That’s all from me, thanks for reading. You can catch up with the day’s action with our stage 10 report:
Thibaut Pinot retains his grip on the polka dot jersey, but his dual with Rafal Majka looks set to continue over the next two weeks.
⚪🔴⚪🔴⚪🔴⚪🔴⚪🔴#Maillotapois #TDF2016 pic.twitter.com/0izWSb8KJe
— Equipe FDJ (@EquipeFDJ) July 12, 2016
General classification
Chris Froome (Sky)
Adam Yates (Orica) +.16
Dan Martin (Etixx) +.19
Nairo Quintana (Movistar) +.23
Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) +.37
Romain Bardet (AG2R) +.44
Bauke Mollema (Trek) +.44
Sergio Henao (Sky) +.44
Louis Meintjes (Lampre) +.55
Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) +1.01
Tejay Van Garderen (BMC) +1.01
Confirmation that Chris Froome retains yellow with very little change at the top of the GC, and that Peter Sagan has pinched the green jersey from Mark Cavendish. Tomorrow is another day for the sprinters to contest.
A slightly miffed Peter Sagan: “It was a lot of energy during the stage, the breakaway. Then I attack on the crosswind, and then I did a lot of attacking on the climb. When a guy from Orica attacked I did all the chasing. I am happy for Michael who won his first stage of the Tour de France, and I am happy for me to get the green jersey points.” The interview finishes a little like this one:
Michael Matthews speaks! “It’s unbelievable. The emotion, it’s just sinking that I won a stage of the Tour de France. I was close to giving in, I thought maybe I would focus on other races, but today my dreams came true. Luke Durbridge and Daryl Impey gave me their everything.”
Edvald Boasson Hagen, who finished second: “It was a hard stage, I was feeling OK. I managed to get over the mountain, but I didn’t manage to win the sprint. It’s a pity, but that’s life.”
Michael Matthews’ right-hand man Daryl Impey speaks! “The start was as expected, we wanted to get guys in the move. In the descent Michael got himself in a little group. Numerically we had such an advantage. It was just about putting pressure in that final. We had to leave Michael Matthews on Sagan’s wheel and he had the legs to finish the job.”
Richie Porte and Chris Froome share a joke as they close in on the line and the rest of the pack follow in. No change at the top of the general classification.
Updated
The peloton chug under the flamme rounge. Not quite the drama of the group that sprinted for the stage victory earlier, as they roll very contently towards the finish.
Here’s that sprint to the line:
MATTHEWS en costaud ! / the strongest ! 💪 #TDF2016 pic.twitter.com/H3xa33ER2H
— Le Tour de France (@LeTour) July 12, 2016
Still a few minutes from the finish, Team Sky are on the front of the peloton leading the rest home. Today wasn’t the day for Quintana or anyone else to attack, and tomorrow is another chance for the sprinters. All eyes will be on stage 12 and Mont Ventoux.
The secondary group which was cut off from the original breakaway, containing Nibali and Cummings, come in a couple of minutes after Matthews and co.
An expertly timed dash by the Australian Matthews, who benefitted from his team-mates’ hard work in the final few kilometres. Luke Durbridge rolls over the line a minute later, and as he hears the result he punches the air.
Updated
Michael Matthews wins stage 10!
Van Avermaet attacks, and Sagan is blocked! It’s Matthews against Van Avermaet and Boasson Hagen, and Matthews is far too quick for the rest!
Updated
1km remaining: They pass under the flamme rouge and the attacks die down. Impey leads them in, then Sagan then Matthews... Here we go.
Daryl Impey’s attack didn’t even make it past the front of the group there
— Cillian Kelly (@irishpeloton) July 12, 2016
2km remaining: The six seem to have settled. A truce, for now. Sprint finish coming up. Eight minutes back down the road, the peloton are cruising in serenely.
3km remaining: Michael Matthews attacks! Sagan is alive to it and quickly jumps on his wheel, and the rest cling on. Matthews glances back and realises it hasn’t worked. He rejoins the queue behind Sagan as the road flattens out. Sagan is taking blow after blow from this group but he’s soaking them all up.
5km remaining: Sagan sits low and fires into the descent. Suddenly the red figure of Edvald Boasson Hagen bursts around his outside – the break doesn’t last long though, and this game of cat and mouse goes on as the six regroup.
Updated
The six crest over Côte de Saint-Ferréol and Peter Sagan takes the lead. He sweeps into a left hairpin before the road tilts down, and Sagan attacks! Can he leave this trail behind? Michael Evans emails: “Hope no one is on the course looking for a Pikachu at the finish line.”
8km remaining: Luke Durbridge has done his work for the day for his team-mate Matthews and he falls back. Mini attacks come and go. Suddenly Impey fires forwards but Sagan reacts and the group stay intact as they continue to climb. The six:
Edvald Boasson Hagen (Dimension Data), Sam Dumoulin (AG2R), Peter Sagan (Tinkoff), Greg Van Avermaet (BMC), Daryl Impey, Michael Matthews (all Orica-BikeExchange).
Will anyone try a dash over the top of this climb? It’s a 2km drag at an average gradient of 6.6%, just enough for a climber to put in a stage-defining attack.
Sagan puts himself on the wheel of Daryl Impey, who leads the seven through packed streets at the start of the final climb of the day, the category Côte de Saint-Ferréol.
Re our breakaway rugby team earlier, James Moubray emails: “The backs have dropped the forwards! About time too. What price a Sagan crash ball between the posts to wrap this one up?”
Updated
10km remaining: Orica continue to dictate proceedings at the front in the leading seven. Their lead of 7mins over the yellow jersey will not have a great effect on the overall standings but is enough to ensure they won’t be caught.
with 3 out of 7 in the final shake-up if Orica don't nail this it will be an interesting post-race debrief
— William Fotheringham (@willfoth) July 12, 2016
Nibali’s little burst has been cut short, and he and the others dropped by Sagan will be swallowed up by the peloton soon enough, I expect.
Updated
15km remaining: This is an interesting situation at the front. The leading seven riders are now six minutes clear and this is their stage to win. Orica, with three riders, are working as a team on the front to setup Michael Matthews for a sprint finish, but they will be aware that Edvald Boasson Hagen and particularly Peter Sagan have power in a burst to the line.
Updated
It is actually just seven riders out in front. They have a 4min 55sec lead over the peloton and the stage winner will surely come from this group. Here they are:
Edvald Boasson Hagen (Dimension Data), Sam Dumoulin (AG2R), Peter Sagan (Tinkoff), Greg Van Avermaet (BMC), Daryl Impey, Michael Matthews, Luke Durbridge (all Orica-BikeExchange).
Updated
20km remaining: Vincenzo Nibali is one of those who couldn’t stick with Sagan and co, along with Steve Cummings and Rui Costa. Suddenly Nibali puts his foot down. He zips away, but surely he has too much to do now to make contact with the leading riders.
The Leading 15 is no more! They have split in half (ish) with eight speeding away, Peter Sagan the schemer once again. Confirmation of their names coming up but Sagan is certainly there and Greg Van Avermaet is on his wheel, along with Sam Dumoulin and the three Orica-BikeExchange riders: Durbridge, Impey and Matthews.
25km remaining: Tommy Voeckler is on the front of the peloton again, pumping hard, and he has helped bring the gap to the breakaway down to within 4min for the first time since Froome and co decided to let them go two or three hours ago.
A few of the best images from stage 10 so far:
The Leading 15 have got their act together, and have reestablished their lead at nearly 5min. I had a grouchy email last week asking for the updates to be a little more accessible. I will do my best but in the meantime there is always Barry Glendenning’s excellent beginner’s guide to the Tour de France:
The wind is up too as conditions worsen on route to Revel. I tip my hat Robin Hazlehurst, who has revised his anagram of all fifteen breakaway names into something resembling a sentence: “Ok then, my Mum is not called Amy,” Robin admits, “but if she was: I am in a bus in a caravan learning a galloping peloton has bridged across during a second wave, but our mum, Amy, calls them thieves. Amazing!”
40km remaining: After a bit of a fallout with several mini-attacks, the Leading 15 have settled back into a rhythm as they look to protect their advantage from the peloton, who are closing in fast. The gap is down to 4min 35sec – and rain is falling once more.
Tejay Van Garderen has had a comfortable day in the peloton today. He is one of those within 61 seconds of Chris Froome in the overall standings, and sounded in confident mood before stage 10:
“I survived the flat stages pretty well on the same time as the main contenders. The first summit finish has always been difficult for me so it’s not a big surprise that I lost a little bit (stage nine). Everything’s still to play for and that’s pretty incredible. Froome might not be so defensive, especially on Ventoux. It’s such an iconic climb so the guy that wants to win the Tour wants to win that stage. I don’t think you’re going to see Froome sitting behind the Sky train. He’s going to be up the road.
“Physically I feel great. On Sunday I showed I’m climbing with the best. Obviously the disaster I had last Sunday is still a bit of a hard one to take but the harder days are in front of us so hopefully I can make that time back and hit that podium in Paris.”
The moment Tommy Voeckler hit the front, cheeks puffed, tongue out:
😝😝😝 #TDF2016 pic.twitter.com/zRz0RhE8cI
— Le Tour de Franz (@leTourdeFranz) July 12, 2016
50km remaining: A fun stat courtesy of the Tour’s data feed on Twitter: over three stages in the Pyrenees, the riders have climbed 9,000 metres – higher than Mount Everest. OK, it wasn’t that fun. The gap between peloton and breakaway continues to fall, dipping below 5min, and that is provoking a reaction in our Leading 15 as mini attacks break out.
The peloton have kicked on, courtesy of Tommy Voeckler who sticks his tongue out and powers off the front. The gap to the Leading 15 is down considerably, to around 5min 10sec. Richard Kimbleton emails: “Re: the 14:50 update, may I be the 94th person to point out that Robin Hazlehurst appears to have unfortunately misspelt ‘peloton’. Does this break his entire anagram?” That is a problem. You’ve also got to wonder why his mum calls them a south vibe.
Adam Yates is safely tucked in the peloton today. The British rider is second overall and has put himself in position to achieve something special over the next two weeks. Here is more on his storming Tour so far:
A reminder of the 15 riders out in front:
Mikel Landa (Sky), Gorka Izagirre (Movistar), Vincenzo Nibali (Astana), Peter Sagan (Tinkoff), Samuel Dumoulin (AG2R-La Mondiale), Damiano Caruso and Greg Van Avermaet (BMC), Edvald Boasson Hagen and Stephen Cummings (Dimension Data), Tony Gallopin (Lotto-Soudal), Rui Costa (Lampre-Merida), Sylvain Chavanel (Direct Energie), Luke Durbridge, Daryl Impey and Michael Matthews (Orica-BikeExchange).
Robin Hazlehurst is back, and after his earlier stab at anagramming the leading quartet, he has emailed a valiant if confusing effort at the Leading 15: “Hi again. Said I’d get back to you about the fifteen. Not sure it makes much sense (or is particularly likely) but: I am in a bus in a tour caravan learning a galloping peleton has bridged across during a second wave. My mum calls them ‘a south vibe’. Amazing!”
60km remaining: Our Leading 15 are looking more and more likely to pull this break off. The key section will be the final climb of the day, the category-three Côte de Saint-Ferréol 7km from home. It act as a hurdle for the sprinters to clear, and perhaps as an opportunity for a puncher to make solo dash. “I’m pretty sure that’s the starting 15 for a Gaelic Football inter-firms tournament that we ran a few years back,” emails Brian Hudner. “I was working in the Brussels office for an Irish multinational and having only 2 Irish lads on the books, Mick ‘The Fridge’ Matthews and Steo ‘The Darndale Destroyer’ Cummings, we had to pull ringers from all over. Daryl Impey had an uncle who played with QPR, so he became a nippy corner-forward who fed off The Fridge. Some of the nicknames won’t win any prizes: Gallopin was ‘Horse’; Landa was ‘Hans’; Caruso was ‘Fiver’, and so on. It won’t surprise anyone that Sagan was the only one that might have made it to Croke Park. In no small part due to my McLarinesque management, we ended up getting beaten in the Shield by Middle East Combined, in case you’re interested.” Hard lines.
The gap between peloton and breakaway has held at around 6min 10sec. Lotto-Soudal have put this video together using GoPro images from the opening six stages, and it’s a nice watch:
The rain has ceased, for now.
70km remaining: The peloton have closed the gap slightly to the Leading 15, down to around 6min 10sec. “Fifteen in the break?” Phillip Rees emails. “Obvs a rugby side: Front row - Landa, Izadirre & Nibali. Locks - Sagan & Dumoulin. Back-row - Caruso, Van Avermaet & Boasson Hagen. Half-backs - Cummings & Gallopin. Centres - Chavanel & Durbridge. Back Three - Costa, Impey & Matthews. The pack looks like it might get pushed around but at least the side shouldn’t run out of steam in the last 20 minutes!”
@lawrenceOstlere - Gallopin' Tony & The Breakaway 15 were one-hit wonders with a cover of a Kraftwerk track.
— DoubtfulOptimist (@PEllis0202) July 12, 2016
The latest green jersey standings after the intermediate sprint:
Peter Sagan 217 points
Mark Cavendish 204
Marcel Kittel 182
Bryan Coquard 112
Michael Matthews 94
Updated
Who will challenge for the intermediate sprint? Nobody, it seems. Peter Sagan puts his foot down and glances back over his shoulder to see no challenge at all from the rest of the breakaway, and that is a very handy 20 points in his chase for green.
Here is the development of the breakaway, in graphic form:
Katusha and IAM are the only teams trying to control the Breakaway, without much success. #TDFdata #TDF2016 pic.twitter.com/YeH49Yd8sd
— letourdata (@letourdata) July 12, 2016
80km remaining: Rain continues to fall as the breakaway move closer to the intermediate sprint at Aigues-Vives. Looking through the list of names, might Michael Matthews challenge Peter Sagan for the points? Either way, Sagan is likely to get enough to overhaul Mark Cavendish’s lead in the green jersey standings.
The Leading 15 have an advantage that has stayed stable around 7min. IAM Cycling are the latest team to take up residence on the front of the peloton and give chase, as we near the day’s intermediate sprint.
@LawrenceOstlere Sounds like a motley Barbarians touring squad. Chavanel the stylish fly half and Cummings the no nonsense tight head.
— Nick Ryder (@thenickryder) July 12, 2016
Updated
Greg Van Avermaet in one of those in the breakawayers. Speaking before the race he looked worryingly disheveled, as if losing the yellow jersey has taken everything out of him.
After a short stint on the front, Katusha have stepped aside again. Sky take up the fight but the Leading 15 (catchy name) are now 7min up the road. There may be lots of them but no group is too big to break the resolve of the Name The Breakaway game:
@LawrenceOstlere The breakaway 15 are the area managers of Paris' Velib programme putting up a desperate attempt to popularize their bikes
— Serge Nuffler (@SergeNuffler) July 12, 2016
@LawrenceOstlere
— Murat Koksel (@12Taraftar) July 12, 2016
Plyrs to watch for on 1966 FIFA WC
Lnda
Iza-Nibli- Chav -Dmlin-Crso
Avrmt-Hag-Cmngs-Gallo
Csta- Sagn
Subs
Dur, Imp, Matt
Updated
Our man on the road, William Fotheringham:
level crossing warning signs in use on Tour to avoid repeat of 2015 Roubaix incident. closest to x-ing is STOP sign pic.twitter.com/d4kXkUPPDj
— William Fotheringham (@willfoth) July 12, 2016
A reminder of the 15 riders out in front:
Mikel Landa (Sky), Gorka Izagirre (Movistar), Vincenzo Nibali (Astana), Peter Sagan (Tinkoff), Samuel Dumoulin (AG2R-La Mondiale), Damiano Caruso and Greg Van Avermaet (BMC), Edvald Boasson Hagen and Stephen Cummings (Dimension Data), Tony Gallopin (Lotto-Soudal), Rui Costa (Lampre-Merida), Sylvain Chavanel (Direct Energie), Luke Durbridge, Daryl Impey and Michael Matthews (Orica-BikeExchange)
@LawrenceOstlere Today’s breakaway: The Untweetables.
— Plashing Vole (@PlashingVole) July 12, 2016
100km remaining: The peloton put on rain jackets and pick up food as they continue to plug along around 6min down on the leading group of 15 riders.
@LawrenceOstlere was Cav telling the camera man what he'd disturbed?
— Harv in Lycra (@HarvLycra) July 12, 2016
Two developments: the first is that the peloton’s mooching pace has allowed chirpy Cav and the rest of the stragglers a chance to close in on rejoining them, and the gap to the front to extend to 6min 15sec; as a result Katusha have taken up position on the nose once more. The second is that it’s raining.
Is there a sporting event which photographs better than the Tour de France? Take a look at our best images from the opening nine stages:
The inevitable gif:
cavendish pas content qu'on le filme pedalant a l'abris d'une caisse pic.twitter.com/rpsW2FDgHn
— philippe (@philousports) July 12, 2016
Mark Cavendish isn’t a happy chap. The camera closed in on Cav taking a comfort break and the man in green let them know exactly what he thought of that invasion of privacy with some expletives and a hand gesture. Charming.
Katusha have thrown in the towel. That was quick. Team Sky hit the nose of the peloton once more but they are not too fussed about picking up the pace, Luke Rowe and Ian Stannard nattering away like they’re in Centre Parcs. They’ve let the breakaway get out to more than 6min clear now, but there aren’t many names in the leading group to worry Chris Froome. Robin Hazlehurst emails: “If we’re anagramming the breakaway, then Sagan Dumoulin gives ‘a sound mauling’, which is what their escape seems to have suffered. I’ll get back to you on the full fifteen...”
Relief for Sky – Katusha are taking up the fight at the front of the peloton, in which Chris Froome and Nairo Quintana reside. Sky have carried the bulk of the workload ever since Froome took on the yellow jersey. However, Katusha have presumably targeted this stage as a possible win for their sprint-man Alexander Kristoff, and they’ve missed the break. Despite Katusha’s efforts, the breakaway is more than 3min clear.
The breakaway
Peter Sagan and Sam Dumoulin are caught, Sagan perhaps deciding that diminutive Dumoulin isn’t much of a breakaway partner to ride behind. That means there are 15 riders out in front with Sky’s Landa placed in there. They are 3min clear of the yellow-jersey group. The names:
Mikel Landa (Sky), Gorka Izagirre (Movistar), Vincenzo Nibali (Astana), Peter Sagan (Tinkoff), Samuel Dumoulin (AG2R-La Mondiale), Damiano Caruso and Greg Van Avermaet (BMC), Edvald Boasson Hagen and Stephen Cummings (Dimension Data), Tony Gallopin (Lotto-Soudal), Rui Costa (Lampre-Merida), Sylvain Chavanel (Direct Energie), Luke Durbridge, Daryl Impey and Michael Matthews (Orica-BikeExchange)
Do your worst.
A key moment as the yellow-jersey group (YJG) decide enough is enough, and stop chasing the breakaway. Sagan’s sheer relentless drive to break clear has been the biggest factor in this break. Chavanel and Van Avermaet managed to make it across from the YJG, so there are now 13 riders chasing down a leading duo of Sagan and Dumoulin. They are 2min clear of the YJG and that gap is growing. Referring to the earlier runaway quartet, Henry Bloomfield has taken Name The Breakaway up a notch:
@LawrenceOstlere Nibali Sagan Costa Matthews - Titans Chase; Almost Bag A Win #anagramthatbreakaway
— Henry Bloomfield (@DrHenryB) July 12, 2016
70km completed: A pack of around 13 riders have established themselves off the front, and two of those thirteen, Sagan and Sam Dumoulin, are trying to break clear.
The breakaway: Mikel Landa (Sky), Gorka Izagirre (Movistar), Vincenzo Nibali (Astana), Peter Sagan (Tinkoff), Samuel Dumoulin (AG2R-La Mondiale), Damiano Caruso (BMC), Edvald Boasson Hagen and Stephen Cummings (Dimension Data), Tony Gallopin (Lotto-Soudal), Rui Costa (Lampre-Merida), Luke Durbridge, Daryl Impey and Michael Matthews (Orica-BikeExchange).
Another big talking point over the rest day was the retirement of ‘El Purito’, Joaquim Rodríguez. The Katusha is one of the most popular members of the peloton and a huge character in cycling, but at 37 is calling it a day at the end of the Tour.
“I’m really enjoying riding this tour,” he said this morning. “I’m very lucky because I’ve received good wishes from a lot of different people, my phone’s been ringing a lot. Lots of people are disappointed, but are happy for me and for my future.”
Updated
Team Sky are on the front of the peloton once more today. Here is their manager Dave Brailsford talking before stage 10:
“If [other teams] want to sit on our wheel and try and catch us at the end of the Tour de France and win the yellow jersey that way, that’s fine by me. If nobody else is going to try and take control, then we will. The idea when we selected the team was to bring a team biased toward climbing to give use more options and rotate later in the stages. So far so good.”
I like how the official Tour de France Twitter feed brings the race to life:
🚗🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴 Costa, Matthews, Nibali, Sagan, Cummings, Landa, Caruso, S.Dumoulin, G.Izaguirre <30">🚗🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚗 #TDF2016
— Le Tour de France (@LeTour) July 12, 2016
My mistake: Sam is the Dumoulin in the break, not Tom.
Mikel Landa, Gorka Izaguirre, Tom Dumoulin and Damiano Caruso have now closed up the gap to the leaders to make a nontet (googled) out in front, 20sec clear of Froome and co.
Cummings has ditched his chasing pals and closed the gap to make the leading quartet a quintet (a couple more and I’m out of my depth). Around 45km through, with the first big climb of the day complete, and this stage 10 is starting to take shape. The yellow-jersey group containing Froome and Quintana are only 20sec behind.
The leading quartet of Nibali, Sagan, Costa and Matthews are being hunted by Landa, Izaguirre, Dumoulin, Caruso and Cummings, who are around 15sec back. It’s early days, Lyndsey...
@LawrenceOstlere Is it time for Name that Break Away yet?
— Lyndsey Melling (@LyndseyMelling) July 12, 2016
Updated
Peter Sagan descending is a sight:
Orica BikeExchange’s Michael Matthews has joined them, and the leading quartet are descending aggressively to establish a lead of nearly 1min – and it’s growing.
As they tumble down towards France and Ax-les-Thermes, two of the best descenders in the game swing into Rui Costa’s periphery: Peter Sagan and Vincenzo Nibali have made it a three out in front.
King of the mountains
No points gained for Pinot or Majka after that category one climb:
Thibaut Pinot 80 points
Rafal Majka 77
Tom Dumoulin 58
Rui Costa 50
Thomas De Gendt 36
Daniel Navarro 36
It passed me by there that Costa collects the Souvenir Henri Desgrange, awarded to the first the rider over the highest pass of the Tour.
Weird stage for the Souvenir Henri Desgrange
— Cillian Kelly (@irishpeloton) July 12, 2016
Dumoulin, Nibali and Grmay reached the top 30sec after Rui Costa as a little group ahead of Steve Cummings, Jon Izagirre and Peter Sagan, with what is the left of the peloton close behind.
Costa hits the summit of this draining Port d’Envalira climb first and collects 10 king of the mountain points before the sweet release of the long descent. Saying that, the fog that William Fotheringham captured earlier is still lingering and will limit visibility as they ride down to the French border.
Costa’s lead is even wider than I last reported, around 1min. There is a small pack, led by Peter Sagan, attempting to close in.
#TDF2016 Costa has 1'00" on peloton, 4 riders trying to bridge. We are just 1km from the top of the highest point of this year's @LeTour.
— Team Dimension Data (@TeamDiData) July 12, 2016
Updated
They are dropping like flies at the back of the peloton. Thomas De Gendt, Tony Gallopin and Serge Pauwels have all fallen away. At the front, Peter Sagan speeds up again in an effort to close the gap on Lampre-Merida’s Rui Costa, who is around 30sec clear.
There are 10 polka-dot jersey points up for grabs at the summit, which Rui Costa is only around 2km away from now. Here is the king of the mountains classification coming into stage 10:
Thibaut Pinot 80 points
Rafal Majka 77
Tom Dumoulin 50
Rui Costa 40
Thomas De Gendt 36
Daniel Navarro 36
As they near the top of the Envalira, Rui Costa is out on his lonesome with a 30sec lead. The peloton has regrouped behind him but there are a significant number of riders in a third, stragglers’ pack further down the road.
A small group break away from the peloton, and from there Rui Costa decides to go solo.
The Sky-fronted peloton has injected some pace into this climb, with two effects: they have caught the runaway 25 or so riders up ahead, and shed several more off the back. Tony Martin and Pierre Rolland are among some of the bigger names falling away.
This is weirdly mesmerising:
@LawrenceOstlere on the Guardian live feed reporting Voeckler is in the break. 'Course he is! #TDF2016 #TourDeGif pic.twitter.com/Jq5RnUIVgZ
— Grunshaw (@MrGrunshaw) July 12, 2016
Thibaut Pinot has indeed kicked on, joining Sagan once more on the front as they near the summit. Vincenzo Nibali has joined up with them too, and around 22 others from the 193 that started the stage have also made the short dash from the peloton to join the leading group around 20sec up the road.
Sagan attacks again. He seems intent on engineering a break so that he can sweep up the intermediate sprint points around two thirds of the way through this stage 10, and create a small sprint for the stage victory later on against riders who don’t much like sprinting. ‘MaliciousA’ has sent an early tweet on his favourite subject, Thibaut Pinot:
@LawrenceOstlere i was expecting Pinot to put in some Thrilling Heroics early on to get KoM points, now I expect him to have a quiet day.
— MaliciousA (@MaliciousA) July 12, 2016
Scratch that. Sagan has been caught by a chasing group of around 18 riders which includes Gougeard, Voeckler, Gallopin and Pinot. They are around halfway to the summit of 22km Port d’Envalira drag and have a small lead over the peloton. Cavendish is among several riders to fall off the back off the main group.
Updated
Peter Sagan attacks! On a mountain! This might not be his natural environment to get combative but he has a vested interest in leaving sprinters like Mark Cavendish and André Greipel behind.
Our man on the ground, William Fotheringham, with pictures from the summit of the mountain pass this morning:
Top of Envalira looking into France... Very spectacular... pic.twitter.com/wr0DTIz4gm
— William Fotheringham (@willfoth) July 12, 2016
Until you get into cloud & realise is zero visibility. Let's hope it clears for the bike race or it'll be tricky pic.twitter.com/o1hQGbxNl3
— William Fotheringham (@willfoth) July 12, 2016
Stage 10 is underway
And it begins in Andorra with a long category one drag, Port d’Envalira. A group containing Thibaut Pinot, Peter Sagan and Tommy Voeckler (it’s always Voeckler) immediately attempt to make a break for it but they are quickly reeled in.
How do riders spend a rest day? Probably not how you and I would:
One of the big topics of conversation in yesterday’s rest-day press conferences was Mont Ventoux, the mountain with mysterious winds and a weird lunar landscape, and an inconic place in the history of the Tour de France. It marks the finish of stage 12 and you can bet all the big names will have an eye on victory on Ventoux. Here was Chris Froome:
“It’s a massive challenge, one of the most iconic stages and to win up their again would be unreal, out of this world. It’s going to be pretty hard knowing there’s a time trial the next day.”
Asked about his perceived lack of entertainment-factor, Froome responded: “My main focus is obviously the race. If it’s entertaining at the same time then great. It doesn’t worry me, as I’ve said this is going to be one of – if not the – hardest race I’ve ridden. When I put in a big attack up in Andorra, Quintana followed me and obviously I wasn’t going to keep riding with him on my wheel. But he seems to be in great shape so it’s going to be an interesting 10 days ahead.”
And some selected others:
13 Fabio Aru (Astana) +1.23
14 Richie Porte (BMC) +2.10
27 Thibaut Pinot (FDJ) +15.39
37 Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) +34.14
General classification
Before stage 10 gets under way, here is a look at the top of the overall standings:
Chris Froome (Sky) 44hr 36min 03sec
Adam Yates (Orica) +.16
Dan Martin (Etixx) +.19
Nairo Quintana (Movistar) +.23
Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) +.37
Romain Bardet (AG2R) +.44
Bauke Mollema (Trek) +.44
Sergio Henao (Sky) +.44
Louis Meintjes (Lampre) +.55
Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) +1.01
Tejay Van Garderen (BMC) +1.01
Stage 10 – Escaldes-Engordany to Revel (197km)
In both of Chris Froome’s previous Tour de France triumphs he started the second week with a significant lead, but not this time: never before in the Tour’s history have the top 10 riders began stage 10 within 61 seconds of each other. In that sense it is a fascinatingly close race, yet all that is a little irrelevant: Astana’s Fabio Aru and Vincenzo Nibali have lost significant time, Richie Porte has improved since a troubled day one but remains well behind, Thibaut Pinot is chasing polka dots and Alberto Contador has abandoned. The closest Tour in history? More likely it is a two-horse race between Froome and Nairo Quintana.
The Colombian climber insisted yesterday there is plenty of time to turn the tables on his rival but obvious opportunities from here on in are scarce. There are only three mountain finishes remaining and one of them, the iconic Mont Ventoux, comes the day before a demanding time trial. Quintana may have to get creative but stage 10 is probably not the time or place: after a rest day the Tour leaves Andorra via a long drag along the highest road in the Pyrenees, Port d’Envarila, a category one climb which will likely split the field before returning to France and the finish in Revel. It is one for those sprinters who can handle a climb: Peter Sagan might be eyeing his second stage win of this Tour.
Here is the stage 10 profile courtesy of our handy stage-by-stage guide:
Updated
