The first week of the Tour, the race smoldered. This week in the Pyrenees, it exploded.
During Week One, the Yellow jersey contender stayed safe and avoided trouble, but even a ’safety first' strategy fell foul of crosswinds and crashes, as both Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) and Nairo Quintana (Movistar) lost time. At this point, Chris Froome (Team Sky) would rather chase yellow than defend it. But found himself wearing yellow, by default than design. Both Fabian Cancellara (Trek Factory Racing) and Toni Martin (Etixx QuickStep), when leading, suffered crashes, withdrew, and left Froome in the jersey.
Of the original Big Four, Nibali was looking disturbingly off the pace. It was still a competitive foursome as Tejay van Garderen (BMC Racing) had ridden into podium and jersey contention.
The Green jersey had become a points shootout between Andre Greipel (Lotto Soudal) and Peter Sagan (Tinkoff Saxo), with others riders like Mark Cavendish (Etixx QuickStep) and John Degenkolb (Giant Alpecin) cherry-picking the stages they wish to contest.
The first first phase of the Tour finished with the Team Trial which consolidated Froome in yellow; Sagan in Green and also White; and Daniel Teklehaimanot (MTN Qhubeka) in the Polka Dot.
The Pyrenees beckoned.
Stage 10: Tarbes-La Pierre St. Martin 167km
Initially the stage was a gentle roll for the first 150km. The final section of the stage was the grueling Hors Categorie climb, 15km at 7.4% incline, to La Pierre St. Martin. A severe test after a Rest Day.
Pierrick Fedrigo (Bretagne Seche Environnement) lead at the start, and was joined by Robert Gesink (Lotto NL Jumbo) and Rafael Valls (Lampre Merida). One by one, riders in the main peloton found the climb too much, and dropped back…including Vincenzo Nibali, whose tour was imploding on the slope. Other leading names to suffer, were Thibaut Pinot (FDJ.fr), Roman Bardet (AG2R La Mondiale), Rui Costa (Lampre Merida), Michael Kwiatkowski (Etixx QuickStep) and the Polka Dot jersey leader, Daniel Teklehaimanot.
The leading trio was slowly caught by the relentless peloton, guided by the master tacticians, Richie Porte and Geraint Thomas (both Team Sky), protecting Chris Froome up the slope, pulling along Alejandro Valverde (Movistar), Nairo Quintana (Movistar), Alberto Contador and Tejay can Garderen (BMC Racing). Then with 6.5km to go, as the riders played cat-and-mouse, huffed and bluffed, Froome, in an instant went from seemingly struggling, to an assertive, powerful, lung-bursting drive, leaving all riders, bar Quintana unable to respond. It was an incredible statement of intent. Catch me if you can. None could. The stage was his.
