The Tour de France‘s gravel stage to Troyes on day 9 of the race could have resulted in a stalemate on the prime of the normal classification, but it surely wasn’t for lack of making an attempt by a number of yellow jersey contenders.
Race chief Tadej Pogačar (UAE Crew Emirates) tried a number of main assaults on the gravel sectors on the Côte de Chacenay and Saint-Parres-aux-Tertres, although each had been introduced again, as would the transfer initiated by Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-Quickstep) at 77km from the end.
The Belgian, going clear on the Côte de Chacenay, was shortly joined by Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard. Nonetheless, the assault failed after the Danish double Tour champion refused to collaborate.
Pogačar’s try on sector 4 at Verrières noticed Vingegaard and Visma-Lease A Bike teammate Matteo Jorgenson get on Pogačar’s wheel as Evenepoel was left behind. Nonetheless, that transfer would additionally fail as a result of their unwillingness to assist it alongside.
Evenepoel had some slicing phrases for the Dutch crew after the stage, suggesting that Vingegaard was racing too defensively on the stage. He did notice, nonetheless, that he understood why the crew had employed these techniques.
“I believe Tadej and I weren’t pleased with it as a result of possibly the entire Tour might have been determined at present,” Evenepoel stated after the rostrum ceremony following one other day spent within the white jersey of greatest younger rider.
“We have now to simply accept race techniques and race conditions, however typically you additionally want the balls to race, and sadly possibly Jonas did not have them at present. Nevertheless it’s no drawback – the race continues to be very lengthy, and I completely settle for the explanation why he did not pull, why he did not race.
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“After all, Tadej and I each prefer to assault fairly far-off from the end, so we wished to proceed. Jonas is usually a bit extra defensive, however we’ve got to simply accept it. He could have all the great causes to have raced like this, so I additionally utterly perceive why.”
Evenepoel famous that Visma-Lease A Bike had earlier placed on a quick tempo, main him to make the primary main acceleration among the many race’s prime contenders. He went clear on the uphill gravel run of the Chacenay earlier than Pogačar and Vingegaard got here throughout the hole.
The trio, gained half a minute on the peloton earlier than the transfer fell aside. Evenepoel accepted the state of affairs, even when it led to an in the end irritating end result.
“I knew that it was one of many final onerous sections on the gravel and I simply wished to go for it,” Evenepoel stated. “It was like a cross-tailwind so a really quick sector. In the long run, should you see the hole that we had, we had immediately 30-40 seconds after that sector.
“So, like I stated, if we got here to the entrance group and we might take turns all collectively, I believe the race might have been determined there. However like additionally they stated, it is race conditions and race techniques, and we’ve got to simply accept that.”
Except for the shortage of assist provided by Visma-Lease A Bike, the opposite main incidents in Evenepoel’s day on the bike noticed him caught behind the assaults on two events.
The primary got here on sector 8 at Mangnant, the place Evenepoel stated he was caught behind a handful of riders who missed a nook and wanted to tug a foot out of the pedals earlier than battling again to place.
The second got here at Verrières, the place he was caught out of place as Pogačar took the Visma males with him up entrance. On that event, Evenepoel was lucky that the Dutch squad employed such timid techniques.
“Truly, I instructed my teammates to deliver me to the primary 5 positions, however they did not so I wasn’t actually pleased with that,” Evenepoel stated. “Then I needed to shut the hole myself as a result of really I wished to go myself on this sector and that is one thing that we’ve got to know.
“Typically we’ve got to be extra aggressive and particularly in a race like at present, you simply have to put the elbows out and combat. Fortunately, I had the legs to shut the hole.
“OK, the Visma guys did not pull Tadej, however I’ve to confess that the motos had been driving actually shut in entrance it was a headwind, in order that they actually pulled them away. Typically possibly the race organisation has to have a look at that.
“However I’ve no regrets – I believe that, ultimately, it has been an excellent race for us. It is the remainder day and we’re in second spot in GC, half a minute behind, with a stage win. An ideal first week for us.”
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