Within the strategy to the end line of the Tour de France’s second stage in Bologna, crowds banged the boundaries, screaming as a single rider emerged: Kevin Vauquelin. The Arkea-B&B Motels rider raised his fingers within the air, encouraging the spectators to scream louder, to bang tougher. And rightly so: Vauquelin had secured the primary ever Tour de France victory for his crew, and the second successive stage win for a French rider.
Vauquelin had spent the day in a breakaway of 10 riders, which shaped after simply 8 km of racing. This included Quentin Pacher (Groupama-FDJ), Axel Laurance (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Hugo Houle (Israel-Premier-Tech), Nelson Oliveira (Movistar), Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X), Harold Tejada (Astana), Cristian Rodriguez (Arkea-B&B Motels), Mike Teunissen (Intermarché-Wanty) and Jordan Jegat (TotralEnergies).
Their benefit, which rose to greater than 9 minutes, continued to carry to the ultimate 30 kilometres, on the foot of the San Luca climb.
“There is no such thing as a straightforward approach up San Luca,” Primoz Roglič (Purple Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) had stated in an interview earlier than the stage. It was clear that the stage end result can be outlined by the 2 ascents of the devilishly steep climb (1.9km at 10.6%) which got here on the finish of the day’s racing.
The ten-man breakaway examined one another on the primary ascent, with cracks starting to point out. However within the flat part earlier than they climbed San Luca once more, Oliviera attacked, adopted by Abrahamsen, clad within the polka dot skinsuit, and Vauquelin. The trio reached the foot of San Luca collectively, with 35 seconds on the remainder of the breakaway. Because the gradients steepened, Vauquelin accelerated, gaining distance on Abrahamsen and Oliviera.
Vauquelin appeared behind him, seeing Abrahamsen start to fade. On the high of San Luca, Vauquelin had 44 seconds: a bonus large enough to take the stage. Would it not be two French stage winners in a row? Sure. Decided to not let the win slip via his fingers, he put his head down for the final 12 km, powering via to say his victory.
“It’s loopy,” stated Vauquelin after the race. “I’m delighted that, because of the breakaway, we stayed away. It was an ideal day.”
Vauquelin thanked his teammate Cristian Rodriguez, who was additionally within the breakaway. “Due to Cristian, who animated the breakaway – an enormous thanks. After I accelerated, I wished to remain at tempo. I wished to see what I might do on the final climb. I made a decision to go at the moment, and if I discovered myself forward, then so be it… I knew that Abrahamsen would assault very strongly, and that he might journey very strongly. I wouldn’t let go.
“To participate within the Tour de France is large, however to win a stage… It’s the primary victory for the crew, and I’m very, very blissful to ship that win for them.”
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