Dan Martin into Tour top 5 as Chris Froome loses yellow
Dan Martin has nudged one place higher and into the top five at the Tour de France on a day when Chris Froome lost his yellow jersey.
A select group of nine riders arrived intact to the summit finish on the Peyragudes after 209.5km on today's stage 12.
But so shattered were the riders and so steep the last section of the climb that the group split to pieces right at the last.
Significant gaps emerged in the charge to the line over the final few hundred metres. And the time gained and lost was enough for the race lead to change hands.
Romain Bardet (AG2R-La Mondiale) would prove strongest in the slog to the line, winning a great stage.
Fabio Aru (Astana) was 3rd and takes the yellow jersey from Froome, leading the Team Sky man by 6 seconds.
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And with Jakob Fuglsang (Astana) having been dropped and lost a huge amount of time, Dan Martin (QuickStep) jumps over him in the general standings to 5th.
Between winner Bardet and the last man of nine-man select group across the line today, Simon Yates (Orica-Scott), some 27 seconds would elapse at the finish.
This was despite the fact the group split with only about 250 metres remaining in the stage.
¡Impresionante final!@romainbardet se lleva la etapa y @FabioAru1 le quita el amarillo a @chrisfroome#TDF2017 #TourTVE pic.twitter.com/Gh5p77puep
— Le Tour de France ES (@letour_es) July 13, 2017
Stage 5 winner Fabio Aru (Astana) led the group on the back-breaking incline to the finish line with about 200 metres remaining.
Dan Martin was on his wheel and looked like he would pounce to win.
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But Martin simply ran out of legs and it was the impressive Bardet who came through for victory.
Rigoberto Uran (Cannondale-Drapac) was 2nd at 2 seconds and Aru rounded out the podium on the same time.
Crucially, Aru was 20 seconds ahead of Froome who faded badly at the end. And so Aru leapfrogged him from 2nd this morning and into yellow this evening.
Mikel Landa (Team Sky) was 4th on the stage at 5 seconds, with Louis Meintjes (UAE Emirates) in 5th at 7 seconds.
Then came Martin in 6th at 13 seconds, withFroome 7th at 22 seconds and looking completely spent.
He can count himself lucky today he had help from strong team mates all the way to the line.
Five seconds after Froome crossed the line came George Bennett (LottoNl-Jumbo) and Simon Yates (Orica-Scott) in 8th and 9th, both at 27 seconds.
The next man home after that select group was Mikel Nieve (Team Sky) who was 10th at 1:28.
Nicolas Roche (BMC Racing) came home in 70th place, some 19:56 down.
However, with his team leader Richie Porte crashed out of the race we will hopefully see Roche in the breakaways in the next few days.
Today's stage took the riders 214.5km road from Pau to Peyragudes; the final 50km of the stage proving especially hard.
The HC Port de Balès was peaked after 184km with, the summits of the Peyresourde and Peyragudes coming at 209.5km and just up the road at the finish line respectively.
More to follow.
Stage 12: Pau to Peyragudes (214.5km)
1 Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 5:49:38
2 Rigoberto Uran (Col) Cannondale-Drapac 0:00:02
3 Fabio Aru (Ita) Astana Pro Team 0:00:02
4 Mikel Landa (Spa) Team Sky 0:00:05
5 Louis Meintjes (RSA) UAE Team Emirates 0:00:07
6 Daniel Martin (Irl) Quick-Step Floors 0:00:13
7 Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky 0:00:22
8 George Bennett (NZl) Team LottoNl-Jumbo 0:00:27
9 Simon Yates (GBr) Orica-Scott 0:00:27
10 Mikel Nieve (Spa) Team Sky 0:01:28
General Classification
1 Fabio Aru (Ita) Astana Pro Team 52:51:49
2 Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky 0:00:06
3 Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:00:25
4 Rigoberto Uran (Col) Cannondale-Drapac 0:00:35
5 Daniel Martin (Irl) Quick-Step Floors 0:01:41
6 Simon Yates (GBr) Orica-Scott 0:02:13
7 Mikel Landa (Spa) Team Sky 0:02:55
8 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar Team 0:04:01
9 George Bennett (NZl) Team LottoNl-Jumbo 0:04:04
10 Louis Meintjes (RSA) UAE Team Emirates 0:04:51
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