Ruben Plaza’s day but Chris Froome a step closer

Plaza’s win was as long coming for him personally as it was welcome to his team; he’s been in the pro peloton for 15 years and yesterday was his first Tour stage win while it also marked the first triumph for his success-starved Italian squad.
The Spaniard was one of 23 riders who made the day’s break on the 201 kilometre run from Bourd de Peage to Gap and with the Alps looming after today’s rest day, he perhaps knew it was the last chance of a stage win.