He performed well on stage nine’s summit finish, but in truth he is now riding as much for team-mate Tejay van Garderen as he is for himself.
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Thomas spent most of last year’s Tour in the top 10 and is again supporting defending champion and current leader Chris Froome in the 21-stage race. His main rival, two-time runner-up Nairo Quintana of Colombia, is fourth, only 23 seconds back.
Yates’ previous best Tour performance was 33rd in 2013, although a year later the British-born 29-year-old finished seventh in the Vuelta a Espana.
Chris Froome may once again hold the yellow jersey on the first rest day of the Tour de France, but nothing yet has contradicted his claim that bidding for a third Tour de France title will be among his biggest challenges yet.
The three-week race ends in Paris on July 24. He’s tried, several times, but to this point Nairo Quintana (Movistar) and several others have proven largely unshakeable.
The attacks came from all angles in the final kilometres, with Froome, Richie Porte (BMC), Adam Yates (Orica BikeExchange) and Nairo Quintana (Movistar) edging clear of the pack in the final stages.
As for his own chances, Froome said he was pleased with having taken the lead early in the Tour.
And it’s notable that the lead he does have is the result of a daring descent on stage 8, set up by a surprising attack over the top of the day’s final climb. “I’m so exhausted that I can’t even speak”, he told the official Tour de France website. “I’m glad I did”.
Rupert has reported cycling since 1984, first covering the Tour de France in 1987. “Tactically it puts the shoe on the other foot – it’s up to other teams now to go out to try to gain back time they’ve lost already”.
Team Sky principal Dave Brailsford was more forthright in his analysis.
‘We’ll take it day by day, ‘ he said. “We actually got an email from the UCI yesterday saying thank you for being the most cooperative team out of everybody in the bike checks”. From domestiques* to GC** contenders the teams of professional cyclists have certainly entertained us.
Yates, one of the most gifted riders of his generation, is a potential Tour de France victor and the time has now come for him to play with the best over three weeks, meaning a stage win has to come second to GC considerations.
Thursday’s stage to Mont Ventoux is likely to be the next key one for Martin, the site of a famous Froome victory in 2013 en route to winning his first Tour. “But also looking towards … stage 17, 18, 19 and 20”.
No wonder he struggled to believe that he finally won a Tour stage on Tuesday.
“He seems to be going well, but right now he’s not showing any more than anyone else”, Froome added.
“In the back of my mind today I was waiting for his attack”, Froome said after the stage 9 summit finish. “All the way up until the last km …” I thought I would give it [attacking downhill] a try. Maybe he’s saving it for one big move’. I have to go day by day and see a possibility for attack.
The stony-faced Colombian is famously hard to read on the bike and has given little away so far. But he’d left his run too late, eventually falling one minute short of the race overall. Or will Froome manage to maintain if not extend his lead from here?
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South Africa’s Louis Meintjes is 39 seconds behind Yates in the race for the young riders’ white jersey, with Frenchman Warren Barguil nearly another two minutes further adrift.
