2023-06-09 01:26:31
A simple gesture of the arm to celebrate his success alone in the Jura streets of Salins-les-Bains. Just because the Dauphiné is not a goal but a passing time for Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma). Then, very quickly, the Dane did not have the heart to chain smiles on the podium where he put on the leader’s yellow jersey (with 1′10′’ ahead of 2nd Ben O’Connor and 1 ′23′’ on Julian Alaphilippe).
He had just called his wife, as he does after every race. And the latter then announced to him the drama which had just taken place the same morning in Annecy. “Of course, I’m happy to win, but with what happened today in Annecy, cycling doesn’t matter much,” he says moved, he who spent his summer holidays as a child. in the Alps. This means a lot to me and I am thinking especially of families. »
But since the sport has this virtue of moving away, sometimes, for a few moments from the dramas in the surroundings, there was therefore a great cycling race between Ain and the Jura. And on this one, Jonas Vingegaard announced the color of next summer. It should be bright yellow. The winner of the Tour de France 2022 has already impressed his world in view of the next Grande Boucle, which will start on July 1 in Bilbao.
In a normal and classic scenario, his takeover of the Critérium du Dauphiné was rather expected this Friday with the first episode of the alpine triptych which awaits the peloton. But Vingegaard may still be so thin and puny, he is still hungry for offense. In the second category climb of Thésy, fifteen kilometers from the line, the Dane found himself almost by chance alone in front. “I didn’t necessarily want to attack today, just defend myself,” he explains. But when Richard Carapaz attacked I called. Then I worked with him but he couldn’t follow me. So. »
“He launches into the fight and the others respond, he is strong and he shows it”
How simple cycling is told like this. It just takes fiery legs and titanium lungs to let go of your competitors like you smoke a pipe. With such a superiority, we already know that, barring an accident, the winner of the 75th Critérium du Dauphiné will be the little Dane. And that his preparation for the Tour is perfectly on track. Last year, Vingegaard had voluntarily remained in the shadow of his teammate Primoz Roglic and had played the game of the team by ensuring, on arrival, a nice double. On the last day, he just offered his first stage in the event by winning on the Solaison plateau. But he was only dolphin on the Dauphiné. A year later, he’s running like a king. If Tadej Pogacar, who is preparing for his part in the unknown after his wrist fracture in April in Liège, is not completely recovered, then the scenario for the next Tour looks quite obvious.
We can have fun scaring ourselves for him and thinking that one of his main lieutenants last year, Steven Kruijswijk, 3rd in the 2019 Tour, will be forfeited this year after his fractured collarbone and pelvis during the second Criterium stage. “Certainly, it’s hard to lose a guy like Steven, retorts Vingegaard. But someone like Tiesj Benoot or even Wout van Aert know how to climb. I have no concerns about the value of the team on the Tour. »
Very close to him, Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal – Quick Step) cursed. He really wanted this stage and could not console himself with his second place 31 seconds behind Vingegaard. “We had a plan today for this stage but we didn’t receive much help,” he notes. Following Vingegaard was impossible. I have no regrets it is so unplayable. Besides, I’m borderline happy to have been able to limit the breakage even if it was not the objective of the day. He was above. »
Philippe Mauduit, the sports director of Groupama-FDJ, where David Gaudu still took a shine and lost a minute, recognizes the superiority of Vingegaard. “I’m not surprised by the way he runs,” he says. It’s like the Tour of the Basque Country at the start of the season: he won two stages and the general standings by attacking from afar. This has been the pattern of cycling for two or three years. There is a generation of runners, of which he is one, who are not afraid to attack from afar. He launches into the fight and the others respond. This is the beauty of our sport: it is strong and it shows it. »
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