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Tour de France Stage 13: Warren Barguil wins for France as race explodes on Bastille Day

Astana's Fabio Aru retains overall lead after short but pulsating stage in the Pyrenees...

Warren Barguil of Team Sunweb has won Stage 13 of the Tour de France in Foix on an afternoon when the forecast Bastille Day fireworks resulted in a pulsating day's racing that will live long in the memory and resulted in a French victory.

Astana's Fabio Aru retains the race leader's yellow jersey, while Barguil stretches his lead in the mountains classification.

It was a good day, too, for Team Sky's Mikel Landa, who got clear with Trek Segafredo's Alberto Contador - the pair were caught by Barguil and Movistar's Nairo Quintana on the long descent into Foix - with the Basque rider moving to  fifth place on GC, 1 minute 9 seconds off the race lead.

He finished fourth in the quartet that contested the finish, missing out on bonus seconds, with Quintana second and Contador third.

Behind, in the group containing the riders at the top of the General Classification, there was attack and counter attack on the final descent into Foix.

Ultimately it was Quick Step Floors rider Dan Martin and Orica-Scott's Simon Yates, who leads the young rider's classification won last year by his team-mate and twin brother Adam, who got clear.

The pair reached the finish line 1 minute 39 seconds behind the winner, but 9 seconds ahead of the four riders who occupied the top places overall this morning, with Aru retaining the race lead by 6 seconds from Team Sky's Chris Froome.

AG2R-La Mondiale's Romain Bardet remains 25 seconds behind Aru as the race heads towards his home roads in the Auvergne over the weekend, with Cannondale-Drapac's Rigoberto Uran - who this morning had yesterday's 20-second penalty for an illegal feed reversed - remaining fourth, a further 10 seconds back.

At 101 kilometres, today's stage from St-Girons was the shortest of this year's 104th edition of the race, and it was clear that there would be attacks from the moment the flag dropped to signal the start of racing as the peloton rode from the Pyrenean foothills into the high mountains then back down.

To no-one's surprise, given that today's stage fell on France's Fete Nationale, Direct-Energie's Thomas Voeckler - who spent 10 days in the yellow jersey in 2004 and again in 2011, and who retires after this race - was among those who tried to get away early on, but he was brought back and his last hurrah will have to wait for another day.

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Stage winner, Warren Barguil

I've been looking for success for a long time. I've been close on several occasions so to win on Bastille Day and being the first Breton stage winner for a long time [1993] makes me super happy because I feel like I have the double nationality [French and Breton].

Beating Alberto Contador who I mimicked when I won races as a young rider in Brittany means a lot to me. I've been criticised on social media for losing time on purpose but I came to the Tour de France with the only goal to finish it.

Two months ago I was on a bed at hospital and when I resumed racing at the Dauphiné, I got dropped on day 1 along with the sprinters. Being fresh helps me perform at the Tour now.

I'm close to my top form but I had to spend some time at the back of peloton to be able to enjoy those moments in the mountains.

Now I wish Romain Bardet to win the Tour de France. I'd like to be part of the spectacle in the Alps and help him out if it happens.

It would be a great satisfaction for us to have a French winner of the Tour de France."

Race leader, Fabio Aru

I was expecting attacks from everyone. So I focused on following those who were the closest to me on GC.

I know [former team-mate] Mikel Landa very well. He's strong but he had more room because he was three minutes adrift. Now that he's back up, I won't give him so much freedom again.

Had I tried to follow everyone, I could have gone in a state of crisis because it was a hard and fast race. I'm satisfied with the outcome.

I'm also very pleased by all the encouragements I'm getting in France all along. I didn't expect so many people to call my name. I love it."

Simon Yates, who extended his lead in the best young rider's competition

The pace was really strong on the final climb. For sure everybody was hurting. I didn't have the kick to really go.

I rode at my rhythm to the top. It was nice to come back. In the descent, I managed to get away. With Dan, we worked well until the finish line.

I gained only a few seconds but I'm sure it'll count at the end. A short stage like today only creates positive racing at the difference of yesterday.

Mikel Landa, now fifth overall

I think Contador was a nice wheel to follow. He is a very good rider in those kind of stages and I followed him.

I thought about the stage win but I knew it was difficult. Yesterday also I was happy, we did an amazing job, I could not try to win the stage.

You work more for the team. You're here to win the Tour.

I don't think I'm stronger than Chris. He has won three Tours. We have also a hard week coming up with one time trial Chris can win without me.

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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13 comments

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captain_slog | 7 years ago
1 like

Froome and Kwiatkowski had to perform a balancing act. They didn't mind Landa putting time into the rest of the GC (at least not from a team perspective, anyway), but they didn't want to risk Aru or Bardet getting away and putting time into Froome.

Elsewhere, fortunately, William Fotheringham writes of Barguil strengthening his grip on the mountains jersey so the beers flowed chez Slog last night.

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dottigirl | 7 years ago
1 like

OMFG.

I watched the post-race analysis by ITV - fair play, I'm not a fan of Millar but he called it right. He predicted the Landa attack, and mostly what the others would do.

Then I watched ES. Fucking clueless. They're still obsessed with Quintana and Contador's GC chances! Also insisting that Landa shouldn't have been riding, etc. I was gobsmacked.

 

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jasecd replied to dottigirl | 7 years ago
3 likes

dottigirl wrote:

OMFG.

I watched the post-race analysis by ITV - fair play, I'm not a fan of Millar but he called it right. He predicted the Landa attack, and mostly what the others would do.

Then I watched ES. Fucking clueless. They're still obsessed with Quintana and Contador's GC chances! Also insisting that Landa shouldn't have been riding, etc. I was gobsmacked.

 

I think Millar's tactical nous adds a huge amount to ITV's coverage  and he and Boulting are leagues ahead of the old pairing of Sherwin & Ligget. 

My only real problem with ITV is why does it take so ****ing long to get the highlights programme uploaded to the 'ITV Hub'? With iPlayer you can watch programmes immediately and even restart ones that are currently airing - with ITV you have to wait several hours, which often means watching it the next day. 

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rjfrussell | 7 years ago
0 likes

Certainly interesting from Sky, that they seem to have/ need a plan B now, in Landa.

Geraint must be absolutely gutted that he is not in the mix.  With Geraint there, I'd say Sky would be almost guaranteed the win, albeit you couldn't be sure who the individual would be. 

Also, if Landa hasn't actually signed for Movistar-  will they try and keep him?

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Must be Mad | 7 years ago
0 likes

Quote:

Perplexing tactics by Sky.  Landa pulling on the front.  Froome and Kwiatowski chasing?  What is going on?  Guess I have to check Stages to find out....

Froome and Kwiatowski were attacking trying to break Aru

Thing I didn't get was why Froome and Kwiatowski were not better coordinated. Either send Kwiatowski down to road for a possible bridge, or rest him up at the back ready for a 1-2 attack

 

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Jackson | 7 years ago
0 likes

I didn't see Froome and Kwiato pulling the group, they just had a few goes at dropping Aru and Bardet. Also there was no reason for Aru to chase anyone up the road given the time gaps and who his main rival is.
Cracking stage and great for Barguil to win on Bastille Day.

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CXR94Di2 | 7 years ago
6 likes

Two pronged attack by lifting landa to near GC lead, Aru has to chase either landa or Froome now

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Chris Hayes replied to CXR94Di2 | 7 years ago
1 like

CXR94Di2 wrote:

Two pronged attack by lifting landa to near GC lead, Aru has to chase either landa or Froome now

That I get, and we have an interesting race on now, but it doesn't explain Froome and Kwiatowski chasing their own rider up the road.  Looked to me like they were trying to close the gap.  

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Chris Hayes | 7 years ago
0 likes

Perplexing tactics by Sky.  Landa pulling on the front.  Froome and Kwiatowski chasing?  What is going on?  Guess I have to check Stages to find out....

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dottigirl replied to Chris Hayes | 7 years ago
0 likes

Chris Hayes wrote:

Perplexing tactics by Sky.  Landa pulling on the front.  Froome and Kwiatowski chasing?  What is going on?  

I was confused too - they should have just been marking Aru and forcing him to do all the work. 

At least they came to their senses and let Martin and Yates get away. But they were pulling again at the end, and on the front going over the line.

The conspiracy theorists are saying Froome doesn't want Landa in yellow. There were definitely mixed messages coming out of that group today. 

 

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madcarew replied to Chris Hayes | 7 years ago
2 likes

Chris Hayes wrote:

Perplexing tactics by Sky.  Landa pulling on the front.  Froome and Kwiatowski chasing?  What is going on?  Guess I have to check Stages to find out....

With this, Sky have lifted themselves into a good position for a 1-2. It more than doubles their chances of winning as Aru now doesn't have a team to help him control the race. If Froome has another bad day, Landa is well placed to podium for sky. Maybe odd tactics, but great strategy

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BarryBianchi | 7 years ago
0 likes

Clearly, entirely.  He could have ridden clean away from Froome today, same as yesterday.  Froome did his stint under team orders in 2013 - what goes around comes around....

 

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Grahamd | 7 years ago
0 likes

 Cracking stage, but how much is Sky holding Landa back?

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