Chris Froome escaped unscathed after an action packed ninth stage of the Tour de France as his main rivals and Team Sky teammate crashed out of the race yesterday.
The defending champion, who was attacked by Fabio Aru just as he suffered a mechanical problem on the last climb, ended up third at the end of a 181.5km trek won by Colombian Rigoberto Uran ahead of France’s Warren Barguil.
Froome had his rivals to thank, however, as none of them overtook him while changing his bike in the lung-busting ascent to the Mont du Chat.
He was already without teammate Geraint Thomas, who abandoned the race after crashing in the slippery descent of the Col de la Biche, one of three out of-category ascents of the day.
In the final descent to Chambery, Australian Richie Porte, regarded as Froome’s main challenger ahead of the three-week event, went off the road into a wall of rocks. “He was conscious; it’s reassuring.
He is being transferred to the hospital,” race doctor Florence Pommery said. Last year’s runner-up, Romain Bardet of France, pedalled away in the final descent but was reined in by Froome, Uran, Barguil, Aru and his Astana teammate Jakob Fuglsang 2km from the finish line.
Overall, Froome leads Aru by 18 seconds and Bardet by 51 as two - time winner Alberto Contador of Spain cracked on the last climb and dropped out of contention.
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