Chris Froome (Sky) confirmed his status as the strongest rider in the Tour de France by claiming a dominant victory in the uphill time trial on stage 18 of the race. Covering the course in 30.43, he came back from a slow start to beat Tom Dumoulin (Giant-Alpecin) by 21 seconds and increase his overall lead to 3.52 over Bauke Mollema (Trek). Fabio Aru (Astana), Richie Porte (BMC) and Romain Bardet (Ag2r) completed the top 5 and moved closer to the podium while both Mollema and Adam Yates (Orica-BikeExchange) lost time.

 

We have gathered several reactions.

 

Chris Froome: I just have to stay safe, I don’t need another stage win

Chris Froome powered to an emphatic time trial victory on stage 18 to extend his Tour de France race lead.

 

In a masterful show of pacing, the Team Sky rider got quicker through each intermediate split to clock a winning time of 30 minutes and 43 seconds.

 

That effort was enough to beat Tom Dumoulin (Giant-Alpecin) by 21 seconds, but more significantly it allowed Froome to put yet more time into his GC rivals, pushing his yellow jersey advantage out to 3:52.

 

Fifth quickest at the opening split out of Sallanches, Froome pushed hard on the climb to readdress the balance, driving home his advantage to punch the air after crossing the line in Megeve.

 

The mountainous course saw the GC favourites utilise a variety of equipment choices, with Froome opting for a full TT set up across the 17km test.

 

"I really didn't expect to beat Tom today," he said. "Pacing was key. I really started off quite steady and controlled that first part, and then just gave it everything I had over the top and the last part. I'm really, really happy with that.

 

"The equipment choice was paramount today, but I also had to have the legs to ride the equipment choice as well as possible. I'm extremely grateful to have the support team behind me to help me with my decisions. When I looked at the parcours, I thought that I should use a road bike but after their analysis, we decided to go with the full TT set-up. With the Pinarello TT bike, we were able to save a lot of weight there so that I was able to ride a TT bike and not have to worry about kilograms. I was able to use a TT bike to get up the climb.

 

“The other aspect was pacing. For all those who started too fast, it was easy to get carried away. I didn't. I had some targets in my head with the numbers. I've had to adjust them more or less on the way but pretty much it went all according to the plan.

 

”I did not watch Dumoulin. When he was on the road, I was preparing. If I had seen what he had done, I would not change my approached. I used information from my teammates to manage my efforts.

 

”Whether I draw conclusions for the Olympic time trial? No, Tom Dumoulin remains the man to beat.

 

"That was a big objective for me today, and I'm just so happy with that result. I was hoping to take time on my GC rivals but to come away with a stage win was amazing. I'm really happy.

 

“It's a great position. It's a really good feeling to have this sort of advantage coming into the next two days. At the same time, we can't be complacent; we have to stay concentrated and to get the job done all the way to Paris.

 

"There are two more big days to come now. Hopefully I didn't leave too much out on the road today. At this point, two days out from Paris, we're just giving it everything we've got now. It's just this last couple of days to get the job done.

 

"Tomorrow is a very tricky stage with a lot of tricky descents. There's talk about thunderstorms during the race. It's definitely going to have to be a stage where we stay right on our game. Of course it's fantastic that I opened out my lead today, but we can't relax and switch off now. We've got to see this through right to the end.

 

"I think the main thing for me right now is to stay safe and away from any big incidents before Paris. I've got a fantastic advantage right, I've got almost four minutes on second place, so it's about looking after that advantage and just not taking any risks and staying out of trouble. I keep the yellow jersey on my shoulders, but the next two days are really tough. I will not try to win a stage uphill.

 

"Obviously, Richie did a very good ride yesterday. He was the only one who really took the race and he rode a really strong race at the front. In my opinion, Richie looks like the rider with the most to gain in these next couple of stages. Obviously, he had some back luck earlier in the race, and it's a shame that he lost that time earlier on. If he continues the way he is then, he'll be on the podium in Paris.

 

Geraint Thomas was the next Team Sky rider home with a strong effort to place 23rd, with the race now set to head back into the mountains for an Alpine double to decide the 2016 Tour.

 

Mikel Landa told Eurosport:

 

"I took this time trial with no real pressure. It wasn't an easy day, but mentally it does become easier because you are more relaxed. I'm now prepared for the final mountain stages. It's a tricky time trial, there are a lot of changes of rhythm out there."

 

Team Principal David Brailsford told Eurosport:

 

"I think Chris was one of the only riders using a disc wheel, but we spent a lot of time doing the calculations, and it came out right, thankfully.

 

"Both teams went for a similar setup. When you watch what Tom is doing, particularly in the time trial, you can see they're really pushing forward and challenging us. So we'll have to watch them very carefully. It's one of those decisions, everyone will look at it and take it to Rio for sure. The pacing strategy is always important, and Tom went out a little faster than Chris today, and then Chris came back. But there's nothing between them in my opinion. It's going to be a super clash at the Rio Games I think."

 

Tom Dumoulin: To win here I needed to be more than pretty good

Tom Dumoulin decided to ride on his time trial bike. It was a close call for Dumoulin who completed the 17km uphill time trial from Sallanches to Megève in a time of 31’04” as he raced to second place, 21″ behind winner Chris Froome (Team Sky).

 

Tom Dumoulin said: “

 

I think it was good performance today but not my best. At the finish, I didn’t know if it would be enough as the general classification riders have been fighting every day for almost three weeks now on every climb.

 

“This was a real climbing time trial, not the hardest I have ever done but still a lot more difficult than the previous one. There was also no time to recover after the first climb. It was really steep at the start and at that moment I felt really good. However, I think I went a little bit over my limit and I paid for it later on in the parcours. It was a very difficult time trial.

 

“I was in the hot seat for a long time but I expected already it would be very hard to win. It was a good time trial and I knew it would be close. I am a bit disappointed but on the other hand, I can be satisfied with my time trial and it is what it is.

 

“I'm pretty satisfied but I think I didn't ride my very best time trial. Froome showed he was simply the best. In the very steep part in the beginning I felt good and performing well and then I lost lots of energy in the intermediate section.

 

"Overall it's disappointing. I wanted to win, I was hoping for the win, especially when I saw his first check point because he was slower than me. I was hoping for it, but it was not in my favour today. It was a good TT, but not my very best, and so you don't win at this level on a course like this.

 

"Right after I finish I had doubts. Last time I was not in doubt, I was more sure of my case. It turns out to have been justified.

 

”I felt good on the steep bit at the beginning but I felt I was losing a bit of strength on the longer stretches of 3-4%. It’s easy to lose time on a course like this.

 

"I think I went a bit too greedy in the first part, you can see that also in the intermediate times compared to Froome for example. I had some difficulties after the first part and eventually also the legs, they could be a bit better I guess. I'm disappointed with the result, but I think my time trial is pretty good. But to win it, I need to be more than pretty good.

 

"I was a long time in the hot seat and you want to win but eventually there was one guy stronger. He paced himself better. He went easier in the first part and then gained time afterwards on me, which was a good strategy. But I think it's all about the legs, I think his legs were just a little bit better than mine.

 

”Which pacing strategy I had chosen would not have mattered today. Twenty seconds is quite a lot. Now it's just frustrating but I am satisfied. I rode a good time trial, but not my best. Froome proves that he is the rightful Tour winner.

 

"I hope I can keep myself out of the red zone in the coming days, just finish the Tour and recover well afterward. Then hopefully I'll be flying in Rio. That's the plan but like you see today, it will be a hard fight in Rio, I guess.

 

"I can do nothing more before Paris.  This was the last day that I was going into the red. However, it will also be hurting for me the next few days. But there is a difference between pain and really going deep.  I'm not going to do that.

 

"I've learned on this Tour that I'm a good rider when I really go for it in a TT or in a mountain stage.  But if I want to go for GC in a Grand Tour, then I definitely need to make another step.

 

"I hope to lose some weight in the future so I can really compete in the Grand Tours. So far my climbing abilities are good, but not good enough yet to really compete for the podium. But it's getting close, but to compete for the podium in the Tour de France I need to make another step. I'm getting close, you can see today it's a climbing TT and I'm second, but there's a difference between going full gas every day for three weeks and me taking back some time yesterday. I think I need to make another step, but it's looking very promising.

 

Satisfied Fabio Aru: I will do everything to be on the podium

“It’s a good result and I’m happy about it but there are still two difficult stages to ride, tomorrow and Saturday, and I will give my best until the end,” announced Fabio Aru after finishing 3rd.

 

“I knew this could bea very important stage and this is why I came two months ago to try the race route. Now I am closer to the podium and to the guys who are in front of me on the GC and my team and I will try in any possible way to regain positions.

 

"I'm happy with my result today. For me this was an important test because it came deep into the third week. Now I've got to recover as much as possible and perhaps even spend some time with my parents who are here to cheer me on. Then we'll be fully focused on the final two stages.

 

"I hope to continue doing well in the final stages. It's good to hear that people have noticed I'm in the race too, even if I prefer to let my legs do the talking.

 

"We saw yesterday how strong the team was yesterday, especially Nibali, who is helping me a lot despite being sometimes being criticised. I can only thank him and hope we can be as strong all the way to Paris.

 

"I went out at full gas and I finished at full gas. I was very disappointed by my showing in the first time trial, because I think I prepared quite well for this Tour with my teammates. We always said it was a question of giving everything right to the end. How it'll pan out, I don't know but the important thing is to give everything to the end. Today I was expecting to do well. I'm happy".

 

"The main thing is to give everything to the end because in cycling you never know. The race is 21 stages long and in 21 stages you have to be very concentrated. There are two very important mountain stages to come and I'll give it my all and then I'll see how we are. However it goes, this Tour will have been a great experience, one that I had been missing. I'll come out of it a better rider."

 

"I saw a very strong Fabio,” sports director Giuseppe Martinelli told RaiSport. “He was great, did not make any mistakes. It was not easy to find the motivation after missing out in the first time trial. The choice of materials was good too. You had to close your eyes and go for it.

 

"Today's time trial gives us the moral for more.We have nothing to lose, in the coming days will see a big Aru.”

 

Richie Porte: I’d like to have gone a bit quicker

Richie Porte put in a solid time trial performance on the uphill 17km course on stage 18 of the Tour de France to clock the fourth-fastest time and gain time back on his General Classification rivals.

 

Sitting in sixth place on the General Classification, Porte was one of the last riders to roll down the ramp and clocked the then-fastest time at the first check point.

 

The clock stopped at 31’16” on the finish line, 33 seconds behind eventual stage winner and race leader Chris Froome (Team Sky).

 

Porte remains in sixth place, but gained significant time on other top ten rivals, to now sit 44 seconds off third place and 1’08” off second place with two mountainous stages to come before the race concludes in Paris.

 

A trip to the podium concluded stage 18 for Porte, as the recipient of the Bernard Hinault award as the rider with the fastest time on the Côte de Domancy check point.

 

Richie Porte said:

 

"We made a reconnaissance before the Tour and I knew it suited me well. It was a hard time trial and I guess time trials are never nice. Now I’ve had a bit of time to look at the time I’ve put into some of the other General Classification contenders so it was a good day.

 

“I had a very good time trial. I couldn't have gone faster. I'm really looking forward to taking my chance and fighting for that podium. What I did today shows that I'm climbing really well at the moment. The team is fully behind me. The podium is so tight. I'll have to see where to take some time back.

 

“The goal is now podium so day by day I’m chipping away a little bit more time. I’d have liked to gone a bit quicker today but it was still a good performance. We’ll see how tomorrow goes and then the next day.

 

”It’s a great honor to win the Bernard Hinault prize and I think it shows that I’m climbing well. The next two days are full of hard climbs so I’m quite confident and we’ve got a great team and I’m just looking forward to fighting for that podium.

 

“Let’s just hope that I can chip away some more time. I really want the podium and I’m going to fight for it. I’m fit and healthy and I hope all of my bad luck is behind me now. We’ll just take it day by day.

 

"Day-by-day I'm chipping away a bit more time. There are some big mountains and hopefully it's hard enough to take some more time out of some of these GC guys. It's just so tight that other teams can't let other GC guys go either. We need to look at it later tonight with the directeurs sportifs and see where we can peg some time back.

 

"It's hard to think about the second stage and the time I threw away there. I hope all my bad luck's behind me now and I'm confident going into the next few days. It's no secret it's going to be a big battle, and I'm really looking forward to taking my chance. I really want the podium – I'm going to fight for it." 

 

After his time trial Brent Bookwalter described the course:

 

“It was just one big climb basically. There were a lot of good, enthusiastic spectators. There’s no real easy way to get up it but I tried to conserve as much as I could. There’s a few really steep sections so I think the power has to be big, and then a couple of really small portions to recover on. I think Richie’s good at that so he should do a good ride.”

 

Greg  Van Avermaet: Now it is all about Rio

"I still feel good," Van Avermaet told Het Nieuwsblad after the time trial. "The next few days I'm just going to survive, not do foolish things in this Tour de France. I alreadt have Rio in my mind and want to be fresh in Paris.

 

“In Rio, a 'normal day' is not sufficient, I will have to have a super day on such a course and then everything has to go well. With the Belgian selection we are not a favorite, but an underdog. Tim Wellens riders very well, in Poland he was really strong and I think Phil (Gilbert) and I are in good shape. We have five riders, with a good team, but without a clear favorite in our ranks. I think that we should ride without a leader, that everyone should be at the same level. We have five riders, which is too little to control the race. Four helpers and a captain is not an option or two leaders and a few helpers. You just have to see how the race goes.

 

“I know that it will be on the limit for me, for all of our selection. You simply hope for a super day and maybe I can then be Olympic champion. We should certainly not proclaim ourselves to be top favorite, let other countries do that, the pressure is on them. "

 

“Now I will do a few crits and San Sebastian. In the latter I need to go full gas again, do many kilometers in a difficult race, because in Rio we can’t train a lot. We'll stay in an Olympic village. The plan is to recover there and look at the course again and make sure we are ready for the road race. It will be alright."

 

Romain Bardet: Now it’s all for the podium

Romain Bardet finished fifth.

 

"I felt good, I enjoyed it,” he said. “It was really pleasant. I had done a recon of the time trial. The harder they are, the more they are supposed to please me and especially at the end of the third week with the fatigue. I stayed very focused.

 

“There are still some nice stages ahead and we will now have to attack on stages that suit my abilities better than a TT. I hope to find a terrain for my attacking ambitions in the next few days.

 

"I really like this kind of course, it was quite similar to going up a mountain pass I managed it like it was a straight climb of 30 minutes. I was supported by the public like never before, all along the parcours. I had goose-bumps, it was really like being in a rugby stadium. I just tried not to put myself in the red, and I'm satisfied with my time and my sensations.

 

"The objective is to move up. I've taken time to say it, but now, it's all for the podium.

 

"It's really going to come down to a matter of seconds in these last two days. We're all very close. I'll need to be offensive, and give everything because there are two days left and I don't want regrets on Sunday in Paris. I'm not a threat to Froome but I am to the riders in second and third and there will be a race between us. It will be a good battle.

 

"People are expecting a lot from us French riders. They should know that I'm doing my best, and fighting, Sometimes they hope for a more spectacular race, but we're doing the maximum.
 

”The feelings are good.  There are two days to confirm that. But he'll have to go for every second. Nobody wants to give up.

 

“We begin to see the differences because the bodies are tired. I have been in a really great form since the Dauphiné. I think I have a good physical and physiological maturity so this is a harbinger of good things. "

 

Thomas De Gendt: I never expected to be in the top 10

Thomas De Gendt delivered a strong performance in the second time trial of the Tour. At the finish hhe beat the time of Ion Izagirre by one second. Only five riders would do better, among them yellow jersey Chris Froome who won the stage. The British rider needed 30’43” to cover the time trial, De Gendt was  1’02” slower.

 

Thomas De Gendt said: 

 

“Before the start I wasn’t thinking about finishing on top ten. The first four kilometres I set a pretty high pace, like I always do, because I don’t like to ride a time trial just to make the time cut. You could win a prize on the top of the hill after six and a half kilometres. I decided to see how far I would get. At the check point I noticed I had the best time, so I decided to go full.

 

“This sixth place really pleases me. Look at the names in front of me. In the past I already rode some good time trials in the last week of a Grand Tour. At the Giro I finished two times on top ten and twice on top five at the Tour and now almost again. I’m still in a good condition, compared to many others. I am happy with today’s performance.

 

”I knew that you could earn 5,000 euros with the best time on the Côte de Domance. So really gave everything in the beginning not that it is so important, but it was a nice incentive. For me it was especially important that I again felt that I had strength in the legs. That gives me hope for what is to come.”

 

”I do like riding a TT when I feel good. In a Tour time trial it is also different than in other races, especially after two weeks. Some specialists are tired and are not good on the day, the classification riders want to do it just right and sometimes I can benefit from that and do a good TT an average time triallist.

 

"I've put that jersey out of my head. Actually I had hoped that Majka was already mathematically sure of the polka-dot jersey because then Tinkoff would b less on my wheel. That's annoying, I cannot do anything in the race and to beat him seems difficult to me, he climbs better than me. So I hope he can take it and that I get a little more freedom. I just want to have another go in a breakaway. I want to try something in the two Alpine rides and hopefully he does not see me as a threat. I spent six days with the jersey which was a very nice experience. "

 

Nairo Quintana: Maybe I am suffering from allergy

After losing a second team-mate on yesterday’s cruel Emosson stage, where he struggled badly into the final two kilometers, it seemed like Thursday’s tough ITT between Sallanches and Megève (17km) would be even harder for Nairo Quintana and the Movistar Team. The Colombian, as previously done by team-mates Alejandro Valverde and Ion Izagirre, took a gamble by riding the Canyon Speedmax TT bike, looking to lose as little time as possible in the opening 4k, where his main rivals flew over the course. He bounced back after the third and final intermediate point, 13.5km in, to finish 10th in Megève, even though he confirmed after crossing the line that he’s far from his best performance.

 

Ion Izagirre completed a notable performance after winning the long TT in the Tour de Suisse and National Champs, claiming a coveted 7th spot at just 1’03” from the day’s success. In turn, Valverde conceded one place in the overall, now 8th at 29” from Fabio Aru (AST), yet combined with Quintana’s and Izagirre’s times, Movistar strengthens its team GC lead with 3’23” over Sky. The British squad’s leader Chris Froome took another giant step forward with his stage win, leaving Bauke Mollema (TFS) at 3’52” in second place.

 

Friday will bring the third-to-last stage of the race, 146km between Albertville and Saint-Gervais / Mont Blanc which include the cols of Bisanne (HC), Forclaz (Cat-1) and the mountain-top finish in Le Bettex (Cat-1, 9.8 kilometers at 8%) – a penultimate chance for the Blues to find their feelings back and close in on the Paris podium.

 

Nairo Quintana said: 

 

“The sensations are still not good. “Something is up – this level of performance is not normal for me. I wasn’t expecting to be feeling this way. It’s not fatigued how I feel, but my body doesn’t respond properly either. It might be some sort of allergy around which has hit me furing the last few days - my legs simply don’t get as much oxygen as I need. It could be some sort of allergen in the area that’s been affecting me these last few days. I hope that rain falls during the next days, so I can feel better and hope for the podium.

 

“Despite not finding that great form, at the moment it doesn’t look like a bad place to be in, fourth and ready to fight for the TDF podium. Let’s see how by body responds towards Saturday - if this allergy limiting myself goes out, I might respond as I normally do.

 

”Thanks to all Colombians for their support, messages and tweets: they’ve always been there in all times, good and bad.”

 

Alejandro Valverde: I saved energy for the next stages

Alejandro Valverde said: 

 

“I felt pretty good, even though at the end of the day, it wasn’t a fight for me since I’m not going for the overall classification - we’re in another fight, to help Nairo with his podium ambitions and also pursue the team GC. I kept saving some energy until the end: obviously strong, fast, but not to the point of ending up struggling if I overcooked myself.

 

“Regarding the race itself, I repeat we’ve tried to attack, yet Froome’s squad is really strong. There are still two demanding stages left and we’ll fight to finish as best as possible. Winning the Tour has become all but impossible, but a podium could be in the cards.

 

”I’m feeling well, looking forward to the Olympics. A stage win here? I don’t think it will be possible - breakaways require to have lost some time, which I haven’t done.”

 

Bike change pays off for Joaquim Rodriguez in Tour de France time trial

After Wednesday’s stunning win from team rider Ilnur Zakarin, it was Team KATUSHA’s Joaquim Rodriguez to show good form for the stage 18 mountain time trial into Megève. Opting to switch out his TT bike after conquering the opening flat section, Rodriguez rode a good time on the climb to take eighth place on the stage and move into 11th on the general classification.

 

”I’m very happy. Together with my team directors we decided just before the Dauphiné, when we did the recon of these stages, to do a bike change after the flat part. That part was only 4 km, but that’s enough to put me far behind against the big TT specialists, who have more power in the legs. It was a good choice. During the change, which took some 15-20 seconds, I could recover a bit and then go on with the real climbing TT. It went well,” said team leader Joaquim Rodriguez.

 

Rodriguez was 8th place at 1:05.

 

”'Purito' did a very good TT from the beginning. The first 4 km were just flat and not so good for him, but he did that part super fast. Then we changed his bike on the first climb as we’d previously planned. The time he lost changing the bike was more than gained by using the TT bike in the first section. The rest of the time he maintained good speed. In the end he finished 8th and was ahead of some GC riders so our goal is to move to top 10 overall with him. After today I think it’s still possible. More than the place he ended up, he did the TT in the time he wanted and he had good feelings. He still feels power in his legs so hopefully tomorrow he can move up. He still needs less than one minute to two guys ahead of him and 1:30 to a third guy. It’s not easy at this point to move up, everyone are good riders and all in good condition, but we need to believe in ourselves and in Joaquim so we continue to focus on that. There are still two hard stages to come,” said team director José Azevedo.

 

Rodriguez is 11th at 8:11.

 

”I am making progress. It’s a pity I lost time yesterday in the last kilometers. It was my own mistake as I forgot to eat enough, but in general I have good feelings. There are still two days for us in the mountains. We can go for a stage win with Zakarin and Losada as they can go in a break, or I can try something. Both upcoming stages are equal. Neither of them is better or worse for me. Only on Saturday for a stage win it will be harder for me with the descent of the Joux-Plane. It’s a really dangerous one,” concluded Joaquim ‘Purito’ Rodriguez.

 

Louis Meintjes almost the fastest in second part of tough Tour time trial

Louis Meintjes offered a new demonstration of his class with a very good performance in the second time trial of the Tour de France. The blue-fuchsia-green climber recorded the 9th best time, 1'08" slower than the winning one of Froome.
 

In order to understand the significance of this performance, it's important to point out that Meintjes was the best under 25 rider and that his time in the last sector of the course was the second best, 11" from Froome.

 

In the general classification, Meintjes moved up one position and he's now 9th at 7'15".

This is the comment by the South African rider:

 

"It 'was a good time trial, I'm happy with how I was able to express myself and to be able to use all the preparation that was made ​​for this stage. Indeed, we have built this time trial piece by piece with all the staff, starting from the study of the course conducted by the group of Merida engineers, led by Juergen Falke. With Dr. Pollastri, team doctor and head of team performance, and with sport directos Mauduit and Scirea we planned how to manage the effort, starting cautiously before deciding to give my maximum in the final stretch of the route. Even the bike choice had its importance: I rode on a Merida Reacto with time trial handlebars and 40mm wheels.

 

”I hope to follow up on this beautiful day in the coming challenging stages.”

 

His teammate Rui Costa said.

 

“I rode at a gentle pace to the finish line in order to save energy for the two hard days to come. It has been a hard Tour de France but it is at the end. I am about to finish another Tour and you have to reserve the few forces that remain for the final difficulties. I will continue to give everything and try. While there is a race, there is hope. We'll see if I have good luck.”

 

Jerome Coppel and Stef Clement put IAM in the spotlight in Tour time trial

Jérôme Coppel finished 11th.

 

"I enjoyed myself in front of my fans. I didn’t have the same sensations that I had during the previous time trial. We are into the third week now, and I think this influenced everyone. Nevertheless, I am happy with my performance, but I am especially looking forward to seeing Paris and the Champs Elysees.”

 

His teammate Stef Clement was 14th.

 

“This was a particularly special time trial because my father followed me in the car behind, so I pushed to my maximum when pedaling.”

 

"I now race with my heart, not my mind. It may be that on Sunday I'm a bit lower in the rankings than now. But I still look back with a good feeling. On the days when I could, I gave everything.Today my legs were still good. It's a nice race, I'm a lover of time trialling.”

 

Oliver Naesen hits the deck in Tour time trial

Victim of a spectacular crash with 300 meters to go to the line, the 25 year old Belgian Oliver Naesen came out of it well. The team doctors diagnosed a contusion on the left arm and small superficial wounds to the knee and left elbow.


 

"I have no pain, but that's probably the adrenaline,” he told Sporza. “It will soon start to hurt.

 

”I saw that there was a sharp turn at 400 meters. But from there, it seemed to me, except for a few gentle turns, it should be a straight line to the finish.

 

"So I went hard because I was just a little in the zone . And then there was suddenly a sharp turn that I had not factored in. I braked, but it was too late. I hope I have not hurt myself.

 

"I think that it is going to be fantastic in Paris. We do some nice things with the team and there will be a lot of family and friends. We must be able to celebrate.

 

”Sondre Holst Enger is a huge talent, a special little guy. Hopefully he can still be in the top 5 in Paris.

 

"I have a little luxury to be able to sit up if it is too difficult. It is not that I immediately get in trouble if it is uphill for 1m. Besides, I still feel good so I decided to go full gas today.”

 

Tinkoff target stage win for Majka and top 10 for Kreuziger

Working hard and riding the course well, Roman Kreuziger finished the day just outside the top ten, in 13th, after a ride that challenged his GC rivals.

 

Looking over the route and its challenging profile, Sport Director, Sean Yates saw that the stage would test every rider.

 

“The course had a bit of everything really. Some very steep climbs and also descents, and pacing was key, but by the end of the day, the strongest will take the stage on a parcours like this.”

 

With the course consisting more of climbs than a more traditional time trial, most riders opted to tackle the course on a standard road bike with clip-on aero bars. With the more competitive riders putting in times of a little more than half an hour, Michael Valgren set a strong time early on, recording 33’05” – a ride which kept him in the top twenty most of the day.

With the GC favourites starting their rides as the day wore on, it was Roman Kreuziger’s turn to make his way onto the course. The smooth roads promoted fast times, and the combination of flats, uphills and a downhill section meant the faster times demanded riders be skilled at all three in order to set a good time. Making good use of the course and riding well throughout, he came home in 32’03” – a full minute faster than Valgren – and held a top ten place as he waited for the rest of the GC riders to come in. With everyone home, he finished just outside the top ten, taking 13th spot, and in spite of a strong ride that saw him perform well on all of the stage’s terrain, the Czech national road champion dropped a place in the GC.

 

While the Tinkoff GC rider had lost a place in the GC after the stage, Yates, was confident of his ability and was pleased with his performance on the challenging stage.

 

“Roman did a good ride, he might have slipped a bit on GC but it was very tight with all the guys only separated by a few seconds here and there, apart from the top riders on the stage. He did a good ride, did everything he could and paced it right. He had one scare where he almost came down after a few kilometres when the wheel slipped, but otherwise it was a good ride. Everyone else got through ok, they just went through the motions.”

 

The King of the Mountains, Rafal Majka, was feeling the efforts of two days in the break, but was keen to take more mountain points tomorrow, and so took the ITT more gently.

 

“I felt a bit tired after yesterday's long breakaway but today I didn't go full gas, only enough to open the engine and set a nice pace, that was it. I needed to save a bit of energy for the stages to come - it's not just the Tour in my legs but also the Giro too. We want to go in the breakaway tomorrow of course, but we will see. And for sure others want to try to take the jersey but I won't make it easy. I want to take this jersey to Paris and home - I like it so much, and already won it in 2014 already.

 

“There are two hard stages to come but luckily I have quite a lot of points of an advantage. I'll try to win a stage but the priority is the polka dot jersey. I'm tired. I've done Giro and Tour with breakaways and fights for the KOM… The legs feel it. Nothing is easy. If my rivals go away tomorrow, I'll try it too.”

 

Peter Sagan was also trying to conserve energy ahead of the alpine stages to come.

 

“Yesterday I was trying to help Rafa get points for the mountain jersey, now today I tried to have it as a rest day, to do the time trial inside the limit as we still have two very hard stages ahead before Paris.”

 

It’s back on the road tomorrow, but it’s not out of the mountains, with views of Mont Blanc throughout the day. At 146km, the route from Albertville to Saint-Gervais is one of the shortest stages of the Tour, but the profile clearly shows how hard the day is going to be: there are four categorised climbs, the toughest being the Hors Catégorie Montée de Bisanne, cresting 50km from the stage’s finish. The two final climbs, of which the Montée de Bisanne is one, each have an average gradient of 8%, and only the strongest riders will be able to contest the win here.

 

Ahead of the day, Yates saw that the stage would be a challenge for the whole team.

 

“Tomorrow is another mountain stage and the polka dot jersey is not yet sewn up. Roman has got to keep plugging away in the GC fight, and Rafa has to keep an eye on De Gendt too. He had a hard day in the break yesterday, but I'm sure he'll be ready to fight again tomorrow.”

 

Adam Yates: It will be hard to keep Porte behind me

Adam Yates produced another strong performance for ORICA-BikeExchange on stage 18 of the Tour de France today, finishing 16th in the individual time trial and retaining third on general classification and the lead of the best young rider category.

 

With three more days to go and two difficult mountain stages ahead 23-year old Yates stayed focused on the challenging 17kilometre time trial course and yet again rode with maturity and strength to maintain his excellent position.

 

Race leader Christopher Froome (Team-Sky) won the stage and extended his lead in the overall, Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo) posted a slower time than Yates but holds on to second place by 24seconds.  

 

“I was feeling pretty strong at the first time check,” said Yates. “But when I hit the main road I struggled a little for power and maybe I went a little bit too hard in the beginning.

 

“In the end we didn’t lose too much time and as it stands we are still on the podium with two more hard days in the mountains to come and we will be fighting for every second.

 

“Today wasn't my best performance but it was also not too bad. It's pretty normal to be tired, I suppose. The time trial was ok, nothing special but nothing bad. I rode flat out to the first check point and then I kind of faded.

 

“I am a bit disappointed because normally a TT like this should suit me better. I'm tired, everyone is, but the logic of things is no longer the same as if we were in the first week. There are still two days to Paris and I remain optimistic. The guys behind me seem to be stronger by the day. It will mainly be about not losing a single second.

 

”But I'm satisfied. I'm still on the podium. But t is going to be tough. There are a lot of guys to watch and make sure they're not taking any time. Richie [Porte] is the strongest, he's the main guy to get to the podium. Every day he is looking stronger. If he didn't have that puncture at the beginning of the race, in my opinion he would be on the podium already.

 

“With two days to go, I'll take every stage as it comes and try not to lose any second.

 

Sport director Matt White is pleased with how Yates is handling the new experience and agreed with the British riders honest self-assessment of today’s time trial.

 

“Yes, I think Adam (Yates) probably got a little excited on the first part of the course today,” said White. “But that’s normal for a 23-year old who has never been in this position before. The main thing is we didn’t lose much time and Adam has good legs for the tough stages coming up.

 

“We haven’t been putting pressure on Adam and he has responded very well, we are in a good position at the business end of the race and obviously we are happy about that.

 

“The whole team have ridden very well so far and remain focused on these next two hard days in the mountains.

 

“Tomorrow is going to be an epic stage, it’s a very difficult parcours and could be made even more so if the predicted thunderstorms arrive in the afternoon.

 

Bauke Mollema: I was feeling better than yesterday

Bauke Mollema successfully defended his second place in the general classification after a 17-kilometer mostly uphill time trial Thursday, finishing in a time of 32 minutes and 8 seconds for 17th place.

 

Mollema slipped behind his rivals at the first checkpoint after the flattest part of the course, but slowly chipped away the deficit as the road steepened.

 

When Mollema crossed the line, he had clawed back 23 seconds to third placed Adam Yates (Orica BikeExchange), finishing only two seconds slower to maintain his position on the leaderboard.

 

Mollema finished close to most his rivals. Only Chris Froome (Sky), who won the race against the clock and increased his lead in yellow, and Richie Porte (BMC), 52 seconds quicker than Mollema, made significant gains in the uphill test.

 

"It was a good day for me, especially in the end I could do a good pace," said Mollema, satisfied with his effort. "The second part went best for me. It was a very, very hard time trial and I gave it my all. I feel good, and I am ready for the next days. The legs were fine today, not fantastic, but better than yesterday.

 

"I lost some valuable time on some rivals. My feeling in the first TT was different, and I knew this one would be harder. The pure climbers like Porte are better suited for this one.

 

“I have gauged my race well. I had also studied the course well. Therefore I knew where I could ride full gas. I didn’t start too fast. That was important with such a heavy finale. It was a good time I think. Richie Porte'll be close.

 

"I felt much better today, and I think, for GC, it was a really good day for me especially in the end. I could do a good pace, and it was a really hard time trial. I have done good things for my ranking. Such a trial can have serious implications. I felt good on the bike; I had good power in the legs, and I'm glad I was better than in the stage on Wednesday. Now I have to fight the coming days and hope that I can hold my podium."

 

The time trial started with a flat three kilometers, and after the next steep uphill kilometers again panned out with a level road for around a kilometer before climbing again. The varying nature of the parcours had some riders opting for time trial bikes, while others chose road bikes with aero bars.

 

Mollema opted to use his Trek Emonda road bike outfitted with a light disc wheel and clip-on aero bars, a choice that may have lost him some seconds at the start, but gaining them back in the steep gradients that followed.

 

Mollema said: 

 

"I really thought well about the equipment choices for today. I think it was the best set-up for me. I have been training on this bike already; it's a super light bike – close to 6.8 kilos for a mountain TT like this and still having a good position for climbing – so I think I made the right choice."

 

Two tough days in the Alps remain, and while yellow may have ridden out of reach today, the battle for the minor steps of the podium will be an enormous and exciting fight.

 

"I guess Froome is out of sight now," exclaimed Mollema. "But with five guys within 1 minute and 8 seconds, it will be fierce between us. It all became more exciting, unfortunately for me, though," he smiled, then said: "But it's definitely better to be in my spot than 5th; I'm healthy and feel good."

 

Dan Martin: I have never been so good at this point

Last Etixx – Quick-Step rider to roll down the ramp, Dan Martin had a very fast start, posting a top result by the time he went through the first intermediate split. Once he hit the slopes of Domancy, the Irishman began to feel more comfortable, as he was on familiar ground, and continued to dig deep in order to get a good time in Megève, where he stopped the clock in 32:11, after safely negotiating the tricky corners and sprinting to the line. Eventually, as other riders came in, Martin lost some places, but still concluded the stage with an impressive result – 16th, around one minute and a half behind yellow jersey Chris Froome (Team Sky), who took the win – and made sure of going into the last three stages of the race with a good shot at his maiden Tour de France top 10 finish.

 

"I had the best equipment possible and I'm grateful for that, this was very important today. I did my best, although it wasn't easy. I suffered for around two kilometers after the steepest part of the route and lost some time there. We are 18 days into the Tour de France, we have 3 000 kilometers in the legs, some very fast flat kilometers with crazy winds and a lot of altitude gain, so it's normal to feel tired", said Martin, who is 10th in the overall standings and is now looking with confidence towards Friday's stage.

 

"This morning I felt good, but things changed during the race. Hopefully, tomorrow morning I will wake up with the same sensations. I never felt so good this late into a Tour de France, I also managed to avoid being sick and I'm happy for that. Two crucial mountain stages are now coming and I hope things will go in the way I want."

 

Great Nicolas Edet in the spotlight in hard Tour TT

Nicolas Edet spent a long time in the hot seat and ultimately finished 22nd.

 

"It was a beautiful course, a course for climbers but especially for those who still have energy at this Tour de France,” he said. “There is nowhere to hide on such a course. In this sense I am very happy with my result. I held the top spot for an hour, it's always nice to see your name at an event of this magnitude. It will stay in my personal history. 

 

”There are two mountain stages where I would like to enjoy myself, to help my teammates whether it’s Daniel Navarro or Arnold Jeannesson. We will do everything to get a big result.”

 

Manager Yvon Sanquer added:
 

"The 22nd place of Nicolas Edet is a great performance for him in such an important TT. We are also pleased with Arnold Jeannesson who found good feelings. All this bodes well for the mountain stages to Saint-Gervais and Morzine. Our guys will recover well and collectively be offensive in this difficult terrain. Their determination to perform well is intact until the end. However, we remain clear about the difficulty of taking a leading role on these two days that end a very demanding Tour de France.”

 

Emanuel Buchmann closer to the top 20 at the Tour de France

There were nogood news from Shane Archbold. After his crash yesterday in a descent with over 80km/h, he was able to finish the stage but later examinations in the evening confirmed a broken pelvis. The fracture is stable, but he had to retire from the Tour de France. BORA – ARGON 18 will now take on the last stages with 8 riders.

 

Sam Bennett from BORA – ARGON 18 opened again the ITT at 10.51pm because of his last place in the GC. Jan Barta, the time trial specialist from BORA – ARGON 18m was in 23th place at the first intermediate time. Finally, he lost 3 positions and finished in 26th position with a gap of +2’15’’. The course didn’t suit him 100% because of the steep sections on the climb and the relative short length.

 

Emanuel Buchmann showed his climbing skills and finished the TT in a respectable 42nd place. In the GC he moves up one place and is now in 21th position. Now all eys are on the last two mountain stages where he can jump into the top 20.

 

“Today it was ok for me, I did not give not everything, only 90%, and could save some energy for the next 2 days. I heard that the last few corners were not easy, so I did not take any risk. It was a really difficult uphill time trial, not rhythmical and with very steep ramps. I`m not far away from the first 20 riders in the GC so I will give everything in the next 2 days to gain some positions although I’m already tired after 18 stages, but I think everyone here is tired. In the morning we talked shortly about me starting with the TT bike, but I think it was the best decision to take the normal race bike with aero handle bars, said Emanuel Buchmann.

 

Dimension Data take it easy uin Tour time trial

For Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka, the 17km uphill time trial was not a stage which the African Team riders would target. The tough nature of the course meant it would be a showdown between the top GC contenders as the early times set would all tumble once the climbers reached the finish.

 

Daniel Teklehaimanot would end up with the team’s best time of the day as he completed the 17km course in a time of 33’22”. This time would be 2’38” slower than that of Froome, but of little concern at the end of the day. There are still two tough stages coming up in the Alps and the slightly easier day had by Serge Pauwels, Natnael Berhane and Daniel Teklehaimanot today, should stand the trio in good stead to make an opportunists move before we reach Paris.

 

Reinardt Janse van Rensburg said:
 

“It was a pretty tough time trial. The course was definitely designed for a climber and it was one of the toughest courses I have ever done for a time trial. The crowds were great and there was a lot of South African support out there which was really motivating. I had a lot of Afrikaans people shouting at me which was nice. I really enjoyed today.”

 

Wilco Kelderman ready to attack, Dylan Groenewegen hopes to sprint in Paris

Team LottoNL-Jumbo failed to make the mark in the Tour de France’s stage 18 today, a mountain time trial to the Megève ski village, but turns its focus to the next three stages.

 

Chris Froome (Team Sky) won the time trial and extended his overall lead.

 

"It was a nice time trial, with many fans along the road, but still I decided not to go full-gas,” Wilco Kelderman said.

 

“Tomorrow and the day after are more important, I’ll have more to gain so it’s better to focus on those days.

 

“Again, we’ll go for the breakaway. It wasn’t easy to get in there yesterday, we did everything, but tomorrow, we’ll try again. "

 

Sports Director Merijn Zeeman said all his riders rode on reserve today.

 

"In view of the coming days, the riders did not have to go full-gas,” he added. “The coming days will be important for us to get in the break, but also to make sure Dylan Groenewegen arrives in Paris."

 

"Today was a difficult time trial, with steep sections and then in between, false flats,” said Wynants. "If you are not a climber, you can’t ride softly uphill. I had to go with some force because you never know how the real favourites are going and whether you should be afraid of missing the time limit.

 

“The goal is to get Groenewegen to the final stage to Paris so that I can lead him out well for a stage victory. Groenewegen has already come further than many thought. Now, we’ll do everything possible to sprint in Paris."