Lance Armstrong’s provocative Tour de France tweet

LANCE Armstrong has provoked some quick reaction on Twitter after raising a hypothetical question about cheating.

(FILES) TO GO WITH AFP STORY BY IAN WHITTELL A file photo taken on July 21, 2010 shows US cyclist Lance Armstrong as he arrives to participate in a training session during the second of the two rest days of the 2010 Tour de France cycling race at the hotel hosting the US cycling team in Pau, south west France. AFP PHOTO / NATHALIE MAGNIEZ

LANCE Armstrong took notice of Chris Froome’s big day at the Tour de France and provoked some quick reaction on Twitter when he raised a hypothetical question about cheating.

Froome and Sky teammate Richie Porte of Australia dominated the Pyrenees mountain stage, prompting Armstrong to post a series of tweets: “Getting lots of questions regarding today’s first mountain stage...” and “Clearly Froome/Porte/Sky are very strong. Too strong to be clean? Don’t ask me, I have no clue.”

Getting lots of questions regarding today's first mountain stage @letour. Some thoughts to follow.

— Lance Armstrong (@lancearmstrong) July 14, 2015

1. Clearly Froome/Porte/Sky are very strong. Too strong to be clean? Don't ask me, I have no clue.

— Lance Armstrong (@lancearmstrong) July 14, 2015

It was a provocative question from a rider whose domination of the Tour de France from 1999-2005 was wiped from the record books for using performance-enhancing drugs in each victory. Critics swiftly noted his past cheating.

“I’m not accusing anyone,” Armstrong quickly responded. “In fact, quite the opposite. I’m not interested (nor do I have the credibility) to opine there.”

. @danieljcastille I'm not accusing anyone In fact, quite the opposite. I'm not interested (nor do I have the credibility) to opine there.

— Lance Armstrong (@lancearmstrong) July 14, 2015

Froome, the 2013 Tour champion, holds the yellow jersey as race leader. Like Armstrong in his heyday, Froome left several top rivals behind in the key mountain stage.

Over the earpiece tucked below his helmet, Froome’s team sent word that his panting rivals were struggling in the thinning air of the high Pyrenees, on the first skyward climb of this year’s race.

Clearly, they were having a bad day. So Froome decided to make it even worse.

Reprising the formula that carried him to victory in 2013, Froome barked an order to three teammates leading him up the punishing ascent: speed up.

Shattered by the fierce uphill pace, trailing riders scattered behind them, their bluffs called and hopes dashed.

The first A-lister to crack was none other than last year’s champion, Vincenzo Nibali. Sweat beading off his chin, the Sicilian was cooked. The biggest high-profile loser of Stage 10 shed more than 4 minutes to Froome, all but ending his Tour defence.

Next, Alberto Contador dropped from the by-now shriveled group of the Tour’s hardiest, most pain-resistant climbers. The 2007 and 2009 champion zigzagged across the steep tarmac as Froome’s trusty lieutenant Richie Porte applied yet more speed. That doomed the Spaniard’s chances of adding the 2015 Tour to the Giro d’Italia title he won in May.

Chris Froome celebrates as he wins the 10th stage of the Tour de France.

Two down, one major rival to go. Froome took down Nairo Quintana himself. Rising from his saddle with 6km still to climb to the La Pierre-Saint-Martin ski resort, Froome accelerated away, head down, legs pumping. The bill for Quintana, who rode in third behind Froome and Porte at the top, was very costly: 1 minute and 10 seconds lost overall to the British race leader, who is now firmly in control of cycling’s showcase race.

“When we got up onto that last climb and we heard the big names that were struggling and getting dropped ... I turned to the guys who were still with me at that point — it was Wouter Poels, Richie Porte and Geraint Thomas — and just said, ‘Guys, come on let’s on push on here. We’ve got them in trouble,”’ Froome said.

“I couldn’t have asked for it to go any better.”

For his rivals, it couldn’t have been much worse.

“Froome has landed a hammer blow on the Tour,” said Nibali, the Astana team leader now a whopping 6:57 behind Froome overall in 10th place. “I have no more to give. I’m not even the younger brother of the Nibali from last year.”

Originally published as Lance Armstrong’s provocative Tour de France tweet