Aru takes Tour lead from Froome; Bardet wins stage

PEYRAGUDES, France — For his three previous Tour de France triumphs, Chris Froome took advantage of the first big mountain stage to deliver the decisive blow.

Thursday that tried and trusted strategy never got going, and he surrendered the overall race lead to Fabio Aru.

With its mountaintop finish, the hugely demanding first stage in the Pyrenees looked like the perfect setting for Froome’s Sky Team to help him increase his lead in the general classification.

Until the final 350 meters of the 214.5-kilometer (133 miles) marathon through six grueling ascents in the Pyrenees, the well-oiled Sky machine had everything under control.

Froome’s teammates had set a fast tempo that prevented others from attacking — a tactic that prepared the ground for his expected assault in the steep final section leading to the finish in the ski station of Peyragudes.

Froome’s move never came.

Not only was he unable to attack, the British rider also cracked during the climb. Frenchman Romain Bardet won Stage 12 ahead of Rigoberto Uran and Aru, who seized the lead from Froome by six seconds.

Bardet is third overall, 25 seconds off the pace. Uran was handed a 20-second penalty for accepting a water bottle in the last five kilometers, which is not allowed, and is in fourth place overall, 55 seconds back.

“My teammates did such an amazing job,” Froome said. “I didn’t have the legs at the end to finish it off. Simple as that. No excuses.”

When Aru launched his attack in the final few hundred meters, Froome was able to follow the Astana team leader for only a few bike lengths before he cracked. He ended up crossing the line in seventh place, 22 seconds behind Bardet.

Bidding to become the first Frenchman to win the Tour since Bernard Hinault in 1985, Bardet was the strongest in the brutal incline and described his third stage win on the Tour as “an immense joy.”

He said he had visited the ski station with his parents to scout out the final climb.

“I knew it could suit me,” he said. “I was patient. I made the difference on the final hill. There was not much to do before that with the wind and the Sky train.”

Aru had trailed Froome by 18 seconds at the start of the stage.

“It’s one of the most beautiful things that can happen to you in life, wearing the yellow jersey,” Aru said. “Clearly, it won’t be easy to defend it. There are still nine more stages. We’ll do our best.”

The final of the six ascents between Pau and the ski station was too difficult for Froome, who had worn the yellow jersey over the previous seven stages.

He was grimacing with the effort, his arms glistening with sweat, as he wrestled his bike up the super-steep climb that was used a location for the 1997 James Bond movie “Tomorrow Never Dies.”

Froome zig-zagged his bike across the tarmac as he tried to cope with a gradient so steep that it seemed to glue his wheels to the road.

The only yellow item he wore after the finish was the small ring in his nose to help him breathe.

“I did my utmost at the end. But I didn’t have the legs to follow,” he said.

Froome had only a few hours to bounce back before today’s short but hard stage to Foix, which features three Category 1 climbs — the second-hardest difficulty rating. Now that Froome has shown signs of weakness, the attacks could come right from the start as his rivals look to build on the momentum.

“Aru attacked a bit too early to win the stage, but he got the jersey and saw that Froome can be beaten. He’ll definitely try some more,” Astana manager Alexandre Vinokourov said. “Sky is very strong, but today Froome took a hit and his team could be demoralized. Let’s hope our guys find more motivation.”

“I didn’t have the legs at the end to finish it off. Simple as that. No excuses.”

– CHRIS FROOME