Stage 7 -- July 7: Tomblaine to La Planche des Belles Filles, 199 km (123.7 mi)
Peter Sagan makes it look easy up over the summit of that brutal final climbs. (He did finish some twelve minutes down).
Today, things got real and at long last some people lost the tour on physical merit rather than an unlucky crash, though even then we still weren't spared a couple of spills. Generally speaking things went to plan up to the final three hundred meters. The main bunch got whittled down one by one as Team Sky took to the front and set a ferocious pace up the very step but quite short final first category climb. Eventually only Cadel Evans, Vincenzo Nibali and Rein Taaramae could stick with Bradley Wiggins and his pace man -- or should be pace man -- Christopher Froome.
This was our first proper look at what Paul Sherwin on our televisions likes to call the 'heads of state' of this years Tour and when things ramped up steeper again in the final kilometre, even Nibali and Taaramae lost contact. Evans was left against the two Sky men, a scenario he should be used to after going up against and beating the two Schleck brothers the year before.
In the final three hundred meters the climb turned into a wall and while the camera's didn't do it justice the pace of the leading three certainly did. Evans came to the front for the first time as they turned for home looking to catch Wiggins out and assuming as we all did that Wiggin's pace man, Froome, was on the brink of exploding. Instead, when we looked for Wiggins to react, it was Froome who made the move and surged clear of Evans who couldn't stick with him. Granted Froome was a couple of minutes down on Evans on GC and nowhere near the threat of Wiggins who himself was fighting hard to just to hang onto the back wheel of the Australian.
As they crested the top of 'the wall' it was Froome who was in front and he crossed the line two seconds clear of Evans who had Wiggins eventually glued to his back wheel. It shouldn't necessarily have been a shock result given Froome beat Wiggins in last years Vuelta, but he was the pace man today and so that certainly made it a shock that he could not only pace them right to the final kick to the line, but then kick clear himself to win it.
The result thrust Wiggins into the Yellow jersey, joining a short list of British cycling hero's who have worn it before him. It also gave us a more definitive look at the general classification and for the first time allowed us to narrow down the shortlist as to who might challenge Wiggins for the race lead the rest of the way. Surreal really that the first category one climb could expose the race so much, but that only proved how difficult a finish the stage was. For example, Frank Schleck, he expected to do the kind of damage today that Froome done as he looked to gain the time he might risk losing in the two time trials, came in 1-09 behind Froome. Samuel Sanchez, a man I tipped for the win on a stage that could really have suited him, finished 1-24 down. And Robert Gesink, tipped by many as a potential podium threat this year, rolled in a very disappointing 2-53 down in a group that contained Ivan Basso.
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QUOTE OF THE DAY
“I'd rather be in yellow than in hospital.” -- Brad Wiggins when asked about the timing of taking the Yellow jersey what with two weeks still to go.
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FAKE TWEET OF THE DAY
@ChrisFroome Is there froome for me as team-leader after that display?
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STABILIZERS FOR FARRAR
After crashing again today 68 kilometres into the stage to make it at least five accidents for the American Tyler Farrar. At some point you have to stop using bad luck as a good excuse and just fit a pair of stabilizers to the back wheel of his bike!
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ABANDONMENT'S
A slew of riders pulled out this morning after the carnage of the day before. Garmin were the hardest hit team when GC contender Ryder Hesjedal along with Robbie Hunter failed to start. José Ivan Gutierrez, Imanol Erviti Ollo, Maarten Wynants, Oscar Freire, Amets Txurruka and Hubert Dupont also failed to start. During the stage Anthony Delaplace packed in.
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STAGE 7 RESULT
1. Chris Froome (GBr) Team Sky 4-58-35
2. Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team at 2secs
3. Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Team Sky
4. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale at 7secs
5. Rein Taaramae (Est) Cofidis at 19secs
6. Haimar Zubeldia (Spa) Radioshack-Nissan at 44secs
Others
11. Nicolas Roche (Irl) Ag2r-La Mondiale at 1-06
17. Daniel Martin (Irl) Garmin-Sharp at 1-39
GENERAL CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE 7
1. Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Team Sky 34-21-20
2. Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team at 10secs
3. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale at 16secs
4. Rein Taaramae (Est) Cofidis at 32secs
5. Denis Menchov (Rus) Katusha at 54secs
6. Haimar Zubeldia (Spa) Radioshack-Nissan at 59secs
7. Maxime Monfort (Bel) Radioshack-Nissan at 1-09
8. Nicolas Roche (Irl) Ag2r-La Mondiale at 1-22
9. Chris Froome (GBr) Team Sky at 1-32
10. Michael Rogers (Aus) Team Sky at 1-40
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THE RACE FOR THE LANTERNE ROUGE
Given the number of crashes and the time lost by some the Lanterne Rouge classification has had a major shakeup. More movement down here than at the other end of the standings though Brice Feillu hasn't only kept his lead, but impressively he has extended it by quite a margin.181. Brice Feillu (Fra) Saur-Sojasun) 35-16-44
180. Gorka Verdugo Marcotegui (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi) at 37 secs
179. Johan Vansummeren (Bel) Garmin-Sharp at 8-23
178. Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin-Sharp at 8-52
177. Albert Timmer (Ned) Argos-Shimano at 9-08
176. Sebastian Langeveld (Ned) Orica GreenEdge) at 9-44
