​PRA LOUP: The first day in the Alps for the Tour de France shattered dreams and wounded souls, and in some cases inflicted physical pain through more crashes.

And with three more punishing Alpine stages to come before the Tour finishes in Paris on Sunday, there was the promise of much more suffering to come.

On Wednesday, few in the tiring peloton were smiling after the 161km 17th stage from Digne-les-Baines to the summit finish at Pra Loup.

It was especially so when the heavens opened – thankfully after the stage, but in time for exhausted riders to be left descending in the rain to the warmth of their team busses in the town of Barcelonnette.

Sure, for the bearded German Simon Geschke (Giant-Alpecin) there was every reason to smile. One of the 28 riders in the day's main break, he soloed to victory, beating American Andrew Talansky (Cannondale-Garmin) by 32 seconds and Colombian Rigoberto Uran (Etixx-QuickStep) by 1 minute, 1 second.

British Tour leader Chris Froome (Sky) also labelled it a good day as he defended his yellow jersey without a crash or mechanical like that suffered by Spaniard Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo) and because his British teammate, Geraint Thomas, moved up to fourth due to Contador's demise and American podium hope Tejay van Garderen (BMC) abandoning the race.

As darkness swept the Alps on Wednesday night, and as thunder continued to rumble and heavy rain fell, it was a ragged peloton that left Barcelonnette for their hotels.

Froome said he had noticed the peloton's fatigue during the stage, saying: "Even [with] the attacks at beginning of the stages, it feels if everyone – myself included – is riding in slow-motion pace compared to that first week when everyone was fresh and you see a lot of big accelerations.

"People are a lot more conservative with their energy at this point of the race. I can definitely see that from my rivals. Everyone is thinking quite carefully about where they are attacking and how they are spending their attacks …"

Froome's words left many to wonder if anyone had anything left to challenge the Kenyan-born rider.

After all, there was little, if any, impact on him from the several attacks by his closest rival on time – Colombian Nairo Quintana (Movistar) – on the last climb to the finish of Wednesday's stage .

Before Thursday's 18th stage from Gap to Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, Froome's overall lead was 3m 10s on Quintana, 4m 9s on Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) of Spain, 6m 34s on Thomas and 6m 40s on Contador.

The emotional abandon of van Garderen – one of five for the day, including that of Australian Nathan Haas (Cannondale-Garmin) – reflected what racing the Tour can mean to riders, especially riders like van Garderen who had put so much into preparing for his shot at a podium.

On Wednesday, it was clear early that van Garderen, twice fifth overall in the Tour and third when the stage began, was struggling to keep with the group of Froome and overall contenders.

Van Garderen was dropped once, but then rejoined the group. Then, soon after losing contact a second time after an attack by Contador and Valverde, he could no longer hold the wheel.

With 72km to go, he stopped on the right side of the road, dismounted and fell into the arms of attending team staff.

His dejection was just as clear after the stage. He arrived at Barcelonnette in a car, exited it into rain with a towel over his head and briskly walked into the confines of his team bus to be consoled.

It was in the bus that he met with the BMC team president Jim Ochowicz and doctor Massimo Testa who later said van Garderen had been fighting a respiratory infection since stage 13 to Rodez.

Ochowicz said the BMC team that Australian Rohan Dennis also rides for, would re-focus as soon as Thursday and set out to try and add to the three stages they have already won.

"There are still four big days of the Tour de France lying ahead," Ochowicz said.

Ochowicz said van Garderen's disappointment was also the team's as it had worked hard for him. "I know he is feeling the pain," he said. "I feel bad for Tejay. I feel bad for the team."

Only later was van Garderen able to comment on how he felt, saying candidly: "To be fighting for a podium in the Tour de France and then the next day you are sitting in a car, it was hard.

"It was hard to look my teammates in the eyes, hard to call my wife and explain to her what was going on. It was a lot of emotions. It almost feels like I want to just disappear right now."