The French are having a miserable time in this 100th Tour, without a single ‘home’ winner to celebrate so far. On Bastille Day, many home fans were cheering on incumbent polka dot jersey wearer Pierre Rolland, but Europcar’s team leader could do no better than 28th, more than 8½ minutes down. To add insult to injury, he lost the lead in the mountains classification too.
On Bastille Day, French fans hoped for a Pierre Rolland win (Image: ASO/B Bade)
Chris Froome (Sky) took his revenge for the echelon episode and regained the time lost to Alberto Contador (Saxo-Tinkoff) on his way to winning today’s summit finish on Mont Ventoux. In an extraordinary display of acceleration, he well and truly distanced his main rivals, climbing to the top with only Nairo Quintana (Movistar) for company.
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Yesterday’s finish of stage 14 in Lyon was one we have become accustomed to seeing this season, as an Omega Pharma-Quick Step rider produced a devastating kick in the final 200 metres which propelled him to victory. Only it wasn’t Mark Cavendish on this occasion but his young Italian teammate – and roommate – Matteo Trentin, who took his maiden professional win in the city which hosted the finish of the first stage of the very first Tour in 1903. Continue reading