Stage 10- Tour de France 2014 – Mulhouse to Planche des Belles Filles – July 14, 2014
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Italian national champion Vincenzo Nibali won the tenth stage of the Tour today as it entered the most challenging peaks of the Vosges.
But the stage was also a great disappointment for Alberto Contador who crashed badly after hitting a rock or a road defect, and had to abandon the Tour. Early reports said his Specialized frame had cracked in two, and indeed, broadcast visuals showed a cracked bike being replaced, but those facts were sent into PR history as directeur sportif Phillipe Mauduit said the bike had fallen off the support vehicle.
Contador is now the third major rider to quit the Tour after Mark Cavendish and defending champion Chris Froome.
No doubt the abandonment of the stars has created an opportunity for the Italian who may not have been able to succeed against the Spaniard.
An early break threatened to hand the reigns over to young Polish rider, Michal Kwiatkowski, who managed to hold a lead over both Italian champion Nibali and Gallopin until the last few kilometers of the ascent up to the Planche des Belles Filles.
The hopes of Spaniard Joaquim Rodriguez were also dashed as he was passed by Nibali, and then crushed as they entered the last kilometer to the plateau.
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Behind Nibali, Thibaut Pinot attacked to take second place at the line. ASO/ Demouveaux
Frenchman Tony Gallopin who won the Yellow Jersey yesterday was dropped on the col, and could not recover, and is now in fifth place. Kwiatkowski’s teammateTony Martin helped the young rider for most of their break, and especially in the last climb, but bonked spectacularly halfway up to the Belles Filles.
But the big event of the day was Contador’s abandon. Who knew that the 2014 Tour de France would crack THE star riders? It was almost like a curse hovering over every stage.
First Mark Cavendish abandoned after crashing in stage one and sustaining a dislocated shoulder. Then defending 2013 Tour champion Chris Froome abandoned in stage 6 after three crashes that left him with an injured wrist.
Then today, again, perhaps the only last sure general classification contender, Alberto Contador crashed on the descent before the third climb of the day, the category one Col du Platzerwasel (1 193 m) at km 72. Now he too is out of the Tour.
Contador’s abandon was swift. Initial reports said his Specialized S-Works frame cracked in half, an account that was later corrected by Tinkoff-Saxo’s directeur sportif Philippe Mauduit who said one of the team bikes had come off the roof of the support car.
Needless to say Contador switched bikes, had his right knee bandaged, and changed his left shoe which had been completely destroyed according to Mauduit. But after getting back on his bike and cycling a few kilometers more, he motioned to the team car, and abandoned the race. Contador told reporters that he had hit something on the road, and that when he tried to put pressure on his right knee it was too painful to go on.
“Before pulling out, he told us that he was in an awful pain and he couldn’t go any further on his bike. It’s a pity because everything had gone well since the beginning of the Tour,” said Mauduit. “We had a plan and today’s race was unfolding exactly as we wanted. In a fraction of a second, it all fell apart, so we’re immensely sad.”
The race in detail
Today was the first day that riders would really be tested in the mountains. It would be seven mountain passes to climb, the first a category two up the Col du Firstplan (722 m) only 31 km into the stage and the following two, category ones,
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The break around the middle of the stage. ASO.
the Petit Ballon (1 163 m) at 55 km into the race, featuring 9.3 km at an average grade of 8.1%.
An break was established early in the race, placing Michal Kwiatkowski as the virtual leader ahead of the peloton by an average of 4 minutes. He was joined by his Omega Pharma Quickstep teammate Tony Martin who won yesterday’s stage 9 into Mulhouse on a nearly full day breakaway and 59 km out on his own. Along with them were some of the best break specialists includes Thomas Voeckler (Europcar,) and Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha). Rein Taaramäe (Cofidis) was also in the mix.
It was on the ascent of the third climb that Alberto Contador crashed and his bike split in two. After getting a new bike, having his right knee bandaged and changing his left shoe, he had lost 4 minutes. He made an attempt to catch up with the peloton, but shortly abandoned the Tour. Possibly his injuries were too great.
With 70 km to go, the break group was ahead of the peloton by 4 minutes and 15 seconds, and included Visconti (Movistar), Rodriguez (Katusha), Kwiatkowski and Martin (OPQS), Riblon (AG2R), Taaramäe (Cofidis), Wyss (IAM), Voeckler (Europcar) and Moinard (BMC). Kwiatkowski was the virtual leader.
Behind them in the peloton, Team Astana was pushing the pace in an attempt to keep their leader Vincenzo Nibali, to stay in the top three.
As they headed over the category two Col d’Oderen (884 m), 6.7 Km with a 6.1% grade, Joaquim Rodriguez was the first over the summit, followed by Thomas Voeckler, Tony Martin, and Michal Kwiatkowski. There were three climbs to come, a category three, followed by two category ones, the last the Planche des Belles Filles.
Meanwhile, several riders had slipped off the back of the peloton including Green Jersey Peter Sagan, Matteo Trentin, who won stage 8, and Lars Boom, who won stage 5. All sprinters, the only big surprise was Sagan who has in the past done fairly well keeping up in the mountains.
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Sagan pulled away from Voeckler to win the first sprint, then pulled a wheelie at the summit of the final climb.
With 43 km to go, the time gap between the nine-man escape and the peloton was 3.50 minutes, but Michal Kwiatkowski was no longer the virtual leader of the Tour.
The chase was two minutes and 46 seconds behind the lead group as they came over the top of the category 3 Col des Croix at 126 km into the race. It was a 3.2 km climb at a 6.2% grade. Rodriguez took two points over the summit, followed by Voeckler, who gained one point. Ahead were two more category one climbs.
The lead group dropped down to 9 riders, then 8 as the pace continued to burn with Tony Martin at the front of the break.
As they climbed the second to last category one mountain, after Tony Martin dropped off, it was Michal Kwiatkowski pulling
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The break in stage 10 of the Tour de France. ASO/ B. Bade.
at the front. Only Rodriguez could follow him and took turns as the climb got steeper.
Then Michele Scarponi crashed on the descent. In the chase group was Nibali, Porte, Thomas, Pinot, Valverde, Bardet, Rui Costa, and Van Garderen. Nibali was looking to take back the Yellow Jersey.
This is the same finish where Team Sky’s Bradley Wiggins took the lead along with teammate Chris Froome back in 2012.
Wearing the Yellow Jersey, Tony Gallopin who had been dropped on the col des Chevrères got back to the peloton at the base of the Planche des Belles Filles. Thomas Voeckler who was also in the break most of the day got caught by the main group led by Astana.
With 5 kilometers to go, Rodriguez took off ahead of Kwiatkowski. Gallopin’s Yellow Jersey was still his by one second as the riders up front continued to push the pace.
Cristophe Riblon was caught, as Astana pushed past him on the ascent. Gallopin then lost 23 seconds to Nibali. He was out of the Yellow Jersey.
Coming up at the top was a 20 percent grade. It was Rodriguez, followed by Kwiatkowski, then Visconti. Then Visconti was caught by the peloton at 3 km to go. At the front was Astana’s Nibali, and tucked in behind him was Richie Porte and Chris Horner, the second oldest man in the race.
Kwiatkowski was about 45 seconds in front of Nibali. Then Nibali took a flyer off the front, and Valverde responded, but they couldn’t match the Italian’s surge. He went straight by Kwiatkowski. Valverde streamed past the Pole too, as did the rest of his entourage including Tejay van Garderen, Jean Cristophe Peraud, while others were shed off the back.
Joaquim Rodriguez was still ahead. With 2 km to go, Nibali was catching up to Rodriguez. As they neared the top, Nibali passed Rodriguez, and ahead was a 20 percent grade. Richie Porte led the chase group.
Then Nibali attacked with one kilometer to go, and he won the stage, and won back the Maillot Jaune.
Thibaud Pinot who had been in the break for most of the day came in second followed by Alejandro Valverde, and Jean Christophe Peraud.