▁of ▁French men ▁Syl v ain ▁Ch av anel , ▁Ben o ît ▁V au gren ard ▁and ▁Fred dy ▁B ich ot , ▁claimed ▁the ▁s print s ▁and ▁the ▁two ▁small ▁category ▁ 4 ▁clim bs ▁early ▁on ▁in ▁the ▁stage . ▁The ▁group ▁att ained ▁a ▁maximum ▁lead ▁of ▁ 5 ' 1 5 '' ▁after ▁ 9 5   km . ▁The ▁main ▁field ▁split ▁on ▁the ▁clim b ▁of ▁the ▁Col ▁de ▁la ▁Cro ix - Mor and , ▁with ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁spr inter s ▁and ▁lead out ▁men ▁fell ▁back ▁into ▁an ▁aut ob us , ▁and ▁many ▁short - l ived ▁attempts ▁to ▁catch ▁the ▁two ▁remaining ▁rid ers ▁from ▁the ▁break away , ▁V au gren ard ▁having ▁been ▁dropped . ▁ ▁Ch av anel ▁and ▁B ich ot ▁surv ived ▁to ▁the ▁top ▁of ▁the ▁Col ▁de ▁la ▁Cro ix - Mor and , ▁giving ▁Ch av anel ▁sufficient ▁points ▁on ▁the ▁day ' s ▁clim bs ▁to ▁gain ▁the ▁lead ▁in ▁the ▁King ▁of ▁the ▁Mountains ▁classification , ▁but ▁he ▁was ▁caught ▁with ▁ 2 0 m ▁remaining , ▁and ▁B ich ot ▁ 7   km ▁later . ▁The ▁aut ob us ▁rejo ined ▁the ▁second ▁pel ot on ▁on ▁the ▁descent ▁from ▁the ▁Col ▁de ▁la ▁Cro ix - Mor and , ▁before ▁the ▁field ▁split ▁into ▁several ▁small ▁groups ▁again . ▁R iders ▁who ▁pos ed ▁no ▁threat ▁to ▁the ▁GC ▁attacked ▁on ▁the ▁way ▁up ▁to ▁Super -