Christophe Laporte won the nineteenth stage in the Tour de France on Friday. The Frenchman surprised the peloton in the final and gave Jumbo-Visma the fifth stage victory in this edition of the French cycling round.
After three tough mountain stages, a relatively flat stage was scheduled for Friday. It covered 188.3 kilometers from Castelnau-Magnoac to Cahors and had two climbs of the fourth category.
Shortly after the start, Taco van der Hoorn went on an adventure together with Mikkel Frølich Honoré, Quinn Simmons, Matej Mohoric and Nils Politt. The quintet took a one and a half minute lead and was held up moments later by demonstrators on the course.
Contrary to two previous protests in the Tour, the stage was quickly resumed. The escapees were not given too much space and seemed to be caught again with 123 kilometers to go, but only Politt was caught up.
On the first climb Simmons and Mohoric broke away from their fellow escapees and shortly after the American continued alone. In the meantime, Fabio Jakobsen had to release in the peloton. Simmons stayed ahead alone for a while, but with 35 kilometers from the finish his adventure was over.
Pogacar doesn’t want to give up
Tadej Pogacar saw his gap with jersey wearer Jonas Vingegaard in the standings increase on Thursday, but the Slovenian still did not want to give up a day later. Having just returned from a flat tire, Pogacar went on the attack, although Wout van Aert was on the alert on behalf of Jumbo-Visma.
Fred Wright, Jasper Stuyven and Alexis Gougeard then managed to make a hole. The trio took a lead of half a minute on the peloton, in which Jakobsen returned moments later.
Wright, Stuyven and Gougeard stayed ahead for a long time and seemed to be caught 2 kilometers from the finish, but only Laporte made the crossing. The Frenchman then jumped away from the trio in the final kilometer and thus gave France the first stage victory in this Tour.