Chris Froome retains lead as Joaquim Rodriguez storms to second win
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Updated 16/07/2015 at 18:39 GMT
Britain's Chris Froome weathered numerous attacks from his rivals on a sodden final climb to Plateau de Beille to retain his yellow jersey as Spaniard Joaquim Rodriguez soloed to his second stage win of the 2015 Tour de France, writes Felix Lowe.
Joaquim Purito Rodríguez gana la 12ª etapa del Tour de Francia 2015
Image credit: EFE
In torrential rain and hail at the conclusion of the 195km stage 12 from Lannemezan, veteran Katusha climber Rodriguez rode clear of his fellow escapees to cross the line with an outpouring of emotion to match the stormy conditions.
Denmark's Jakob Fulgsang (Astana) cut a sorry figure as he came home 1:12 down on Rodriguez to take second place, while plucky Frenchman Romain Bardet (Ag2R-La Mondiale) salvaged some pride with a third place finish at 1:49.
Spanish national champion Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) led a group of main favourites over the line almost seven minutes in arrears, with Froome safely finishing alongside increasingly totemic Sky team-mate Geraint Thomas to retain his comfortable 2:52 lead over American Tejay Van Garderen (BMC) after three testing days in the Pyrenees.
Thomas was responsible for reeling in Froome’s big rival Nairo Quintana of Movistar after the Colombian climber attacked with 7km remaining just as Sky’s Richie Porte had dropped back after completing a mammoth pull on the front of the pack.
“When he [Quintana] attacked I went ‘Oh no!’ because Richie had done his turn and it was up to me to close him down. It was a great feeling when we bought him back,” said Thomas, an impressive fifth place in the general classification.
“It’s all about riding for Froomey – I’m well placed on GC but I’m not thinking about that.”
Quintana, who still trails Froome by 3:09, made a series of attacks on the second half of the final 15.8km climb to Plateau de Beille but on each occasion Froome and Thomas were able to nullify the threat.
Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo) and Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) – the other two riders in cycling’s so-called ‘Big Four’ – attacked earlier on the decisive climb, but both where easily reeled in with 10km remaining while Australian Porte was still dictating the tempo.
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Alberto Contador (C) rides in a breakaway ahead of Richie Porte (7thL), Geraint Thomas (6thL), Nairo Quintana (5thL) Christopher Froome (4thL), , Italy's Vincenzo Nibali (3rdL), Alejandro Valverde (2ndL) during the 195 km twelfth stage
Image credit: AFP
Race leader Froome himself surged clear with 4km remaining in a move initially matched only by Quintana, Contador and Van Garderen. A rallying Valverde returned before having a dig of his own – but the group of main favourites were able to reform and Thomas took back his familiar position on the front.
After the remnants of an initial 22-man break came home in dribs and drabs, Valverde attacked in the closing straight to cross the finish line for ninth place – one second ahead of Froome and the other favourites.
Valverde stays in fourth place in the general classification 3:58 down on the British leader, with Thomas five seconds further back in fifth place and just one second ahead of Contador.
The stage was turned on its head after the sunshine and sweltering temperatures that hampered the riders over the first of four climbs gave way to drizzle and then driving rain – with the finish at one point engulfed in a hail storm of biblical proportions.
HIGHLIGHTS
1-GREIPEL CLOSES IN
With the sun still shining bright in a blue sky, Germany’s Andre Greipel celebrated his 33rd birthday by winning the intermediate sprint, which came just 20km - ensuring a fast and feisty start of the stage.
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Andre Greipel
Image credit: AFP
The Lotto-Soudal sprinter moved to within two points of Peter Sagan’s lead in the green jersey competition after the Tinkoff-Saxo rider could only take third place behind John Degenkolb of Giant-Alpecin.
2-RAINBOW BEFORE THE STORM
Immediately after the intermediate sprint numerous groups formed on the front of the race with 22 riders eventually coming together to build up a maximum lead of almost 13 minutes over the peloton.
Ahead of the third climb of the day, the Cat.1 ascent of Port de Lers, world champion Michal Kwiatkowski (Etixx-QuickStep) attacked with Sep Vanmarcke (LottoNL-Jumbo) and Georg Preidler (Giant-Alpecin). In pursuit, the large mass of escapees had been whittled down to a select group that included Rodriguez, Fuglsang and Bardet, as well as the plucky South African Louis Meintjes (MTN-Qhubeka).
In his rainbow stripes, Poland’s Kwiatkowski crossed the summit of the Port de Lers in pole position as the rain started to fall. He and Vanmarcke had distanced Preidler on the climb and managed to open up a gap of 1:45 over the chasers as the heavens really opened in the valley ahead of the final climb.
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Poland's Michal Kwiatkowski (R) rides in a breakaway ahead of Belgium's Sep Vanmarcke during the 195 km twelfth stage of the 102nd edition of the Tour de France cycling race on July 16, 2015, between Lannemezan and Plateau de Beille, southern France
Image credit: AFP
3-DAMP SQUIB OF A SHOWDOWN?
Kwiatkowski dropped Vanmarcke shortly after the start of the final ascent as the 25-year-old attempted to make it two wins in two days for Poland following compatriot Rafal Majka’s victory at Cauterets on Wednesday.
But once Rodriguez had attacked Fuglsang and Bardet from the chasing trio, Kwiatkowski’s fate was sealed. The world champion was caught with just less than 8km remaining and would be passed by the yellow jersey group before he reached the summit for 27th place.
With Rodriguez able to ride solo to what he described as an “important” victory - his second of the race following success on the Mur de Huy in stage three - focus shifted a few kilometres further down the road as the likes of Quintana, Valverde, Contador and Nibali all tried their luck in shedding Froome.
But with no one able to find a chink in the sturdy Sky armour, the eventual battle between the race’s main protagonists quickly petered out and was almost as drab as the weather.
MAN OF THE DAY
Rodriguez will make the headlines – and on Friday he’ll be back in polka dots by virtue of his second place in the KOM standings behind Froome – but the ride of the day came from that man Thomas.
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A supporter runs beside (From L) Great Britain's Geraint Thomas, Great Britain's Christopher Froome, wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey, Colombia's Nairo Quintana (hidden), wearing the best young's white jersey , Spain's Alberto Contador, USA's Te
Image credit: AFP
The Welshman entered the race as Froome’s principal domestique for that tricky opening week of classics-style stages – but finds himself in fifth place on GC after a string of quite superb performances in the Pyrenees.
Keep this up and Thomas will surely lead Team Sky in a Grand Tour one day. In fact, with Porte on the verge of leaving, the door may open to ‘G’ sooner rather than later.
An honourable mention must go to diminutive South African Meintjes, who crashed on the descent of the Port de Lers but still fought back to finish the stage in fifth position, 4:38 down on Rodriguez. Bravo, sir.
BIGGEST LOSER
Once again Cannondale-Garmin missed the break – quite staggering for a team which manager Jonathan Vaughters promised would animate and excite the race. That the break contained a whopping 22 riders made it even more unforgivable.
Elsewhere, both Alex Dowsett (Movistar) and Zak Dempster (Bora-Argon 18) lost their protracted battles with injury, exhaustion and the heat, withdrawing after being dropped on the first climb of the day, the Cat.2 Col de Portet d’Aspet.
COMING UP
Friday’s 198.5km transitional stage from Muret to Rodez features three lower-category climbs in a constantly undulating route that could cause some damage after three successive summit finishes.
THE STAGE IN A TWEET
Praise where praise is due after another superb shift from Froome's main 'domestique'.
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