TdF stage 13: Onley and the Red Bull charge

 

Stage 13: True test of strength, 25 minutes all-out, a battle against the clock and against gravity - 10.9 kilometers uphill to the high-altitude airfield at Peyragudes.

The hellish runway at the end for the riders

Oscar Onley put on his climbing skills and after the steep runway to the line stopped the clock with a time of 25'6"; enough for seventh place and he moves up to fifth place on GC before a big mountain test on Saturday.

"I think it went okay. I was suffering a bit after yesterday which is normal I think. Looking at the times now, I think we've all suffered a bit out there, but I did what I could. With the steep runway at the end you really had to hold back a bit, which is quite difficult because the rest of the climb was an uncomfortable gradient actually. You saw some road bikes and others on TT bikes. For me, it was a good choice to go on the road bike because I could put down my power better on a climb like this rather than in TT position, and the team worked hard to get the bike as light as possible, which makes quite a bit of difference."

-Oscar Onley 

Primoz Roglic may have raised some eyebrows using a time trial bike, but it paid off. At the first intermediate check, gained 30 seconds and set a new best time at the finish

Florian Lipowitz used his time trial bike and delivered. Two seconds behind Primoz at the first split, nine seconds at the second, and 36 seconds at the finish line. In the end, only the two GC favorites were faster. Roglic finishes in third, Lipowitz takes fourth and is just six seconds off the podium. Primoz Roglic is now less than 90 seconds behind third place.