Tour de France 2022, stage 16: Live updates as Pyrenees await tired peloton

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Marc Soler is over seven – SEVEN – minutes down on the maillot jaune which itself is ove seven – SEVEN – minutes down on the breakaway.

Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) provided his thoughts on the next three stages exclusively for Eurosport and GCN: “We’ve got the three guys on GC [general classification], then Dani [Martínez] and Castro [Jonathan Castroviejo] slowly getting over their sickness. Hopefully we will be riding well these three days. We see this as a big three day block and we’ll take it as it comes.

“Looking at the guys in front, not too much other than over-exuberance. Looking behind, we need to keep one eye on them but you’re always trying to look ahead and move forward. With the TT (time trial) up my sleeve it’s a nice one to have, but these three days I think we can expect anything as there could be attacks all over the place.”

The breakaway has increased its lead further still to 7min 35sec, which is good news for Aleksandr Vlasov who will, as it stands, be moving up into the top five in the general classification. Alberto Contador, meanwhile, has been talking on Eurosport where he is working as an in-race commentator, and has speculated that Marc Soler, who is riding just metres ahead of the dreaded voiture-balai – broom wagon – may not be completing this stage.

The TV cameras, understandably, have been focused on Marc Soler for some time now and it is not a pretty picture. The 28-year-old is labouring and is ver a minute down on the maillot jaune and his team leader Tadej Pogacar who has already lost team-mates Vegard Stake Laengen and George Bennett.

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