Froome’s ready
Leader expects today’s stage to blow Tour open
It has been serene progress thus far but Chris Froome predicted last night that this Tour de France would be “blown to bits” on today’s ninth stage from Nantua to Chambéry.
The first day of serious mountain riding takes the peloton deep into the Savoie region and features seven categorised climbs, three of them hors catégorie. With rain forecast, too, it represents an excellent opportunity for Team Sky’s rivals to take a swing at them and Froome says he will have to be on guard.
“After a tough day today I think it’s going to be super hard tomorrow; super selective,” Froome said after finishing safely in the bunch on a long, hot stage to Station des Rousses in the Jura. “I think tomorrow we could really see the GC get blown to pieces and proper gaps opening up.”
Froome’s first week has been largely untroubled. There was a crash in the wet on stage two to Liège when he slid on his derrière. And yesterday another little scare when he overcooked a corner with around 50km remaining and veered on to a grass verge.
Other than that, it has been seamless. Sky took control of the maillot jaune in Dusseldorf thanks to sublime time-trialling by Geraint Thomas, switched it to Froome’s shoulders with a minimum of fuss on the first summit finish, at La Planche des Belles Filles, and have looked virtually impregnable since. And some thought jiffy baggate might derail them.
If Sky are feeling the pressure of their long winter of discontent they are doing a good job of hiding it.
They never looked particularly troubled yesterday, Froome’s little diversion on to the grass verge aside. Faithful as ever, Thomas followed his leader off the road and was forced to “front-flip” on to some hay bales. Fortunately for the Welshman he escaped unhurt and was able to catch back up to the bunch.
“I had just gone back for bottles and had got back to the front and I went into the corner a bit too hot,” explained Thomas, who was maybe a little too fired up by the Lions’ draw with New Zealand, which he watched on Sky’s bus on the way to the start. “I was looking to my side and the boys were braking, there was a split-second delay, then I hit the gravel.
“It was a choice between going into the trees or the hay bales, so I chose the hay. I frontflipped. But it was a better option than the woods.” Fellow Welshman Luke Rowe also had a tough day, finishing 37 minutes down on the stage winner Lilian Calmejane (Di- rect-Energie) and dropping to 191st out of 192 riders on general classification. Rowe did not stop to speak but is understood to be unhurt, saving himself for today’s day in the mountains.
Sky otherwise looked impressive, putting two men in the break – Mikel Landa and Sergio Henao – and then shutting down a late attack by fourthplaced Dan Martin (Quick-Step Floors).
“There wasn’t even time for a leak all day, we were on the pedals, racing all day,” was Thomas’ verdict on the stage. “We rode well as a team, we had Landa and Sergio up there, and [Christian] Knees came back to help us ride, so it was all under control in the end, really. A tough day, but tough for everyone.”
Calmejane, a French rider making his Tour debut this year, attacked from the break on the final climb of the day, surging away from his companions. The 24-year-old had one scare, cramping up around five kilometres from the finish, which allowed Dutchman Robert Gesink (LottoNL-Jumbo) to close in. But he managed to stretch out his right leg and power home to win by 37sec.
So a first week which has seen thrills and spills in the sprints, with Mark Cavendish crashing out and Peter Sagan sent home, ended in a GC stalemate. Froome’s rivals will hope to put him under far more pressure today on the road to Chambéry, although in truth their best hope might be rain. The descents from the final climb, the Mont du Chat, could become treacherous if the roads are slippery and his rivals are prepared to take risks.
“It’s a fast, tricky descent,” Froome conceded. “But I believe tomorrow is going to be more about the [final] climb; it’s almost 10km at 10 per cent so I think we could really see some big gaps. If it’s raining on the descent it’s definitely going to play a big part in the race. Either way, I’m expecting it to blow the GC to bits.”
First serious mountains will be mayhem, says champion Briton retains lead despite veering on to grass verge