“I just wanted to get a feeling for how the group was, and who was reacting and who to look out for”, Froome said.
Advertisement
“It must be quite demoralising for the others to be attacking and knowing this calibre of rider is going to be chasing after them and riding a tempo that’s going to neutralise their attacks”, added Froome. The stage also included a Cat 1, . a Cat 2 and a pair of Cat 3 climbs before the two trips up Colombier. “I did expect more to be happening but it was such a hard day not many people had the legs there”.
Froome’s short acceleration had no impact and the group crossed the finish line together, slightly more than three minutes behind stage victor Jarlinson Pantano. “We will fight in the coming stages”.
Froome was even able to toy with his rivals, feigning an attack on the final climb, the Lacets du Grand Colombier, to send a brief moment of panic through the chasing pack.
Jarlinson Pantano of IAM Cycling outsprinted Tinkoff’s new team leader Rafal Majka after the six hard climbs of Stage 15 of the 2016 Tour de France.
A third-place finisher at the Spanish Vuelta past year, he accelerated in the punishing 8.4-kilometre climb of the Lacets du Grand Colombier to drop Pantano.
The profile invited a breakaway and when it went it was big, with 30 riders including Giant-Alpecin’s Tom Dumoulin, victor of two stages in this year’s Tour already, Giro d’Italia victor Vincenzo Nibali (Astana), Pierre Roland of Cannondale-Drapac, and Direct-Energie’s Thomas Voeckler in their number.
Bauke Mollema, Adam Yates and Nairo Quintana – who are second, third and fourth in the general classification – all failed to put the yellow jersey under pressure, and Froome thinks it is because they are too daunted.
“It’s a dream come true”, said Pantano, who rides for the IAM team. “I knew that if I was catching him in the descent I’d have a good chance to win”. Three riders bridged before the base of the hors categorie Grand Colombier – Jarlinson Pantano, Domenico Pozzovivo and Vincenzo Nibali – breaking truce and setting up the battle for stage win.
On a hot and sunny day, Majka and Ilnur Zakarin attacked on the first climb and a group of 30 riders gathered at the front.
For the yellow jersey, that remains on the back of Team Sky Froome, who retains the overall lead.
On a constantly undulating course, Dutch rider Dylan van Baarle tried his luck soon after the feed zone but was quickly joined by Tom Dumoulin, who countered him in the Cote d’Hotonnes.
But each time Froome’s Sky team-mates just increased the pace at the front of the peloton and methodically reeled them back in without Froome having to do the work.
Tejay van Garderen’s struggle at the end saw him drop from sixth to eighth – Romain Bardet and Richie Porte have leapfrogged above him.
Advertisement
Today’s 130-mile stage takes the peloton from Moirans-en-Montagne to Bern in Switzerland.
