Peter Kennaugh delivered a brilliant performance to help Chris Froome move into the yellow leader’s jersey at the Tour de France on Saturday.
The 24-year-old Manxman produced a stunning shift on the front of the peloton during the 194-kilometre stage from Castres to Ax 3 Domaines to deliver his team-mates Froome and Richie Porte to a Team Sky one-two.
Kennaugh came to the fore on the Col de Pailheres in the Pyrenees, the highest peak of this year’s edition of Le Tour, and drove a relentless pace to reduce the gap to the leading group of Johnny Hoogerland, Jean-Marc Marino, Rudy Molard, Robert Gesink and Thomas Voeckler.
Indeed, such was the speed that the Manxman set that the chasing group was reduced to just 25 riders as yellow jersey hopefuls Cadel Evans, Andy Schleck, Tibault Pinot and Joaquim Rodriguez all suffered severely and were blown off the back.
Eventually Kennaugh dropped back himself and Porte set the pace before Froome shocked his rivals by launching a devastating late attack to surge clear for a superb solo victory.
Speaking after the race, Kennaugh couldn’t hide his delight: ‘I’m pretty happy with myself and obviously the way Richie and Froomey were able to finish it off. For me getting selected for the Tour was a big thing in itself and I was always a bit nervous about how I was going to perform and whether I was going to live up to the job that I had to do. Today I proved why I was selected. It’s great for the team and my own confidence as well.’
And the Manxman’s performance certainly didn’t go unnoticed. Team Sky’s website described it as ‘the day he came of age’ while the team’s sports director Nicolas Portal commented: ‘The whole team did an incredible job. We took it up right from the start with Geraint Thomas riding on the front for us.
‘Pete Kennaugh was amazing, Vasil Kiryienka too - but the whole team can be proud of themselves today.’
After the highs of Saturday’s stage, Kennaugh was brought back down to earth with a bump (literally) on Sunday. Just a few kilometres into the mountainous 165km stage from Saint Girons to Bagnéres de Bigorre, the Manxman was sent crashing off the road and into a ditch when a fellow rider clipped him.
Kennaugh sprawled into the undergrowth and temporarily disappeared from view, before emerging looking a little dazed and shaken up, but physically OK except for a cut on this left arm.
That set off a chain of events which led to Froome being isolated at the front for the majority of the race but Kennaugh was able to recover and help Porte.
Froome eventually finished 14th to retain the jersey.
Today (Monday) is a rest day while Tuesday’s stage should end in a bunch sprint which would suit Mark Cavendish.