2023-07-02 18:28:47
By Le Figaro
Posted 1 hour ago, Updated 11 minutes ago
First success on the Tour for Victor Lafay. BENOIT TESSIER / REUTERS
The French Cofidis rider won on Sunday, after a superb final during the second stage (Vitoria – San Sebastian).
It didn’t take long to witness the first French victory on the 2023 Tour. From the second stage, Victor Lafay won in a strong this Sunday, in San Sebastián. A 209 km long stage, the longest of the 2023 edition, which started from Vitoria. The Cofidis rider placed his attack in the last kilometer, smartly, dropping the rest of the competition on the pedal. What a number, what nerve, what a masterstroke! This is the first stage victory on the Tour for the 27-year-old Lyonnais, who wins ahead of Wout van Aert and Tadej Pogacar, just that.
Unlike yesterday, for this second leg, it’s a big battle that has broken out to take the good breakaway of the day. After about ten kilometres, three big riders broke away to spend the day at the front. Among them, the wearer of the polka dot jersey Neilson Powless (EF), the French time trial champion Rémi Cavagna (Soudal Quickstep) and the Norwegian Edval Boasson Hagen (TotalEnergie), three-time stage winner on the Tour. The trio got along perfectly, to the point of not even arguing over the points for the distinctive jerseys. With the exception of the last climb, all difficulties listed in the mountain classification were settled without being disputed by Neilson Powless. The American was able to consolidate his lead at the top of the climbing classification by pocketing 6 points to bring his total to 11 units and make sure to keep his tunic for a few more days like his teammate Magnus Cort Nielsen last year.
A very lively end to the stage
Last survivor of the breakaway of the day, the EF rider rewarded with the prize for fighting spirit of the day was swallowed up by the peloton after nearly 180km at the front just before the summit of Jaizkibel 25km from the ‘arrival. Blasted by the UAE armada, Mikel Bjerg, Marc Soler and Rafal Majka successively blew up the peloton to put a Tadej Pogacar into orbit who took 8 bonus seconds at the top of the difficulty ahead of Jonas Vingegaard and Simon Yates. Behind, 12 terminals from the line, the wearer of the white jersey did not cut his efforts to compete for victory with his rival Jonas Vingegaard, but the last winner of the Tour de France did not wish to collaborate with his Nemesis leaving return a group of important pursuers. Until the red flame, the Jumbo-Visma wanted to take the race in hand to give victory to Wout van Aert, the fastest rider in this mini-peloton. Undermined by successive attacks from opportunists Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious), Emanuel Buchmann (Bora) and Mattias Skjelmose (Trek), the Belgian team had to work hard and the green jersey of the last Big Loop found itself isolated at the red flame. Already in the legs the day before, the tricolor Victor Lafay took advantage of a moment of hesitation to surprise everyone and start strong 800 meters from the line. The Frenchman resisted the return of the leaders of the peloton to offer himself the greatest success of his career at 27. 15 years later, Cofidis put an end to its curse and again won the Tour de France after Sylvain Chavanel’s victory in 2008 in Montluçon.
No change in the general classification, Adam Yates retains the leader’s yellow jersey. Pogacar, now second, however, did the right operation of the day with the bonuses and returned to six seconds from said Yates, with the added bonus of 11 seconds ahead of Jonas Vingegaard. In addition to his prestigious victory, the tricolor Victor Lafay will wear the green tunic on Monday. For the third stage, the Grande Boucle will land in France and will cover 193.5 km from Amorebieta-Etxano to Bayonne, with a finish promised to the sprinters.
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