With a headwind recorded at the start, and crosswinds at the first two time checks, the course was a testing one, and not just because of the bumpy route profile.

Alexis Gougeard (Ag2r-La Mondiale) set the early clubhouse lead with a time of 54 minutes and 37 seconds, but with a host of specialist time trial riders on the course early in the day, it was never going to stand for long.

Polish champion Maciej Bodnar (Tinkoff) smashed that mark, with a time of 52.47, before Australian time trial champion Rohan Dennis (BMC Racing) shaved another 51 seconds off the best time.

Britain’s Cummings (Dimension Data), one of the few early pace-setters not be a national time trial champion, looked well set for a second stage win when he set the fastest times at the first two time checks, but the Merseysider lost time on the final part of the course.

Movistar’s Portuguese national time trial champion Nelson Oliveira was next into the hot seat, carrying his pace into the final rise to the finish line, unlike Cummings, to knock another ten seconds off the mark.

Dumoulin’s time appeared unbeatable, meaning attention was focussed instead on how the GC men fared against each other.

Geraint Thomas (Team Sky) did any personal ambitions of a top-ten finish he still holds no harm, catching Pierre Rolland (Cannondale) and finishing just inside two minutes of Dumoulin’s mark.

Of the riders in the top ten, Daniel Martin lost lots of time in the early part of the course, while Romain Bardet looked to be struggling with the wind as he veered from his line several times.

Fabio Aru (Astana) was another to struggle – already three minutes down as he wrestled through the third time check with the final climb to come, he was 4’25” down on Dumoulin at the finish.

Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha), like many of the smaller riders, also cursed the wind as he finished a second over the 55-minute mark.

Richie Porte (BMC Racing) put in a steady 53.23 on a ride which included a near-miss with a French tricolore as the wind blew a small spectator’s flag across his path, but appeared disappointed he had been unable to get more out of the stage.

Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo) had more luck though, riding himself firmly into GC contention, becoming only the fifth man within two minutes of fellow Dutchman Dumoulin.

Froome, however, was enjoying another stunning day on the bike and was rapidly closing in on three-minute man Adam Yates (Orica-BikeExchange) when Nairo Quintana (Movistar) finished in 53.23.

Yates clocked a time of 53.16 but Froome was already entering the final 500m as his fellow Brit finished – Dumoulin’s time safe, but the only one that was as he finished in second-place just 63 seconds slower than the Dutchman.

The stage, for the second time in this year’s Tour de France, belonged to Dumoulin but for Froome it is a commanding lead he now holds overall

Tour de France 2016: stage 13 – result

1) Tom Dumoulin (NED) – Giant-Alpecin – 50.15
2) Chris Froome (GBR) – Team Sky +1.03
3) Nelson Oliveira (POR) – Movistar +1.31
4) Jerome Coppel (FRA) – IAM Cycling +1.35
5) Rohan Dennis (AUS) – BMC Racing +1.41
6) Bauke Mollema (NED) – Trek-Segafredo +1.53
7) Geraint Thomas (GBR) – Team Sky +2.00
8) Ion Izaguirre (ESP) – Movistar +2.02
9) Tony Martin (GER) – Etixx-QuickStep +2.05
10) Steve Cummings (GBR) – Dimension Data +2.24

General classification

1) Chris Froome (GBR) – Team Sky – 58.02.51hrs
2) Bauke Mollema (NED) – Trek-Segafredo +1.47
3) Adam Yates (GBR) – Orica-BikeExchange +2.45
4) Nairo Quintana (COL) – Movistar +2.59
5) Alejandro Valverde (ESP) – Movistar +3.17
6) Tejay van Garderen (USA) – BMC Racing +3.19
7) Romain Bardet (FRA) – Ag2r-La Mondiale +4.04
8) Richie Porte (AUS) – BMC Racing +4.27
9) Daniel Martin (IRL) – Etixx-QuickStep +5.03
10) Fabio Aru (ITA) – Astana +5.16