Marco Marcato produces aggressive ride for UAE Team Emirates as Swift grabs ninth

UAE Team Emirates’ Marco Marcato produced an exciting attacking display during stage 11 of the Tour de France, leading the breakaway for over 175km of the 203.5km race. Fellow UAE Team Emirates rider, Ben Swift also had a promising race, finishing ninth amongst General Classification (GC) contenders in a solid sprint finish.

It was another stage win for Marcel Kittel (Quick-Step Floors) whose breath-taking sprint to the line earned him a fifth stage win of the Tour. Chris Froome (Team Sky) retained the Yellow Jersey.

Commenting on the breakaway, Marco Marcato said: “We tried since the start to make the breakaway. We knew it was difficult to get to the finish line, but we hoped all the chase work was on Quick-Step’s shoulders, but they found their way with the other teams who were chasing us. It’s a pity, but I will keep fighting.”

Speaking on his top 10 finish, Ben Swift said: “I think day by day now I’m getting better and better. It was a tough sprint with that tight left hand corner and it was slightly up hill. I was in a good position but I just can’t match the guys when they go like that. We need to wait until tomorrow when we hit the mountains and hopefully the next few days will be a little bit better, we can look for a breakaway and hopefully I will have better legs than last weekend. It was quite hectic. I decided to sit really far back and not to fight with the lead out trains and just move in the final 4km. I was one of the last guys for the last 20km, but coming around the corner I was in 5th. It was chaotic to pick my way through, but you pick and choose riders to follow, those who are doing the same as me. I was hoping that it was going to be more of a straight forward finish, go early and do a longer one to try and catch some of the lead out guys who are running out, and catch them off guard. Maybe in one of the future stages I will have a go.”

Stage 12 sees riders enter the Pyrenees Mountains in what could be a tough day of racing for riders, ahead of a daunting Stage 13. A range of category four, two and one climbs are followed by a HC climb on 184km. With a summit finish, riders will have to navigate another steep climb to finish in Peyragudes.

Results stage 11

1 Marcel Kittel (Ger) Quick-Step Floors 4:34:27

2 Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo s.t.

3 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Dimension Data s.t.

9 Ben Swift (GBr) UAE Team Emirates s.t.

General classification 11 stage

1 Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky 42:27:29

2 Fabio Aru (Ita) Astana Pro Team +18’’

3 Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale +51’’

11 Louis Meintjes (RSA) UAE Team Emirates +5’