Organisers also confirmed the race’s publicity caravan would remain silent on Friday, along with start area and finish line operations. The replays showed Porte riding straight into the back of the motor bike, striking his chin as he went to the ground, with Froome and Mollema following suit.
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The collision was caused by the overbearing crowd that surrounded the barriers at the race.
Stage 12 had been shortened because of high winds on Mont Ventoux, which meant increased crowds and no barriers towards the top of the climb as there would normally have been.
Some might argue that this year’s Tour has become farcical, remembering the embarrassment of the one-kilometrer-to-go arch falling onto British rider Adam Yates (Orica-BikeExchange) on Saturday.
Replays of Froome running up the mountain had been seen before, but a video from a fan along the sidelines accurately captures the bonanza.
But the drama didn’t end with the crashes.
After Froome eventually got a replacement bike from a team auto following the racers, he crossed the line 1 minute and 40 seconds behind one of the riders who crashed with him and 44 seconds behind the other rider who crashed with him, according to the BBC. Who could have imagined? Froome picked himself up and could not find his bike and so there was the freakish sight of the yellow jersey wearer running up the road.
He then got on a replacement bike only to find it was too small, before switching to a third bike from his team vehicle.
Froome dropped to sixth place after the crash, but race officials ultimately decided that the racer could keep his yellow jersey and maintain his leading position.
Lotto-Soudal teammates Andre Greipel and Thomas De Gendt are part of a 13-man breakaway early in the stage with a lead of almost 10 minutes on the pack.
Marathon runner? No, Tour de France overall leader Chris Froome on the slopes of Mont Ventoux.
He tried to borrow a bike from a neutral race vehicle, but it was too small, and by the time a replacement was found, Froome had been left way behind by his rivals.
Yates welcomed the overturn.
The race jury’s decision was one it had to take. I can not say anything about the others. There will be another ceremony at the finish, with a moment of silence involving the yellow jersey, the best sprinter and the best climber.
Mont Ventoux always throws up something different and today was no exception, Froome said.
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“I think it was a fair decision, and I want to thank the jury and the organisation”, he said. The Etixx team did much of the damage, pulling a 40-rider group two minutes clear of the rest of the peloton, with the aim of eliminating Fabio Aru of Italy and Warren Barguil of France, two possible rivals to Martin for a high overall placing.
