Tour de France – Stage 17

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In his third Tour de France, Simon Geschke (Giant-Alpecin) wins his first Tour de France stage victory whilst theres drama for GC contenders

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Tour de France – Stage 17

ASO Press Release

In his third participation, Simon Geschke (Giant-Alpecin), 29, claimed his first Tour de France stage victory and the third success of his career after stage 2 of the 2011 Critérium International in Porto-Vecchio and the GP Gippingen in 2014.

Known as a domestique, he rode away from a breakaway group with 50km to go and stayed away on the Col d’Allos to keep enough of a lead over of Thibaut Pinot who crashed on the downhill.

Chris Froome retained the yellow jersey as he crossed the line along with Nairo Quintana, while Alberto Contador and Tejay van Garderen were the big losers from the favorites.

Simon Geschke: “It’s incredible to win a stage of the Tour de France. I’ve been dreaming about it since I started cycling. But it wasn’t easy. I’m not a sprinter, I’m not a climber, I’m just an all rounder. I got selected by the team to help in the first week and take my chance in the second or third week”.

“It’s a different tactic to race for a bunch sprint victory or the stage on the cobblestones with John Degenkolb or a top 10 with Warren Barguil. We were used to winning the first stage with Marcel Kittel in the past two years. That took pressure off the team. It’s been harder to reach success this time but we never lost hope and the atmosphere in the team was always good. Nobody expected me to be the first stage winner of the team.”

“I’ve had good results in Grand Tours before but always through breakaways. Today, had I stayed with Richie Porte, Thibaut Pinot or Andrew Talansky, they would have dropped me on the long climb (col d’Allos) so my only way to win was to go away before the climb. The downhill was really challenging but it’s part of cycling. I was at the limit at the top of the climb. On every curve, I paid attention and it went well”.

A peloton of 168 riders took the start of stage 17. Laurent Didier (Trek) was a non-starter. Green jersey holder Peter Sagan (Tinkoff-Saxo) was once again the most aggressive rider of the early part of the race. There were many unsuccessful skirmishes but the first real event of the day was Tejay van Garderen (BMC) being dropped at km 38 on the ascent to the first categorized climb, the col des Lèques.

The American, third overall, was sick (headaches) and courageously made his way back to the pack at km 82 as he profited from a chase led by Michal Kwiatkowski (Etixx-Quick Step). But he was dropped again on the ascent to the col de la Colle-Saint-Michel and abandoned the Tour de France at km 91. (read more here )

A break of 28 riders in the lead including Sagan, Majka and Pinot
In the meantime, a front group of 28 riders formed at km 57, comprising: Tanel Kangert (Astana), Jan Bakelants and Mikaël Chérel (AG2R-La Mondiale), Thibaut Pinot and Benoît Vaugrenard (FDJ), Richie Porte and Nicolas Roche (Sky), Rafal Majka and Peter Sagan (Tinkoff-Saxo), Jonathan Castroviejo, José Herrada and Gorka Izagirre (Movistar), John Degenkolb and Simon Geschke (Giant-Alpecin), Alberto Losada (Katusha), Adam Yates (Orica-GreenEdge), Rigoberto Uran (Etixx-Quick Step), Perrig Quémeneur (Europcar), Steven Kruijswijk (LottoNL-Jumbo), Kristjian Durasek and Rafael Valls (Lampre-Merida), Andrew Talansky and Ryder Hesjedal (Cannondale-Garmin), Nicolas Edet (Cofidis), Mathias Frank (IAM Cycling), Merhawi Kudus, Serge Pauwels and Daniel Teklehaimanot (MTN-Qhubeka). They got an interesting lead of 4.20 at km 88.

Geschke on his own after the intermediate sprint
On the ascent to the col de la Colle-Saint-Michel, Alberto Contador and Michael Rogers (Tinkoff-Saxo) attacked from the yellow jersey group. The Spaniard forged on but was eventually brought back by firstly Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) and secondly by the peloton led by Team Sky.

Vaugrenard won the intermediate sprint at km 111, after which Geschke rode away solo as the cooperation in the leading group of 28 riders wasn’t good anymore. The yellow jersey group eased up as well. Geschke forged on in the ascent to col d’Allos.

Pinot sped up 4km before the summit to close a deficit of two minutes. Geschke passed the highest peak of this year’s Tour de France (2250m) one minute before Pinot who crashed on the downhill.

The German all rounder, whose father Jurgen was an Olympic medalist as a track sprinter in 1972 and 1976, resisted the return of Andrew Talansky and Rigoberto Uran who had passed Pinot on the downhill.

Alberto Contador was the other star whose hopes vanished because of a crash whilst on the uphill finish to Pra Loup, Nairo Quintana attacked but didn’t take Chris Froome by surprise, so the Brit comfortably kept the yellow jersey.

Reactions

Chris Froome: “Downhill has never been a weakness for me. I didn’t take any risk today but other riders have had to and some of them have crashed. It helped me to know the downhill of col d’Allos, through the Dauphiné and the reconnaissance of the Alpine stages”.

“It also helped me to have Richie Porte dropping back from the breakaway and keeping the GC contenders close enough. It’s a good day for us. Unfortunately it’s a bad one for Tejay van Garderen who had the potential to make the podium in Paris. His abandon combined with Alberto Contador’s crash puts Geraint Thomas in the top 5, which is fantastic for us”.

“It would be a dream to have him on the podium in Paris as well but for now we remain focused on the yellow jersey. I wouldn’t say my rivals are desperate but I can see they take more risks. I’ve been surprised to see Quintana and Valverde attacking after 50km and Contador with 100km to go”.

“It would have been a very long effort, had he stayed away. Those moves have put us under pressure but my team stayed calm and kept me at the front. I have the feeling that their tactic is all or nothing. It gives me a taste of what I can expect in the next three days. They’ll attack me more and more, especially Contador after he crashed today. But they’re running out of opportunities and I feel pretty good at the moment.”

2015_July_Vision_tdf_SM

Stage 17
1 GESCHKE Simon TEAM GIANT-ALPECIN 04h 12′ 17”
2 TALANSKY Andrew TEAM CANNONDALE-GARMIN @ 00′ 32”
3 URAN URAN Rigoberto ETIXX-QUICK STEP @ 01′ 01”
4 PINOT Thibaut FDJ @ 01′ 36”
5 FRANK Mathias IAM CYCLING @ 01′ 40”
6 KRUIJSWIJK Steven TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO @ 02′ 27”
7 ROCHE Nicolas TEAM SKY @ 03′ 02”
8 CASTROVIEJO NICOLAS Jonathan MOVISTAR TEAM @ 03′ 04”
9 PAUWELS Serge MTN-QHUBEKA @ 03′ 05”
10 YATES Adam ORICA GREENEDGE @ 03′ 21”
11 BAKELANTS Jan AG2R LA MONDIALE @ 04′ 26”
12 TEKLEHAIMANOT Daniel MTN-QHUBEKA @ 04′ 50”
13 MAJKA Rafal TINKOFF-SAXO @ 04′ 54”
14 KUDUS GHEBREMEDHIN Merhawi MTN-QHUBEKA @ 05′ 55”
15 HESJEDAL Ryder TEAM CANNONDALE-GARMIN @ 05′ 58”
16 CHEREL Mikael AG2R LA MONDIALE @ 06′ 06”
17 QUEMENEUR Perrig TEAM EUROPCAR @ 06′ 55”
18 QUINTANA ROJAS Nairo Alexander MOVISTAR TEAM @ 07′ 16”
19 VALLS FERRI Rafael LAMPRE – MERIDA @ 07′ 16”
20 FROOME Christopher TEAM SKY @ 07′ 16”
21 VALVERDE BELMONTE Alejandro MOVISTAR TEAM @ 07′ 23”
22 NIBALI Vincenzo ASTANA PRO TEAM @ 07′ 31”
23 KANGERT Tanel ASTANA PRO TEAM @ 07′ 52”
24 THOMAS Geraint TEAM SKY @ 08′ 18”
25 GESINK Robert TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO @ 08′ 32”
26 BARTA Jan BORA-ARGON 18 @ 08′ 47”
27 FEILLU Brice BRETAGNE – SECHE ENVIRONNEMENT @ 09′ 12”
28 PORTE Richie TEAM SKY @ 09′ 12”
29 IZAGIRRE INSAUSTI Gorka MOVISTAR TEAM @ 09′ 21”
30 BARGUIL WARREN TEAM GIANT-ALPECIN @ 09′ 21”
31 CONTADOR Alberto TINKOFF-SAXO @ 09′ 33”
32 SANCHEZ Samuel BMC RACING TEAM @ 09′ 50”
33 ROLLAND Pierre TEAM EUROPCAR @ 09′ 58”
34 JUNGELS Bob TREK FACTORY RACING @ 10′ 10”
35 MOLLEMA Bauke TREK FACTORY RACING @ 10′ 10”
36 BARDET Romain AG2R LA MONDIALE @ 10′ 10”
37 HERRADA LOPEZ José MOVISTAR TEAM @ 11′ 00”
38 PANTANO GOMEZ Jarlinson IAM CYCLING @ 11′ 26”
39 JANSE VAN RENSBURG Jacques MTN-QHUBEKA @ 11′ 26”
40 SICARD Romain TEAM EUROPCAR @ 12′ 11”
41 KREUZIGER Roman TINKOFF-SAXO @ 12′ 16”
42 POELS Wouter TEAM SKY @ 12′ 27”
43 SCARPONI Michele ASTANA PRO TEAM @ 12′ 40”
44 EDET Nicolas COFIDIS, SOLUTIONS CREDITS @ 13′ 07”
45 VUILLERMOZ Alexis AG2R LA MONDIALE @ 13′ 18”
46 ROGERS Michael TINKOFF-SAXO @ 13′ 18”
47 RIBLON Christophe AG2R LA MONDIALE @ 14′ 42”
48 CLEMENT Stef IAM CYCLING @ 14′ 56”
49 NAVARRO GARCIA Daniel COFIDIS, SOLUTIONS CREDITS @ 14′ 56”
50 PLAZA MOLINA Ruben LAMPRE – MERIDA @ 15′ 26”
51 LOSADA ALGUACIL Alberto TEAM KATUSHA @ 15′ 26”
52 MALORI Adriano MOVISTAR TEAM @ 15′ 26”
53 DURASEK Kristijan LAMPRE – MERIDA @ 15′ 26”
54 GALLOPIN Tony LOTTO-SOUDAL @ 15′ 26”
55 OLIVEIRA Nelson LAMPRE – MERIDA @ 15′ 40”
56 BAK Lars LOTTO-SOUDAL @ 15′ 47”
57 SCHÄR Michael BMC RACING TEAM @ 16′ 13”
58 CARUSO Damiano BMC RACING TEAM @ 17′ 47”
59 FUGLSANG Jakob ASTANA PRO TEAM @ 17′ 47”
60 BUCHMANN Emanuel BORA-ARGON 18 @ 18′ 03”
61 HANSEN Adam LOTTO-SOUDAL @ 18′ 03”
62 WYSS Marcel IAM CYCLING @ 18′ 03”
63 DE GENDT Thomas LOTTO-SOUDAL @ 21′ 05”
64 TANKINK Bram TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO @ 21′ 05”
65 FEDRIGO Pierrick BRETAGNE – SECHE ENVIRONNEMENT @ 21′ 05”
66 ZUBELDIA AGIRRE Haimar TREK FACTORY RACING @ 21′ 05”
67 GAUTIER Cyril TEAM EUROPCAR @ 21′ 05”
68 VACHON Florian BRETAGNE – SECHE ENVIRONNEMENT @ 21′ 05”
69 ELMIGER Martin IAM CYCLING @ 21′ 05”
70 VAN BAARLE Dylan TEAM CANNONDALE-GARMIN @ 21′ 05”
71 LADAGNOUS Matthieu FDJ @ 21′ 05”
72 MARTENS Paul TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO @ 21′ 05”
73 GRIVKO Andriy ASTANA PRO TEAM @ 21′ 05”
74 HOLLENSTEIN Reto IAM CYCLING @ 21′ 05”
75 DEGENKOLB John TEAM GIANT-ALPECIN @ 21′ 05”
76 ANACONA GOMEZ Winner Andrew MOVISTAR TEAM @ 21′ 05”
77 TIMMER Albert TEAM GIANT-ALPECIN @ 21′ 05”
78 PREIDLER Georg TEAM GIANT-ALPECIN @ 21′ 05”
79 RAST Gregory TREK FACTORY RACING @ 21′ 05”
80 ARREDONDO MORENO Julian TREK FACTORY RACING @ 21′ 05”
81 DE KORT Koen TEAM GIANT-ALPECIN @ 21′ 05”
82 MARTIN Daniel TEAM CANNONDALE-GARMIN @ 21′ 05”
83 WYSS Danilo BMC RACING TEAM @ 21′ 05”
84 ERVITI OLLO Imanol MOVISTAR TEAM @ 21′ 05”
85 MACHADO Tiago TEAM KATUSHA @ 21′ 05”
86 TOSATTO Matteo TINKOFF-SAXO @ 21′ 05”
87 RODRIGUEZ OLIVER Joachim TEAM KATUSHA @ 21′ 05”
88 ROY Jérémy FDJ @ 21′ 05”
89 WESTRA Lieuwe ASTANA PRO TEAM @ 21′ 05”
90 TULIK ANGÉLO TEAM EUROPCAR @ 21′ 05”
91 SAGAN Peter TINKOFF-SAXO @ 21′ 05”
92 KONIG Leopold TEAM SKY @ 21′ 32”
93 KOREN Kristijan TEAM CANNONDALE-GARMIN @ 22′ 13”
94 CARUSO Gianpaolo TEAM KATUSHA @ 22′ 13”
95 PÉRAUD Jean-Christophe AG2R LA MONDIALE @ 22′ 13”
96 MATE MARDONES Luis Angel COFIDIS, SOLUTIONS CREDITS @ 22′ 13”
97 BONO Matteo LAMPRE – MERIDA @ 22′ 13”
98 DENNIS Rohan BMC RACING TEAM @ 22′ 13”
99 ANDERSEN Michael Valgren TINKOFF-SAXO @ 22′ 13”
100 CURVERS Roy TEAM GIANT-ALPECIN @ 22′ 13”
101 OSS Daniel BMC RACING TEAM @ 23′ 46”
102 VAUGRENARD Benoît FDJ @ 24′ 34”
103 IRIZAR ARRANBURU Markel TREK FACTORY RACING @ 25′ 29”
104 NAULLEAU BRYAN TEAM EUROPCAR @ 25′ 29”
105 JANSE VAN RENSBURG Reinardt MTN-QHUBEKA @ 25′ 29”
106 ROWE Luke TEAM SKY @ 25′ 29”
107 GAUDIN Damien AG2R LA MONDIALE @ 25′ 29”
108 GRUZDEV Dmitriy ASTANA PRO TEAM @ 26′ 08”
109 DELAPLACE Anthony BRETAGNE – SECHE ENVIRONNEMENT @ 27′ 35”
110 ONSECA Armindo BRETAGNE – SECHE ENVIRONNEMENT @ 27′ 35”
111 VOECKLER Thomas TEAM EUROPCAR @ 27′ 35”
112 SIMON Julien COFIDIS, SOLUTIONS CREDITS @ 27′ 35”
113 GENE Yohann TEAM EUROPCAR @ 27′ 35”
114 BRUN Fréderic BRETAGNE – SECHE ENVIRONNEMENT @ 27′ 35”
115 PERICHON Pierre-Luc BRETAGNE – SECHE ENVIRONNEMENT @ 27′ 35”
116 CHAVANEL Sylvain IAM CYCLING @ 29′ 54”
117 POZZATO Filippo LAMPRE – MERIDA @ 29′ 54”
118 STYBAR Zdenek ETIXX-QUICK STEP @ 29′ 54”
119 TRENTIN Matteo ETIXX-QUICK STEP @ 29′ 54”
120 MATTHEWS Michael ORICA GREENEDGE @ 29′ 54”
121 GENIEZ Alexandre FDJ @ 29′ 54”
122 SERPA SANTANDER José LAMPRE – MERIDA @ 29′ 54”
122 CIMOLAI Davide LAMPRE – MERIDA @ 29′ 54”
124 SENECHAL Florian COFIDIS, SOLUTIONS CREDITS @ 29′ 54”
125 VANBILSEN KENNETH COFIDIS, SOLUTIONS CREDITS @ 29′ 54”
126 SOUPE GEOFFREY COFIDIS, SOLUTIONS CREDITS @ 29′ 54”
127 DEVOLDER Stijn TREK FACTORY RACING @ 29′ 54”
128 CHAVANEL Sébastien FDJ @ 29′ 54”
129 FARRAR Tyler MTN-QHUBEKA @ 29′ 54”
130 GERARD Arnaud BRETAGNE – SECHE ENVIRONNEMENT @ 29′ 54”
131 VOSS Paul BORA-ARGON 18 @ 29′ 54”
132 CAVENDISH Mark ETIXX-QUICK STEP @ 29′ 54”
133 COQUARD Bryan TEAM EUROPCAR @ 29′ 54”
134 GOLAS Michal ETIXX-QUICK STEP @ 29′ 54”
135 PIMANTA COSTA MENDES José Joao BORA-ARGON 18 @ 29′ 54”
136 RENSHAW Mark ETIXX-QUICK STEP @ 29′ 54”
137 KELDERMAN Wilco TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO @ 29′ 54”
138 HUZARSKI Bartosz BORA-ARGON 18 @ 29′ 54”
139 DEBUSSCHERE Jens LOTTO-SOUDAL @ 29′ 54”
140 NAVARDAUSKAS Ramunas TEAM CANNONDALE-GARMIN @ 29′ 54”
141 VANMARCKE Sep TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO @ 29′ 54”
142 DURBRIDGE Luke ORICA GREENEDGE @ 29′ 54”
143 LEEZER Thomas TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO @ 29′ 54”
144 QUINZIATO Manuel BMC RACING TEAM @ 29′ 54”
145 LAPORTE Christophe COFIDIS, SOLUTIONS CREDITS @ 29′ 54”
146 GUARNIERI Jacopo TEAM KATUSHA @ 29′ 54”
147 VERMOTE Julien ETIXX-QUICK STEP @ 29′ 54”
148 VAN EMDEN Jos TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO @ 29′ 54”
149 GREIPEL André LOTTO-SOUDAL @ 29′ 54”
150 BRÄNDLE Matthias IAM CYCLING @ 29′ 54”
151 SIEBERG Marcel LOTTO-SOUDAL @ 29′ 54”
152 HALLER Marco TEAM KATUSHA @ 29′ 54”
153 DEMARE Arnaud FDJ @ 29′ 54”
154 BOASSON HAGEN Edvald MTN-QHUBEKA @ 29′ 54”
155 YATES Simon ORICA GREENEDGE @ 29′ 54”
156 KRISTOFF Alexander TEAM KATUSHA @ 29′ 54”
157 TUFT Svein ORICA GREENEDGE @ 29′ 54”
158 TEN DAM Laurens TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO @ 29′ 54”
159 CUMMINGS Stephen MTN-QHUBEKA @ 29′ 54”
160 WELLENS Tim LOTTO-SOUDAL @ 29′ 54”
161 WEENING Pieter ORICA GREENEDGE @ 29′ 54”
162 STANNARD Ian TEAM SKY @ 29′ 54”
163 MEINTJES Louis MTN-QHUBEKA @ 37′ 09”
Overall
1 FROOME Christopher TEAM SKY 69h 06′ 49”
2 QUINTANA ROJAS Nairo Alexander MOVISTAR TEAM @ 03′ 10”
3 VALVERDE BELMONTE Alejandro MOVISTAR TEAM @ 04′ 09”
4 THOMAS Geraint TEAM SKY @ 06′ 34”
5 CONTADOR Alberto TINKOFF-SAXO @ 06′ 40”
6 GESINK Robert TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO @ 07′ 39”
7 NIBALI Vincenzo ASTANA PRO TEAM @ 08′ 04”
8 FRANK Mathias IAM CYCLING @ 08′ 47”
9 MOLLEMA Bauke TREK FACTORY RACING @ 11′ 47”
10 BARGUIL WARREN TEAM GIANT-ALPECIN @ 13′ 08”
11 BARDET Romain AG2R LA MONDIALE @ 16′ 04”
12 TALANSKY Andrew TEAM CANNONDALE-GARMIN @ 16′ 25”
13 SANCHEZ Samuel BMC RACING TEAM @ 17′ 52”
14 ROLLAND Pierre TEAM EUROPCAR @ 18′ 37”
15 PAUWELS Serge MTN-QHUBEKA @ 20′ 07”
16 GALLOPIN Tony LOTTO-SOUDAL @ 20′ 12”
17 PANTANO GOMEZ Jarlinson IAM CYCLING @ 21′ 14”
18 PINOT Thibaut FDJ @ 26′ 14”
19 BAKELANTS Jan AG2R LA MONDIALE @ 39′ 22”
20 IZAGIRRE INSAUSTI Gorka MOVISTAR TEAM @ 40′ 48”

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