Chris Froome in a class of his own

Chris Froome increased his lead at the top of the general classification of the Tour de France to almost two-and-a-half minutes yesterday, with the race increasingly looking like a battle for second place.

The Team Sky leader looked awesome again on the steepest slopes and, with the help of his erstwhile teammates, they ruthlessly saw off the challenge of several riders who attempted to put the yellow jersey under pressure.

Chief among the aggressors on the final climb to the summit finish at Finhaut-Emosson in Switzerland was Ireland’s Dan Martin, who accelerated clear of a select group with less than two kilometres to go in the 184-kilometre stage.