Greig Leach

Attacks were expected from the very start of the shortest road stage of the Tour from the moment the racers got the green light. Without a neutralized start and right on to the first climb of the day most thought it would be a general classification race from the get-go. Instead it wasn't until the base of the final climb, the Col du Portet that the first move was made. The first to go was Dan Martin (UAE Team Emirates) who was quickly countered by Nairo Quintana (Movistar). Both riders have had bad luck in the first week of the Tour, and both were much lower down on the general classification than they had hoped and that their talent would leave us all to suspect. Behind them, Geraint Thomas (Sky) lifted the pace to chase. The rest of the his team kept their usual tempo, and Thomas soon joined them. The attacking duo was too far down to effect them, so Sky was going to force others to chase.