Froome starts stage 13 of Tour with 3-minute lead
Barring mishap, Froome's lead should remain unchanged.
TOURS, France (AP) - The 13th stage of the Tour de France started on Friday, with race leader Chris Froome holding a three-minute-plus lead on another flat route for sprinters.
The Tour has been nervy so far, with several bad crashes. There was another right at the end of the 12th stage, and Froome was lucky enough to be riding just ahead of it.
With the mountains looming, the British rider will be looking to stay out of trouble on the 173-kilometer (107.5-mile) trek from Tours, which is surrounded by the Loire river, to Saint-Amand-Montrond, a small town in the center of France.
Barring mishap, Froome s lead should remain unchanged.
He is 3 minutes, 25 seconds ahead of second-placed Alejandro Valverde; 3:37 clear of Bauke Mollema, and 3:54 ahead of two-time former champion Alberto Contador.
