On today’s first Alpine stage could be a preliminary decision on the overall victory of the Tour de France. Defending champion Chris Froome can feel the breath of his fiercest competitors almost in the neck.
Driveway to the 2642-metre-high Col du Galibier
Alfred Hitchcock would find it hard to make exciting. The first Seven of the Tour de France overall standings, ahead of the two likely to be decisive mountain apart stages just once for a good two minutes, the first four even less than 30 seconds. The man in Yellow, the defending champion and top Favourite Christopher Froome, may not feel anything other than safe.
The runner-up in the overall standings, the Italian Favio Aru (0:18 minutes back), the third is Romain Bardet of France (0:23) and the Fourth Rigoberto Uran from Columbia (0:29) Froome in the Alps won’t be a quiet Minute. Spaniard Mikel Landa (1:17), team-mate Froomes Sky, the British Simon Yates (2:02), and the Irishman Daniel Martin (2:03) are still in striking distance.
Recently, the Tour de France in 2008, similar to squire residues in the last race. At that time, the first six riders were in the standings, even within the space of 49 seconds. Fränk Schleck from Luxembourg, led after 15 stages, Carlos Sastre was the Sixth – in Paris then the first.
On the roof of the Tour
Christopher Froome is the hunted
On today’s 17. From La Mure to Serre Chevalier two climbs of the highest category on the program: first, the Col de la Croix de Fer (2067 m) and then the legendary Col du Galibier, 2642 meters, the roof of this year’s tour de France.
Froome and his Sky team have been strong, but the competitors are not in the danger, such as in some of the previous year. So 2013 and 2015 was already after the first mountain stage, actually the air is already out. “I’m going to try to win the Tour – that’s what counts for me. If a victory is to succeed, I don’t know,” said Froome in front of the two decisive Alpine stages.
The age of 18. Part piece on Thursday then leads via the Col de Vars (2109 m) and ends with a summit finish on the Col d’izoard (2360 meters). “I’m glad I’m in the front and no time to repair,” said Froome relieved. His competitors were combative. “There will be a lot of attacks, quite a Show,” announced the Italian champion Fabio Aru. And the French crowd favorite Romain Bardet revealed: “I’m going to drive these stages as two one-day classics. It is not possible to calculate anything.”
Just not to arrive late
For the sprinters in the field, it comes to reach within the time limit the finish line. “I can only try to survive,” said Marcel Kittel, the winner of the Green Jersey, was caught on Tuesday a bad day. His lead in the standings for the best Sprinter on the Australian Michael Matthews has shrunk from 99 points a few days ago, on 29.