The justification for yesterday’s ride goes ahead, today’s stage honors the Tour, cycling and, above all, the spectator. 162 kilometers of very tough battle, where a flight of 36 riders after an hour of fighting broke away from the peloton. And surprise, in the escape there were three very important Jumbo for Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo), current Tour champion and leader of the Dutch squad. Van Aert (Jumbo), annoyed because “the team could do more to seek victory” in San Sebastián, and his two most faithful teammates, the all-round Benoot (jumbo) and laporte (Jumbo). There was tension in the team, there is tension between the two ‘capos’, and that was in the air even before starting this morning.
But it is that a Tour champion like vingegaard It is not there to help the team win stages. Nor to sprint like crazy for bonuses. It is here to make exhibitions like today’s. they left him with Kuss (jumbo) and keldermann (Jumbo) like strong men. Once the leak is neutralized Van Aert he barely did 100 meters of work for vingegaard, confirming that he “goes to his own” after what happened in these early stages. Still, to vingegaard it’s enough and it’s plenty. He is not as charismatic as pogaar (UAE), but it is equal to or better than Slovenian. Attack, leave pogaar with his tongue out and he caught all the escapees one by one. A spectacular display of power. I’m sure she dedicated her display to at least half of his team when they got to the bus. Only halfway through and there is a long way to go. AND Jai Hindley (BORA), champion of the Giro in 2022, has shown that the Tour may not be just a matter of two.
Don’t be a Pogaar-Vingegaard
The Tour de France will not be a matter of two. In the first mountain stage it is shown that this race is long, hard and cannot have only two candidates. In addition to Pogaar and Vingegaardits T Jai Hindley(BORA), winner of today’s stage and new leader of the race. They also showed their strength ciccone (Trek), who entered the Pogaar group, along with other no less candidates to be very high in the General as Gaudu (FDJ), Simon Yates (Jayco) and, watch out for this one, the Spanish carlos rodriguez (Ineos). It is now clear who the leader of Ineos is for all purposes, because Egan Bernal he lost the clock in the first mountain stage.
No news from Landa
I hope the #landing do not reach these lines. Very hard. first touchstone and Michael Landa (Bahrain), reaches almost three minutes (2:55). If his goal was to fight for the podium on this Tour, it doesn’t seem like it could happen either. Of course, with a margin of minutes behind in the General, leaving aside a goal that never arrives or seems to arrive, he could win stages in the best race in the world. It’s not little, but it will also cost a lot and we don’t know if good Mikel is capable and willing.
