2023-07-10 06:09:00
The fight for the stage victory on the volcanic cone of the Puy de Dome in front of the gates of Clermont-Ferrand ended with a dramatic finale.
Michael Woods (Israel – Premier Tech) caught solo leader Matteo Jorgenson (Movistar) just following the 500 meter mark in the steep final ramp.
But as prestigious as this success was, at the end of the first week of the tour, it was not worth it for the teams of the overall winners to let their teams drive full throttle all day and chase the breakaways.
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They concentrated on their showdown in the fight for seconds on the steep final four kilometers in the nature reserve.
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Three things that stood out:
1. Pogacar nibbles but Vingegaard stays calm
Tadej Pogacar took the next trick at the Puy de Dome and Jonas Vingegaard stole time once more. In the climbing duels of the two top favorites in this Tour of France, it is now 2:1 for the challenger from Slovenia. Nevertheless, the defending champion from Denmark goes into the first rest day with a lead of 17 seconds.
“It’s not a real win, but a small one nonetheless. I’m very happy, it was a great day. I felt straight away that my legs were fine. As I accelerated, I saw Jonas’ shadow on the road. He was right behind me and tried to keep my pace,” said Pogacar, describing what happened over the last 1.5 kilometers at the Puy de Dome. “I kept pushing the pedals, a little more, and there was a gap.”
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What was noticeable, just like on the 6th stage in Cauterets-Cambasque: Vingegaard remained very calm. He didn’t get out of the saddle to bend his bike under him and stay on the hook, but stoically continued his pace – almost as if managing the situation. Sure: You never like to lose time and if he might have done it without any problems, Vingegaard would have followed Pogacar on both days. In the end, however, he was able to live quite well with the eight seconds he lost at the Puy de Dome.
“It would have been nicer to gain time on Tadej Pogacar than lose it. But like I said, I came to the Tour knowing that the first week suits me less than the ones that are to come. Then at the end To be in the yellow jersey for the week, that fills me,” said the Dane and gave a warning followingwards: “I’m looking forward to the Alps.”
At first glance, the trend seems clear: following Pogacar had problems at the start of the Pyrenees on the Col de Marie Blanque and many wanted to declare Vingegaard the winner of the tour there, the momentum has reversed and the Slovenian now seems to be climbing a little better and above all to be more lively. But the truth is far from on the table. Five difficult mountain stages and the Combloux time trial are still to come. The tide can still turn six times, and for three-week tours the following always applies: It’s the back that counts!
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2. Hindley will have a hard time
The fight for the podium is Bora – hansgrohe’s declared goal at this Tour de France. And Jai Hindley has given himself a decent cushion with his storm into the yellow jersey and stage win in Laruns on day one of the Pyrenees. The day before he was ‘best of the rest’ behind Pogacar and Vingegaard, but Simon Yates and Carlos Rodriguez were already sticking him to the rear wheel to the finish line.
At the Puy de Dome, the Australian mightn’t quite keep up with his two toughest rivals in the fight for third place overall – although Yates had fallen badly the day before and was still complaining of severe pain on the volcano.
“I didn’t feel good today, I had to drive my own race, my own pace. I was able to keep going for a long time, but then had to let it go. Then I concentrated on myself,” said Hindley at the finish.
He now goes into the rest day with a still quite comfortable lead of 1:42 minutes over Rodriguez, 2:04 minutes over Simon Yates and 1:59 minutes over Pogacar’s noble helper Adam Yates. The fight for the podium, but it will be a very difficult one.
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3. Pidcock – is he slowly licking GC blood?
The Ineos Grenadiers do it once more and once more: Even without a big co-favourite, the Brits have two drivers in the race following a week of the tour who might still make it onto the podium. Rodriguez is Hindley’s closest pursuer, but Tom Pidcock may also have tasted GC blood at the Puy de Dome. Next to Simon Yates, he was the strongest of the podium contenders.
Safe: With the stage that was quite quiet for the peloton beforehand and the all-out effort in the last four kilometers, the ninth section was very convenient for the MTB Olympic champion and former cross-country world champion. But many experts have for years considered the L’Alpe d’Huez winner to be a future GC driver.
At the Puy de Dome he said: “It was maybe my best day. The numbers weren’t great but the heat made it tough too. And the bad roads made it tough too. But it really was my best day so far. “
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Who knows how many best days in the Alps are yet to come? The man who amazed the world with his downhill skills when he won L’Alpe d’Huez last year should still play an important role on this tour.
Firstly, because Ineos Grenadiers still has a very good tactical card to play with him alongside Rodriguez in the fight for the podium, which Bora – hansgrohe gave away with Emanuel Buchmann on the second day of the Pyrenees. And secondly, because two of the five remaining mountain stages end with very technical descents from the Col de Joux Plane and the Col de la Loze.
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