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| Up, Down and Back Up Again for Victory | Up, Down and Back Up Again for Victory |
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| L’ALPE D’HUEZ, France — The 100th Tour de France had been billed as a battle between a rising star and a fading one: Chris Froome versus Alberto Contador, the commanding leader of this year’s Tour against a once-dominant Grand Tour racer who has struggled all year. | |
| Stage 18 seemed custom-made for their rivalry. For the first time in a Tour, the riders would ascend the daunting Alpe d’Huez twice, with a treacherous descent from the Col de Sarenne in between. As if to fuel the prestage drama, Froome had almost crashed into Contador during a furious downhill chase on Stage 16, and later chided him, saying he should ride more safely. | |
| As if on cue Thursday, Contador sped away from Froome during the descent from Col de Sarenne, all but daring Froome and his teammates on Sky Procycling to follow. It took a while, but they eventually did, catching Contador and then leaving him behind as the race turned up L’Alpe d’Huez for the second time. | |
| At the finish, Froome extended his lead over Contador to 5 minutes 11 seconds. Nairo Quintana, a Colombian climbing sensation on the Movistar team, gained more than a minute on Froome and moved into third place. | At the finish, Froome extended his lead over Contador to 5 minutes 11 seconds. Nairo Quintana, a Colombian climbing sensation on the Movistar team, gained more than a minute on Froome and moved into third place. |
| The stage was won by Christophe Riblon, a French rider on Ag2r La Mondiale, who caught the weary American Tejay van Garderen of BMC less than a mile and a quarter from the finish. Van Garderen, whose fortunes have improved after a miserable initial two weeks, finished the stage in second, nearly a minute back. | The stage was won by Christophe Riblon, a French rider on Ag2r La Mondiale, who caught the weary American Tejay van Garderen of BMC less than a mile and a quarter from the finish. Van Garderen, whose fortunes have improved after a miserable initial two weeks, finished the stage in second, nearly a minute back. |
| Though he solidified his lead over Contador, Froome showed a certain vulnerability on the stage. He had crushed his top challengers twice on mountain stages. But in the final stages Thursday, he motioned repeatedly to his team car for help, until his durable teammate Richie Porte delivered some food. | Though he solidified his lead over Contador, Froome showed a certain vulnerability on the stage. He had crushed his top challengers twice on mountain stages. But in the final stages Thursday, he motioned repeatedly to his team car for help, until his durable teammate Richie Porte delivered some food. |
| As Froome slowed to eat, Quintana and Joaquim Rodríguez of Katusha pulled away. Froome was given a 20-second penalty for eating outside the designated zone. | As Froome slowed to eat, Quintana and Joaquim Rodríguez of Katusha pulled away. Froome was given a 20-second penalty for eating outside the designated zone. |
| Extraordinary performances in Grand Tour races almost always prompt questions about doping in the post-Lance Armstrong era, and that has been the case for Froome throughout this Tour. On Thursday a reporter turned the issue on its head, asking Froome whether his sugar shortage on L’Alpe d’Huez suggested that he was human after all. | |
| “It’s crazy hearing people talk like this,” Froome said. “Any athlete can have a sugar low at the end of a race. | |
| “I know what I’m doing is right, and I’m extremely proud of what I’ve done to get here,” he added. “No one can take that away from me.” | “I know what I’m doing is right, and I’m extremely proud of what I’ve done to get here,” he added. “No one can take that away from me.” |
| Cycling reporters and scientists who monitor performance data for signs of doping raised questions about Froome’s accelerations from the peloton in the Pyrenees and on Mont Ventoux earlier in the race. In response to those questions, Sky allowed the French sports newspaper L’Équipe and a sports scientist, Fred Grappe, to analyze Froome’s power data from six races that involved 18 ascents, including some from this Tour. | Cycling reporters and scientists who monitor performance data for signs of doping raised questions about Froome’s accelerations from the peloton in the Pyrenees and on Mont Ventoux earlier in the race. In response to those questions, Sky allowed the French sports newspaper L’Équipe and a sports scientist, Fred Grappe, to analyze Froome’s power data from six races that involved 18 ascents, including some from this Tour. |
| They did not, however, release the data, which included doping test results, to the public. | They did not, however, release the data, which included doping test results, to the public. |
| In the article, Grappe, a trainer with the FDJ.FR team, said he had found no deviations in Froome’s power output that would clearly indicate the use of performance-enhancing substances. The power he was producing on those rides, in other words, was within the realm of human physiology. | In the article, Grappe, a trainer with the FDJ.FR team, said he had found no deviations in Froome’s power output that would clearly indicate the use of performance-enhancing substances. The power he was producing on those rides, in other words, was within the realm of human physiology. |
| “Basically it is to say these performances are very good, strong, clean sporting performances,” Froome said after the stage. | “Basically it is to say these performances are very good, strong, clean sporting performances,” Froome said after the stage. |
| Ross Tucker, a South African physiologist who has been a leader in calling on professional cycling teams to release such data publicly, said Grappe was a “respected” scientist and called Sky’s move “a great step forward for the sport,” adding, “I’d love for all the teams to do it.” | Ross Tucker, a South African physiologist who has been a leader in calling on professional cycling teams to release such data publicly, said Grappe was a “respected” scientist and called Sky’s move “a great step forward for the sport,” adding, “I’d love for all the teams to do it.” |
| He added that the times up L’Alpe d’Huez on Thursday were not particularly fast — a good thing, in the minds of antidoping watchdogs. “If Froome had flown away from everyone and finished faster than Quintana, then it would still be leaning to the suspicious side,” he said. “This was a more ‘real’ performance.” | He added that the times up L’Alpe d’Huez on Thursday were not particularly fast — a good thing, in the minds of antidoping watchdogs. “If Froome had flown away from everyone and finished faster than Quintana, then it would still be leaning to the suspicious side,” he said. “This was a more ‘real’ performance.” |
| Though Froome’s lead seems commanding, the race is far from over. The 204-kilometer, or 127-mile, stage Friday includes two beyond-category climbs, including the 11.8-mile Col de la Madeleine. As they have throughout the race, Contador’s Saxo-Tinkoff team and Quintana’s Movistar teammates, who have proved strong, are expected to push the speed in an attempt to break Froome’s will. | Though Froome’s lead seems commanding, the race is far from over. The 204-kilometer, or 127-mile, stage Friday includes two beyond-category climbs, including the 11.8-mile Col de la Madeleine. As they have throughout the race, Contador’s Saxo-Tinkoff team and Quintana’s Movistar teammates, who have proved strong, are expected to push the speed in an attempt to break Froome’s will. |
| Riblon’s victory came at the end of a long breakaway in which he, van Garderen and Moreno Moser of Cannondale took turns trying to escape from one another during the final 37 miles of the race. | Riblon’s victory came at the end of a long breakaway in which he, van Garderen and Moreno Moser of Cannondale took turns trying to escape from one another during the final 37 miles of the race. |
| At one point Riblon slid off a rain-slick portion of the descent from the Col de Sarenne. But he did not fall and recovered quickly. And just before that, van Garderen had trouble with his bike and had to stop, allowing the other two to get away. | At one point Riblon slid off a rain-slick portion of the descent from the Col de Sarenne. But he did not fall and recovered quickly. And just before that, van Garderen had trouble with his bike and had to stop, allowing the other two to get away. |
| But van Garderen, who finished fifth last year but was in 50th place at the beginning of Thursday’s stage, doggedly caught up and pushed into first place during the second ascent of L’Alpe d’Huez. | But van Garderen, who finished fifth last year but was in 50th place at the beginning of Thursday’s stage, doggedly caught up and pushed into first place during the second ascent of L’Alpe d’Huez. |
| At one point he had what appeared to be an insurmountable half-minute lead over Riblon. But with less than two kilometers to go, surrounded by screaming, flag-waving French fans, Riblon stood on his pedals and accelerated past van Garderen, who seemed helpless to respond. | At one point he had what appeared to be an insurmountable half-minute lead over Riblon. But with less than two kilometers to go, surrounded by screaming, flag-waving French fans, Riblon stood on his pedals and accelerated past van Garderen, who seemed helpless to respond. |
| At the finish line, Riblon pumped his fists with a look of almost astonished joy. “I noticed he was in difficulty and that I still had a chance,” he said later. | At the finish line, Riblon pumped his fists with a look of almost astonished joy. “I noticed he was in difficulty and that I still had a chance,” he said later. |
| There had been much worried anticipation about the descent from the Col de Sarenne, with several riders, including Tony Martin of Omega Pharma-Quick Step and Andy Schleck of RadioShack-Leopard, complaining that it was dangerous. The road is not just steep, narrow and winding. It is also far from smooth and has no guard rails. | There had been much worried anticipation about the descent from the Col de Sarenne, with several riders, including Tony Martin of Omega Pharma-Quick Step and Andy Schleck of RadioShack-Leopard, complaining that it was dangerous. The road is not just steep, narrow and winding. It is also far from smooth and has no guard rails. |
| Froome added his voice to the concerns, saying Wednesday that he thought race organizers should neutralize the race during the descent if roads were wet. But the weather cooperated; a predicted thunderstorm held off until shortly after the last riders finished. | Froome added his voice to the concerns, saying Wednesday that he thought race organizers should neutralize the race during the descent if roads were wet. But the weather cooperated; a predicted thunderstorm held off until shortly after the last riders finished. |