Team Sky rider yellow jersey holder Christopher Froome of Britain cycles past the Mont-Saint Michel during the 32 km individual time trial eleventh stage of the centenary Tour de France cycling race from Avranches to Mont-Saint-Michel yesterday. Inset: Stage winner Tony Martin.
AFP/Paris
Tour de France leader Chris Froome tightened his grip on the yellow jersey after finishing runner-up to world champion Tony Martin in the 11th stage time trial yesterday.
Martin had set the early pace for the windswept 33 km course from Avranches to Mont-Saint Michel in 36min 29sec but had a nervous wait as Froome threatened to upset his hopes of victory. “It was a long wait,” said Martin, who started 65th from the 182 starters. Belgium’s Tomas De Gendt, of Vacansoleil, was closest to challenge Martin before Froome went but was 1min 01sec slower than the German at the finish line to end up third.
Martin admitted he was surprised to see Froome challenge his mark.
“At the start I was quite sure I would hold on because I had a good lead on Thomas De Gendt. I didn’t think Froome would get so close,” he added.
As Martin watched nervously from the hot seat, Team Sky leader Froome came home in second place at 12secs adrift. However the Kenyan-born Briton’s effort meant he finished more than two minutes ahead of principal rival, two-time champion Alberto Contador of Spain, and his compatriot Alejandro Valverde.
Contador, considered Froome’s biggest rival ahead of four tough stages in the Alps beginning Sunday, could only finish 15th at 2:15.
He jumped up two places to fourth overall but has gone from being 1:51 behind to 3:54 in arrears.
Fellow Spaniard Alejandro Valverde began the day at 1:25 behind Froome but despite remaining in second place overall the Movistar team leader is now 3:25 behind Froome.
Angry fan throws urine at Cavendish
Paris: British cycling star Mark Cavendish had urine thrown at him by a spectator during the 11th stage of the Tour de France yesterday, his team have confirmed.
The incident happened during the 33-kilometre individual time-trial from Avranches to Mont-Saint-Michel in Normandy, a day after Cavendish was blamed for a collision that sent Argos rider Tom Veelers crashing to the ground in Saint-Malo.
“Probably some spectators were not very pleased with what happened yesterday and they yelled to him and then one other idiot threw urine at him,” Omega Pharma team CEO Patrick Lefevere told AFP.
“Mark is not upset, but he is really disappointed because he thinks he didn’t deserve this.”
Lefevere was unable to confirm when exactly the incident had occurred, but sought to play down its importance as Cavendish’s teammate Tony Martin, the world time-trial champion, went for the stage win.
“The cycling public is known for being very fair, we have no hooligans, but there are thousands and thousands of people on the roads and not everybody is a gentleman,” the Belgian added.
Cavendish escaped without punishment following Tuesday’s clash with Veelers, which happened during a sprint for the line won by German rider Marcel Kittel.
Veelers pinned the blame on the British champion, and an anxious Cavendish became embroiled in a spat with one journalist after the finish to Tuesday’s stage, snatching away his dictaphone after being asked if he felt the crash was his fault. However, Cavendish later called Veelers to apologise and Lefevere hopes that can be the end of the matter.
“He apologised already yesterday on Twitter and on the phone,” he said. “If you don’t agree you don’t take the telephone, but he (Veelers) took the telephone.
“Today is a time-trial so you don’t have the time but maybe tomorrow he can have a little handshake with Tom Veelers if he agrees to do it and then this case has to be closed.”