Where to start? On a day of high drama and several controversial incidents at Tour de France, perhaps the only crumb of normality and regularity came when Chris Froome (Team Sky) stepped onto the podium to collect the maillot jaune. Between the start in Nantua and the finish in Chambery almost anything seemed possible, with the race reaching a dramatic crescendo that began on the slopes of the Mont du Chat and didn’t fade until long after the finish line.
Richie Porte’s Tour de France sadly ended with the rider taken to hospital after a horrible fall on the final descent, Alberto Contador’s Grand Tour career melted away in the heat of the Jura, Nairo Quintana once again flattered to deceive, AG2R proved once again that they are the bravest team in the race, Fabio Aru attacked Froome when the Sky rider was having a mechanical and Rigoberto Uran won his maiden Tour stage.
“I’ve really mixed feelings today,” Froome said as he tried to summarise perhaps the most chaotic stage at the Tour since last year’s Mont Ventoux debacle.
ADVERTISEMENT
“Of course I’m still happy to be in yellow and my position in the stage and how my teammates rolled with a controlled performance. But after seeing the images of Richie’s crash. That was horrific and left me with a horrible feeling.”
Once the haze had cleared and the drama settled, the results sheet confirmed that Froome’s GC position had in fact improved by the time he crossed the line, with the Team Sky leader picking up four bonus seconds in the sprint for the line. Thomas’s withdrawal means that Fabio Aru (Astana) moves into second, 18 seconds off yellow, with Romain Bardet (AG2R) in third at a further 33 seconds adrift.
“Of course I lost my teammate Geraint, who was sitting in second place on GC. That’s a big loss for us and for him of course.”
Brailsford refuses to talk
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
via Cyclingnews Latest News http://ift.tt/2t2M62D
No comments:
Post a Comment