Chris Froome lays down an early marker at the Tour de Romandie as he claims a decisive prologue victory in his first stage race in a month
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The Team Sky rider was the last man down the ramp and tore into the 7.45-kilometre climbing test, catching and passing his minute-man on the way to a superb time of 13 minutes and 15 seconds. That effort was six seconds quicker than anyone else and moved Froome into the early race lead, capturing the yellow jersey won by team-mate Sir Bradley Wiggins last season.
Richie Porte ended the tough opening test in fourth, his time of 13:30 standing firm at the top of the charts for a long time as the Tasmanian once again demonstrated his form. Andrew Talansky (Garmin-Sharp) dethroned Porte as he set a time nine seconds quicker than anyone else as pacing in the final steep 500 metre section emerged as a key to success in Bruson.
Robert Kiserlovski (RadioShack-Leopard) also elevated himself onto the podium before Froome, undeterred by the fast times, blew the competition away to register his sixth success of the year. The result also marked a second successive prologue victory in the race after Geraint Thomas went fastest in Lausanne 12 months earlier.
Chris Froome said afterwards “I haven’t raced now in a stage race for a month since Criterium International. I wasn’t sure how my condition would be coming into this race. Winning the prologue today is definitely a good sign and I’d like to try and defend the jersey this week the best I can. I know it’s going to be a very hard week of racing.”
“We have a really good team here. Richie who came fourth today is also sitting in a very good position. That could be really important for us over the next few days as it means we have some other cards to play with the rest of the riders here to support us. It should be a good week of racing.”
“We’re going to try and keep [the jersey]. I don’t have a really big advantage on the other GC contenders here. I think the big stages will be this coming weekend. On Saturday we have a really hard mountain stage followed by a time trial on Sunday. So we have to do as much as we can there and hope that nothing bad turns against us in the race.â€
Froome faced questions on the Tour de France as well saying “I am 100 per cent leader” he told Sky Sports News. “That hasn’t changed since January. From what I understand, everyone has bought into that plan and that is the way we are going to go into the Tour.” Team Sky’s head of performance, Australian Tim Kerrison (SPorts analyst) insisted the final decision over who leads the Tour squad will come ahead of the race start. “We go into the race with the rider who we believe has the best chance of delivering as the designated leader” Kerrison said.
“For the moment, we are preparing Bradley to ride the Giro and we are preparing Chris Froome to be the leader in the Tour de France. As we get closer to the event, we’ll have a look again at the form of all our riders and make sure we have the strongest team to win the yellow jersey again”.
RESULTS
1. FROOME Christopher (SKY)00:13:16
2. TALANSKY Andrew (GRS)00:13:22
3. KISERLOVSKI Robert (RLT)00:13:29
4. PORTE Richie (SKY)00:13:31
5. COSTA Rui Alberto (MOV)00:13:32
6. PINOT Thibaut (FDJ)00:13:33
7. CLEMENT Stef (BLA)00:13:33
8. VALVERDE Alejandro (MOV)00:13:33
9. DANIELSON Tom (GRS)00:13:33
10. KELDERMAN Wilco (BLA)00:13:34
11. MOSER Moreno (CAN)00:13:34
12. BETANCUR Carlos (ALM)00:13:35
13. LOPEZ GARCIA David (SKY)00:13:38
14. SZMYD Sylvester (MOV)00:13:42
15. PLAZA MOLINA Ruben (MOV)00:13:42
16. MARTIN Tony (OPQ)00:13:45
17. BOARO Manuele (TST)00:13:45
18. BRAJKOVIC Janez (AST)00:13:46
19. KRUIJSWIJK Steven (BLA)00:13:47
20. DYACHENKO Alexandr (AST)00:13:47
21. MORABITO Steve (BMC)00:13:48
22. MAJKA Rafal (TST)00:13:49
23. DUMOULIN Tom (ARG)00:13:49
24. MEERSMAN Gianni (OPQ)00:13:49
25. PETROV Evgeny (TST)00:13:49
26. WYSS Marcel (IAM)00:13:50
27. CAPECCHI Eros (MOV)00:13:50
28. MACHADO Tiago (RLT)00:13:50
29. GESINK Robert (BLA)00:13:51
30. WESTRA Lieuwe (VCD)00:13:51
31. PERAUD Jean Christophe (ALM)00:13:53
32. VAN DEN BROECK Jurgen (LTB)00:13:56
33. KIRYIENKA Vasil (SKY)00:13:59
34. RUJANO GUILLEN José (VCD)00:14:01
35. KENNAUGH Peter (SKY)00:14:02
36. HOLLENSTEIN Reto (IAM)00:14:02
37. CUNEGO Damiano (LAM)00:14:03
38. GASPAROTTO Enrico (AST)00:14:03
39. FÉDRIGO Pierrick (FDJ)00:14:03
40. STETINA Peter (GRS)00:14:04
41. PINOTTI Marco (BMC)00:14:04
42. EDMONDSON Joshua (SKY)00:14:04
43. ANTON HERNANDEZ Igor (EUS)00:14:04
44. OLIVEIRA Nelson (RLT)00:14:05
45. SICARD Romain (EUS)00:14:06
46. STORTONI Simone (LAM)00:14:06
47. DENNIS Rohan (GRS)00:14:06
48. HESJEDAL Ryder (GRS)00:14:07
49. SPILAK Simon (KAT)00:14:07
50. KREUZIGER Roman (TST)00:14:07
51. BOUET Maxime (ALM)00:14:08
52. DE GREEF Francis (LTB)00:14:09
53. LUDVIGSSON Tobias (ARG)00:14:09
54. IGNATENKO Petr (KAT)00:14:09
55. ALBASINI Michael (OGE)00:14:10
56. TSCHOPP Johann (IAM)00:14:12
57. BENNETT George (RLT)00:14:12
58. MALORI Adriano (LAM)00:14:12
59. GADRET John (ALM)00:14:14
60. GARATE CEPA Juan Manuel (BLA)00:14:15
61. NAVARDAUSKAS Ramunas (GRS)00:14:15
62. REICHENBACH Sébastien (IAM)00:14:16
63. ROLLAND Pierre (EUC)00:14:17
64. CHRISTENSEN Mads (TST)00:14:17
65. BASSO Ivan (CAN)00:14:18
66. DURBRIDGE Luke (OGE)00:14:19
67. SILIN Egor (AST)00:14:21
68. NOCENTINI Rinaldo (ALM)00:14:21
69. BILLE Gaetan (LTB)00:14:21
70. DUPONT Hubert (ALM)00:14:21
71. BOOKWALTER Brent (BMC)00:14:22
72. SERPA SANTANDER José (LAM)00:14:24
73. GRIVKO Andriy (AST)00:14:24
74. LARSSON Gustav (IAM)00:14:25
75. MORENO FERNANDEZ Daniel (KAT)00:14:26
76. MANGEL Laurent (FDJ)00:14:27
77. GAVAZZI Francesco (AST)00:14:27
78. KOZONTCHUK Dmitry (KAT)00:14:27
79. POELS Wout (VCD)00:14:28
80. BRAVO OIARBIDE Garikoitz (EUS)00:14:29
81. BAKELANTS Jan (RLT)00:14:29
82. BOBRIDGE Jack (BLA)00:14:29
83. BRAMBILLA Gianluca (OPQ)00:14:29
84. DE MARCHI Alessandro (CAN)00:14:30
85. BÉRARD Julien (ALM)00:14:30
86. MOUREY Francis (FDJ)00:14:31
87. VELITS Peter (OPQ)00:14:31
88. FRANK Mathias (BMC)00:14:31
89. BRANDLE Matthias (IAM)00:14:32
90. SÖRENSEN Chris Anker (TST)00:14:33
91. VEILLEUX David (EUC)00:14:34
92. VANDEWALLE Kristof (OPQ)00:14:34
93. VAN DE WALLE Jürgen (LTB)00:14:35
94. BILBAO Peio (EUS)00:14:36
95. ERVITI OLLO Imanol (MOV)00:14:37
96. FUMEAUX Jonathan (IAM)00:14:38
97. PINEAU Cédric (FDJ)00:14:38
98. ASTARLOZA CHARREAU Mikel (EUS)00:14:39
99. ZEITS Andrey (AST)00:14:39
100. BULGAC Brian (LTB)00:14:40
101. MARANGONI Alan (CAN)00:14:40
102. TANKINK Bram (BLA)00:14:41
103. GENIEZ Alexandre (FDJ)00:14:42
104. ZAUGG Olivier (TST)00:14:43
105. VERMOTE Julien (OPQ)00:14:43
106. PREIDLER Georg (ARG)00:14:44
107. JANSE VAN RENSBURG Reinardt (ARG)00:14:48
108. WURF Cameron (CAN)00:14:48
109. BONO Matteo (LAM)00:14:48
110. CUSIN Remi (IAM)00:14:48
111. GUSEV Vladimir (KAT)00:14:48
112. MONTAGUTI Matteo (ALM)00:14:49
113. KARPETS Vladimir (MOV)00:14:50
114. QUEMENEUR Perrig (EUC)00:14:52
115. MEZGEC Luka (ARG)00:14:52
116. HOOGERLAND Johnny (VCD)00:14:52
117. MATTHEWS Michael (OGE)00:14:54
118. GRUZDEV Dmitriy (AST)00:14:54
119. GOOS Marc (BLA)00:14:55
120. LANCASTER Brett Daniel (OGE)00:14:55
121. NOVAL GONZALEZ Benjamin (TST)00:14:57
122. WYSS Danilo (BMC)00:14:57
123. MORTON Lachlan David (GRS)00:14:58
124. LAGUTIN Sergey (VCD)00:14:58
125. BRUTT Pavel (KAT)00:14:59
126. MORI Manuele (LAM)00:14:59
127. VANDEVELDE Christian (GRS)00:15:00
128. SÃEZ DE ARREGI Adrián (EUS)00:15:00
129. LONGO BORGHINI Paolo (CAN)00:15:00
130. CHARTEAU Anthony (EUC)00:15:01
131. GAUTIER Cyril (EUC)00:15:01
132. LOBATO DEL VALLE Juan Jose (EUS)00:15:01
133. SULZBERGER Wesley (OGE)00:15:01
134. FRÖHLINGER Johannes (ARG)00:15:01
135. REZA Kévin (EUC)00:15:01
136. HUGUET Yann (ARG)00:15:02
137. ROHREGGER Thomas (RLT)00:15:02
138. LANDA MEANA Mikel (EUS)00:15:03
139. ROY Jérémy (FDJ)00:15:05
140. WILLEMS Frederik (LTB)00:15:06
141. FLORENCIO CABRE Xavier (KAT)00:15:10
142. NERZ Dominik (BMC)00:15:10
143. RAST Gregory (RLT)00:15:10
144. SABATINI Fabio (CAN)00:15:10
145. KEIZER Martijn (VCD)00:15:10
146. RUIJGH Rob (VCD)00:15:12
147. SUTTON Christopher (SKY)00:15:12
148. VICHOT Arthur (FDJ)00:15:12
149. LASTRAS GARCIA Pablo (MOV)00:15:13
150. ARASHIRO Yukiya (EUC)00:15:18
151. NIZZOLO Giacomo (RLT)00:15:21
152. GRETSCH Patrick (ARG)00:15:22
153. GRABSCH Bert (OPQ)00:15:22
154. MEYER Travis (OGE)00:15:23
155. DURASEK Kristijan (LAM)00:15:25
156. RASCH Gabriel (SKY)00:15:26
157. FERRARI Roberto (LAM)00:15:27
158. VANENDERT Dennis (LTB)00:15:32
159. DE HAES Kenny (LTB)00:15:35
160. MARCATO Marco (VCD)00:15:35
161. VIVIANI Elia (CAN)00:15:45
162. GOSS Matthew Harley (OGE)00:15:46
163. TUFT Svein (OGE)00:15:48
164. BURGHARDT Marcus (BMC)00:16:05
165. CAVENDISH Mark (OPQ)00:16:06
166. KUCHYNSKI Aliaksandr (KAT)00:16:27
167. LAMOISSON Morgan (EUC)00:16:37
168. BLYTHE Adam (BMC)00:17:01
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