Brutal attack on the 900 meters of the Col du Blanc Nez: the Flemish, with a show of strength of the Jumbo-Visma, hits the first success after three consecutive second places
The yellow jersey that attacks and wins. Chapeau. When the leader of a big tour decides to make the selection, he gets to his feet. Think for example of Vincenzo Nibali first in the Tre Cime di Lavaredo at the 2013 Giro, or the same Shark who wins in Lourdes Hautacam at the 2014 Tour. Today Wout Van Aert enters the gallery of the great ones. Because the Flemish, who is the most versatile champion of contemporary cycling, capable of winning time trials, in sprints and on the Ventoux, decides to ignite the fourth stage of the Tour with a brutal attack on the 900 meters of the Col du Blanc Nez: 900 meters at 7.5%. Van Aert, after three consecutive second places in this edition, decides that it is time to make his mark on the 109th Tour which today landed in France after the three stages in Denmark. And he flies for his seventh Tour win, with an impressive 10km.
Perfect tactic
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A job alongside the rivals, a test of strength of the Jumbo-Visma: Laporte, Benoot and Van Hooydonck transform the climb into a wall for the rivals. They also see Tadej Pogacar a little behind and feel the “fever” of the opponents. The last to raise the white flag is British Adam Yates, after his partner Thomas also fails. At the wheel, Yates has Vingegaard, companion of Van Aert. Go ahead. And then Van Aert’s masterpiece, who arrives with 8 ”on Philipsen (raise his arms as if he had won…), Laporte, Kristoff, Sagan and Luca Mozzato. In the standings Van Aert leads with 25 ”on Lampaert and 32” on Pogacar. “Last very strong climb, with Kruiswijk who did the first part and then with Benoot. On the radio they told me that we had done harm to others… So I decided to go away alone, ”says Van Aert, 27, three-time world champion in cyclocross. He was keen to leave his mark, to get rid of the label of loyal second place … The Flemish is not a man in the final classification, but Pogacar got a little surprised back, and once again without a team: his teammates they have to be closer.
Five stars
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Tomorrow the hardest stage of this first part of the Tour: Lilla Metropole-Arenberg Porte du Hainaut, 157 km. Five-star day in the Arenberg coal mine area: 32 million tons were mined here from 1903 to 1989, with a significant presence of Italian miners. And when the Paris-Roubaix cobblestones crosses the Tour, the teams and riders tremble. Let’s stay in 2014, the great day of Vincenzo Nibali in the yellow jersey, when the Messina player forces Froome to retire and knocks out Contador: one of the sumptuous performances of the Shark. The last time of the pavé was in 2018: finish line in Roubaix and success of the German Degenkolb. There are 11 sectors of stones for a total of 19.4 km, most of which are not present in the track of the Queen of the Classics. However, there are some classics such as Wandignies, Brillon, Sars et Rosieres, and Wallers 6 km from the finish, right in front of the Arenberg Forest (not traveled).
July 5, 2022 (change July 5, 2022 | 18:13)
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