photo credit @ Le Tour/Twitter
Nguvu kama simba*
Chris Froome is as strong as a lion (nguwu kama samba in Swahili, the language he learned in his native Kenya).
Indeed, Froome blew the peloton apart to take a significant stride towards a second Tour de France victory with a breathtaking win in stage 10 as the race entered the Pyrenees today.
In the first major test for the climbers, the 2013 Tour winner, was peerless in the closing ascent to La Pierre St Martin, crossing the line 59 seconds ahead of his team-mate Richie Porte in second place and more than a minute ahead of Nairo Quintana in third to extend his lead at the top of the general classification to two minutes and 52 seconds.
It was some statement of intent from Froome in the first real opportunity to assert his credentials, breaking clear from Porte and Quintana with approximately six kilometres remaining, after his rivals Vincenzo Nibali and Alberto Contador had already been dropped, to clinch a first Tour stage win since 2013.
A third Team Sky rider Geraint Thomas was sixth, two minutes and one second behind Froome – recording the same time as another Briton Adam Yates.
Froome’s closest rival in the overall standings is the American Tejay van Garderen, who finished the stage at two minutes 29 seconds, while Quintana is three minutes and nine seconds off the pace in third and Thomas is up to fifth, four minutes and three seconds behind.
Both Contador and Nibali are considerably off the pace in the general classification at sixth and 10th respectively. Contador crossed the line in 11th spot, two minutes and 50 seconds behind Froome while Nibali, last year’s champion, was in 21st, a further one minutes and 35 seconds behind.
Stage 10 Results GBR 1 FROOME, Christopher (SKY) 4:22:07 AUS 2 PORTE, Richie (SKY) + 59 COL 3 QUINTANA ROJAS, Nairo Alexander (MOVISTAR) + 1:04 NED 4 GESINK, Robert (LOTTO NL – JUMBO) + 1:33 ESP 5 VALVERDE BELMONTE, Alejandro (MOVISTAR) + 2:01 GBR 6 THOMAS, Geraint (SKY) GBR 7 YATES, Adam (ORICA GreenEDGE) + 2:04 FRA 8 ROLLAND, Pierre (EUROPCAR) FRA 9 GALLOPIN, Tony (LOTTO SOUDAL) + 2:22 USA 10 VAN GARDEREN, Tejay (BMC RACING) + 2:30 ESP 11 CONTADOR VELASCO, Alberto (TINKOFF – SAXO) + 2:51 ESP 12 VALLS FERRI, Rafael (LAMPRE – MERIDA) + 3:09 DEN 13 FUGLSANG, Jakob (ASTANA) BEL 14 PAUWELS, Serge (MTN – QHUBEKA) + 3:19 FRA 15 BARGUIL, Warren (GIANT – ALPECIN) ESP 16 SANCHEZ GONZALEZ, Samuel (BMC RACING) + 4:00 NED 17 MOLLEMA, Bauke (TREK FACTORY RACING) + 4:09 RSA 18 JANSE VAN RENSBURG, Jacques (MTN – QHUBEKA) ARG 19 SEPULVEDA, Eduardo (BRETAGNE-SECHE ENVIRONNEMENT) + 4:16 EST 20 KANGERT, Tanel (ASTANA) + 4:25 ITA 21 NIBALI, Vincenzo (ASTANA) NED 22 TEN DAM, Laurens (LOTTO NL – JUMBO)
General Classification after Stage 10 GBR 1 FROOME, Christopher (SKY) 35:56:09 USA 2 VAN GARDEREN, Tejay (BMC RACING) + 2:52 COL 3 QUINTANA ROJAS, Nairo Alexander (MOVISTAR) + 3:09 ESP 4 VALVERDE BELMONTE, Alejandro (MOVISTAR) + 4:01 GBR 5 THOMAS, Geraint (SKY) + 4:03 ESP 6 CONTADOR VELASCO, Alberto (TINKOFF – SAXO) + 4:04 FRA 7 GALLOPIN, Tony (LOTTO SOUDAL) + 4:33 NED 8 GESINK, Robert (LOTTO NL – JUMBO) + 4:35 FRA 9 BARGUIL, Warren (GIANT – ALPECIN) + 6:12 ITA 10 NIBALI, Vincenzo (ASTANA) + 6:57
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