The X Factor boss might have been holding court in Los Angeles but for motoring editor Ray Massey, nothing could upstage the Jaguar F-type.

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

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.

Ray Massey, motoring editor, gets to grips with the award-winning family car, Nick Clegg's push for electric cars and the biggest dangers on the road.

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

The second worst car was the Mercedes-Benz B-Class (2005- 2012) managing just 42.6 mpg compared with the claimed 59.6 mpg (71.8 per cent).

The Ford Kuga 2.0 TDCi 163PS has a distinctive, yet handsome, contemporary, family-friendly crossover. Smart without being too flash.

Motoring editor Ray Massey takes the Honda Civic Tourer 1.6 i-dTEC EX Plus diesel (manual), £27,960 (price as driven) for a mini test and tells you the best and worst bits of his drive.

Motoring editor Ray Massey takes the Jaguar F-Type R Coupe 5.0 litre V8 (from £85,000) for a mini test and tells you the best and worst bits of his drive.

Melanie Sykes, who is the new presenter of BT Sport's MotoGP TV coverage, has opted for the nippy Fiat 500 super-mini convertible.

Motoring editor Ray Massey takes the Vauxhall Adam Glam 1.4i 16v VVT (87PS) (price as driven: £15,685) for a mini test and tells you the best and worst bits of his drive.

Ray Massey tests the Hyundai iX35 Premium 1.7 CRDI 2WD Manual, a car with kerb appeal

It was with a sense of nostalgia that Ray jumped into the newest MG on the block — the MG3 five-door hatchback