World time trial champion Vasil Kiryienka, in the rainbow skinsuit, was six minutes in arrears, meanwhile – evidently saving his efforts to support Chris Froome in the coming stages.
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Bauke Mollema finished sixth to go second in the overall standings.
“You are speaking with a very happy man on one side, and on the others side a very sad man”.
“I’m happy with how the stage went but everyone’s thoughts are with the people in Nice”.
“We have adjusted our measures after what happened in Nice”, Luzet said. We can not let terrorists decide our lives here in our society. “We can not let the terrorists decide how we should be living”.
A muted pallor fell over the normally irrepressible colourful Tour in light of yesterday’s terror attack.
“We want this day to be a day of dignity as a tribute to the victims”, said race director Christian Prudhomme. “We asked ourselves [if the stage should be cancelled] but we think, after agreeing with authorities, that the race must continue”.
The opening and finishing ceremonies were silent, as was the publicity caravan that precedes the race, and the presentation ceremony was uniquely understated in a mark of respect to the slain.
Porte said the fans are brilliant most of the time, but a minority can be a real hindrance: “We love the fans and 99% of them are brilliant but why do some of them need to take their selfies and run along beside us?”
“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, it’s hard to talk about today’s stage”, Froome said afterwards. Richie, Chris and Mollema were the strongest today and the organisers chose to maintain the lead they had gained at the moment of the accident.
This Tour de France has quickly descended into an extremely frustrating affair for Porte, who, up to this point, had looked like one of the strongest riders in the race. “My deepest sympathies go out to the affected families”.
“It’s somewhere pretty close to home for me, somewhere I do a lot of training, and to see the promenade the way it was yesterday evening with bodies over the road is horrific, horrific scenes”.
However, Froome was credited with a new time by race organisers, ensuring he stretched his advantage of Yates to stay on course to win the race for a third time.
In a complete embarrassment for cyclings biggest race, Richie Porte crashed headfirst into a motorbike carrying a TV camera, and Froome, who was right behind his former teammate, also hit the pavement in the final kilometer on the wind-shortened climb up legendary Mont Ventoux.
The race jury chose to look into the incident and after a short time deliberating, it published an updated general classification with Froome back on top.
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Tom Dumoulin won but couldn’t even force himself to break into a smile, while Chris Froome, who extended his overall lead, was visibly emotional and refused to answer “sporting” questions.
