Saxo-Tinkoff spring a surprise on Chris Froome in Saint-Amand-Montrond

Michael Rogers, Tour de France 2013, stage thirteen

Saxo Tinkoff answered the question of how they would try to beat Chris Froome in this year's Tour de France with a spontaneous but devastating attack on the windswept roads to Saint-Amand-Montrond on the 13th stage of the race, won by Mark Cavendish (Omega Pharma-Quickstep).

After the peloton had been divided into three echelons in the crosswinds across the centre of France by Belkin and Omega Pharma-Quickstep, the team of Alberto Contador hit the front en masse with 31km to go and forced a crucial split that saw race leader Froome lose touch with the front of the race.

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