Rolland could escape clutches of elite group

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Chris Froome once again stamped his tactical as well as physical authority on the Tour de France yesterday with a masterclass of time trialling that gave him his second stage win of this year’s race and stretched his overall lead to 3:52 over Bauke Mollema.

Froome chose to ride an aero bike, whereas many of the climbers opted for a more conventional road machine, and he paced his effort superbly to win by 21 seconds from time-trial specialist Tom Dumoulin.

When Froome went through the first time-check in fifth place, some might have hoped it was a sign that his superiority was fading and there might be life left in this Tour. But the Team Sky leader quickly made up lost ground and was well on top by the end.