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2014 Tour de France: Martin triumphs on Stage 9, Gallopin into yellow

July 13, 2014
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World time trial champion Tony Martin (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) took his third career Tour de France win Sunday with a dominant display over a medium mountain route. Martin also pulled on his first polka dot King of the Mountains jersey. It was a fine day for Tonys, as Vincenzo Nibali (Italy/Astana) loaned the yellow jersey to Frenchman Tony Gallopin (Lotto-Belisol), who was part of a large chase group.

The 170 km course from Gérardmer to Mulhouse offered six categorized climbs, including a Cat. 2 that kicked up soon after the gun. This encouraged a 23-man breakaway to clamber up the climb, with Thomas Voeckler (France/Europcar) first over the top. However this initial escape was reined in on the plateau.

Soon after the catch, Martin bolted with Alessandro De Marchi (Italy/Cannondale), who sought the King of the Mountains jersey. Joaquim Rodriguez (Spain/Katusha) lit out after the duo and this sparked an enormous 26-rider chase group peppered with five Europcar riders and Canadian Christian Meier (Orica-GreenEdge).

The gaps between the break, the chase, the yellow jersey group and the sprinters’ autobus lagging behind continued to grow over two Cat. 3’s and one Cat. 2. The Astana-driven yellow jersey group seemed content to let everyone get away.

Up until the 101st Tour’s first Cat. 1 climb, De Marchi had been taking the maximum KOM points. But on the initial slopes of the 10.8 km Le Markstein, Martin took off on his partner and crested alone. When the big chase group got near the peak Rodriguez kicked off a sprint to take the third place KOM points.

By the top of the day’s last climb, the Cat. 3 Grand Ballon, the chase was close enough to De Marchi that Rodriguez pipped the Italian for the sole remaining point. For all his efforts, De Marchi wouldn’t even get the polka dot jersey. Meier shuttled back to the peloton.

Over the final 40 km it was clear that Martin would win the stage. It also seemed likely that the highest placed man in the chase, Frenchman Tony Gallopin (Lotto-Belisol) would nick the yellow jersey from Nibali.

Gallopin bombed down the long descent towards Mulhouse and broke loose with compatriot Mikael Cherel (Ag2r) to ensure his maillot jaune coup. The chase group brought them back on the flat approach.

Der Panzerwagen’s victory makes it the first time three Germans (Martin, Greipel and Kittel) have won stages in the same Tour since 1937. Gallopin is the first Frenchman to wear yellow since Voeckler in 2011 and will parade the leader’s jersey on Bastille Day.

Monday’s stage, the last before the first rest day, holds even harder Vosges mountains, with a summit finish on Cat. 1 La Planches Des Belles Filles.


2014 Tour de France Stage 9
1) Tony Martin (Germany/Omega Pharma-QuickStep) 4:09:34
2) Fabian Cancellara (Switzerland/Trek) +2:45
3) Greg Van Avermaet (Belgium/BMC) s.t.
76) Svein Tuft (Canada/Orica-GreenEdge) +7:46
113) Christian Meier (Canada/Orica-GreenEdge) +9:13
2014 Tour de France GC
1) Tony Gallopin (France/Lotto-Belisol) 38:04:38
2) Vincenzo Nibali (Italy/Astana) +1:34
3) Tiago Machado (Portugal/NetApp) +2:40
113) Svein Tuft (Canada/Orica-GreenEdge) 1:02:56
115) Christian Meier (Canada/Orica-GreenEdge) 1:03:37

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