Purito Soars at Plateau de Beille; Froome Controls Rivals in Rain

Joaquim Rodriguez of Katusha reminded the cycling world that he's one of the world's great climbers, soloing home to victory atop the Plateau de Beille climb, winning his first Tour de France high-mountain stage from an extensive breakaway. Rodriguez swept up World Champion Michal Kwiatkowski of Etixx-Quick Step and Sep Vanmarcke on the day's final climb before heading away by himself, more than a minute ahead of solo chasers Jakob Fuglsang of Astana and Romain Bardet of AG2R. The win was Purito's second of this Tour, following a win in stage 3 in Belgium, and the third of his career as he won a transitional stage in 2010. But while finishing on the podium of all three grand tours, he had never won an iconic mountain stage, before today, at age 36.

Among the overall leaders, who had allowed the stage combatants as much as a 13-minute cushion in the stormy Pyrénéan weather, the battle was a multi-way draw among Chris Froome and Geraint Thmoas of Sky, Nairo Quintana and Alejandro Valverde of Movistar, Alberto Contador of Tinkoff-Saxo and Tejay van Garderen of BMC. Froome was under assault from the two Movistar riders, who at least showed that they can put Froome on the defensive, if not that they can crack him.

Froome tried his own acceleration inside of 4km remaining, but that merely shed Thomas, his pace-making stud teammate, and left him at the mercy of attacks from the Movistar duo. But Froome was plenty strong enough to cover all accelerations, and hostilities quieted down allowing Thomas to rejoin. Nothing more happened until the final few hundred meters where Valverde sped away for a single second gap, a moral victory at best.

Rodriguez moved into second place in the mountains classification, behind Froome, and may find the jersey to his liking as he holds it for Froome heading in the direction of the Alps. Robert Gesink and Tony Gallopin conceded a bit of time but otherwise the general classification is unchanged.

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