- News
- Reviews
- Bikes
- Accessories
- Accessories - misc
- Computer mounts
- Bags
- Bar ends
- Bike bags & cases
- Bottle cages
- Bottles
- Cameras
- Car racks
- Child seats
- Computers
- Glasses
- GPS units
- Helmets
- Lights - front
- Lights - rear
- Lights - sets
- Locks
- Mirrors
- Mudguards
- Racks
- Pumps & CO2 inflators
- Puncture kits
- Reflectives
- Smart watches
- Stands and racks
- Trailers
- Clothing
- Components
- Bar tape & grips
- Bottom brackets
- Brake & gear cables
- Brake & STI levers
- Brake pads & spares
- Brakes
- Cassettes & freewheels
- Chains
- Chainsets & chainrings
- Derailleurs - front
- Derailleurs - rear
- Forks
- Gear levers & shifters
- Groupsets
- Handlebars & extensions
- Headsets
- Hubs
- Inner tubes
- Pedals
- Quick releases & skewers
- Saddles
- Seatposts
- Stems
- Wheels
- Tyres
- Health, fitness and nutrition
- Tools and workshop
- Miscellaneous
- Buyers Guides
- Features
- Forum
- Recommends
- Podcast
news
Tour de France logo on yellow 3x2Tour de France Stage 10: Chris Froome takes first mountain stage
Chris Froome of Team Sky has tightened his grip on the 102nd edition of the Tour de France on the first day in the Pyrenees as he put his rivals to the sword and seized control of the race.
The 2013 champion attacked with 6.5 kilometres of the climb of the Col de la Pierre Saint-Martin remaining after some sterling work from Peter Kennaugh, Geraint Thomas - now fifth overall - and finally Richie Porte.
He crossed the line around a minute ahead of team mate Porte, who overhauled Movistar’s Nairo Quintana 300 metres before the line to deny the 2014 Giro champion extra bonus seconds.
The man who began the day second overall, Tejay van Garderen of BMC Racing, lost two and half minutes to Froome. He remains second, but is now 2 minutes 52 seconds down after the 167 kilometre stage from Tarbes.
Tinkoff-Saxo’s Alberto Contador lost 3 minutes to Froome today, while the title defence of Astana’s Vincenzo Nibali is in tatters, the Sicilian finishing ceding the best part of 4 minutes to the stage winner.
With Sky's Thomas finishing sixth and Adam Yates of Orica-GreenEdge seventh, three British riders finished in the top ten.
On Bastille Day, Pierre Rolland of Europcar was the first French rider to finish, coming home in eighth, with a decade now having passed since David Moncoutie's Fete Nationale win at Digne les Bains in 2005.
Stage winner and race leader Chris Froome
What a stage! Through yesterday's rest day, we were very focused on today's stage. We didn't necessarily want to ride aggressively. We were happy to let a breakaway go, let other teams chase and be more defensive than usual. But when I heard the big names were struggling and getting dropped, I told Richie Porte and Geraint Thomas: “let's push.
I could feel our rivals were in trouble after the rest day so my team-mates set up the finale for me. I attacked when it was steep before the road was flatting out. It's the dream scenario. I couldn't have asked for any better one, especially with Richie coming second and taking the time bonus away from Nairo [Quintana].
Geraint wasn't far at the end, it means a lot for our team. But the race is far from over. In 2013, Alberto Contador took us on in the crosswinds and in the descents. We can expect this to happen again. We have to see how much we'll pay tomorrow for the efforts we produced today.
I wouldn't like to be where my rivals are on GC now after only one climb. But we know that Nairo can be strong in the third week of a Grand Tour. He can put us in trouble. We actually expected that he'd do so today. Movistar rode and I waited for him to attack. It didn't happen so I attacked him.
Even though it's at a different point of the race, the day after the first rest day and not the day before the second rest day, it's amazing to repeat the feeling of the Mont Ventoux when I won at the top of a big mountain with the yellow jersey, on July 14.
Tejay van Garderen of BMC Racing, who remains second on GC
Sky definitely put on quite the performance. I tried my best to stay with them. When it got too much for me, I tried to stay in my rhythm and focused on getting to the top. I don't think today was my best day. But it wasn't all bad. I am still keeping a good GC position.
In the overall standings, Froome leads van Garderen by 2:52. Quintana is third, at 3:09. Spanish national road champion Alejandro Valverde is fourth, at 4:01, and one of five riders still within five minutes of the overall lead.
The first mountain day is always tricky. We have done almost two weeks without climbing any real mountains. So it can be quite a shock to the system, especially after a rest day. I feel like it should go better from here. I am definitely still happy about where we are sitting.
Movistar's Nairo Quintana, now third overall
The outcome and my feelings are good but not excellent. We want to raise the tempo at the bottom of the climb to evaluate the level of our rivals. Froome's superiority is implacable. He's stronger than all of us. His rhythm uphill was too high for my abilities of the day.
The last climb was hard with a hell of a heat. I'll have to see how my legs and my body will recover from that. I want to keep my position [third overall] and try and build a strategy to make up for the time lost. My chances to take the yellow jersey are reduced a bit but I'll fight till the end. Two years ago we've seen that Froome was less strong at the end.
We have to see if one day, he's less inspired. He's human and vulnerable, like everyone. My dream in yellow isn't over yet.
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
Latest Comments
- mark1a 6 min 30 sec ago
This is the same organisation that funded the rescue of Planet X. Interesting.
- Andrewbanshee 14 min 39 sec ago
Tbh I only wear bright and reflective clothing and use multiple lights is to diminish any arguments that I wasn't doing enough to be seen and safe!...
- Hirsute 17 min 22 sec ago
How is this NOT dangerous driving ?
- Cugel 28 min 6 sec ago
The point is that there's no need to create more "infrastructure" dedicated to cyclists if the worst and dangerous offenders on the road are...
- stonojnr 44 min 40 sec ago
True, fwiw they're half decent round my neck of the woods, but I appreciate having travelled around the UK via train, it ain't always so good...
- Legin 1 hour 32 min ago
The tory party will oppose anything that might restrict their tanks rolling at the next election.
- EraserBike 1 hour 37 min ago
I'm sure this (and other 3D printed models) are made where labour costs are cheap also. Nobody is making these in Europe. There's only so much ...
- mdavidford 2 hours 3 min ago
Especially since the similarly priced Tickr X did have that functionality.
- anke2 2 hours 43 min ago
CX is brutal in terms of forces acting on the chain. A single, technical kick at 40 RPM by Iserbyt with a small chainwheel might put more load on...
Add new comment
76 comments
The next couple of stages will be interesting. It looked like froome and sky buried themselves today, possibly more so than their rivals. I wonder if that comes at a cost of fatigue....still a long way to go
Yes, performance is not evidence, well put. As CB said it will take a few years and no high profile positives before people believe and that's the legacy for this riders.
Did anyone mention it was another fantastic stage and what a great tour this has been so far? With even sprint stages being essential viewing. Sky put on a display today, I think Froome feels he has something to prove after last year and he is certainly proving that so far. Long way to go, Froome doesn't like the bad weather, that could cause issues. I have to say Contador fought today like I have never seen before, hurting like that for so long on a stage and still limiting his losses, just amazing.
so what we've learned from this is that when Astana dominate a stage, we all shit the bed. When Sky do it, it's a level playing field so it's ok.
Can we apply one or the other rule across the board then please so we can just get on with it?
Cheers.
Sky didn't dominate the stage - Movistar did and, as Chris Boardman said, it wasn't a good move in hindsight... even Quintana said as much. Sky followed their train and did bugger all until about half way up the climb. At that point they still had half a team left although they were shedding as fast as anyone by then. I thought Quintana held on pretty well, as did TJ given his lack of support.
Also, Movistar put all the work in on the hardest part of the climb. Froome only attacked where the climb profile went from red to blue. Quintana suffered because he had to be part of the attack the Movistar and Valverde initiated.
One thing that is clear from the last decade, dopers will be found out and if Armstrong is anything to go by will, stand to loose everything.
So how many team leaders are stupid enough to do it? Domestiques, they're just canon fodder.
A good point made by the ITV cycling commentators is that you shouldn't draw conclusions about doping just from performance - it's not evidence. You need evidence, which would be a test result, or testimony from other riders.
I would be very surprised if Team Sky were organising doping for their riders - amazed, in fact. Then you wonder if one or some of the riders could be doing it on their own initiative. It's possible, but we have no evidence.
The way Team Sky (and by extension, British Cycling) are about absolutely everything else I'd be surprised if management weren't involved in organised doping IF it were taking place. I don't think it is, and still enjoy the racing either way.
This one, obviously.
Why not the first one ?
If you've been following pro cycling for any length of time, you become used to these kind of moments; moments where half the cycling world seems to be suggesting foul play and half are aghast that anyone would dare question the effort of their superstar.
Best not to devote much in the way of emotional energy to what is, even if clean, only entertainment.
I trot out the same old tired phrase each year when the Tour comes on; Pro cycling is like sausages; I like sausages, but I don't want to know how they're made.
'Not really sure how you can watch the sport under those conditions.'
I can watch the sport just fine with all those caveats. It's the comically unbelievable performances which spoil it.
Who's performance WAS believable? Quintana? Porte? Thomas? Contador? Nibali? Where's your line as to what would be 'acceptable' to make the sport watchable? Is it not worth seeing how Sky (and the others) do over the next 3 stages before jumping to (obvious, and probably unavoidable) conclusions?
the motorhome thing is all a little bit USPS innit?
Would of been quicker if he had been sleeping in the sky motorhome
May be we should be celebrating a fantastic attack, rather than speculating on things we have no facts on.
I'll stay positive and enjoy watching the tour.
Except the way it's going, sprint stages could be the highlight!
You really didn't think that was exciting today?
You really didn't think that was exciting today?
Excellent analysis as usual by Ross Tucker
http://sportsscientists.com/2015/07/day-1-in-the-mountains-one-more-pixe...
Basically Froome at the very edge of what is possible
Wrong place sorry
Nope. The tone is slightly hysterical and hyperbolic, suggesting Tucker is trying too hard to prove a point ...I'm just speculating but he sounds like he wants to be famous for saying I told you so. Check everyone's motives in this game.
This article is rather deceiving. The power method calculation it relies upon is seriously, seriously flawed in that it does not take into account aerodynamics.
The equations used assume an unassisted rider riding alone. What is in no doubt is that for the first 9km of the climb, Froome was riding behind other riders. The average speed he achieved for the entire 15km was around 21km per hour which is fast enough for aerodynamics to play a reasonably significant role. If this wasn't the case, then there would be no or little advantage to following other riders up the mountain.
So the "he's on the edge of what is possible" is just misleading BS - if 6.1W/kg is just possible for an unassisted rider, then riding efficiently using other riders to reduce air resistance must reduce the power to weight ratio necessary appreciably below that "just possible" figure actually making it very much harder to assert an allegation of doping because the numbers are well within bounds.
One of the more brutal attacks I've seen. As Sean Kelly said - Like a Bomb going off.
Other than his winning, his behaviour seems pretty unlikely for someone who is doping.
To convince a doubter you're basically talking about him not testing positive for the rest of his riding days, then his tests surviving the next decade of improved testing and a similar, possibly longer, period of his former team mates not coming out and grassing him up before you will convince them he is clean.
Not really sure how you can watch the sport under those conditions.
This whole data thing is perhaps one way, but then it's also pretty clear that if you put all that shit into the public domain then there'll be a thousand different interpretations.
I said froome would win by 8 minutes and laughed at, make that ten ...
Listening to it on R5 they had the same terms as when we saw LA do the same - unbelievable, a show of power, left a class field behind ...
Astana did the same int he Giro - dopers, same for Sky ?
I see four options:
1) everyone is doping so sky did a brilliant job of winning when the playing field is level
2) no one is doping so sky did a brilliant job of winning when the playing field is level
3) (nearly) everyone else is doping but sky are not so sky did a brilliant job when the playing field is not level
4) only sky are doping so they are evil.
Answer 4 is the least likely I think most would agree. Sky therefore did a brilliant job. And we have no facts about the angle of inclination of the playing field.
It's a myth that "everybody doping" makes it a level playing field.
First it rewards those that have the most money so can afford the best doctors and the latest drugs. It becomes like F1, but instead of teams buying the best engineers making technical innovations to improve an cars speed it's teams buying the best doctors to improve the riders power.
Second some respond better to the same drug than others meaning the dirty result wouldn't be the same as a clean one. Take EPO the optimum level to ride th tour with might be 60% a rider with a natural level of 55% is getting a much smaller advantage taking epo than one with a level of only 40%.
Finally there's the moral argument that some riders aren't willing to cheat and that shouldn't mean they have to finish 10 minutes behind rather than on the podium.
As different people react differently to different drugs, it's not really a level playing field.
Astana would probably say that once you've been put in the cross hairs that the playing field becomes less level.
5) (nearly) everyone else is doping including sky and sky did a brilliant job when the playing field is not level
5) Most teams / riders dope and keep quiet about it. One team claims to be cleaner than clean whilst doing the opposite?
Pages