Stage 9: Gérardmer to Mulhouse, 170km. Rolling.
Yesterday the French got their first stage win of this years Tour, today they got the yellow jersey, right in time for Bastille Day tomorrow. Let the party begin. Oh to be in France tomorrow as the race continues through the Vosges to join in on that celebration.
It's a lead that isn't likely to last beyond tomorrow, and a lead that in a way was a gift to the French by Vincenzo Nibali's team. They didn't work too hard to chase an early break that went clear and stayed clear. These rolling stages are perfect for breakaway specialists, it's far too hilly for the sprinters and their teams to chase and it's not hilly enough for the big favorites to make their moves.
For someone like Tony Gallopin who sat reasonably high up on the GC coming into the stage, it was perfect. He didn't win the day, that went to Tony Martin who attacked earlier and rode the last chunk of the stage solo to win his first ever road-race stage victory in the Tour de France. He was so far ahead, 2 minutes, 45 seconds on the chasing group -- by the finish that he could sit up and shake hands with his manager in the team car with about 3km still to go.
But for Gallopin all he needed to do was stay in that group. He and a handful of other French riders, aware of the significance of the yellow jersey on French shoulders, albeit someone on a different team, rode hard for Gallopin, and he too took his turn as he tried to keep the rolling peloton far enough behind.
He did, and then some. He took the yellow jersey off of Nibali by more than a minute and a half. A fine day if your name is Tony.
Tomorrow however is a brutal stage and with a steep summit finish -- the same place that Chris Froome won two years ago while Bradley Wiggins laid the foundations for his tour win -- the likes of Nibali and Contador are sure to try and lay the foundations for their own bid to win this Tour.
Result:
1. Martin (OPQ) in 4h 9'34"
2. Cancellara (TRE) +2'45"
3. Van Avermaet (BMC)
4. Dumoulin (GIA)
5. Montaguti (ALM)
6. Rojas (MOV) all s.t.
---
25. Nibali (AST) +7'46"
Overall:
1. Gallopin (LTB) in 38h 4'38"
2. Nibali (AST) +1'34"
3. Machado (NET) +2'40"
4. Fuglsang (AST) +3'18"
5. Porte (SKY) +3'32"
6. Kwiatkowski (OPQ) +4'00"
