BMC have won the 28km team timetrial from Vannes to Plumelec, but Chris Froome continued to tighten his grip on the leader’s yellow jersey.

His Sky team may even have beaten the world team timetrial champions on Sunday but for Ireland’s Nicolas Roche cracking on the final 1.7km, 6.2 percent climb to the finish.

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Having started the climb 5sec ahead of BMC, Sky missed out on the win by just one second.

“I was pretty generous again in the second half of the course,” said a distraught Roche.

“It’s true that G (Geraint Thomas) was really strong and that took me out of my comfort zone. I don’t have any words to explain my disappointment.”

But Froome still put time into the three other members of the ‘fantastic four’ favourites with reigning champion Vincenzo Nibali losing out the most of all.

His Astana team finished fifth at 35sec from BMC and the 30-year-old Italian is now 2min 22sec behind Froome in 13th place.

Ahead of Monday’s first rest day, it was a second disappointing stage in a row for Nibali, who also lost 10 seconds on Saturday, and the Sicilian must regroup quickly before Tuesday’s first mountain stage.

Two-time former winner Alberto Contador’s Tinkoff-Saxo were fourth on the stage at 28sec and the Spaniard is now fifth overall at 1min 03sec.

Colombian climber Nairo Quintana’s Movistar team finished third but only gave up 4sec by the finish and the 2014 Giro d’Italia winner is up to ninth overall at 1min 59sec.

But many eyes will now be on Tejay Van Garderen, who was second to Froome at last month’s Criterium du Dauphine, and sits second overall at 12sec.

The American was fifth in the Tour both last year and in 2012 and may now believe he has what it takes to challenge for the overall victory.

AFP jb