2023-07-10 17:33:44
Seventeen short seconds. The two giants of the Tour de France start the second week of the race on Tuesday July 11 with a gap reduced to almost nothing, but which promises a lot. Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar, masters of suspense. But didn’t they know it, the two rivals, that their duel was not going to be settled quickly on the start of the Grande Boucle, certainly explosive, but which could not put out all the fireworks to come? ?
Of course, there was spectacle from the inaugural Basque Country, the organizers now keen to light the fuse as quickly as possible. With, from the second stage, a French victory signed Victor Lafay. Then in the Pyrenees executed in two days but wildly intense, showing the first rounds of mano a mano between the two favorites. Yes, the incandescent sprints added to the pyrotechnic show. It was beautiful, it was too much.
A slight disappointment on the Puy de Dôme
Because skirmishes were demanded at every slope, the great explanation became imperative everywhere. On the slopes of the puy de Dôme inevitably, for a historic stage on Sunday July 9, awaited for thirty-five years, it was necessary to be excessive and titanic. Otherwise what ? Disappointment, or almost. Two races in one, which is already not bad: the first between breakaways without influence in the general classification, and the second with the big names delaying the grand finale as long as possible. Canadian veteran Michael Woods (36) as stage winner, in place of the Vingegaard-Pogacar tandem that everyone wanted to see fight over the 13 km climb.
Except no. The Slovenian attacked well, it is in his nature, but with the red flame of the very last kilometer only, for a modest gain of eight seconds. On arrival, the two contenders posed things well. “We also learned from last year that you can’t go for all the stage victories”, released a smiling Tadej Pogacar, but decided to take things more seriously than in 2022. Small clarification also from Jonas Vingegaard: “We really didn’t think that I would have the yellow jersey on my back from the first week. I believe that the steps that suit me best are ahead of us. »
In other words: we calm down. Exciting as ever, the first week above all confirmed the very superior level of the Slovenian and the Dane. No one, when they tear themselves away, can follow for very long. Third in the general classification, the Australian Jai Hindley is already at 2 min 40 s. During his day in yellow, on the second stage of the Pyrenees, he tried to follow the train of the two monsters, before giving up after 200 m.
The French already left behind in the general classification?
The second lesson, however, is that the runner from Perth is holding out for the second race of this 2023 edition, that for third place. But for this honor, no haste either. Before the Puy de Dôme stage, Jai Hindley assured that he would not try to burn: “I hope to have my best legs in week three. I bide my time. » Of which act. The winner of the Tour of Italy 2022 is ambitious. He already has a mattress of almost two minutes on his first pursuers, the Spaniard Carlos Rodriguez and the British brothers Simon and Adam Yates.
And the French? Like Romain Bardet, David Gaudu is still in the top 10 (tenth and eighth respectively). But the outlay on Jai Hindley is already around 3 mins 20s for David Gaudu, and 4 mins for Romain Bardet. The latter is thinking of no longer racing for the general classification to aim for a stage victory. David Gaudu also wants to subscribe to patience. He did not speak on the evening of the Puy de Dôme, but after the Pyrenees he underlined: “The Tour is an endurance race, there are a lot of mountains coming up, and anyway, the Alps are going to be decisive in any case. We try to do what we can, but the team is very motivated. »
And motivation will be needed. So as not to be disgusted by the gap that the two ogres of the event will continue to create, and to swallow up the copious program of the next few days. In order, two beautiful leg-breaking days (read opposite) and an alpine triptych with the sequence of the Grand-Colombier (July 14), the terrible Col de Joux-Plane (15) and the arrival in Saint-Gervais after having chained five passes (16). The main course ? Not even sure. There will still be some in the third week, and not the least. So what is seventeen little seconds?
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The time of the adventurers
The victorious breakaway on the Puy de Dôme can give ideas to some fans of long-distance trips. That’s good, the topography of the stages over the next few days is suitable for fighters who pass the bumps well. There will be bumps from Tuesday July 11 on the 167.2 km of the 10th stage, between Vulcania and Issoire. A smorgasbord of second and third category passes and climbs, and 3,100m of elevation gain in total. The visit to Beaujolais on July 13 will not be tourism either, with 169 km dotted with severe climbs such as the Col de la Croix-Rosier. A solid appetizer before attacking the Alps.
#time #patience #wild #week