2013 Tour de France stage 16 results and photos

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2013 Tour de France
100th edition: June 29 - July 21, 2013

Stage 16 results and photos

Back to 2013 Tour de France | Photos from stage 16 (posted bleow results and maps) |

Tuesday, 16 July: Stage 16: Vaison la Romaine - Gap, 168 km

Rated Ascents:

Km 17.5: Côte de la Montagne de Bluye, 5.7 km @ 5.6% gradient, Category 3
Km 48.0: Col de Macuègne (1,068m), 7.6 km @ 5.2%, Category 2
Km 156.5: Col de Manse (1,268 km), 9.5 km @ 5.2%, Category 2

Stage 16 finish

Weather: At the finish in Gap at 12:45 PM local time it's 28C (83F), sunny, with the wind from the southeast at 10 kph (6 mph). The wind is forecast to shift and be from the west-southwest. There is a 20% chance of rain in Gap. Humidity is 44%.

The Race: 179 riders started and finished today, Thibaut Pinot and Danny van Poppel having dropped out before the stage start.

A big move of 20 that grew to 32 riders went early. By 27 km into the race, the gap back to the bunch was 35 seconds. Five kilometers later they were caught.

Almost immediately, a counter-attack with Philippe Gilbert, Rui Costa, Johnny Hoogerland, and Thomas Voeckler went off. This time it looked like the peloton had accepted the break and 44 kilometers into the stage the 26 riders had 5min 41sec. The highest placed member in the break was Daniel Navarro, 26th in GC and 23min 26sec down.

The first two hours were raced at 43.0 km/hr and the gap had grown to 7min 43sec.

Sky rode at the front and was content to give race leader Froome an easy day letting the break ride away. With 42 km remaining the lead had grown to 9min 42sec.

With the start in Gap of the Col de Manse, Blel Kadri and Jean-Marc Marino had escaped and were dangling 18 seconds ahead of the break with the peloton almost 12 minutes back. The crowds in Gap were huge.

After a series of attacks from several riders, Rui Alberto Costa had driven himself 23 seconds clear of what was left of the break.

When the Yellow Jersey group hit the Col de Manse, Katusha with Joaquin Rodriguez tried to pull clear but Sky was having none of it. Katusha's acceleration had, however, thinned the pack. Cadel Evans and Mikel Nieve were among the casualties. Soon there were only about six riders left with Froome.

Bam! Alberto Contador jumped. Richie Porte dragged the others back. A couple of kilometers up the climb Contador went again and again Porte pulled him back. Another Contador attack and Porte was dispatched. Then the Froome group slowed and Porte regained contact. Another casualty was GC 9th place Laurens Ten Dam, who was not among the riders with Froome.

Over the top of the Manse, Costa was 50 seconds ahead of his chasers.

Costa's move was perfectly timed. He cruised into Gap alone for a brilliant solo win.

About eleven minutes later the Yellow Jersey Group crested the Manse. They descended at speed with Contador relentlessly attacking out of every corner. Contador faltered on a corner (couldn't exactly see what happened), putting Froome into the grass. The two were up quickly. Porte waited and paced the duo back up to the others, who looked to have waited for the Yellow Jersey. Froome waved to Contador to come to the front to do some work, but Contador declined the privilege. During the final kilometers Alejandro Valverde dragged the group to the finish, working to distance teammate Nairo Quintana from Laurens Ten Dam.

This was a hard day of racing instead of what was expected, an easy day before Wednesday's time trial.

Results: