Dutch rider Tom Dumoulin won Friday’s stage 13 time trial from Bourg-Saint-Andeol to La Caverne du Pont d’Arc while Froome set the second-best time to add another minute to his cushion over second place. The Dutchman completed the hilly 37.5km course in 50 minutes 15 seconds – an average speed of 44.7km/h – overcoming strong winds and his rivals to further his claim as the world’s strongest time trialist. “So it was a stage with two sides”, said Dumoulin following his second stage win of the Tour after he prevailed in a mountain-top finish at Arcalis, Andorra last Sunday. “But I just went for it and it was a very good time trial. It’s awful what happened and it shadows the day a lot”. It was a big question if it would continue today or not. I think it was a good decision [to start], in general, these terrorists can not decide our lives. “We can not let the terrorists decide how we should be living”.
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A muted pallor fell over the normally irrepressible colourful Tour in light of yesterday’s terror attack.
Tour director Christian Prudhomme, following a meeting with police, government, regional and security officials, said: “It’s a day of mourning, for France and for the Tour de France“.
“It’s hard for us to even be here talking about the race when all that happened yesterday evening”. The Tour will continue in dignity. The publicity caravan that precedes the riders and blasts music was silent.
Yet the over-riding image that will be repeated many times even long after this Tour finishes, was the sight of the yellow jersey running desperately up the Tour’s most revered mountain as his race hopes seemed to be evaporating.
“It’s pretty clear today, everyone’s thoughts are with those affected down in Nice, and it’s hard for us to be talking about the race”. It’s the strangest moment of my career.
“Our thoughts are with all the families affected down in Nice”.
Speaking to French TV, the 2013 and 2015 champion said: “I told myself, ‘I don’t have a bike and my auto is five minutes behind with another bike – it’s too far away, I’m going to run a bit”. I do a lot of training on those roads and to see the Promenade (des Anglais) the way it was last night, with bodies all over the place, was just horrific. Originally Froome’s yellow jersey was lost and Adam Yates was announced as the new overall leader.
After briefly racing up the mountain on foot before changing bikes, Froome lost nearly two minutes – enough to cost him the yellow jersey – until the race jury intervened and he came out with an increased lead, 47 seconds over Yates.
Porte and Mollema leaped up and continued to ride, but Froome was forced to run and carry his broken bike. “To win with more than a minute on (Chris) Froome and everyone else is something I didn’t expect, and it gives me a lot of confidence”.
The 31-year-old Briton leads second-placed Bauke Mollema by 1min 47sec in the general classification and is 2min 59sec ahead of the pre-race second favourite for victory, Nairo Quintana.
Dumoulin had no such problems, however, and was evidently on a great day as he passed his two-minute man, Amael Moinard, in super-quick time. However, the Tasmanian’s time was enough to move him up into eighth overall and only one minute and 42 seconds off the podium.
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After 71 riders reached the finish, Portuguese national champion Nelson Oliveira had an early best time of 51 minute, 46 seconds.
