Amid reinforced security a day after the deadly attack in Nice, the Tour de France rolled on and defending champion Chris Froome extended his overall lead.
Thousands of people lined the 37.5-kilometre (23-mile) time trial route to La Caverne du Pont-D’Arc to celebrate the Tour and pay homage to the dozens killed and injured by a truck which drove through beachfront crowds celebrating Bastille Day.
Froome finished second to Tom Dumoulin on the 13th stage, but ahead of all other general classification contenders. A time trial specialist, Dumoulin was in a league of his own but Froome limited his time loss to 63 seconds.
“It’s terrible what happened and overshadows the day a lot,” said Dumoulin, who also won a mountain stage last week in the Pyrenees. “So you’re speaking to a man with two sides to his face today. Of course I’m happy with the win, but at the same time my thoughts are with everyone involved in the horrific attacks in Nice.”
Froome leads Dutch rider Bauke Mollema by 1:47 overall, and fellow Briton Adam Yates was third, 2:45 back.
Froome’s main rival in the mountains, Colombian climber Nairo Quintana, was lagging by 2:59.
There was a minute’s silence after the stage, as the yellow, green, and polka-dot jersey plus the stage winner gathered on the podium with bouquets.
“It’s a very sad day,” said Froome, who tweeted a picture of the French flag in the morning.
“I’m affected by all the things that happened in France. My thoughts are with all the families affected by the attack. I want to express my solidarity with France.” Froome attended the post-stage news conference with a black armband.
He made only a brief statement after race organisers said he would not take questions about his performance on the bike. “It’s pretty clear today,” said Froome, who lives near Nice in Monaco, “everyone’s thoughts are with those affected down in Nice, and it’s difficult for us to be talking about the race. I do a lot of training on those roads and to see the Promenade (des Anglais) the way it was last night, with bodies all over the place, was just horrific. My deepest sympathies go out to the affected families.”
The attack, on France’s national holiday, did not deter fans from showing up in numbers at the starting line in the small town of Bourg-Saint-Andeol.
“We can’t let our guard down, but it was important that they continued the race,” said fan Bruno Pruvost after organisers decided the stage would go ahead following an emergency meeting with authorities. “Otherwise, it would be too easy for them.” There was also a moment of silence at the start, several hours’ drive from Nice, and Tour director Christian Prudhomme wore a black armband around his blue shirt.
“We want to pay homage to the victims with dignity,” said Prudhomme, holding back tears. “We have been asking ourselves if the race should continue and, after consulting with authorities, we have decided that it should. The Tour de France will continue in a subdued and solemn manner.” The publicity caravan, which precedes the riders on the route every day handing out free gifts and souvenirs and blasting loud music, rode silently.
Security had already been reinforced at the Tour this month, with France in a state of emergency since the Paris attacks last November. The three-week race is protected by an unprecedented force of 23,000 police officers, including SWAT-like intervention squads, while security guards perform bag checks and pat downs at the start and finish of every stage.
Eric Luzet, the police liaison officer to the Tour, told The Associated Press that extra security measures were implemented overnight, with 600 police officers in charge of security for the stage.
Mollema, who was involved in a crash with Froome inside the last kilometre on Mont Ventoux on stage 13, when a TV motorbike was forced to stop on the road because of fan congestion, said his “thoughts are with the people in Nice.”
Froome was awarded the same time as Mollena, a decision that left Mollema unhappy. But the Dutch rider put his rivalry with Froome aside, and had a strong ride on the windy and narrow roads in the picturesque Gorges de l’Ardeche. Mollema was 1:54 behind Dumoulin, while Richie Porte, Tejay Van Garderen and Romain Bardet all lost ground to Froome.
