World Time Trial Champion Tony Martin of Omega Pharma-Quick Step easily asserted his dominance in the discipline by winning the Tour de France's sole individual time trial, a comfortable 1.39 ahead of second-placed Tom Dumoulin of Giant-Shimano. Jean-Christophe Peraud of AG2R and Thibaut Pinot of FDJ gave the host nation its first two podium finishers in seventeen years, both riders easily holding off Spain's Alejandro Valverde of Movistar to confirm their surprising success.
Peraud was the biggest story of the day, given that Astana's Vincenzo Nibali entered the day with an insurmountable lead for the maillot jaune and extended his dominance with a fourth-place ride, setting up a parade into Paris that he and Italian fans will remember forever. The 34-year-old veteran, owner of a ninth-place finish in a past Tour, demonstrated his solid abilities against the watch, quickly catching and passing his young compatriot on the overall classification, despite Pinot coming in with as 12 second advantage. Things got tens with about 20km remaining, when Peraud stopped for a bike change after a flat tire, and Pinot briefly moved ahead on GC, but over the race's final phase Peraud recouped his lost time and won the race for second by 32".
Pinot held only a 15 second lead over Valverde, the Spanish time trial champion, but the former Vuelta winner turned in a surprisingly weak performance, conceding 1.20 on the stage to the young French star and remaining in fourth place. Pinot will now bring home the maillot blanc for best young rider.
Not all was well with AG2R, who also chalked up the day's most disappointing moment, when Romain Bardet also stopped for a bike change. That, plus the impressive performance of American Tejay van Garderen of BMC, cost Bardet his hold on fifth place by a mere two seconds, as he slipped behind the American overall. Another big winner on the day was Leopold Konig, who moved from ninth to seventh on GC, as the two Belkin riders in front of him, Bauke Mollema and Laurens ten Dam, suffered poor performances against the watch. Dutch fans might have been disappointed, but for the excellent ride by Dumoulin, who is completing his second Tour de France at age 24 and showing himself to be a future threat for a time trial championship or two.
Results:
1. | GERMARTIN Tony | 75 | OMEGA PHARMA-QUICK STEP | 01h 06' 21'' | |
2. | NEDDUMOULIN Tom | 106 | TEAM GIANT-SHIMANO | 01h 08' 00'' | + 01' 39'' |
3. | CZEBARTA Jan | 202 | TEAM NETAPP-ENDURA | 01h 08' 08'' | + 01' 47'' |
4. | ITANIBALI Vincenzo | 41 | ASTANA PRO TEAM | 01h 08' 19'' | + 01' 58'' |
5. | CZEKONIG Leopold | 201 | TEAM NETAPP-ENDURA | 01h 08' 23'' | + 02' 02'' |
6. | USAVAN GARDEREN Tejay | 141 | BMC RACING TEAM | 01h 08' 29'' | + 02' 08'' |
7. | FRAPÉRAUD Jean-Christophe | 81 | AG2R LA MONDIALE | 01h 08' 48'' | + 02' 27'' |
8. | FRACHAVANEL Sylvain | 192 | IAM CYCLING | 01h 08' 57'' | + 02' 36'' |
9. | ESPIRIZAR ARRANBURU Markel | 164 | TREK FACTORY RACING | 01h 09' 00'' | + 02' 39'' |
10. | ITAOSS Daniel | 145 | BMC RACING TEAM | 01h 09' 19'' | + 02' 58'' |
General Classification:
1. | ITANIBALI Vincenzo | 41 | ASTANA PRO TEAM | 86h 37' 52'' | |
2. | FRAPÉRAUD Jean-Christophe | 81 | AG2R LA MONDIALE | 86h 45' 44'' | + 07' 52'' |
3. | FRAPINOT Thibaut | 127 | FDJ.FR | 86h 46' 16'' | + 08' 24'' |
4. | ESPVALVERDE BELMONTE Alejandro | 11 | MOVISTAR TEAM | 86h 47' 47'' | + 09' 55'' |
5. | USAVAN GARDEREN Tejay | 141 | BMC RACING TEAM | 86h 49' 36'' | + 11' 44'' |
6. | FRABARDET Romain | 82 | AG2R LA MONDIALE | 86h 49' 38'' | + 11' 46'' |
7. | CZEKONIG Leopold | 201 | TEAM NETAPP-ENDURA | 86h 52' 33'' | + 14' 41'' |
8. | ESPZUBELDIA AGIRRE Haimar | 169 | TREK FACTORY RACING | 86h 56' 04'' | + 18' 12'' |
9. | NEDTEN DAM Laurens | 67 | BELKIN PRO CYCLING | 86h 56' 12'' | + 18' 20'' |
10. | NEDMOLLEMA Bauke | 61 | BELKIN PRO CYCLING | 86h 59' 16'' | + 21' 24' |
Best Young Rider:
1. | FRAPINOT Thibaut | 127 | FDJ.FR | 86h 46' 16'' | |
2. | FRABARDET Romain | 82 | AG2R LA MONDIALE | 86h 49' 38'' | + 03' 22'' |
3. | POLKWIATKOWSKI Michal | 74 | OMEGA PHARMA-QUICK STEP | 87h 58' 41'' | + 01h 12' 25'' |