LA TOUSSUIRE, France (Reuters) – Bradley Wiggins took matters into his own hands to defend and retain his overall Tour de France lead in a short but eventful mountain stage at La Toussuire yesterday. Defending champion Cadel Evans and Italy’s Vincenzo Nibali used the four climbs on the short 148.5-km 11th stage to try and topple the Briton, but failed.
Evans’s attempt in the out-of-category Croix de Fer pass, some 65km before the finish was a damp squib, which the Australian paid for dearly in the ascent to La Toussuire as he was dropped with 5.5km to go.
The Australian crossed the line 2:23 behind stage winner Pierre Rolland of France, who finished on his own, and more importantly lost 1:26 to Wiggins.
Nibali, expected to attack in the day’s tricky descents, made two bold attempts in the final climb which Wiggins, helped by team-mate Chris Froome, stamped out perfectly.
Froome is now second overall, 2:05 behind Wiggins, while Nibali retained third place, 2:23 adrift. Evans is now off the podium in fourth place, 3:19 off the pace.
Already crowned in the prestigious stage finish up l’Alpe d’Huez a year ago, Rolland made it two in succession for his Europcar team after Thomas Voeckler’s victory in Bellegarde sur Valserine a day earlier.
Fellow-Frenchman Thibaut Pinot, winner of the 8th stage in Porrentruy, was second in the stage ahead of Froome.
Today’s 226-km 12th stage again includes two first category climbs before a more lenient finish towards Annonay.