Rolling report as the riders tackle the 108km mountain stageRace goes from Albertville to La Rosière Espace San BernardoJulian Alaphilippe takes stage 10 as Tour de France starts Alps climbAnd you can email John or tweet @JohnBrewin 12.57pm BST By far the best racing of yesterday came in La Course, with a truly thrilling finish. Here’s the excellent Jeremy Whittle on the context it can be placed in. Related: La Course grips viewers but women’s Tour de France remains a way off 12.52pm BST The stage is only 108.5 km (67 miles), the second shortest non-time trial stage of the Tour. Geraint Thomas, speaking on TV just there, suggested the attacks will begin on the first climb, though the expectation is that the penultimate climb, a category two to the Cormet de Roselend, is where the fireworks begin. The first two climbs are hors catégorie with the final climb a category one. 12.43pm BST The Critérium du Dauphiné, the warm-up race for the big one, visited today’s summit finish, the first of the Tour. La Rosière has never hosted Le Tour before and it looks.gruelling. One month ago, @PelloBilbao1990 pulled one hell of a ride to claim the win in La Rosière while @GeraintThomas86 sealed his GC victory behind him ?Il y a un mois, Pello Bilbao s'imposait en costaud à la rosière, tandis que Geraint Thomas confortait son maillot jaune ?#TDF2018 pic.twitter.com/fKZHqef8eq 12.07pm BST In terms of an intro to the mountains, yesterday’s stage managed to both thrilling and a little disappointing. Up the front, Julian Alaphilippe rode a spectacular stage, and could have rolled a cigarette and quaffed champagne on the final few kilometres, such was the gap to the rest. And Greg Van Avermaet showed guts and initiative in going with the breakaway to extend his lead. Not bad for a one-day classic puncheur rider.Behind all that jazz, Team Sky locked down the GC contenders with a display of defensive might that Didier Deschamps and Jose Mourinho would probably appreciate. Van Avermaet’s adventures stopped Geraint Thomas’ challenge for yellow in its tracks and it will take a fairly spectacular if not impossible crack from the Belgian leader for “G” to claim his prize. It may not be long until Thomas has to accept the role of dutiful servant to Chris Froome, from whom we are to see anything much than a series of minor crashes, dodgy mechanics and wobbles. Then again, we saw each of those in the Giro and look what happened there. And we also know very little about Nairo Quintana, Vincenzo Nibali and Adam Yates’ form, too, with luckless Richie Porte already abandoned. Is this a day to splinter the pack? It may well be that powder is kept dry for Alpe D’Huez which follows on Thursday, but the finish up La Rosière could sort les homme from les enfants, though another breakaway is likely. GC standings here after stage 101. Greg van Avermaet (Bel/BMC Racing) 40hrs 34mins 28secs Continue readingread full article
