Dan Martin has edged closer to the top five and Chris Froome is back in yellow at the Tour de France. The duo were the strongest of the general classification men on a very tough finish to today’s stage 14.
The finish line was atop a testing drag in Rodez after 181.5km in the saddle. And when the depleted peloton split charging up the final rise, time gaps appeared everywhere. Michael Matthews (Team Sunweb) demolished the sprint to take his second career Tour de France stage victory.
And just one second behind him Froome (Team Sky) was 7th and Dan Martin (QuickStep) 8th, with Rigoberto Uran (Cannondale-Drapac) in 9th on the same time.
But after Uran there was another gap, this time of 4 seconds. And 3rd place overall Romain Bardet (AG2R-La Mondiale) was on the wrong side of that, in 11th place. Between 18th and 19th there was another gap, of 10 seconds. It meant Froome, Martin and Uran gained time on everyone else vying for overall victory and podium places.
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The only change at the top of the general classification was Froome and race leader this morning Fabio Aru (Astana) swapping places. Aru finished a very poor 30th today, some 25 seconds down on Mathews and 23 seconds down on Froome, Martin and Uran.
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That was enough to see Froome leapfrog Aru back into yellow, and he now leads him by 18 seconds. One of the others caught napping was Mikel Landa (Team Sky) who had nudged Martin out of 5th place and into 6th overall yesterday.
Landa could only manage 20th today, some 15 seconds down on the winner and 13 on Martin. It means Martin has reduced the gap to Landa in the classification to just 9 seconds.
Nicolas Roche (BMC Racing) came home in 112th, some 6:28 down having opted out of the finish. He had driven the bunch to close down the breakaway; joining forces with Matthews team of Sunweb to set it up for their chosen men today. Roche was riding to assist team mate Greg Van Avermaet who took 2nd place to Matthews.
More to follow.
Stage 14: Blagnac-Rodez (181.5 km)
1 Michael Matthews (Aus) Team Sunweb 4:21:56
2 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing Team
3 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Dimension Data 0:00:01
4 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Quick-Step Floors
5 Jay McCarthy (Aus) Bora-Hansgrohe
6 Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Bahrain-Merida
7 Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky
8 Daniel Martin (Irl) Quick-Step Floors
9 Rigoberto Uran (Col) Cannondale-Drapac
10 Tiesj Benoot (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:00:05
11 Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
12 Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Quick-Step Floors
13 Simon Yates (GBr) Orica-Scott
14 Jan Bakelants (Bel) AG2R La Mondiale
15 Paul Martens (Ger) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
16 Davide Cimolai (Ita) FDJ 0:00:12
17 Nacer Bouhanni (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
18 Simon Clarke (Aus) Cannondale-Drapac
19 Marco Marcato (Ita) UAE Team Emirates 0:00:15
20 Mikel Landa (Spa) Team Sky
21 Lilian Calmejane (Fra) Direct Energie 0:00:20
22 Damiano Caruso (Ita) BMC Racing Team
23 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar Team 0:00:22
24 Alberto Contador (Spa) Trek-Segafredo
25 George Bennett (NZl) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
26 Oliver Naesen (Bel) AG2R La Mondiale 0:00:25
27 Gianluca Brambilla (Ita) Quick-Step Floors
28 Louis Meintjes (RSA) UAE Team Emirates
29 Emanuel Buchmann (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe
30 Fabio Aru (Ita) Astana Pro Team
112 Nicolas Roche (Irl) BMC Racing Team
General Classification
1 Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky 59:52:09
2 Fabio Aru (Ita) Astana Pro Team 0:00:18
3 Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:00:23
4 Rigoberto Uran (Col) Cannondale-Drapac 0:00:29
5 Mikel Landa (Spa) Team Sky 0:01:17
6 Daniel Martin (Irl) Quick-Step Floors 0:01:26
7 Simon Yates (GBr) Orica-Scott 0:02:02
8 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar Team 0:02:22
9 Louis Meintjes (RSA) UAE Team Emirates 0:05:09
10 Alberto Contador (Spa) Trek-Segafredo 0:05:37
11 George Bennett (NZl) Team LottoNl-Jumbo 0:06:39
12 Pierre Latour (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:10:56
13 Mikel Nieve (Spa) Team Sky 0:10:58
14 Damiano Caruso (Ita) BMC Racing Team 0:11:26
15 Warren Barguil (Fra) Team Sunweb 0:14:50
16 Alexis Vuillermoz (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:14:54
17 Emanuel Buchmann (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:16:52
18 Carlos Betancur (Col) Movistar Team 0:18:23
19 Guillaume Martin (Fra) Wanty - Groupe Gobert 0:22:13
20 Brice Feillu (Fra) Team Fortuneo - Oscaro 0:23:14
21 Sergio Henao (Col) Team Sky 0:26:41
22 Tiesj Benoot (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:35:31
23 Serge Pauwels (Bel) Dimension Data 0:36:34
24 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Orica-Scott 0:37:58
25 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek-Segafredo 0:41:25
26 Jan Bakelants (Bel) AG2R La Mondiale 0:44:40
27 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Direct Energie 0:45:28
28 Tony Gallopin (Fra) Lotto Soudal 0:49:56
29 Thomas Degand (Bel) Wanty - Groupe Gobert 0:52:21
30 Romain Hardy (Fra) Team Fortuneo - Oscaro 0:55:23
39 Nicolas Roche (Irl) BMC Racing Team 1:08:01
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