‘I went for victory and didn’t look back’: should Mikel Landa have waited for Chris Froome at Peyragudes?
Chris Froome loses yellow jersey on summit finish to Peyragudes
The loyalty of Team Sky domestique Mikel Landa came into question after he left leader Chris Froome behind on stage 12 of the Tour de France to Peyragudes on Thursday.
When the race exploded and Froome slipped behind in the final few hundred metres, the Spaniard raced for the race win at the high Pyrenean airport strip, while Froome lost 22 seconds and with it the yellow jersey.
>>> Chris Froome loses yellow jersey to Fabio Aru as Romain Bardet wins Tour de France summit finish
"The last 200m turned into a sprint, and instead of losing time, I played for the victory, and didn't even look back," said Landa. "I tried to setup Chris, and I didn't see him, and he was a bit back."
Some questioned if Landa was following the Sky playbook when a video emerged of Landa and head sports director Nicolas Portal in a seemingly heated discussion post-stage.
Landa had followed Daniel Martin (Quick-Step Floors) at 200 metres remaining and moved clear of then yellow jersey Froome.
Froome dropped from first to second overall while Landa jumped form ninth to seventh overall. It strengthened Sky's position, but caused a stir considering Froome struggled on his own for the final metres while Landa battled for the win.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
>>> Chris Froome: 'No excuses' for losing Tour de France lead on stage 12 summit finish
"If I was playing for the win, I would have been further up," added Landa. "I don't know if I would have won, but I would have been close."
Had Landa won or placed second or third, instead of fourth, he would have taken the bonus seconds from Froome's rivals.
Watch: Tour de France stage 12 highlights
"We were trying to control the stage," Portal said. "We knew the last kick would be very decisive. Everything was going well up until that point.
"Everyone did a great job. Landa tried to go for the bonus. He tried to go for the stage victory for him, and for the time bonuses. When the race starts to be crazy, and hard to control, so it's nice to have one guy more in GC."
>>> Will Team Sky now ride more aggressively to win this Tour de France for Chris Froome?
Causing more speculation that Landa may be racing for himself is the new contract that he reportedly has for 2018 with Movistar.
Team Sky signed Landa to lead their Giro d'Italia team after he placed third overall racing for Astana in 2015. He dropped out of the 2016 edition and in 2017, after losing time in a crash with Geraint Thomas and others, he won a stage and mountains classsification blue jersey.
Last year in the Tour, he helped Froome to his third title. Even if he is expect to leave the team at the end of the season, Sky has him in their elite Tour team again.
"Froome has already won three Tours," Landa added. "Even though we didn't expect what happened [in stage 12], it doesn't change much. Now we will just have to attack."
On the same finish in 2012, controversy arose when Froome had to slow to wait for then team leader Bradley Wiggins.
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Gregor Brown is an experienced cycling journalist, based in Florence, Italy. He has covered races all over the world for over a decade - following the Giro, Tour de France, and every major race since 2006. His love of cycling began with freestyle and BMX, before the 1998 Tour de France led him to a deep appreciation of the road racing season.
-
Five things to look out for ahead of the Tour of Flanders
Lidl-Trek's impressive form and Mathieu van der Poel's explosive start to the Classics season could make for quite the contest this weekend
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
A bikepacking trip is the perfect way to see the last viewable solar eclipse in the U.S. for 20 years - here's how
Following a 115-mile-wide path, the April 8, 2024 solar eclipse will last just under four-and-a-half minutes and can be viewed from multiple U.S. midwest and east coast bike routes
By Kristin Jenny Published
-
The art of peaking with Geraint Thomas: 'It’s easy to take for granted that 9 times out of 10 I hit my goals'
The Welshman also calls for better governance in the sport to help it grow further
By Chris Marshall-Bell Published
-
Ineos Grenadiers’ 500th victory was claimed by a woman; why do they still not have a team?
The British squad is one of the richest in cycling - but Ineos still won’t stump up for a women’s team
By Adam Becket Published
-
'This is so much more than a number': Six of the best Ineos Grenadiers wins as team claims 500th race victory
Pauline Ferrand-Prévot took the 500th team win at the weekend
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Tom Pidcock 'wouldn’t be surprised' to see attacks before the Poggio at Milan-San Remo
British rider will lead the line for Ineos Grenadiers alongside Filippo Ganna
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Ineos Grenadiers delighted with Egan Bernal’s late cameo on stage one of Paris-Nice
Colombian snapped up key bonus seconds in the general classification battle on run in to Les Mureaux
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
‘It doesn’t change anything’ - Tom Pidcock’s coach on Tadej Pogačar at Strade Bianche
Kurt Bogaerts says the pressure is off for Pidcock as he looks to defend the title he emphatically won last year
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Ineos Grenadiers say they will work with British Cycling to get Tour of Britain back on ‘as quickly as possible’
Ben Swift and Owain Doull both say it would be a "shame" were the Tour of Britain to be no more
By Adam Becket Published
-
‘We're now the hunter, not the hunted’ - New Ineos Grenadiers CEO commits to reclaiming top spot amongst WorldTour elite
John Allert outlines team’s targets and ambitions for 2024, including regaining Grand Tour dominance of old
By Tom Thewlis Published