Romain Bardet (AG2R La Mondiale) won stage 12 of the Tour de France while Fabio Aru (Astana) moved into the yellow jersey after Chris Froome (Team Sky) unexpectedly faltered on the steep haul to the finish line at Peyragudes.
What a difference 300 metres can make. The Tour's opening day in the Pyrenees followed a well-worn script as Team Sky dictated the terms of engagement at the head of the peloton, only for Froome to grind almost to a halt as the gradient reared towards 20 per cent in the finishing straight.
After traversing the Col de Mente, Port de Balès and Col de Peyresourde, only nine riders remained in the yellow jersey group on the short final haul towards Peyragudes, where Sky's Mikel Landa discouraged attacks by setting a fearsome tempo all the way up.
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The Basque even had enough in reserve to peg back George Bennett's acceleration with 600 metres to go, but once the baton passed to Froome in the finishing straight, the music changed. Froome was on the back foot when Aru launched a stinging attack with 300 metres to go, and distanced altogether when Bardet responded with what proved the decisive acceleration shortly afterwards.
Bounding from side to side, Bardet grinded his way up the stiff final slopes to claim stage honours, two seconds clear of Rigoberto Uran (Cannondale-Drapac) and Aru, while Landa had the strength to take 4th, five seconds down.
While Bardet and Aru were trading blows at the front, however, Froome was scrambling to absorb the impact. Weaving from side to side, Froome struggled to limit the damage as he crossed the line in seventh place. He conceded some 22 seconds in scarcely 300 metres, and lost the yellow jersey in the process to Aru.
How it unfolded
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