When Froome was asked about a suggestion that the reason he hasn’t been able to attack successfully uphill in this Tour was because he doesn’t have a motor in his bike, Sky team principal Dave Brailsford responded for the rider. As for why he has regained the form of his best years, his new team, Dimension Data, is new to the WorldTour, so there was more space for Cavendish to ride as he wanted and to bring in his own men around him.
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If that happens, Froome and Team Sky may be left wondering if they could have been better served by either blowing the race apart in the Pyrenees to gain a bigger lead, or saving their riders by letting another team shoulder the burden of protecting the yellow jersey until the slopes of Ventoux.
As for how the stage unfolded, I was very happy with it. He also has won in Montpellier before.
The only team to suffer more than one withdrawal so far is FDJ, who are down to seven riders after losing Cédric Pineau and Matthieu Ladagnou.
ANDORRA LA VELLA, Andorra (AP) – Chris Froome is finally receiving acclaim from fans alongside the roads of the Tour de France. He added, optimistically: “I’d like to think he was on his limit”.
Few would have predicted that before the race and this showing, as well as his third overall in last month’s Critérium du Dauphiné, illustrates how much progress he has made in the past 12 months.
He went into the race aiming for a top-ten overall and exits the first block third in the general classification.
Riders handle conditions in different ways. “None of that silly nonsense we had previous year at all so far and I hope it stays that way”.
With the Pyrenees nearly in the rear view mirror – the riders must ascend the Port d’Envalira on their way back to France on Tuesday morning – Froome is already looking ahead to some significant challenges to come. “The Ventoux is a myth and a legend of the Tour de France, but we can’t gamble with the riders’ safety”. “People say I didn’t attack him yesterday, which is just rubbish”, said an irritated Porte during Monday’s first Tour rest day in Andorra. “It will be interesting to see who is going to go that deep for victory up there”.
Britain’s Chris Froome, wearing the overall leader’s yellow jersey, and Mark Cavendish, wearing the best sprinter’s green jersey, ride behind the race director’s auto during the ceremonial parade of the ninth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 184.5 kilometers (114.3 miles) with start in Vielha Val d’Aran, Spain, and finish in Andorra Arcalis, Andorra, Sunday, July 10, 2016.
Froome, who has a 35-second lead over fourth-place Quintana overall, welcomed the decision that will shorten the ascent to 15.5 kilometers on roads well enough protected from the wind by trees.
Many expected the Colombian to attack on Sunday’s summit finish, but instead he just followed Froome all the way to the finish. Cummings is a classic sporting case-study: an athlete lacking in confidence who struggled to find his niche, who eventually flourishes when one manager – in this case MTN-Qhubeka’s Brian Smith – gives him licence to be himself. “You never know when it comes”.
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“Maybe he couldn’t”, interjected team-mate Geraint Thomas. “Just throwing it out there”.
