The Promenade des Anglais was something of a call to victory for Chris Froome's Team Sky. On the other hand, the Australians of Orica Greenedge won, who after making the whole world laugh with the team bus stuck under the arch of the finish line in Bastia, have been getting serious for two days now by forfeiting stages and the yellow jersey with Simon Gerrans, winner in Ajaccio and today protagonist with his teammates in a fantastic gallop at almost 58 km per hour in the team time trial in Nice, the fastest of all time: the spectacular train of kangaroos (Clark, Goss, Lancaster, Meyer and O 'Grady as well as Gerrans) with the multi-ethnic collaboration of Swiss (Albasini), Canadians (Tuft) and South Africans (Daryl Impey) managed to do better than 75 cents of Omega Pharma Quick Step.
The formation of Cavendish, Chavanel and Toni Martin, a specialist in races against the clock, who started second from the very central Place Massena, have long relished the pleasure of victory, which would have given the Pole Michal Kwiatkowski the yellow jersey to wear over that youth leader white.
Having celebrated the success of the Australians, the Tour, landed on the Côte d'Azur after the three days in Corsica, tonight after today's time trial, albeit with great caution waiting for the Pyrenees which will arrive over the weekend, draws the first exit polls among the candidates for the final victory. And despite having finished third with Team Sky, 3" from the Orica Greenedge, Chris Froome actually won the first confrontation with his most accredited rivals: the white Kenyan, a naturalized Englishman, gave 6" to Contador (fourth with the his Team Saxo-Tinkoff); 16” to Valverde and Nairo Quintana, the two leaders of Movistar, the former a bit worn out, the latter a climber to be discovered; 23” to the always combative Cadel Evans (Bmc); 25” to Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha) and Andy Schleck (Radioshack-Leopard).
Altogether minimal gaps, but which do not disregard the forecasts of the eve that give Froome great favorite of this centenary Tour.
