AFTER lighting a fire under the 100th Tour de France, Chris Froome proved himself equally adept at putting them out as Ireland’s Dan Martin won his first Tour stage on a thrilling day in the Pyrenees.
Froome was left to fight a defensive battle alone after the famed Sky train came off the rails on the first of the day’s five categorised climbs.
He got out of the saddle at least half a dozen times to cover attacks off the front, playing a fascinating game of cat and mouse as Movistar’s Nairo Quintana kicked out four times in the space of two kilometres on the final climb before quickly being hauled back in each time.
As that squabble went on, Martin moved clear along with Jakob Fuglsang to take the long descent to Bagneres-de-Bigorre alone, with the Garmin-Sharp man winning in a short sprint to the line.
Froome finished 14th, 20 seconds back, as part of a group containing rivals Alejandro Valverde, Alberto Contador, Joaquim Rodriguez and Cadel Evans.
Froome’s chief lieutenant Richie Porte had been dropped as part of Sky’s troubles, eventually finishing more than 10 minutes down as Valverde moved into second place in the general classification, one minute and 25 seconds behind Froome.
Belkin’s Bauke Mollema has moved up into third place overall, one minute 44 seconds back while Contador is lurking in sixth, a further seven seconds off the pace.
If Froome had dazzled with the brilliant way in which he seized control of the Tour on the climb to Ax 3 Domaines on Saturday, yesterday's ride was equally impressive as he fought a lone battle amid a pack of predators.
Porte and Peter Kennaugh had previously played the key roles in
delivering Froome to the front but they both went missing on the first of the five categorised climbs.
Kennaugh went in spectacular fashion, tumbling down an embankment after falling close to the side of the road and emerging with cuts on his arms.
Porte disappeared in less dramatic but equally alarming fashion, dropped on the first climb and he faded badly.
While the scrap at the front was absorbing so much attention, Martin saw his chance for a first career Tour win and he went up the outside of Froome and Quintana with five kilometres of that final climb to go.
Fuglsang responded to draw level and the two descended together, the Astana man leading the way into Bagneres-de-Bigorre.
With Fuglsang ahead, there were nervous glances between the two – neither of whom had tasted victory here before – until Martin kicked out 250m from the line to leap in front of the Dane. Fuglsang had no answer to the 26-year-old, who became the first Irish stage winner at the Tour since his uncle Stephen Roche in 1992.
