Tour de France Stage 11: Uran Top Finisher as Solo Rider Stays Away

Etixx - Quick-Step rider Rigoberto Uran finished 52nd (+15'54") in a 188km 11th Stage of Le Tour de France, from Pau to Vauterets, on Wednesday. Rafal Majka (Tinkoff-Saxo) attacked a seven rider breakaway on HC Col du Tourmalet (17.1km, 7.3% average gradient) with 48.2km to go, and went on to win the stage solo. 

Dan Martin (Cannondale-Garmin) also in the earlier breakaway that included Majka, finished 2nd. Emmanuel Buchmann (Bora-Argon 18), another rider from the former breakaway, finished 3rd.

A select group of riders formed around Chris Froome (Team Sky) in the yellow jersey, and the group quickly dropped from about 34 riders to 13 on the Tourmalet. Uran, after being paced back to the group by three teammates after a mechanical, stayed with the group until about 44.2km remained in the race. Uran is now 17th overall (17'55") after the stage. 

Michal Kwiatkowski entered into an early breakaway of four riders, but the move was brought back at the 47th kilometer. 

Etixx - Quick-Step looks next to another tough high mountain stage on Thursday: 195km Stage 11 from Lannemezan to Plateau de Beille. The parcours features four tough climbs includin  Category 2 Col de Portet-d'Aspet (4.3km at 9.7%), Category 1 Col de la Core (14.1 km, 5.7%) - category 1 Category 1 Port de Lers (12.9 km, 6%) and a summit finish on HC Plateau de Beille (15.8 km, 7.9%).

"Even today I didn't feel well," Uran said. "On Col du Tourmalet I gave everything to stay with the yellow jersey group. But 4 kilometers from the top of the climb I really couldn't follow. I'm sad because after the first week I was feeling good. I prepared well for this Tour. But this is the situation right now. Together with the team we will try to analyze the reasons I'm not performing as well as I expected. Now of course I have to change my goals for the next days. But Le Tour is not over and we will keep on fighting."