Wednesday 16 July 2014

Tony Gallopin to Stage 11 Victory

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Tony Gallopin, of Lotto-Belisol, won stage 11 of the Tour de France from Besancon to Oyonnax.

Gallopin broke away with about 1.5km to go and stayed clear with German John Degenkolb claiming second place in a sprint ahead of Italian Matteo Trentin.

The top of the general classification leaderboard remained unchanged.

Astana's Vincenzo Nibali keeps the yellow jersey as the overall leader - two minutes and 23 seconds ahead of Team Sky's Richie Porte.

Garmin-Sharp team leader Andrew Talansky, who won the Criterium du Dauphine last month and had been considered an outside contender for the Tour before its start, came close to being eliminated however.

The American, suffering with an injured back, was left behind by the peloton with about 80km to go and stopped by the roadside for several minutes to discuss the possibility of abandoning with Garmin-Sharp manager Robbie Hunter.

Talansky continued in tears and, encouraged by shouts from the team car and spectators, completed the rest of 187.5km (116.5 miles) alone, finishing inside the time limit, but 32 minutes and five seconds after the victorious Gallopin.

He is now more than 47 minutes adrift of Nibali overall.

Cannondale's Peter Sagan had seemed well set as the day's racing reached its final kilometres, but a stage win, to add to his huge lead in the green jersey standings, continues to elude the Slovakian.

After a game attack by Irish Tinkoff-Saxo rider Nicolas Roche had been swallowed up, Sagan was in a three-man group that caught leader Gallopin with less than five kilometres to go.

Stage 11 result
1. Tony Gallopin (France / Lotto-Belisol) 4:25:45
2. John Degenkolb (Germany / Giant) same time
3. Matteo Trentin (Italy / Omega Pharma - Quick-Step)
4. Daniele Bennati (Italy / Tinkoff - Saxo)
5. Simon Gerrans (Australia / Orica)
6. Jose Joaquin Rojas (Spain / Movistar)
7. Greg Van Avermaet (Belgium / BMC Racing)
8. Samuel Dumoulin (France / AG2R)
9. Peter Sagan (Slovakia / Cannondale)
10. Kevin Reza (France / Europcar)

General classification after stage 11
1. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita/Astana) 46:59:23
2. Richie Porte (Aus/Team Sky) +2mins 23secs
3. Alejandro Valverde (Spa/Movistar) +2mins 47secs
4. Romain Bardet (Fra/AG2R) +3mins 01secs
5. Tony Gallopin (Fra/Lotto-Belisol) +3mins 12secs
6. Thibaut Pinot (Fra/FDJ) +3mins 47secs
7. Tejay van Garderen (US/BMC) +3mins 56secs
8. Jean-Christophe Peraud (Fra/AG2R) +3mins 57secs
9. Bauke Mollema (Ned/Belkin) +4mins 8secs
10. Jurgen van den Broeck (Bel/Lotto-Belisol) +4mins 18secs

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