For the 70th anniversary of the first ascent of the alpine ascent, inaugurated by Coppi, the British elf gives a great feat. Third Froome. Pogacar is reborn (and climbs to second place), the Dane in the yellow jersey responds well. Bardet and Quintana surrender
Alpe d’Huez number 31 is by Tom Pidcock. The 22-year-old British elf, rookie in the Tour, transforms the second Alpine stage into the most beautiful stage of his entry into great cycling from the front door. From the Olympic gold in mountain biking and the world title in cyclocross, to the triumph on the mythical climb, which celebrates 70 years since that 4th July 1952, from the flight of Fausto Coppi. There is history at the top of the Alpe, which has become a renowned ski resort, which has grown dramatically since the 1950s: nationality does not matter here, everyone cheers here. Half a million roadside fans who have been here for days, transforming the very hot atmosphere into a hellish circle even more.
The “born ready”
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Pidcock gives himself the best day, he who also falls in the standings and joins the group of “born ready”, like Van Aert and Van der Poel. Second at 48 “the South African Meintjes and third Froome at 2’06”, on his first breakaway after the difficult years. In evidence Giulio Ciccone, tenth at 3’32 “. Behind the fugitives, Tadej Pogacar attacks three times the yellow jersey Jonas Vingegaard, who responds in first person and then always remains at the wheel of the Slovenian. Pogacar gives the impression of having overtaken the black day of the Granon, launches (as already in Megeve) in a furious sprint and finishes fifth at 3’23 “in front of the yellow jersey and Thomas: the Slovenian climbs to second place in the standings due to the failure of the French Bardet (who loses 19 “). Quintana is late, at 1’21”. The British Thomas, always very focused, in the wake of the leading duo is very good. Now in the standings Vingegaard has 2’22 “on Pogacar, 2’26” on Thomas , 2’35 “on Bardet, 3’44” on Adam Yates and 3’58 “on Quintana.
THE CHRONICLE
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A hellish day that lives on the escape of Froome, Pidcock, Powless, Meintjes and Ciccone: in particular the action of Pidcock in the descent from Galibier, when he recovers 4 ‘to the fugitives and returns to the lead. It is on the Croix de Fer, an infinite climb of 29 km, that the Jumbo-Visma of the yellow jersey Vingegaard begins to skim the pace with Van Hooydonck and Benoot, while at the wheel of the Dane there are the engines for the climb: Kuss, Kruiswijk and above all Roglic. In the lead, Froome, Pidcock, Powless, Meintjes and Ciccone hold on and arrive at Bourg d’Oisans, base of Alpe d’Huez, with 6’10 “on the yellow jersey group.
Space for escapes
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On Friday, after the Alps, there is the thirteenth stage, Le Bourg d’Oisans-Saint Etienne, 193 km. Day dedicated to sprinters and “baroudeurs”, ie the attackers. We go to the center of France and the heat here is felt more than anywhere else. The football team of Saint Etienne is nicknamed “les Verts”, the greens, from the color of the shirt, and this occasion will be important to accumulate points in this ranking that Sagan has won seven times (record). Saint Etienne is reached for the 27th time, the first in 1950: the Tour avoided these central areas and preferred to touch the borders of France. Here we remember the image of Bernard Hinault in yellow in 1985, bleeding and with a fractured nose after a fall in the sprint for the tenth place … The “Tasso” still won his fifth Grande Boucle that year.
July 14, 2022 (change July 14, 2022 | 19:19)
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