The primary week of the 2024 Tour de France was gripping and history-making in equal measure.
Mark Cavendish lastly surpassed Eddy Merckx’s file stage win tally, to everybody’s delight. Biniam Girmay took a wholesome lead within the factors classification alongside two fabulous dash levels and the Tour discovered its new hero. And the copious gravel sectors on stage 9 produced one of the dramatic days of racing in latest historical past, with motion from begin to end.
May the second week dwell as much as its predecessor pleasure? Sure. And no. Nevertheless it was an intriguing seven days both approach.
La France profonde
Stage 10: Orleans – Saint-Amands-Montrond
Classic Renault 4, verify. Picnic desk, full with tablecloth, verify. Field wine perched on automotive bonnet, verify. Parked in a random driveway in the course of nowhere removed from the madding crowd, verify. About as Tour de France because it will get, non? An unremarkable stage notable just for Jasper Philipsen breaking his 2024 duck having been the sprinter par excellence in final 12 months’s version.
Sport on
Stage 11: Évaux-les-Bains – Le Lioran
Following a gap week when Pogačar seemingly eased his approach into yellow and appeared extremely more likely to retain all of it the best way to Good, again comes Jonas Vingegaard, the person who appeared unlikely to even make the beginning line only a few weeks in the past – a outstanding comeback from the two-time Tour winner.
Right here the Dane sizes up the opposition with a tough stare worthy of Paddington Bear earlier than beating Pogačar in a dramatic two-way dash in Le Lioran. He might have gained little time on the chief however the psychological increase for the defending champion was there for all to see. The combat for yellow is alive and kicking.
Primož down and out
Stage 12: Aurillac – Villeneuve-sur-Lot
A 203km day within the saddle with little to report till the closing levels, the place Mark Cavendish was relegated for deviating within the dash, whereas Biniam Girmay took his third stage win to additional cement Intermarché-Wanty’s outstanding haul up to now.
The large story turned the crash, as soon as once more, of Primož Roglič, with round 10km remaining, resulting in his subsequent withdrawal from the race the next day. A tragic finish to this Tour for the four-time Grand Tour winner.
Wild is the wind
Stage 13: Agen – Pau
Crosswinds! Echelons! A large 20-plus breakaway! That is extra prefer it. We biking followers do, maybe, get a bit over-excited by the sight of a great echelon in motion however, let’s face it, they’re a motorcycle racing murals. One little mistake and you might be spat out the again, by no means to return. The tiniest of gaps change into yawning chasms in seconds. A wonderful day of racing.
Keep it up up the Pyrenees
Stage 14: Pau – Saint-Lary-Soulan – Pla d’Adet
Adam Yates attacked on the ultimate ascent of the day, a lot to everybody’s shock – together with himself, seemingly. Pogačar tore up the racing ways handbook, despatched his lieutenant up the highway, then bridged throughout earlier than leaving one and all behind so as to add one other 39 seconds to his lead over Vingegaard. If stage 11 was sport on, then this was successfully sport over.
Déjà vu
Stage 15 Loudenvielle – Plateau de Beille
Plateau de Beille is that approach, guys… The five-man break gave it their greatest shot however as soon as once more, the day belonged to Tadej Pogačar. Vingegaard tried and did not dislodge his adversary, and is unquestionably now resigned to defending the runner-up place behind the Slovenian celebrity.
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