Chris Froome destroys rivals in first mountain stage of Tour de France
Briton takes huge step to regaining cycling's most prestigious crown
Chris Froome took a huge step towards regaining the Tour de France crown on Tuesday as he decimated the opposition to win the first mountain stage of this year's race.
The 2013 champion's Australian teammate Richie Porte took second on the 10th stage from Tarbes to La Pierre-Saint Martin to deny third-placed Nairo Quintana a couple of bonus seconds, but they were a minute behind the victor.
I'm lost for words. That was unbelievable
"I'm lost for words," said Froome. "That was unbelievable.
"I could not believe it when I asked the guys to push on a bit and we were hearing on the radio the big names being dropped. It was textbook from the team and I'm just over the moon to finish it off for them."
American Tejay Van Garderen was 10th on the stage at two minutes 30 seconds back but is still second overall at 2:52 with Quintana up to third 3:09 back. But it was a miserable day for reigning champion Vincenzo Nibali, dropped more than 10km from the finish and almost 4:30 behind at the line, leaving him nearly seven minutes back overall in 10th.
It was an even worse day for three French hopes as Jean-Christophe Peraud, Thibot Pinot and Romain Bardet - respectively second, third and sixth last year - were torched near the bottom of the brutal 15km climb to the finish of the 167km stage.
Froome, though, gave a demonstration every bit as impressive as his victories at Ax3 Domaines and Mont Ventoux in his Tour winning year in 2013 as he won his sixth stage at the grand Boucle.
Geraint Thomas and then Porte laid the groundwork for Froome's lethal attack.
