Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
CARNAGE AND CONTROVERSY
CHRIS FROOME dodged carnage and controversy on Brokebike Mountain as the Tour de France left a trail of shattered hearts and bones.
Froome lost team-mate Geraint Thomas, who was forced to abandon the race with a broken collarbone after his fourth crash in nine days.
Then Richie Porte – one of Froome’s best pals in the peloton – smashed into a wall at 45mph on another treacherous descent, bringing down Ireland’s Birminghamborn Dan Martin, who could not avoid going into him.
It was later revealed the Aussie had suffered a broken collarbone and fractured hip.
And TV replays appeared to show Froome giving closest challenger Fabio Aru a deliberate shoulder barge as retaliation for the Italian’s attack when the leader signalled to Team Sky’s support car for a replacement bike after a mechanical problem.
It all added up to 113 miles of one of the most brutal stages in Le Tour’s history. Thank goodness today is a rest day.
Froome said: “I wasn’t aware that Fabio had attacked – at the time I was too busy looking for the team car to get me a spare bike.
“Later on I did have a bit of a wobble on a switchback and I just lost my steering round a corner. It was in no way a swipe at Aru.”
In the gripping sprint climax, Rigoberto Uran of Colombia pipped Warren Barguil in a photo finish.