Kadri Goes Solo to First Summit Finish

July 12, 2014 – Frenchman Blel Kadri became the first home winner of a Tour de France stage this year as he claimed victory at Gerardmer on Saturday.

AFP/Yuzuru Sunada

Alberto Contador ignited the yellow jersey battle on Saturday as Blel Kadri became the first home stage winner at this year’s Tour de France. Kadri rode to a solo victory after attacking his fellow escape companions in the final 25km of the 161km eighth stage from Tomblaine and came in more than two minutes ahead of Contador.

But it was the Spaniard who set the overall victory race alight as he clawed back three seconds on yellow jersey wearer Vincenzo Nibali. But the 29-year-old Sicilian played down the importance of Contador’s gain.

“On the final climb Alberto kept attacking but I managed to follow him quite comfortably,” said the Astana team leader.

“The finish was 1.8km and really steep. It wasn’t really ideally suited to my characteristics, I’m not really explosive. I got the wrong gear and he accelerated straight afterwards.

“The important thing was that I was there. He took three seconds in the last 100 metres but I don’t know how significant that can be.”

Nibali added: “I’m happy with my form. There are much more important climbs to come.”

General Classification Begins to Take Shape

It was the first real opportunity for the overall favourites to stretch their legs in an uphill finish and the results were remarkable. Nibali lost time only to Tinkoff-Saxo leader Contador, but Richie Porte, the new Team Sky leader after reigning champion Chris Froome’s withdrawal on Wednesday, gave notice of his intent by losing just four seconds to the Italian as he came in fourth.

“I’m happy with how that went, it is not really my bread and butter and I think that on the longer climbs I will be better,” Porte told ITV4. “Tinkoff-Saxo are riding very aggressively from a long way out, a bit like Team Sky used to do.”

Porte moved up to third overall at 1min 58sec but the bigger mover was Contador, up 10 places to sixth at 2:34.

Nibali’s team-mate and chief ‘domestique’ Jakob Fuglsang is second overall but he lost 1:42 to his leader and is only 14sec ahead of Porte. His time in the leading places will almost certainly end on Monday’s gruelling mountain stage, if not before.

While Saturday’s stage, with one third category climb and two second category ones, did not seem particularly tough on paper, Tinkoff-Saxo’s acceleration in the final 25km sorted out which favourites were in form and which ones will have to wait for another year.

Alejandro Valverde, now fifth overall at 2:27, lost 16sec to Nibali and Tejay Van Garderen gave up 20sec. The American is now 13th at 3:34, having lost more than a minute due to a crash Friday.

Andrew Talansky crashed for the second day in a row at the end of the stage and lost more than two minutes to now sit 16th at 4:22.

Kadri was part of a five-man breakaway that pulled out a lead of more than 11 minutes at one point. By the time the first of the three climbs arrived, the peloton had shaved more than six minutes off that lead.

Frenchman Sylvain Chavanel attacked on the Col de la Croix des Moinats but Kadri countered and rode away from his compatriot. The peloton was closing in but Kadri had the strength to resist as all his escape companions were swallowed up.

It was the 27-year-old’s first Tour stage victory and he also took possession of the polkadot jersey for best climber.

“It was crazy. I tried to match (team-mate) Christophe Riblon’s achievements (he won stages in 2010 and 2013) from the past,” said AG2R’s Kadri.

“The team’s main aim was to win a stage and now that’s done,” he added. “We knew that Sylvain would go early, I reacted to his attack and I went alone. I knew he descended well whereas I have some shortcomings on the descents.”

Check back soon for more photos from the day.

Stage
1. Blel Kadri (FRA/ALM) 3hr 49min 28sec
2. Alberto Contador (ESP/TIN) at 2:17.
3. Vincenzo Nibali (ITA/AST) 2:20.
4. Richie Porte (AUS/SKY) 2:24.
5. Thibaut Pinot (FRA/FDJ) 2:28.
6. Jean-Christophe Peraud (FRA/ALM) s.t.
7. Alejandro Valverde (ESP/MOV) 2:36.
8. Tejay Van Garderen (USA/BMC) 2:40.
9. Romain Bardet (FRA/ALM) 2:48.
10. Sylvain Chavanel (FRA/IAM) 2:54.
11. Bauke Mollema (NED/BKN) 2:55.
12. Rui Costa (POR/LAM) 3:01.
13. Mikel Nieve (ESP/SKY) s.t.
14. Niki Terpstra (NED/OPQ) 3:28.
15. Brice Feillu (FRA/BSE) 3:33.

Overall
1. Vincenzo Nibali (ITA/AST) 33hr 48min 52sec
2. Jakob Diemer Fuglsang (DEN/AST) at 1:44.
3. Richie Porte (AUS/SKY) 1:58.
4. Michal Kwiatkowski (POL/OPQ) 2:26.
5. Alejandro Valverde (ESP/MOV) 2:27.
6. Alberto Contador (ESP/TIN) 2:34.
7. Romain Bardet (FRA/ALM) 2:39.
8. Rui Costa (POR/LAM) 2:52.
9. Bauke Mollema (NED/BKN) 3:02.
10. Jurgen Van den Broeck (BEL/LTB) s.t.
11. Tony Gallopin (FRA/LTB) 3:27.
12. Thibaut Pinot (FRA/FDJ) 3:32.
13. Tejay Van Garderen (USA/BMC) 3:34.
14. Jean Christophe Peraud (FRA/ALM) 3:37.
15. Geraint Thomas (GBR/SKY) 3:54.