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2016 Tour de France Stage 17: Zakarin pounces to Swiss summit victory

Quintana cracks again, Porte on the rise

Ilnur Zakarin
July 20, 2016
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Russian Ilnur Zakarin (Russia) added a Tour de France victory to his 2015 Giro d’Italia triumph, soloing to Wednesday’s win in the Alps. Among the best stage racers in the world, Zakarin was in fifth place late in this year’s Giro when he crashed out. Race leader Chris Froome and Richie Porte attacked in the final couple of kilometres of the summit finish to put seconds into their rivals.

It was time for the Alps, keeping in Switzerland after the last rest day, with two Cat. 3’s leading to a Cat. 1 and HC finish on the Finhaut-Emosson dam.


An early crash and a nervous peloton prevented any breaks from getting clear until the 78-km mark with the first Cat. 3 looming. Eleven men containing Sunday’s protagonists Rafal Majka (Poland/Tinkoff) and Jarlinson Pantano (Colombia/IAM Cycling), Zakarin and the green jersey Peter Sagan pulled loose. Current King of the Mountains Majka nabbed himself two points atop the Côte de Saanenmöser. Two small groups tried to bridge as the break took a 4:00 gap.

The break started to pull out a lot of time, 11:00 by the top of Col des Mosses, where Majka once more took two-points. With 61-km to go, the eleven became 14 as Thomas Voeckler (France/Direct Energie) and early yellow jersey wearer Greg Van Avermaet (Belgium/BMC) arrived.

The gap was 12:00 with 42-km remaining, which looked good for one of the fugitives taking the win. Sagan won the intermediate sprint in Martigny to cement his lead in the points competition.

With 31-km remaining, the climbing hors d’oeuvre, Cat. 1 Col de la Forclaz, began. At 13-km of 7.9%, it was sure to split the escape. Sagan was the first to drop off.


Tony Gallopin (France/Lotto-Soudal) launched an attack on the breakaway, rushing away with Alexey Lutsenko (Kazakhstan/Astana) 4-km into the 13, but neither stayed away under Stef Clement’s work. Movistar ripped the pace in the peloton until Quintana stopped looking full of resolve, but Astana took over and popped Tejay Van Garderen off the back and out of the top-15.
https://twitter.com/BMCProTeam/status/755762842884829185
Majka took the maximum points on the Forclaz and then stole away with old buddy Pantano descending. Giro d’Italia champion Vincenzo Nibali whipped along the yellow jersey group still 11:00 behind.

Three kilometres into the dam climb, Zakarin made it a trio out front and then attacked them with 6.5-km to go. Pantano made it up to the Russian, only to be dropped again. With 4-km to go Zakarin had 18-seconds over the determined Colombian. Down the mountain, Fabio Aru had burned all his Astana matches. First Sky and then Alejandro Valverde took over.

But it was ninth-place Irishman Dan Martin (Etixx-QuickStep) who was first to attack the yellow jersey group, with Valverde quickly falling away. Sky neutralized Martin. Richie Porte (Australia/BMC) was next to go for it, drawing Quintana’s attention and Aru’s rush. Second place Bauke Mollema (The Netherlands/Trek) went out the back.

Then Froome’s remaining man, Wout Poels, brought the yellow jersey and Quintana towards Porte. It was Quintana’s turn to crack and old teammates Froome and Porte carried on together with a kilometre remaining. Quintana sifted down the favourites chasing the Anglophones up front and crossed the line shaking his head.

Froome and Porte only put seven seconds into third place Adam Yates (Great Britain/Orica-BikeExchange), who moved up to within 26-seconds of Mollema. Porte took over sixth place, only a minute behind Quintana for fourth and 12-seconds within fifth place Romain Bardet.

“I really want to be on the podium so they’re the moves that you have to pull,” Porte said. “I felt strong today and I’m happy with how it all went. I’m with BMC Racing Team now and I’m riding for myself so it’s a bit different to the role I’ve had before. But I’m enjoying it, taking it day by day. The team has put some confidence in me and I’m happy with how today went. I know there are three more hard stages to come until Paris. So we’ll just take it day by day.”

Majka’s third place on the day gives him a nearly insurmountable KOM total.

Thursday’s second time trial is mostly an uphill affair, with 11-km of climbing of the 17-km length.

2016 Tour de France Stage 17
1) Ilnur Zakarin (Russia/Katusha) 4:36:33
2) Jarlinson Pantano (Colombia/IAM Cycling) +0:55
3) Rafal Majka (Poland/Tinkoff) +1:26

2016 Tour de France GC
1) Chris Froome (Great Britain/Sky) 77:25:10
2) Bauke Mollema (The Netherlands/Trek) +2:27
3) Adam Yates (Great Britain/Orica-BikeExchange) +2:53
4) Nairo Quintana (Colombia/Movistar) +3:27
5) Romain Bardet (France/AG2R) +4:15
6) Richie Porte (Australia/BMC) +4:27
7) Alejandro Valverde (Spain/Movistar) +5:19
8) Fabio Aru (Italy/Astana) +5:35
9) Daniel Martin (Ireland/Etixx-QuickStep) +5:50
10) Louis Meintjes (South Africa/Lampre) +6:07

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