The Tour de France continued in a low-key but defiant mood under heightened security on Friday, with riders, spectators and race officials observing a minute’s silence for the scores of victims of the Bastille Day attack in Nice.
Advertisement
Froome has already had problems on this year’s Tour, being fined $200 for lashing out at an encroaching fan on stage eight.
Starting well before the race’s overall leaders on a day featuring 70-kph (45-mph) winds, Dumoulin dominated the 37.5-kilometer (23-mile) race against the clock from Bourg-Saint-Andeol to La Caverne du Pont-D’arc, the decorated cave that contains human drawings from about 30,000 years ago.
It was not a day for celebrations, or inquests.
On Friday morning, Tour officials met with police, government, regional and security officials to discuss security arrangements, and Tour director Christian Prudhomme vowed the race would continue “in sobriety and with dignity”.
The podium ceremony post-stage was changed, with the leading riders instead coming together for a minute’s silence.
His time trial may have been one minute three seconds slower than Dumoulin’s superb stage-winning pace, but he was nearly two minutes quicker than Mollema, who is now his closest threat for the overall lead. Originally Froome’s yellow jersey was lost and Adam Yates was announced as the new overall leader.
Dutchman Tom Dumoulin won Friday’s individual time-trial as Chris Froome extended his lead in the yellow jersey competition after the 13th stage of the Tour de France.
Later, Froome and Dumoulin spoke with outward emotion.
Tour officials chose to continue with the race, with a heightened security presence, after at least 84 people were killed when a lorry drove through a crowd celebrating Bastille Day in the southern French city. “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”.
“I’m affected by all the things that happened in France”.
The next time trial, 17km stage 18 from Sallanches to Megève on a course that will suit the climbers like me, could be a prime chance to gain back some time.
“It’s pretty clear today”, said Froome, who lives near Nice in Monaco, “everyone’s thoughts are with those affected down in Nice, and it’s hard for us to be talking about the race”.
French rider Amaël Moinard (BMC), who lives in Saint-Laurent-Du-Var near Nice, expressed support for the decision to carry on.
“I’ve been asked that a lot of times”, Dumoulin said. “If Nairo’s history has anything to go by, we know he’s very strong in the last week, he is going to be trying”, Froome said. “There is no other solution”.
Advertisement
Saturday was a stage for the sprinters – with Mark Cavendish taking victory in the Parc des Oiseaux in Villars-les-Dombes – giving Team Sky’s Froome and his general classification rivals a chance to catch their breath before battle resumes in the Alps.
