Briton Adam Yates of Orica-BikeExchange is third, two minutes and 45 seconds back and leading the young riders’ classification, with Movistar’s Nairo Quintana fourth, a further 14 seconds down.
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Rowe has played a pivotal factor on the Tour’s flatter days, guiding Froome through the crosswinds with aplomb and paving the way for his exhilarating attack on stage 11.
“Attacking all the time would be good for the show”. That was partly due to the way the route has been planned, with no summit finish in the Pyrenees, but also to the fact that high winds had meant that the planned finish on Mont Ventoux last Thursday was cut short.
“I was lucky I threw my bike”, Sagan said.
“Other teams have said they are going to attack in the Alps and I expect they will”.
“It feels pretty full on and intense here, but when you see something like that, it reminds you that there’s a lot more to life”. This decision allowed Froome to keep his yellow jersey without losing or gaining any time on his main rivals.
Wednesday’s 17th stage finishes with 23km of climbing over the final 30km, including an hors category last ascent. Huge winds, almost 80 miles per hour, have buffeted the race, leading to major time gaps on the Stage 13 time trial to Pont d’Arc.
The 31-year-old Froome, the 2013 and 2015 champion from Britain, remains in the lead entering the second and final rest day on Tuesday.
And Froome explained it was with that in mind that he is remaining understated.
But Froome has rubbished suggestions he has no rivals for the title ahead of what he described as four “very tricky” days.
Majka, who started the breakaway soon after the start of the 160-kilometre (99-mile) trek in Bourg-en-Bresse, moved away on his own in the final of six climbs on the day’s agenda.
Yet he did admit Wednesday’s stage looks particularly arduous, with the 13km first category climb followed by a 10km hors category one at the finish, and only 7km of downhill respite between the two. The next few stages are super tough in the Alps.
“We’re nine guys, all on the same wavelength, and we’re here for one objective and one goal only: to take the yellow jersey to Paris”.
Richie Porte crossed the line in 18th and the Australian remains seventh in the overall standings and 4min 27sec behind Froome.
“We’ve never yet done four such tough stages in a row at the end”, said Italian Fabio Aru, now sitting 10th but determined to fight for a top-three podium finish.
Van Garderen, 28, suggested the two could work together to improve the chances of one making the podium.
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Colombia’s Quintana only barely lost out past year when he finished second and brought home two jerseys, one for being the best rider in the mountains and another for being the best young cyclist. “Oh, we’ll see what happens”.
