That's all for today folks ...
Chris Froome extended his lead on the day before the race heads up the Ventoux, although tomorrow’s iconic stage may be truncated by six kilometres due to the dangers posed by high winds. Nairo Quintana will be desperately hoping the race goes all the way up the Giant of Provence”, it seems extremely unlikely to happen with winds of over 100 kilometres per hour being reported at the summit. Tune in tomorrow, for what promises to be a fascinating day’s racing, whatever the route.
General Classification after stage 11
- 1. Chris Froome (Team Sky) 52hr 34min 37sec
- 2. Adam Yates (Orica) +28sec
- 3. Daniel Martin (Etixx-Quick Step) +31sec
- 4. Nairo Quintana (Movistar) +35sec
- 5. Bauke Mollema (Trek) +56sec
- 6. Romain Bardet (AG2R)
- 7. Sergio Henao (Team Sky)
- 8. Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) +1min 13sec
- 9. Tejay van Garderen (BMC Racing)
- 10. Roman Kreuziger (Tinkoff) +1min 28sec
Looking at the stage finish again ...
It seems apparent that Peter Sagan was very kindly preparing to usher his less heralded team-mate Maciej Bodnar through for the stage win, but was surprised to see Chris Froome still contesting matters behind him and had to continue riding to ensure the stage went to somebody on the Tinkoff team.
Stage 11 results ...
- 1. Peter Sagan (Tinkoff) 3hr 26min 23sec
- 2. Chris Froome (Team Sky) ST
- 3. Maciej Bodnar (Tinkoff) ST
- 4. Alexander Kristoff (Katusha) +4sec
- 5. Christophe Laporte (Cofidis)
- 6. Jasper Stuyven (Trek)
- 7. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Dimension Data)
- 8. Andre Greipel (Lotto)
Peter Sagan speaks ...
“It was something crazy that happened,” says the stage winner. “Froomey and Geraint came with us when we attacked and I told them we were too strong. Crazy winds! Crazy winds! Crazy winds! For the last 15 kilometres it was crazy. You can’t just plan that. Crazy! Crazy!” I’m not sure what he’s on about, but he’s quite happy. It seems like he can’t quite believe the teams of the sprinters let them get away with it.
Sagan wins the stage ...
The green jersey wearer won the sprint to the finish by about a bike-length, but I don’t think Chris Froome was trying too hard to beat him. “Sagan was just motoring,” says Geraint Thomas, who goes on to say that the attack in which the four riders broke away towards the end was completely improvised. “It was hard,” adds Thomas.
Les alliés du jour ! / Friends of the day! #TDF2016 pic.twitter.com/GLEUtzCViK
— Le Tour de France (@LeTour) July 13, 2016
Froome takes another 13 seconds ...
It’s unofficial, but Sagan and Froome seem to have finished seven seconds ahead of the peloton. Adding in the six second bonus, he’ll take a lead of 29 seconds into tomorrow’s stage up Ventoux. I will confirm that as soon as I get the figures.
Updated
The bunch crosses the line ...
The riders of Katusha and Etixx-Quick Step made a complete dog’s breakfast of their attempts to reel in the four leaders, while Mark Cavendish’s chances of a stage win were ruined by a mechanical in the closing kilometres.
Peter Sagan wins the stage!!!
He’s followed over the line by Chris Froome, who’ll get a six-second time bonus for finishing second.
Updated
One kilometre to go: The Froome and Sagan group go under the flamme rouge, while behind them Etixx-Quick Step shell one lead-out man after another.
Three kilometres to go: The four-man breakaway continue to hold their advantage as the teams of sprinters Marcel Kittel and Andre Greipel fail spectacularly to reel them in. Andre Greipel’s lead-out train has already been derailed, while Etixx-Quick Step haven’t tried a leg to get Marcel Kittel into contention yet. If they’re going to make a move they need to do so very quickly.
Four kilometres to go: Froome, Sagan, Thomas and Bodnar have a lead of 23 seconds, with the chasing posse apparently unable to put any sort of dent in the gap.
Mark Cavendish sits up. He’s had a mechanical and has pulled into the side of the road, where he’s rolling along disconsolately as he waits for a new bike. He won’t be winning today. Will he start tomorrow, or withdraw before the race enters the Alps so he can focus on the Olympics?
Six kilometres to go: At the front of the unbch, the sprinters’ teams are trying to reel in the breakaway of Froome, Sagan, Thomas and Bodnar. The gap is 26 seconds.
Eight kilometres to go: The green and yellow jersey continue their collaboration at the front of the field in what is ostensibly a four-man time trial. Back in the bunch, Mark Cavendish has had a mechanical is screaming into his radio that he needs a new bike. The gap between the four leaders and the bunch is 18 seconds.
Nine kilometres to go: Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas of Sky, along with Peter Sagan and Maciej Bodnar from Tinkoff have opened a gap of 18 seconds on the rest of the field.
13 kilometres to go: Relentless pressure from the Tinkoff riders leaves the peloton strung out like yesterday’s washing. Chris Froome is in a group of three riders, including Peter Sagan, who have spotted an opportunity to put some distance between themselves and the rest of the field.
15 kilometres to go: Tinkoff and BMC continue to dictate the pace at the front of the bunch, with Movistar and Sky keeping tabs on them. On the left-hand side of the road, the Etixx-Quick Step riders are starting to get their ducks in a row, coupling together the carriages of Marcel Kittel’s sprint train.
18 kilometres to go. The peloton splits as it snakes either side of a large roundabout, with what appears to be an uneasy truce at the front of the bunch. In an adjacent bay, a flamboyance of flamingos can be seen gadding about. And yes, I did have to look that up.
Just 20 kilometres to go: The peloton appears to have slowed again, with everyone back together. The riders from Movistar, Tinkoff and Sky are patrolling the front of the bunch, where BMC and Tinkoff have already launched attacks.
25 kilometres to go. Tinkoff make a charge from the front, but are quickly reined in by BMC and Sky.
Tony Gallopin looks a picture of misery. He’s been chasing all day and had just popped back to the Lotto-Soudal team car to pick up some bidons, when BMC caused the bunch to fragment again. All the main GC contenders and likely stage winners are still at the front of the pack, where all is currently serene again. BMC attempted to get the jump on Sky, but were unsuccessful in their bid to catch Chris Froome and his lieutenants napping.
Boom! The race turns east again and BMC put the hammer down at the front of the bunch in an attempt to break it up again. Within seconds, a veiw from the helicopter shows a long row of riders strung out at the back of the bunch.
The peloton is reunited again. It’s as you were in the bunch, despite all the wind-related bedlam from earlier in the afternoon. A lot of those in the bunch have had a much harder ride than others today, however, and with the race due to meander easterly again, we can probably expect more fun and games before the stage ends. There are just over 28 kilometres to go.
More echeleon education ...
If you're wondering what's an echelon & how it works, watch this video! #TDF2016https://t.co/mvWJoiTugr
— Le Tour de France (@LeTour) July 13, 2016
An email: “Burghardt’s crash is very reminiscent my own too close encounter with a similarly sized canine in 2013,” writes David P Helwig. “Hit the beast while going 20-25 mph and got a bad case of road rash, but no major injuries though I did spent a night in the hospital at my wife’s insistence. The dog apparently was unharmed, or if it was he wasn’t saying.”
81: That’s how many riders were in the chasing group after the peloton was broken up by the winds. That’s almost half the field and they’ve had to chase hard to get back in touch. Domestiques from assorted teams are taking advantage of the current lull to drop back to their team cars and pick up bottles of water for their team-mates.
38 kilometres to go: ITV have invited former sprinter Robbie McEwan into their commentary box for a chat. As a former winner in Montpelier, he explains that the route changes direction so often towards the end of the stage that the riders will be buffeted by winds coming from all directions. There appears to be something of a ceasefire at the front of the peloton, which has allowed the second big group behind them to catch them up. They’ve had to work hard to do so, however, while the chaps at the front were taking time out to take on liquids and gels.
The result of the intermediate sprint
1. Marcel Kittel: 20 pts
2. Peter Sagan: 17 pts
3. Mark Cavendish: 15 pts
4. Fabio Sabatini: 13 pts
5. Max Richeze: 11 pts
6. Michael Valgren: 10 pts
7. Iljo Keisse: 9 pts
8. Roman Kreuziger: 8 pts
9. Nairo Quintana: 7 pts
10. Ian Stannard: 6 pts
11. Jacopo Guarnieri: 5 pts
12. Luke Durbridge: 4 pts
13. Alejandro Valverde: 3 pts
14. Luke Rowe: 2 pts
15. Gorka Izagirre: 1 pt
Just over 40 kilometres to go: The main peloton, containing all the big names in terms of General Classification big-hitters and likely stage winners, continues to barrel along, with a gap of 53 seconds back to the large group of stragglers.
Echelons for dummies ...
A tip of the hat to Team Sky for this informative little piece of footage.
New to cycling and wondering what an echelon looks like? #TDF2016https://t.co/9V2UDpGs5l
— Team Sky (@TeamSky) July 13, 2016
Intermediate sprint: A couple of Etixx Quick-Step riders give Marcel Kittel a lead-out to take the intermediate sprint, with Peter Sagan and Mark Cavendish hoovering up the lion’s share of the available points behind him.
Updated
52 kilometres to go: There’s been another crash in the bunch, with one Movistar rider going to ground and bringing down several others behind him. After a bit of a lull, the peloton is currently in two distinct groups, with one trailing the other by 46 seconds. In good news for Sky, Vasili Kiryienka has made his way back to the front of the bunch. As previously stated, all the major GC contenders and likely stage winners are in the lead group.
BMC rider Marcus Burghardt takes a turn on the front. And what better way to celebrate this momentous occasion than to revisit one of his finest hours - the day, nine years ago, he crashed into the world’s strongest dog.
59 kilometres to go. Sky rider Luke Rowe is grimacing as he makes the pace at the front, before making way for Chris Froome who does a turn in front. The early stage leaders Vichot and Howard have been caught, while Sky super domestique Vasili Kiryienka has been dropped, temporarily at least. All the key GC riders and stage hopefuls are comfortably ensconced in the main bunch.
Just over 60 kilometres to go. We’re back on the open road, with less than seconds separating our two leaders and the front of the bunch. The crosswinds have obliterated the peloton again, splitting it into about six different groups. Sky are controlling affairs at the business end of the race, where Andre Greipel can be seen in a full-on sprint just to stay up with the leaders. “This is the perfect storm for a bike race,” says ITV co-commentator David Mill.
Some respite: The peloton passes through a small town and slows down a bit as the riders negotiate the street furniture on the outskirts, followed by the narrow streets. Some of the riders who were dropped get the chance to claw their way back into the bunch.
Our leaders will soon be caught. The lead of Thomas Vichot and Leigh Howard has been whittled down to just 22 seconds assorted riders ramp up the pace in their efforts to stay at the front of the bunch behind them. The main bunch is about 55 riders strong, with a long string of stragglers strung out behind them. We have just under 70 kilometres to go in the stage and Astana are bossing matters at the front of the bunch. The average speed on today’s stage is 45 kilometres per hour so far, which is quick.
#TDF2016 Nervous peloton. @f_cancellara and the boys are at the front.
— Trek-Segafredo (@TrekSegafredo) July 13, 2016
The peloton is in bits. The narrowness of the road and the direction of the wind means that the bunch has now split into about seven different echelons, with a lot of riders stranded in no-man’s land in between. All the main GC contenders, along with sprinters Mark Cavendish and Andre Greipel, are near the front of the main bunch. They’re looking comfrotbale, but behind them there are a lot of riders clinging on for dear life.
We’ve 78 kilometres to go: The peloton is two bunches, with the trailing one quite substantial and looking about 40 or 50 strong. The gap between the two groups is quite small, however. Our leaders, Thomas Vichot and Leigh Howard lead by just 1min 44sec.
Yesterday’s stage winner is unlikely be winning again today. Orica BikeExchange rider Michael Matthews finds himself on the wrong side of the wind-induced divide, where he is joined by his team-mate Daryl Impey and Lotto-Soudal rider Tony Gallopin, among many others.
The bunch is in two distinct groups. The crosswinds have taken their toll, having split the peloton into two distinct bunches. There are no General Classification contenders in the trailing group, but a couple of Nairo Quintana’s Movistar wingmen have been caught out.
Thibaut Pinot finds himself on the wrong side of the split. He’s the highest profile casualty to find himself off the back of the bunch, but won’t be overly concerned. His focus is on the King of the Mountains jersey, as he’s over 15 minutes behind Chris Froome on General Classification.
Just under 90 kilometres to go. The peloton is now in three distinctive groups, but there’s no sign of any high profile casualties so far. The lead of our breakaway duo Vichot and Howard has now been whittled down to 2min 41sec in just five kilometres.
Tinkoff go to the front. There’s a big split in the peloton as team Tinkoff go to the front and put the hammer down, riding at 60 kilomtres per hour. The peloton is strung out in single file. At least 40 riders have been dropped off the back of the bunch and have about 50 metres to make up to get back in touch.
When the stage falls into a lull French TV phones a philosopher to discuss what the Tour de France represents pic.twitter.com/ipgkMSq9Or
— the Inner Ring (@inrng) July 13, 2016
News from Spain: Alberto Contador has all but ruled himself out of the Olympics as he attempts to recover from the injuries that forced him to abandon this year’s Tour. He is confident he will be back in time for the Vuelta, which begins on 20 August
Just under 100 kilometres to go. There’s been another prang in the peloton. Nothing serious, with one rider - possibly Tom Dumoulin - breaking a spoke and subsequently cutting his hand as he tried to remove the wheel from his bike while waiting for his team car to arrive. Thomas Vichot and Leigh Howard now lead by 4min 27sec.
Jens Voigt speaks ...
.@thejensie says crashes don't help nervousness in peloton. "It's going to be carnage later on" as teams feel pressure to save GC riders
— NBCSN Cycling (@NBCSNCycling) July 13, 2016
Colombia: the debate rages on begins. “Does Colombia’s investment in pro-cycling in the 80’s and 90’s (Cafe de Colombia team and so on) have lessons for UK cycling’s future?” asks Andrew Benton. “Has it built support for Colombia’s new cyclists to date, or did it fade away, and people like Quintana have succeeded without it?” I’m afraid I’m going to have to open that one to the floor, Andrew. Anyone?
Carcassonne: the debate rages on. “Carcassone’s walls were not as Simon Thomas says ‘built in mid-19th century’ but rather a restoration of mediaeval original,” says Michael Duggan. “Wikipedia says that despite making errors such as using slates for roofing the towers ‘… overall, Viollet-le-Duc’s achievement at Carcassonne is agreed to be a work of genius, though not of the strictest authenticity’.”
Vichot and Howard make their way up the second and final climb of the day. It’s the Category 4 Cote de Villespassans and the two leaders are 3min 52sec ahead of the bunch. Vichot is first over the top to take his second point of the day. Thibaut Pinot, who is currently wearing the polka dot jersey for King of the Mountains, will be unconcerned.
With 50 kilometres behind them: Let’s have a quick recap: Thomas Vichot (FDJ) and Leigh Howard IAM Cycling) have a lead of 3min 16sec on the peloton on a day when high winds are causing a lot of tension in the bunch. We’ve had a lot of crashes, one involving Thibaut Pinot in the polka dot jersey, but nobody has been too badly hurt.
A reclusive, pedantic, anemological nerd writes: “Not wishing in any way to sound like some kind of reclusive, pedantic, anemological nerd,” writes Paul Griffin. “But the reference below to the Mistral is incorrect. It’s the Tramontane that is the culprit. I’m amazed no ones used the name to market a drab hatchback with red seats and Bluetooth brakes or something.”
Carcassonne: the myth exploded. “Sorry to say that them medieval walls were built in the mid-19th century bit of the middle ages,” writes Simon Thomas. “About as genuine as Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.”
More wind-related news: All the branding at the finish of today’s stage in Montpelier, including the kilometre to go kite, is being removed in case the wind causes trouble with them. We’re also hearing that the Tour organisers, the Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) are mulling over a change to tomorrow’s stage finish on Mont Ventoux because of the high winds that are being forecast.
Some King of the Mountains points up for grabs. Arthur Vichot takes the available point on the Category 4 Cote de Minerve. There’s another one to be had on the Cote de Villespassans, which isn’t too far away.
Luis León Sánchez receives medical assistance. The Astana rider crashed in the day’s biggest collision so far and is currently rolling along beside the doctor’s car getting some sort of spray on his hip. George Bennett, who also fell earlier, also receives treatment from the medics before signalling for his team car to come and do something or other for him. He doesn’t look too badly hurt.
We’ve 127 kilometres to go. Vichot and Howard lead the pack by 2min 44sec.
More crashes: The strong winds are wreaking havoc out there. Cannondale rider Alex Howes goes down, shortly after his team-mate Lawson Craddock had been unshipped in a collision also involving Trek rider Edward Theuns.
Almost 30 kilometres of today’s stage gone: FDJ rider Arthur Vichot and IAM Cycling’s Leigh Howard have opened a gap of three minutes on the chasing posse, which is being controlled by the riders of Team Sky.
Another crash: Another touch of wheels results in Katusha rider Jurgen Van den Broeck going down on the narrow road. After receiving mechanical assistance, he remounts his bike and weaves past several support cars as he tries to rejoin his comrades.
There's been a crash in the bunch ...
Several FDJ riders appear to have come a cropper after a touch of wheels in the middle of the pack, with several going off the road and into a ditch. Wearing the polka dot jersey, Thibaut Pinot came a cropper, but is back on his bike and being paced back to the peloton. Lotto NL Jumbo rider George Bennett appears to have come out of the crash worst, but he is also back on his bike and making headway in his efforts to back in the bunch.
Updated
@bglendenning Carcassonne is also the greatest board game of all time. pic.twitter.com/HPwXbDgkzz
— Alan Mackie (@Oldmanmackie) July 13, 2016
Today’s average speed: 50 kilometres per hour so far, which is some gallop. The strong crosswinds means that everybody wants to be near the front to avoid being left behind in the event of the bunch fracturing. Speaking before the stage, Mark Cavendish said the wind could gust up to 60 kph. “It’ll just be hard and nervous all day,” he said. He’s aiming for his 30th Tour de France stage win today.
With 13 kilometres behind them Messrs Vichot and Howard have extended their lead to 1min 30sec.
Carcassonne is a nice town ...
And a town in which Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, starring Kevin Costner, was filmed, if I’m not mistaken.
Two riders launch a break: FDJ rider Arthur Vichot and IAM Cycling’s Leigh Howard have powered clear of the bunch and opened a lead of just under a minute after nine kilometres.
Nothing much to report so far: The peloton began the stage at a fair old clip and several riders got dropped, with Daniel Navarro and Rafal Majka among them. They’ve since rejoined the bunch, which has slowed down considerably.
Stage 11 is underway ...
They’re off and rolling in Carcassonne, where race director Christian Prudhomme has semaphored the signal to begin racing.
How to ride in crosswinds ...
Our friends at the Global Cycling Network really do think of everything. Here, they explain how to ride in crosswinds and - more importantly - how to stiff the opposition when riding in crosswinds. It’s well worth a look.
Here's Cav with the weather ...
Today’s stage is fairly short and flat, but Mark Cavendish reported earlier this morning that he was woken by winds buffeting his window shutters in Carcassonne. Eurosport commentator Carlton Kirby has since reported a “crazy” “cross-tailwind” that could spell all sorts of bother for the peloton as they east towards Montpelier. Similar winds wreaked all sorts of havoc during apocalyptic conditions on stage two of last year’s race from Utrecht to the Dutch province of Zeeland, when both Nario Quintana and Vincenzo Nibali got caught in the wrong place at the wrong time and lost big chunks of time as the peloton was smithereened by the crosswinds.
Crazy wind. Le Mistral in full vent. Cross-tailwind as we head East. Will be fast & brutal. Coverage starts 1pm uk (14h cet)@EurosportUKTV
— Carlton Kirby (@carltonkirby) July 13, 2016
When you're here & woken by the wind banging the window shutters, it's not likely to be a calm day on the bike! #TDF pic.twitter.com/BRxSTOwPbj
— Mark Cavendish (@MarkCavendish) July 13, 2016
Orica-BikeExchange won Stage 10
Michael Matthews won his first ever stage of the Tour de France yesterday, to give Orica their first win in France since 2013. You can see just how the stage was won, and how much it meant to the Australian team, by watching this behind-the-scenes video.
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
William Fotheringham’s Stage 10 report
Stage 11: Carcassonne to Montpelier (162.5km)
From our stage-by-stage preview: If Mark Cavendish is looking for hiatus points where it makes sense to head for home to prepare for Rio, this is the first, given that there is only one more pure sprint stage before Paris. On paper, this is flat and short, but in reality it’s liable to be horrifically hot, and on occasions the wind intervenes on the exposed roads into Montpellier to make life distinctly unpleasant.
Updated
