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Froome extends TDF lead

Le Mont Ventoux - Britain's Chris Froome took another step towards yellow jersey triumph on the Tour de France with a second mountaintop victory of the 100th edition at Mont Ventoux on Sunday.

Team Sky leader Froome finished just ahead of Colombian Nairo Quintana of Movistar after attacking a small group of rivals 7.2km from the summit finish of the 20.8km climb to the 'Giant of Provence'.

Spain's former two-time winner Alberto Contador (Saxo) was unable to respond when Froome spun away from a small group of riders having seen many of them drop off the pace following a strong relay from Australian teammate Richie Porte.

Having started the 242.5km 15th stage 2min 48secs down on Froome, Contador finished in sixth at 1:40 to drop to 4:25 behind the leader and 11secs adrift of second-placed Dutchman Bauke Mollema.

It is Froome's fourth career stage win on the race and second of the 100th edition after his victory atop Ax-Trois-Domaines in the Pyrenees on last Sunday's eighth stage.

"It's a mythic climb. It's the biggest win of my career," said Froome, who added that he needed oxygen at the finish to help him breathe.

"It was my aim today to take as much time as possible for the GC (general classification)."

On what was the longest stage of the race, expectations were high that Froome's Sky team, having lost two key riders in recent days, would come under attack from a number of teams chasing various goals in the race.

Sky, however, put the setback of losing Vasili Kiryienka and Edvald Boasson Hagen behind them on their way towards placing Froome in the perfect position thanks to a long spell of fast pace-setting early on the final climb.

A nine-man breakaway had escaped earlier in the day and as none were a threat to the yellow jersey, they were allowed to build a lead of seven minutes on the chasing bunch.

The last of that group, Frenchman Sylvain Chavanel, was caught halfway up the 20.8km trek to the Ventoux summit and after some speculative attacks, Froome's leading group began to thin in dramatic fashion.

Former Tour champion Andy Schleck struggled to keep pace and rode into a ditch while 2011 champion Cadel Evans of Australia was next to feel the effects of the fast pace.

Euskaltel rider Mikel Nieve attacked with 14km remaining, prompting Quintana to dance on his pedals and pull away from the peloton with 12.8km remaining.

After Sky's Pete Kennaugh's pace-setting job was over, Porte began his relay with 9.5km to race and the Australian's efforts did the most damage.

Dutch climbing specialist Robert Gesink and Spain's Alejandro Valverde were next to feel the pace.

Soon, Mollema and Belkin team-mate Laurens ten Dam were left behind as Froome followed Porte's wheel with Contador keeping a tight rein.

When Froome's attack came, it was spectacular, the Kenyan-born Briton spinning away from his Spanish rival. He caught Quintana with 6.7km to race and after testing the Colombian again rode away for good in the final two kilometres.

"I didn't think I'd win the stage," added Froome. "I thought Quintana would. But at the end he lost his legs a bit and so I just raced on ahead."

Results from the 15th stage of the Tour de France, a 242.5km ride from Givors to Mont Ventoux on Sunday:

1. Chris Froome (GBR/SKY) 5h48min 45sec (average: 41,7 km/h)
2. Nairo Quintana (COL/MOV) at 0:29.
3. Mikel Nieve (ESP/EUS) 1:23.
4. Joaquin Rodriguez (ESP/KAT) 1:23.
5. Roman Kreuziger (CZE/SAX) 1:40.
6. Alberto Contador (ESP/SAX) 1:40.
7. Jakob Diemer Fuglsang (DEN/AST) 1:43.
8. Bauke Mollema (NED/BKN) 1:46.
9. Laurens ten Dam (NED/BKN) 1:53.
10. Jean Christophe Peraud (FRA/ALM) 2:08.
11. Bart De Clercq (BEL/LTB) 2:12.
12. Michael Rogers (AUS/SAX) 2:26.
13. Alejandro Valverde (ESP/MOV) 2:32.
14. Daniel Martin (IRL/GRM) 2:36.
15. Richie Porte (AUS/SKY) 2:49.
16. Daniel Moreno (ESP/KAT) 3:06.
17. Robert Gesink (NED/BKN) 3:11.
18. Michal Kwiatkowski (POL/OPQ) 3:14.
19. Romain Bardet (FRA/ALM) 3:15.
20. Maxime Monfort (BEL/RSH) 3:31.
21. Igor Anton (ESP/EUS) 4:07.
22. John Gadret (FRA/ALM) 4:56.
23. Jan Bakelants (BEL/RSH) 5:04.
24. Jesus Hernandez (ESP/SAX) 6:13.
25. Andrew Talansky (USA/GRM) 6:38.
26. Peter Velits (SVK/OPQ) 6:44.
27. Maxime Mederel (FRA/SOJ) 6:44.
28. Pierre Rolland (FRA/EUC) 8:39.
29. Philippe Gilbert (BEL/BMC) 8:46.
30. Steve Morabito (SWI/BMC) 8:46.
31. Cadel Evans (AUS/BMC) 8:46.
32. Haimar Zubeldia (ESP/RSH) 8:46.
33. Rudy Molard (FRA/COF) 8:46.
34. Luis ngel Mat (ESP/COF) 8:46.
35. Daniel Navarro (ESP/COF) 8:46.
36. Eduard Vorganov (RUS/KAT) 10:07.
37. Adam Hansen (AUS/LTB) 10:29.
38. Andreas Kloden (GER/RSH) 10:42.
39. Andy Schleck (LUX/RSH) 10:42.
40. Yury Trofimov (RUS/KAT) 11:16.
41. Jos Serpa Perez (COL/LAM) 12:01.
42. Thomas Voeckler (FRA/EUC) 12:02.
43. Brice Feillu (FRA/SOJ) 12:23.
44. Audrey Amador (CRC/MOV) 12:34.
45. Peter Kennaugh (IDM/SKY) 12:38.
46. Jrome Coppel (FRA/COF) 13:06.
47. Simon Clarke (AUS/ORI) 13:16.
48. Lars Petter Nordhaug (NOR/BKN) 13:16.
49. Juan Jose Oroz (ESP/EUS) 13:16.
50. Bram Tankink (NED/BKN) 13:28.
51. Guillaume Levarlet (FRA/COF) 14:08.
52. Alexis Vuillermoz (FRA/SOJ) 14:51.
53. Sylvain Chavanel (FRA/OPQ) 15:29.
54. Nicolas Roche (IRL/SAX) 16:39.
55. Christophe Riblon (FRA/ALM) 16:47.
56. Tony Gallopin (FRA/RSH) 16:56.
57. Laurent Didier (LUX/RSH) 16:56.
58. Johnny Hoogerland (NED/VAC) 17:14.
59. Tom Dumoulin (NED/ARG) 17:14.
60. Hubert Dupont (FRA/ALM) 17:14.
61. Amal Moinard (FRA/BMC) 17:14.
62. Mikel Astarloza (ESP/EUS) 17:14.
63. Cyril Gautier (FRA/EUC) 17:50.
64. Arthur Vichot (FRA/FDJ) 17:57.
65. Anthony Delaplace (FRA/SOJ) 18:19.
66. Thomas De Gendt (BEL/VAC) 18:25.
67. Wout Poels (NED/VAC) 18:25.
68. Jos Joaquin Rojas (ESP/MOV) 19:20.
69. Rubn Plaza (ESP/MOV) 19:20.
70. Rui Costa (POR/MOV) 19:20.
71. Lieuwe Westra (NED/VAC) 19:20.
72. Tom Danielson (USA/GRM) 19:20.
73. Kanstantsin Siutsou (BLR/SKY) 19:20.
74. Enrico Gasparotto (ITA/AST) 19:20.
75. Francesco Gavazzi (ITA/AST) 19:20.
76. Serguey Lagutin (UZB/VAC) 19:20.
77. Markel Irizar (ESP/RSH) 19:20.
78. Cyril Lemoine (FRA/SOJ) 19:20.
79. Simon Geschke (GER/ARG) 19:52.
80. Thibaut Pinot (FRA/FDJ) 19:56.
81. Brent Bookwalter (USA/BMC) 19:56.
82. Pierrick Fedrigo (FRA/FDJ) 20:06.
83. Arnold Jeannesson (FRA/FDJ) 20:06.
84. Alexandre Geniez (FRA/FDJ) 20:30.
85. Simon Gerrans (AUS/ORI) 23:07.
86. Daryl Impey (RSA/ORI) 23:07.
87. Stuart O'Grady (AUS/ORI) 23:07.
88. Cameron Meyer (AUS/ORI) 23:07.
89. David Millar (GBR/GRM) 23:07.
90. Johannes Frhlinger (GER/ARG) 23:07.
91. Andr Greipel (GER/LTB) 24:49.
92. Lars Boom (NED/BKN) 24:54.
93. Marcus Burghardt (GER/BMC) 25:26.
94. Manuel Quinziato (ITA/BMC) 26:59.
95. Daniele Bennati (ITA/SAX) 26:59.
96. Matteo Tosatto (ITA/SAX) 26:59.
97. Jeremy Roy (FRA/FDJ) 27:13.
98. Przemyslaw Niemiec (POL/LAM) 27:36.
99. Manuele Mori (ITA/LAM) 27:36.
100. Aliaksandr Kuschynski (BLR/KAT) 27:36.
101. Fabio Sabatini (ITA/CAN) 27:36.
102. Koen de Kort (NED/ARG) 27:36.
103. Roy Curvers (NED/ARG) 27:36.
104. Marcel Sieberg (GER/LTB) 27:36.
105. Danny van Poppel (NED/VAC) 27:36.
106. Imanol Erviti (ESP/MOV) 27:36.
107. Kristjan Koren (SLO/CAN) 27:36.
108. Tejay Van Garderen (USA/BMC) 27:36.
109. Damiano Cunego (ITA/LAM) 27:36.
110. Egoitz Garca (ESP/COF) 27:36.
111. Frederik Willems (BEL/LTB) 27:36.
112. Christophe Le Mevel (FRA/COF) 27:36.
113. Maarten Wijnants (BEL/BKN) 27:36.
114. Ryder Hesjedal (CAN/GRM) 27:36.
115. David Veilleux (CAN/EUC) 27:36.
116. Lars Ytting Bak (DEN/LTB) 27:36.
117. Jens Voigt (GER/RSH) 27:36.
118. Romain Sicard (FRA/EUS) 27:36.
119. Davide Malacarne (ITA/EUC) 27:36.
120. Dmitry Muravyev (KAZ/AST) 27:36.
121. Sergio Paulinho (POR/SAX) 27:36.
122. Samuel Dumoulin (FRA/ALM) 27:36.
123. Sep Vanmarcke (BEL/BKN) 27:36.
124. Jrme Cousin (FRA/EUC) 27:36.
125. Tony Martin (GER/OPQ) 27:36.
126. John Degenkolb (GER/ARG) 27:46.
127. Geraint Thomas (GBR/SKY) 27:56.
128. Niki Terpstra (NED/OPQ) 28:05.
129. Yohann Gene (FRA/EUC) 28:16.
130. Peter Sagan (SVK/CAN) 28:28.
131. Alan Marangoni (ITA/CAN) 28:28.
132. Kris Boeckmans (BEL/VAC) 28:28.
133. Sbastien Minard (FRA/ALM) 28:28.
134. Ian Stannard (ENG/SKY) 28:39.
135. Albert Timmer (NED/ARG) 28:39.
136. David Lopez (ESP/SKY) 28:56.
137. Rein Taaramae (EST/COF) 29:08.
138. Tom Leezer (NED/BKN) 29:48.
139. Alessandro De Marchi (ITA/CAN) 29:48.
140. Maciej Bodnar (POL/CAN) 29:48.
141. Alberto Losada (ESP/KAT) 29:48.
142. Yukiya Arashiro (JPN/EUC) 30:23.
143. Jack Bauer (NZL/GRM) 31:26.
144. Julien Simon (FRA/SOJ) 32:09.
145. Matthew Goss (AUS/ORI) 32:36.
146. Greg Henderson (NZL/LTB) 32:36.
147. Michael Albasini (SWI/ORI) 32:36.
148. Murilo Fischer (BRA/FDJ) 32:36.
149. Brett Lancaster (AUS/ORI) 32:36.
150. Mark Cavendish (GBR/OPQ) 32:36.
151. Jrme Pineau (FRA/OPQ) 32:36.
152. Juan Antonio Flecha (ESP/VAC) 32:36.
153. Boy Van Poppel (NED/VAC) 32:36.
154. Ramunas Navardauskas (LTU/GRM) 32:36.
155. Gert Steegmans (BEL/OPQ) 32:36.
156. Ruben Perez Moreno (ESP/EUS) 32:36.
157. Julien El Fars (FRA/SOJ) 32:36.
158. Kvin Reza (FRA/EUC) 32:36.
159. Jrgen Roelandts (BEL/LTB) 32:36.
160. Gorka Izagirre (ESP/EUS) 32:36.
161. Brian Vandborg (DEN/CAN) 32:36.
162. Jon Izagirre (ESP/EUS) 32:36.
163. Tom Veelers (NED/ARG) 32:36.
164. Moreno Moser (ITA/CAN) 32:36.
165. Marcel Kittel (GER/ARG) 32:36.
166. Svein Tuft (CAN/ORI) 32:36.
167. Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ/AST) 32:36.
168. Pavel Brutt (RUS/KAT) 32:36.
169. Alexander Kristoff (NOR/KAT) 32:36.
170. Assan Bazayev (KAZ/AST) 32:36.
171. Roberto Ferrari (ITA/LAM) 32:36.
172. Elia Favilli (ITA/LAM) 32:36.
173. Gatis Smukulis (LAT/KAT) 32:36.
174. Blel Kadri (FRA/ALM) 32:36.
175. Jonathan Castroviejo (ESP/MOV) 32:36.
176. Jean-Marc Marino (FRA/SOJ) 32:36.
177. Davide Cimolai (ITA/LAM) 32:36.
178. William Bonnet (FRA/FDJ) 32:36.
179. Matteo Trentin (ITA/OPQ) 32:36.
180. Juan Jos Lobato (ESP/EUS) 32:50.
181. Jonathan Hivert (FRA/SOJ) 50:21.

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