Tour de France 2015: Chris Froome dominates to take giant step towards second yellow jersey

Chris Froome blew away his rivals as he launched a devastating attack in the Tour de France's first mountain test to extend his lead in the general classification.

The 2013 winner's triumph on stage 10 as the race hit the Pyrenees surely means the yellow jersey is his already with 11 stages left.

Froome destroyed the field on the six-mile climb up the twisting, sun-scorched roads to the ski resort of Le Pierre-Saint-Martin.

None of the other four contenders who spent Monday's rest day harbouring hopes of winning could live with his searing pace.

Froome's lead before the stage was 12secs over Tejay van Garderen - it is now two minutes 52 secs over the American.

The Kenya-born rider was cheered across the line by thousands of fans who had flocked to the mountain roads hoping for a French win on Bastille Day.

Instead, they saw a masterclass from the Brit, who had to quit last year's Tour, as he bagged the sixth stage win of his career.

Froome won the 103.7mile (167km) stage by a massive 59 seconds from Porte, the Aussie who will leave Sky at the end of the season to pursue his own grand tour dreams.

Porte's late sprint after - along with Geraint Thomas who is now fifth overall - pacing Froome saw him take over the King of the Mountains jersey.

Colombia's Nairo Quintana trailed home third but was 64 secs down - he is 3:09 adrift now - though the other Tour contenders fared even worse.

Two-time champ Alberto Contador and Vincenzo Nibali were both dropped before Froome attacked.

Italy's defending champion Nibali lost over four minutes and looks a pale shadow of the rider who dominated last year's Tour and there is surely no way back for him now.

"I'm lost for words, it was textbook from the team, the guys rode such a good race," Froome said. "I'm over the moon to finish the way I did."

Team Sky boss Dave Brailsford had revealed on the rest day that their computers had been hacked with Froome's secret training data stolen.

Sky believe they will be used in an attempt to discredit his displays and his critics will probably use this destructive stage win as another chance to attack him.

Froome's only threat was having to take his right hand off his bike to wave spectators away as they ran just yards in front of him on the sun-scorched mountain roads.

The Monaco-baed rider had told his rivals to attack him if they wanted to take the famous maillot jaune from him.

But it was Froome who put the hammer down with around five miles left when only Team Sky team-mate Richie Porte and Quintana were left.

Froome was left to power home before Porte took second from the Colombian near the finish on a decisive day for the Tour.