Stage 17 of Tour begins, Alps on horizon

Today Team Sky attempted to wrest back control of the PR agenda by releasing Froome’s performance data yesterday.

Journalist David Walsh has defended The Times’ coverage of Team Sky and says that no other cycling team faces the same scrutiny as the English outfit.

Wednesday was the third anniversary of Sir Bradley Wiggins’ maiden British win, when Froome finished the Tour second. “Geschke just had a bit too much time coming into that final climb”.

Geschke continued to lead as the 6.2km ascent to Pra Loup began, with Talansky and Uran closest to him.

Froome, who had words of consolation for Van Garderen, said: “It would be an absolute dream to have him (Thomas) also on the podium”.

Van Garderen was quickly distanced as it became apparent that all was not well with the American.

Simon Geschke of the Giant-Alpecin team won the tough and unsafe Stage 17 with a courageous solo ride, while former champion Alberto Contador fell during a terrifying high-speed descent.

The bearded German held off Andrew Talansky of Cannondale-Garmin, who was in hot pursuit on the final climb.

Polish rider Kwiatkowski, 25, had been struggling earlier in the stage and inside the final 35km the news came confirming the Etixx-Quick Step rider was out. Irishman Sam Bennett (Bora-Argon) quit after being the first rider to be dropped on the stage. It’s the first time since 1980 that the Alpine climb has been included in the race route, though it was the events of five years earlier that cemented the little-used climb in Tour legend.

Second-placed Quintana says he has trained to be consistently strong throughout the three weeks and he is known for finishing with a flourish in the final week of a Grand Tour.

“I think it’s pretty unfair for him, he’s definitely dealing with the aftermath of what other people have done before him”, said Van Garderen, 26, referring to the sordid past of drug cheats like Lance Armstrong.

BMC Racing could now ride in support of Spaniard Samuel Sanchez, who is 13th overall and has an outside chance of making it into the top 10 on Sunday when the race ends.

BMC team officials wrapped their arms around his shoulders to comfort the 26-year-old American. He stepped off his bike with about 73km of the stage left.

The Tour de France returns to the climb of Pra-Loup on Wednesday afternoon, stage 17 of 2015 Tour.

“He’s running out of opportunities”, Froome said of Quintana. The Italian lies eighth.