Tony Martin (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) has won stage 9 of the Tour de France in the Vosges mountains after attacking from a two-man breakaway on the biggest climb of the day. Martin had been leading the race with Cannondale’s Alessandro De Marchi before setting off alone on the first category climb to Le Markstein and powering away to his first road stage victory at the Tour de France.
Tony Gallopin (Lotto-Belisol) finished in the chase group more than five minutes ahead of the peloton, taking the yellow jersey off the shoulders of Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) in the process.
Read the full stage report and full stage 9 results of the 2014 Tour de France.
Today on Stage 10 is the first big mountaintop summit finish [stage 10 profile] which will most certainly see the cream rise to the top and shake up the general classification.
Enjoy the photos from stage 9 courtesy of BrakeThrough Media (follow on Instagram and Twitter) and Cor Vos.
- Tony Martin and Alessandro De Marchi got clear of the peloton a short time after summiting the Col de la Schlucht, opening up a gap of roughly 30 seconds as the second climb of the day began.
- With 130km to go, on the slopes of the Cote des Cinq Chateaux climb, a group of 26 riders slipped clear of the peloton, again containing Joaquim Rodriguez, Pierre Rolland (Europcar), Fabian Cancellara (Trek) and Tony Gallopin (Lotto-Belisol).
- Astana controlled the pace back in the main peloton, but Fuglsang said after the race that they willingly let the jersey go: “I think we said from the beginning that our intentions were not to keep it. To keep it all the way to Paris, okay, but if we could let it go and then take it back, that would be perfect for us. In the end, we said in the meeting this morning that we wouldn’t kill ourselves to keep the jersey.” “As you can see, on a day like today, the team spends quite some energy,” he said. “We have the jersey, we have to defend it or to control the race. That is the task that comes with the jersey and that costs energy, for sure.”
- Tony Martin said after the race, “This really comes close to my first success in the worlds,” he said afterwards, savouring the success and the emotions it brought. “It was amazing. It is really special to win a road race, not just a time trial. And especially when you can celebrate it in the last few kilometres when you know you have it. The last few minutes in particular were incredible.”
- Tony Martin said after the race, “I think I am know for some crazy actions, also in the past. Not always it works out but today it did,” he said. “There was also some kind of strategy behind it. I knew that when the 20, 28 guys would chase us doing, for me the chance to win out of the break would be really, really difficult because there was a flat finish and I am not the fastest guy in the sprint. “So I decided to go all or nothing. Uphill everybody goes fast but most of the time on the descent and the flat you can really make time as everybody in the big break is watching each other. I guess that happened behind us. Uphill we made the same speed, but on the top and the descents we made really good time. I knew there would be the point where they would give up.”
- Fabian Cancellara and Greg Van Avermaet sprint towards the line for second place 2:45mins behind Tony Martin.
- Tony Gallopin was the virtual yellow jersey on the road who finished in a chasing group two minutes 45 seconds behind Martin. Crucially, this was five minutes and one second up on Nibali and the rest of the main bunch, thus handing him yellow by one minute 34 seconds.
- Tony Gallopin celebrates taking the yellow leaders jersey with his girlfriend Marion Rousse at the finish.
- Tony Martin now leads the Mountains Classification by one point over Blel Kadri who won stage 8 but lost the jersey today.
- Frenchman Tony Gallopin was, quite understandably, ecstatic at the change in kit for Monday’s Bastille Day stage. “I think the sensation of being the yellow jersey on July 14th will be amazing,” he said, referring to the country’s national holiday and the significance it holds for French riders. “I was dreaming about taking it. I started thinking it was possible after the stage of the pavé. Today Mark Sargeant gave me the opportunity. He allowed me to go for it and I wish to thank him for this.”