Leading group with Mathieu van der Poel
At the start of the race it rained attacks. After about 30 kilometers, a serious leading group of eight riders had formed with Mathieu van der Poel, among others, who started with 14 seconds behind classification leader Remco Evenepoel. With 45 kilometers to race, just before the heavy climb of the Côte de Mont-Saxonx, the lead on the peloton with Evenepoel was about a minute and a half.
Mathieu van der Poel has to drop out on Côte de Mont-Saxonx
Van der Poel had to get off early during the climb. The Dutchman of Alpecin-DEUNINCK saw that favorites such as Evenepoel, Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar passed him by on the way to the three leaders: Michael Leonard, Bruno Armiraint and Alex Baudin. In the end, Armirail also had to drop out. With more than 10 kilometers before the finish, the other two remaining refugees still had a lead of more than a minute on the group with favorites.
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Tadej Pogacar is running away
It was Pogacar who ran away with 7 kilometers. Evenepoel could not follow and lost his yellow leader’s sweater on the Slovenian.
The French stage race lasts until Sunday. This weekend there will be two more heavy mountain rides on the menu.