Extra victory at the first mountain stage of the Tour de France: Simon Yates won the stage victory at the Puy de Sancy. Ben Healy takes over the yellow jersey as third. Thymen Arensman finished second.
Giro winner Yates had attacked the 3.3 km long climbing climb and reached the finish line with a nine-second lead. For the British, it was the third stage win on the tour after 2019. Yates was part of a five -member group that reached the final climb together.
Tadej Pogacar in the yellow jersey finished 4:51 minutes behind. The Slovenian had attacked the final climb, only Jonas Vingegaard was able to follow him – both of them had torn a big gap with their explosive start. The top favorites of the tour then took the pace out, so that the other classification drivers reached the finish line just a few meters behind. The German Florian Lipowitz finished eleventh.
In the overall classification, Pogacar is now second with 29 seconds behind Healy. Florian Lipowitz remains eighth (+3: 34 minutes).
The first mounting stage of the tour through the central massif was a real yardstick. On the French national holiday, it was over seven mountain ratings of the 2nd category and one of the 3rd category. The professionals had to overcome 4450 meters on the 165 kilometers from Ennezat to Le Mont-Dore. For comparison: The royal stage of the tour with the mountain arrival on the Col de la Loze has 5450 meters of altitude.
Large top group, Politt works for Pogacar
The top group, which had formed in the first hour of race, was unusually large. 28 drivers were represented at the front. Giro winner Simon Yates and Victor Campenaerts were there for Visma – Lease A Bike. A sign that the team around the two-time tour winner Vingegaard followed an offensive plan. “Every hard stage offers a chance. If there is a possibility, we want to use it,” said Vingegaard before the start. EF Education-Easypost also did a lot. Ben Healy, the winner of the 6th stage, was one of the outliers with three teammates.
Pogacar, on the other hand, gathered his helpers in the main field. There was a familiar picture there, Nils Politt made the pace work extremely long in the front. The defending champion’s mountainists were still able to protect their strength. In the middle of the race, Tim Wellens also tensioned in front of the main field for UAE and changed with polite. Only after 114 kilometers the Cologne team had done his work and dropped back.
Martinez takes over Berg jersey
In the top group, Lenny Martinez diligently collected points for the mountain ranking without much resistance. The 22-year-old Frenchman won the first five mountain ratings, conceded 25 points, taking over the jersey with the red dots. A maximum of 37 points were possible on the first mounting stage.
There were not many points to get on the nine days earlier. So Wellens went to the stage in the mountain jersey with just eight points. For the Belgian, helper services had priority for Pogacar, so it was clear that he would hand over the jersey without a fight.
Healy fights for the yellow jersey for a long time
In the top group, Healy’s teammates took a long pace and thus ensured a selection. Before the sixth mountain ranking 41 kilometers before the finish, 15 professionals were represented. The drivers had more than five minutes ahead in front of the peloton.
For Healy, it was now also about the yellow jersey, as a outlier with the best placement he was 3:55 minutes behind Pogacar. The ire went on the offensive almost 35 kilometers before the final climb, almost only drove over. Heally led only five outliers over the penultimate mountain ranking – the lead was still over five minutes. Ben O’Connor, Simon Yates, Thymen Arensman and Michael Storer were still there. Together it went into the final climb
At the penultimate mountain ranking 10 kilometers before the finish, the main field was shared. Only a small group came across the crest. Pogacar and Vingegaard were there, and also Lipowitz.
Stage around Toulouse after the day of rest
After the first mounting stage, the drivers can recover a little on the first day of rest. On Wednesday it continues with a largely flat stage. The start and finish of the 11th stage is in Toulouse. A few kilometers before the finish, it goes over a short but up to 20 percent steep ramp. If the end fast men in the peloton cannot be dependent, then there could be a mass sprint.