Latest sports scores at — http://sports.arabtimesonline.com Froome moves closer to 3rd Tour title
Zakarin wins grueling 17th stage
FINHAUT-EMOSSON, Switzerland, July 20, (RTRS): Britain’s Chris Froome took another big step towards a third Tour de France title when he dropped his main rivals in the finale of the 17th stage, a 184-km mountain trek won by Russian Ilnur Zakarin on Wednesday.
Froome (Team Sky) attacked inside the final two km in the last ascent, a punishing 10.4-km climb at an average gradient of 8.4 percent and Dutchman Bauke Mollema, second overall, as well as last year’s runner-up Nairo Quintana, could not follow.
The Briton finished on the wheel of former team-mate Richie Porte (BMC), the Australian emerging as a potential podium finisher in Paris.
Froome extended his lead over Mollema (Trek-Segafredo) to 2:27 and compatriot Adam Yates (Orica) to 2:53.
Colombian Quintana (Movistar), who has been lacking his usual stamina in the long climbs, is fourth, 3:27 off the pace after losing 28 seconds to Froome when he was expected to attack.
The decisive move was made by Porte, who jumped away from the favourites’ group about 2km from the line, with Froome the only rider able to follow him thanks to a short but brutal acceleration.
Porte climbed from seventh to sixth overall, 4:27 off the pace, but his recent form suggests he will continue to move up the GC (general classification), taking sole leadership at BMC after team-mate Tejay van Garderen
Russia’s Ilnur Zakarin celebrates as he crosses the finish line at the end of the 184.5 kms seventeenth stage of the 103rd edition of the Tour de France cycling race on July 20, between Berne
and Finhaut-Emosson. (AFP)