News Flash — Tour de France– Stage 10 – The Vosges–Mulhouse to Planche des Belles Filles
Alberto Contador, one of the top contenders for the overall Tour win crashed and lost 4 minutes this afternoon in the Vosges mountains. Kilometers later, he abandoned the Tour.
The Spaniard’s Specialized S-Works frame cracked in half, and he needed time to switch bicycles, have his bleeding right knee bandaged and change one of this cycling shoes.
His Tinkoff-Saxo teammates Roche, Bennati and Morkov slowed down ahead to escort him up to the peloton. He was 4 minutes behind the Yellow Jersey group.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
After setting off to catch up with the Yellow Jersey group, Contador again spoke with the medical van, and his deficit behind the GC riders grew.
Ahead of the peloton was a break group that included Tony Martin and Michael Kwiatkowski, in the last kilometers towards the summit of the category 1, Col du Platzerwasel (1 193 m) at km 72.
Sagan (Cannondale), Kwiatkowski and Martin (OPQS), Riblon (AG2R), Irizar (Trek), Taaramäe (Cofidis), Wyss (IAM), Barta (NetApp), Rodriguez (Katusha), Voeckler (Europcar), Moinard (BMC), Visconti (Movistar) were part of a break group that was leading at the front of the stage, and were 3 minutes 54 seconds ahead of the peloton, putting Contador at a 8 minute deficit.
That put Polish rider Kwiatkowski in the virtual lead in stage 10. Behind the lead group, Astana, the team of Vincenzo Nibali pushed the pace, partly to put space between them and Contador who had been left in the dust, and in an attempt to gain back lost time with Kwiatkowski.
Kilometers later, Contador abandoned the Tour.
This would have been a very difficult day for the Spaniard who is now one of the top three riders in the Tour to abandon the race.
After this climb would be four more climbs, including the last category 1, la Planche des Belles Filles (the plateau of the beautiful girls.)
