Romain Bardet Gives French Cycling a Second Win in the Tour de France
Romain Bardet, sixth in last year's Tour, gave French cycling a second joy in the current edition by winning the 18th stage and second in the Alps, in Saint Jean de Maurienne. Only his teammate from Ag2R, Alexis Vuillermoz, had honored the host country at Mûr de Bretagne. In second position came another Frenchman: Pierre Rolland, from Europcar. The favorites made their moves in the Glandon, especially a proud Alberto Contador. Also Vincenzo Nibali and Nairo Quintana. But in the end, they all came together in the descent of the Alpine colossus. Chris Froome is one day closer to the finish line, wearing the yellow jersey. The finishes in La Toussuire (Friday) and Alpe d'Huez (Saturday) are still pending. The grand finale.
Contador Attacks Despite Injuries
Contador showed up at the start with a slight limp, due to his fall on Wednesday, and criticized Movistar's attitude. They controlled his attack the day before, 70 kilometers from the finish line, instead of continuing to damage Froome. Despite the pain and bruises, the 'Pistolero' once again showed his champion's pride and attacked in the Glandon, which was crowned 39 km from Saint Jean de Maurienne. He had a lead of 35 seconds at one point, although he ultimately summited with a 15" advantage. Nobody can deny that Contador is brave.
Exciting Attacks Shake Things Up
Contador's attack triggered a series of attacks from other contenders. First, Vincenzo Nibali jumped twice. Then Nairo Quintana did the same. Froome resisted as best as he could, but Alejandro Valverde suffered. In the descent, nobody stopped. Nibali, another champion with class, took the lead. Contador was neutralized. Valverde fought hard in every turn to catch up as well. Everyone was back together, but the Tour had come alive.
Bardet's Solo Victory
Romain Bardet, who was part of the breakaway, had soloed to the top of the Glandon. The French riders were eagerly seeking a win: only Vuillermoz had managed to win in this edition, at Mûr de Bretagne. With a very mountainous route, the hosts expected a favorable Tour, after placing two riders on the podium in 2014: Péraud and Pinot. However, it didn't turn out that way. In fact, the top French rider in the general classification is Bardet himself, in tenth place, and Warren Barguil is in eleventh.
Purito Rodriguez Attacks Once Again
Purito Rodriguez had once again joined the main breakaway, which formed with 29 riders and scored points on the first five climbs. However, he didn't have the strength in the Glandon. Castroviejo and Plaza also made it into the day's adventure, along with notable riders like Pinot, Dan Martin, Arredondo, De Gendt, Kreuziger, Talansky, Voeckler... Plenty of quantity and quality. Purito and Bardet took the KOM points of the day and are now tied at the top of the Mountain classification, although the polka dot jersey went to the Catalan rider.
The Spectacular Lacets de Montvernier
After the Glandon, the original Lacets de Montvernier made its debut: 3.4 kilometers at an average gradient of 8.2%, on a road that zigzagged up the mountain. A total of 17 steep hairpin turns, which the public did not have access to, were conquered 10 kilometers from the finish line. The television images were spectacular. Extreme beauty in the Tour.
Bardet's Victory
Bardet passed the summit first, with a 40-second lead over his pursuers: the injured Fuglsang (who collided with a motorbike on the Glandon), Rolland, Anacona, and Jungels. If he didn't make any mistakes on the descent, victory would be his. And so it was. The group of favorites also stayed together on the lacets de Montvernier. There were moments when Froome seemed to suffer... Seemed... But he keeps going, not giving up an inch.