Froome has edge ahead of final trial
THERE are two more competitive stages to navigate and tomorrow’s time trial in Marseille is one Chris Froome still needs to execute to perfection if he is going to protect the slim advantage he has over Rigoberto Uran. The Colombian has managed to beat the Briton in five of the 11 such battles against the clock they have so far contested. But after a quite stunning ascent of the Col d’Izoard yesterday afternoon, a fourth Tour de France title in five years appears to be within Froome’s grasp. A mountain the professionals refer to as ‘It’s So Hard’ had never been made to look so easy, five riders slicing more than two minutes off the previous record for the punishing 14.1km rise to a breathtaking summit. A record previously held by 2010 Tour winner Andy Schleck was destroyed by Warren Barguil, the young Frenchman marking his capture of the Polka Dot jersey with a brilliant stage victory. Froome, however, was only 20 seconds behind, with his main rivals, Uran and Romain Bardet, for company. Schleck conquered the Col in 40mins 40secs in 2011. Barguil’s new record stands at 38.15; an astonishing time.
Fourth place for Froome does mean he could become only the seventh rider in Tour history to win the race without securing a stage victory, if he does not prove quickest over the 22.5km course in Marseille.
But he is sure to pursue the win, if only to make certain of stopping Uran cutting into the 29-second lead he enjoys over his ex-Team Sky colleague.
It was only in the opening time trial in 2015 that Uran last beat him, on that day over 13.8km. Froome will also know the 51-second margin of victory he secured against Uran in the opening time trial this year owed much to the contrasting weather conditions the pair faced in Dusseldorf.
Yesterday only two seconds separated them, with Bardet stealing four bonus seconds to leapfrog Uran into second place and leave him 23 seconds adrift of Froome. For Bardet, however, a shortage of talent at time-trialling would appear to spell the end of his challenge for the yellow jersey.
Bardet had to break Froome yesterday and with 3km to go — by then Barguil had launched what proved a successful pursuit of the last surviving breakaway riders — last year’s runner-up attempted to do just that, only for Froome and Uran to quickly close the gap. Froome attacked 500m later just before the road descended briefly at Le Caisse Desert.
What appeared a significant gap did open. But, after a brief downhill respite, the tarmac ramps up to the steepest gradient of the climb — around 16 per cent — and before that section had been navigated, the trio were back together, Bardet saving himself for a final surge to the line in pursuit of those bonus seconds.
‘It would have been amazing to win today but if I get to Paris in yellow, I will have no regrets about this year’s Tour,’ said Froome. ‘It’s still very close and I would say Uran now seems to be my biggest threat in the time trial.’