Stage 9 report
BMC wins team time trial as Froome keeps yellow
The team’s remaining six riders were forced to limp around the 28km course between Vannes and Plumelec, finishing with a time of 37min 13sec, some way behind stage winner BMC at 32min 15sec, but happy to complete the ride unscathed.
In 2013, the year current leader Chris Froome (Sky) won the Tour de France, Simon Gerrans ended up in the yellow jersey after the team blitzed a Stage 4 team time trial in Nice in record time, and all just a day after Gerrans had won Orica-GreenEDGE’s first Tour stage.
Two years later, things couldn’t be more different, with Gerrans out of the race and barely enough fit riders to record a time.
“Today was all about conserving energy and getting all six riders to the line with as little effort as possible,” Orica-GreenEDGE sport director Matt White said after the stage, when even a GoPro camera wasn't able to stay on the bike. But at least the riders did.
“Michael (Matthews) is getting better and better every day. When he is going to be ready to target a stage, I’m not sure, but today was certainly a day that helps towards that cause.”
Matthews has been riding with broken ribs since the horrific 50km/h Stage 3 crash that knocked out Gerrans and Daryl Impey with a broken wrist and collarbone respectively.
Then yellow jersey holder Fabian Cancellara also withdrew ahead of Stage 4 after despite finishing the stage with a broken back, and FDJ’s William Bonnet was lucky to crawl out alive with shattered bones in his neck.
Orica-GreenEDGE then suffered again on Stage 5, when Michal Albasini was caught up in another crash, breaking his upper left arm as the Tour’s 2015 course continued to bear its teeth.
With a rest day ahead, White has not ruled out a possible stage victory for Matthews, which would be a phenomenal result if it can be achieved.
“There are certainly days in the second week that we are going to go for, when and where we will have to see,” White said.
