Another breakaway world championships day, the last chance for many riders and teams to take an elusive win.
Superlatives: a super stage with a super battle for the win and a super surprise battle behind among the GC contenders, all on the roads to Super Dévoluy. It’s easy to use up the superlatives but it this was a fantastic day’s sport.
The stage started with a bang as crosswinds split a nervous peloton and then wave after wave of attacks. Eventually quartet got clear with Tiesj Benoot, Romain Grégoire, Bob Jungels and Magnus Cort and they never had much more than a minute’s lead. The intermediate sprint saw Biniam Girmay beat Jasper Philipsen for some points.
With 55km to go a move initiated by Georg Zimmerman grew to 43 riders. This split on the Col Bayard out of Gap with Guillaume Martin and Valentin Madouas bridging across to the leaders in time for the Col du Noyer.
Behind Simon Yates attacked and closed the gap in no time. Look in the picture above and Richard Carapaz is closing in too. Both flew past the break and soon Carapaz got across to Yates. It takes a lot to compete for a Tour stage but here were two grand tour winners at it. This illustrates the redistribution of cards in the sport, both recruited as grand tour contenders and now adapting with the duopoly of Pogačar and Vingegaard. The Ecuadorian attacked on the steepest part of the pass and prised out a small lead. Once you give Carapaz five seconds good luck getting it back.
EF have tried so many smart team moves in the race but this time Carapaz just floated clear in the big move and then rode everyone off his wheel on the main climb, even if the team had been busy earlier with Healy and Rui Costa. So a deserved win for him and the team and when he’s this strong there’s a chance of a repeat tomorrow or Saturday.
We got two races for the price of one with Tadej Pogačar bullying Jonas Vingegaard on the Col du Noyer. Both had team mates all over the place. Pogačar attacked but later said he didn’t really know why. Presumably he spotted Matteo Jorgenson was dropped, Vingegaard was isolated and just pounced on instinct?
The surprise was seeing Evenepoel jump Vingegaard in pursuit. It came back together again on the descent with Vingegaard picking up team mate Christophe Laporte who had been up the road. Evenepoel attacked and got away. For all the moves he only earned ten seconds but confidence while Vingegaard only lost two seconds to Pogačar. It shows they’re all willing to attack each other… and if Visma had sent several riders up the road they perhaps had plans too.
The Route: 179km and 3,100m of vertical gain. The race goes the “wrong” way out of Gap, west when the finish is over to the east but this means it can take the Col du Festre, a long climb that’s often got gentle 3-4% slopes but with 2km at over 7% before easing at the top. The race then tours the Champsaur region before heading back towards Gap.
The Col de Manse is a gentle road up and… no it’s not the descent of La Rochette but the main road down, more gentle. It’s down to Chorges and instead of taking the quickest route to the Serre-Ponçon lake there’s the climb to Saint-Appolinaire, a regular road up but a technical descent.
The lake is often windy and then it’s over to the the Demoiselles Coiffées climb, named after local rock formations. It’s up the Ubaye valley, a drag alongside a white water river.
The Finish: rather than the main road into town there’s a turning with 5km to go and an unmarked climb, 1km at 5%, not much but sufficient for some to exploit if they’re not confident about out-sprinting rivals. Then the road levels out and it’s flat through town.
The Contenders: today’s stage is too much for the sprinters but open to almost everyone else. it’s the last chance for Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) but the question is whether he wants to push things that hard before the Olympics. His team mate Axel Laurance is quick in a sprint from a group too.
A stage winner in the third week? Matej Mohorič is an expert at this but his condition so far hasn’t looked convincing. Similarly Michał Kwiatkowski (Ineos) has the race craft but is the form there? Likewise Michael Matthews (Jayco).
Wout van Aert (Visma-LAB) is stage hunting and very suited to the course. Tobias Halland Johannessen (Uno-X) is a longer shot. Movistar’s Alex Aranburu and Oier Lazkano fit too. Paul Lapeira (Decathlon-Ag2r) told Le Monde he broke his power records on the Troyes gravel stage… but had nothing to show for it. That’s the Tour where everyone is at their best but he might be his team’s best chance, along with Dorian Godon and both sprint well. Lidl-Trek have options with Jasper Stuyven, Carlos Verona and Toms Skujiņš.
Some riders went in the move yesterday could be tired but by the third week riders who make the break one day can repeat as they’re the ones still with something left. Magnus Cort (Uno-X) was out for a long time but sprints well, Valentin Madouas (Groupama-FDJ) wasn’t out for as long but doesn’t finish so fast.
 |
– |
 |
WvA, MvdP, Healy |
 |
Lazkano, THJ, Aranburu, Matthews, Kwiatkowski, Stuyven |
Weather: sunshine and 30°C in the valleys.
TV: KM0 is at 1.20pm CEST and the finish is forecast for 5.45pm CEST. Tune in to watch the battles rage from the start.
Postcard from Gap
That’s the lower slopes of the Col Bayard. Cycling has hundreds of famous climbs but descents? There are not many. Some come as a package, the climb of the Poggio can be as decisive as the descent. Perhaps we ought to label notable descents “infamous” as often their reputation is not because of the delightful bends nor the views but because of race incidents.
Just across from the Bayard is the Col de Manse. This must be more famous for the racing down it than up although the real name for the descent ought to be La Rochette as the Tour hasn’t always tacked the Manse before. It’s where Joseba Beloki had his horror crash in 2003, a day with one of those TV-moments when Lance Armstrong avoided danger by riding through a field. In recent years the likes of Thor Hushovd and Peter Sagan have given masterclasses in what the French call pilotage. Andy and Franck Schleck were distanced here in 2011 by Cadel Evans, the Australian climbing up to second place that day and not just taking time but gaining a psychological advantage. In 2013 Chris Froome came a cropper. Geraint Thomas crashed in 2015 unscathed but he lost his trademark Oakleys.
It’s been thrilling but is it that dangerous? The tension and risk-taking has come because the finish has often been in Gap just after the descent. At 4km with an average of 7.5% it’s no black ski piste but the difficulty is in in irregularity, a small backroad with an uneven surface and a mix of hairpins and some bends where you don’t have to brake but might do just to be safe.
Today everyone is spared the descent because after the Col de Manse the road continues down the larger road and won’t take the Rochette ramp down to Gap, plus it’s mid-stage so the stress is reduce. It does beg the question of whether La Rochette will feature again given the more safety-conscious themes today.
It was definitely interesting the way that Evenopoel got past Vingegaard after the initial attack by Pogacar. All questions will be answered on Friday and Saturday I suppose.
You’ve questioned Kwiato’s form, well, I think it’s definitely there. I’ve been following his preparation for the Tour on Strava. He revealed his power data a few years ago and judging by the workouts it hadn’t been so meticulously carried out since a while. He also seems to have found his new ‘rider profile’ with time passing by and switched from shorter, more explosive climbs and one-day races to longer efforts, hence his TdF win last year and plan to do two grand tours this year with coming relatively unscathed through the spring campaign.
“Junior style” racing is the current in vogue labelling, and one has to wonder about “full gas” racing with 150 km to go. It might be good TV but surely wiser heads in the cars might have said something. Maybe the whole peloton succumbed to foile à deux.
Week 3 and a chance for the breakaway … 43 riders yesterday, probably a similar number today, but will Alpecin continue to go for Green Jersey points?
I think “deux” is an underestimation of how many riders joined the craziness. 😉
On this terrain Girmay will easily stayed glued to Philipsen’s wheel, and after the lumpiness leading to the intermediate sprint would likely finish ahead of him. Tomorrow’s stage will be even easier for Girmay to stay with Philipsen (or, rather, less suitable for Philipsen), and the stage 20 intermediate sprint isn’t for either of them. It’s safe to say that Philipsen’s only real chance of Green is an even worse crash involving Girmay, or a sudden debilitating illness for the jersey leader.
How can you imagine that to happen to Ghirmay? Its discusting to say that anyway..Come on Bini!
Oh, I’ve been cheering for Girmay since the start of the Tour, and I’m thrilled at how well he’s done. I was just making the point that even though the points competition get a lot closer due to his crash, Philipsen had virtually no chance of winning the green jersey on the road because Bini can handle hills and mountains better, he has the speed to be right there with any sprinter in the race, and his team support has been excellent.
Ah the times when it was considered nice to show a bit of road and a car on a postcard for your town 🙂 Really enjoy your “postcard from …” feature, merci!
Haha, yes I also laughed at this very “beautiful “ postcard! Hopefully the racing today will make up for it 😊
Summary days TJH, but it’s Halland Johannesen?
That’s right. He’s up the road but a big ask to win from this breakaway.
Not only does our town have paved roads, we also have the telegraph!
Seriously, wish my local roads were landscaped and quiet like that.
I seem to remember Beloki crashing because the uneven road resurfacing was fine in places and melted in places. 2003 was an exceptional heatwave in France, but those summers have now become more commonplace. This coming weekend could well hit high 30s / 100 degrees F.
What am I saying? Well, first, the danger in descents may not be just the slope or the curve. Second, perhaps GC isn’t over if the threat to Pogaçar comes from above.
Many of the second division teams already have their win and a satisfactory TdF (DSM, Arkéa, Intermarché, Astana, Total, Alpecin and EF). A last chance for IPT today – with Williams? – before the big teams clean up the final three stages.
Summary days TJH, but it’s Halland Johannesen?
Muscle memory from the days of ‘EBH’ probably.
I was trying to find out what happened to Froome on that stage (no luck but he won the tour so nothing consequential), it did get a reminder that he crashed quite a lot which i’d forgotten. He wasn’t a rider that it was easy to warm to but the way he has vanished from most commentary around the tour (when live tv has so much time to fill) surprises me. Vinegaard and Tao-G’s comeback from crashes are all the more impressive when you compare to the impact they’ve had on other riders, not sure if Bernal and Froome were left behind more by the shift in the sport or the impact of their crashes?
Froome’s and Bernal’s crashes were far more consequential. I think even with the crash Froome’s time was pretty much up, but he would have remained a top five GC competitor for a year or two more I’m guessing, while it would have been great to see an uninjured Bernal going up against Roglic and a young Pogi in 2020.
+1 KevinK
Bernal as far as I understand was very near being thought to be a paraplegic after.
Froome not only was on the way to bleeding to death he also had his femur sticking out his leg.
both crashes were orders of magnitude worse than Tao and Vin’s crash.
Vin’s was horrible but on their own punctured lungs, collarbones and ribs aren’t the worst injuries, especially being (unfortunately) fairly common for cyclists. Tao’s likewise wasn’t great but nothing on the level of Froome and Bernal.
Sounds so funny to hear JV’s injuries described that way, but it’s obviously true. It’s very sad that we didn’t get to see Bernal continue to compete on the highest level. He wasn’t doing what these boys are, but everyone’s level has gone up so you would assume that his would too. Froome was on his way out for a number of reasons methinks.
I cannot remember who it was but quite a number of years ago i recall some cycling journalist or commentator going to the spot where Armstrong went through the field with the intention of recreating the moment.
Upon getting to the top of the field and seeing how steep it was they chickened out and could not bring themselves to attempt it.
no ring for carapaz?
I wonder if pogicar attacked thinking Jumbo could have been setting up a raid for jonas – preempting the ambush is a good way to ruin the plan (or discourage launching it)
I thought he’d work for Healy today, plus he’d like more climbing today.
I think stage 18 will solo finish or a small group sprint.
Is it just me or do most Ineos riders seem to be lacking speed when it comes to reduced group sprint finishes? (Excepting Narvaez, who obviously isn’t at the Tour.) It feels as though they therefore have little chance of winning a stage even when in a smallish group coming to the line. Kwiatkowski finished 3 of 3 today. While for the next 2 days even if a GC group come to the line (which admittedly doesn’t seem that likely) Rodriguez probably can’t outsprint anyone else in the top 10, let alone all of them.
It’s somewhat you. Normally I think Pidcock and Kwiato would be favored in a reduced sprint given their past successes. Look at their 4 (lol)ASG wins. I was actually yelling at Victor for his terrible strategy of bringing Kwiato to the line today. So who knows.
Perhaps it’s just none of them apparently being on their best form then. (Or they’re on their best form but everyone else’s form is now better.)
For a team that prioritised winning the Tour (and presumably still does) they have been woeful. Rodriquez isn’t going to be their GT GC rider (unless they’re happy with never winning)
PCS doesn’t give a good picture when it comes to weight because it’s not reviewed every now and again. But looking at Kwiato and Victor I’d guess that #vocsnor is a little bit heavier at the Tour, plus Kwiato always came super lean at grand tours. It has to do something with Sky/INEOS vision of preparing him for super domestique role and making competitive on longer, repetitive climbs.
It’s not 2017, so it’d be hard to expect Kwiato outsprints a regular classics’ rider like he did against Sagan or Alaphilippe at MSR back then. Campenaerts probably benefitted from favouring one-day races over TT in the past few years, and a tailored training probably helped. On the other side, with each year spent at Sky/INEOS Kwiato was ever more profiled as a stage racer, or – like Mr INRNG once put it – a diesel. It definitely played a significant role in his two TdF stage wins. Yesterday’s stage would’ve suited him more a few years ago.
Maybe Kwiato invested just a tiny bit too much in the success of the three of them?
Really happy for Campenaerts, probably my favourite win so far. Well deserved.
Very happy for Victor, great maverick.
Chapeau Victor! The greatest moment of this Tour for me. Not a dry eye in the house.