Froome booed as BMC edges Sky

CHOLET, France — Chris Froome was booed by a section of the public on the starting ramp, but otherwise enjoyed a great day in the Tour de France team time-trial on Monday where Team Sky was edged by four seconds by winners BMC.

Belgian team Quick Step came third at seven seconds, but because Fernando Gaviria was dropped along the route he failed to reclaim the race leader’s yellow jersey, which was instead claimed by BMC’s Olympic road race champion Greg van Avermaet.

“It’s a great feeling and very good for the team. I have my chances to win tomorrow too and also at the Roubaix,” said Van Avermaet.

It was also a very satisfying day for Froome, the Kenyan-born Briton ignoring some booing at the start line and making up some of the valuable time he lost on Saturday’s first stage.

Defending champion Froome lost four seconds to Richie Porte, but took five seconds off British rival Adam Yates, eight seconds off world champion Tom Dumoulin of Sunweb, 50 seconds off Colombia’s Nairo Quintana and was a less-than-expected one minute, 11-second quicker than French hope Romain Bardet.

While Sky’s top placed rider is Geraint Thomas three seconds off the lead, 2017 Giro winner Dumoulin is just 11 seconds down, but perhaps Bardet is the man with the most to smile about at this stage.

“For God sake don’t sell this as a two-horse race because it’s not, not this year,” a source close to Bardet told AFP.

“But boy we are so happy to get here without having had two minutes stuck into us by Froome,” he said of Bardet’s 20 second deficit on the champion.

Bardet had indeed cut a happy figure on the line after his AG2R team, built for the mountains, came in 12th 1:15 seconds behind BMC.

Bardet waited at the finish line to greet each one of the teammates he dropped in a mad final push for the line and hug them.

“Our team is our strength,” said Bardet.

Porte’s BMC team had been expected to make up for their disappointing first day when their Australian leader fell.

“There was way too much wind for me,” said the slightly-built Porte.

“So taking four seconds off Chris (Froome of Sky) is good and it looks like a minute off Romain Bardet at least,” said the BMC leader.

“We were favorites and it was good to deliver.