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Alpe d'Huez sprinting! Welshman Geraint Thomas, who wears the yellow jersey, won the 12th stage of the Tour on Thursday, his second success in two days, in the midst of a largely hostile public.
The famous climb in an electric climate, was expensive to the Italian Vincenzo Nibali, the winner of the 2014 Tour. The Sicilian dropped and was forced, in the evening, to abandon.
According to the doctor of his team, Dr. Emilio Magni, the "Shark" of Messina suffers from a fracture of the tenth vertebra.
For the stage success, Thomas, the winner the day before at La Rosière, played in the home straight of Dutchman Tom Dumoulin and Frenchman Romain Bardet, the most consistent opponents of the Sky team on this hot day
"I'm not happy with myself, Thomas was better, but when someone is better, you have to try to be smarter than him," commented Dumoulin, who was already second the day before.
Four-time Tour winner Chris Froome of Britain was fourth, just seconds away.
In the overall standings, Froome now has 1 minute 39 seconds behind his team-mate at the end of the Alps.
But Thomas reiterated once again that the hierarchy remained unchanged in the Sky.
"I said it yesterday (Wednesday), 'Froomey' remains the leader, and over three weeks he offers guarantees, and I, on one day, can lose everything," said Thomas.
In the climb Alpe d'Huez (13.8 km), the yellow jersey has also behaved as a lieutenant for Froome. After a big job of the neophyte but very promising Egan Bernal (21 years old), the nugget of the Colombian cycling
– Colombian disappointments –
On the contrary, the flag carrier of the Andean cycling, Nairo Quintana, was distanced in the last seven kilometers and dropped about fifty seconds.
"I was at full throttle and I even tried to accelerate the pace with an attack, but I had nothing left in my tank," explained Quintana, twice second in the Tour (2013 and 2015
As for the other Colombian leader, Rigoberto Uran (2nd of Tour 2017), he did not leave Bourg-Saint-Maurice.
Thomas, 32 years old, is the first Briton to win 'Alpe d'Huez. He is also the first yellow jersey to win since Lance Armstrong in 2004, before the American was stripped of his titles for doping.
The successive starts between the contenders to the podium in the final condemned the long breakaway Dutchman Steven Kruijswijk from far away from the Croix-de-Fer, the second of three big climbs of the day
Kruijswijk (4th of the Giro 2016) integrated into a river breakaway formed from the Madeleine, the first large col. He left behind his last companions halfway down the Iron Cross, 68 kilometers from the finish.
At the top, the Dutchman switched over with more than 6 minutes ahead of the group of favorites. It was only taken 3.5 kilometers from the line.
– Hués and incident for Froome –
On the threshold of the last four kilometers, before the first barriers, Nibali fell heavily, in a confusion relayed by the TV images showing through motorcycle smoke and public near the Sicilian
"Bardet was ahead with 10 seconds in advance, there were motorbikes between him and us and the road narrowed", tried to explain the Sicilian.
Although suffering a lot from the back, Nibali took the bike and finished the stage in 7th place, just 13 seconds behind the winner, the Welshman Geraint Thomas.
After the stage, he pbaded exams, first with the service of the Tour installed near the arrival, then with the hospital of Grenoble. For a very cruel diagnosis that deprives the Tour of one of his finest forwards, one of seven riders in history to have won the three great rounds.
In the climb, Froome was once again whistled, as often since the departure of Vendée. According to the TV images, a spectator walked towards him and touched him on the right shoulder.
"The madness of the Alpe d'Huez", commented the outgoing winner on his Twitter account after the finish, with a picture of his pbading at the turn of the Dutch, under the orange smoke.
Hoots also welcomed Thomas at the ceremonial ceremony on the podium.
This 175.5-kilometer alpine third leg caused a hecatomb in the ranks of the sprinters. The Dutchman Dylan Groenewegen and Colombian Fernando Gavraria, both two-stage winners since the start, have dropped out, as has the German Andre Greipel.
The Frenchman Tony Gallopin has also given up, which leaves the team Bardet reduced to five riders
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