Geraint Thomas extends Tour de France lead

Exhausted of watching cycling races where nothing ever seems to happen?

Protesters interrupted Stage 16 of the Tour de France when they blocked the road with bales of hay.

“Endurance is a big part of cycling”.

“This was all I had, this was all we had today”, Dumoulin continued.

The events of stage 16 did highlight again, though, just how vulnerable the riders are.

Sir Dave Brailsford, Team Sky’s principal, praised Froome’s reaction to his disappointment, adding that the way he and Thomas have worked together during this Tour was deserving of a huge amount of credit.

It was Quintana’s second career stage victory in the Tour, having also won a leg in 2013.

“It was a tough day, an intense day, but I’ve got no regrets”, Froome said. “I’m sure it will be good to watch, maybe not to race”.

Thursday’s 18th stage is a flat route to Pau while Friday’s 19th is a long mountainous trek finishing down the descent from the Col d’Aubisque.

“On a 200-kilometer stage, riders probably won’t attack on the first climb”.

But with only 5 kilometers of descent to go, Yates crashed turning a corner and could only watch as Alaphilippe flew past. From the Pyrenees to Paris there should be no more rivalry at Team Sky, no more leadership puzzles for the concluding days in this race.

“I think he’s got nearly a two-minute lead on Dumoulin, which I think is a pretty comfortable lot”, Froome told reporters after finishing 1:35 behind stage 17 victor Nairo Quintana and 48 seconds behind Thomas.

“I’m happy just to be in the position I’m in”, he said.

“It’s still a team sport”.

“I always keep faith and hope, but so far over the last weeks, Thomas has been proven the strongest and that’s the situation now”, Dumoulin said. “But if you want them to come then treat them with the same respect that you’d want for your team”. “This could make a difference”.

“I thought I was broken everywhere”, said Gilbert, a teammate of Alaphilippe’s on the Quick-Step team. “You try and be as fresh as possible going into that day. I think he’s doing just fine”.

“I saw Froome was in difficulty but I didn’t know if it was a bluff so I waited a bit with my attack”.

His team mate Chris Froome, who was hoping to hold all three Grand Tour titles at the same time, the Tour, Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a Espana, cracked on the final ascent up the Col de Portet and finished 1:35 down on the stage victor.