Tour de France, first stage: time trial and yellow jersey in Lampaert

The stopwatch image is the pale face of Wout Van Aert. Yes, because the Flemish of Jumbo-Visma, who managed to beat Pogacar and (above all) Ganna for the first time in his career, was absolutely convinced that he had made it. He already felt the first yellow jersey of the 109th Tour de France in Copenhagen. And yet another Flemish, Yves Lampaert, 31, who has dedicated his career to backing up the captains in the group headed by Lefevere, mocked him for 5 ”. So: Lampaert yellow jersey with 5 “on Van Aert, 7” on Pogacar, 10 “on Ganna, 13” on Van der Poel and 15 “on Pedersen.

Rain

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The Tour starts with a huge surprise. Because Lampaert, a specialist in pavé and Northern classics, a past as a judoka before dedicating himself to cycling, makes the most of the weather conditions that have changed completely in a couple of hours. All the managers decide, on the eve, to start their big names in the first hour, from 16 to 17.05, because the forecasts announce the arrival of the rain and the increase of the wind in the second part of the afternoon. Mads Pedersen, a Danish from Copenhagen, does it too, who has tried this route hundreds of times. On the other hand, the bad weather breaks loose on the big names, with the rain beating harder and harder. And who pays for it? Who is more powerful, then Pippo Ganna, who is unable to express his power and must pedal cautiously. The show under the water is given by Mathieu Van der Poel, who drives like no other. His ability as a cross rider and biker allows him to make trajectories that others cannot afford.

Overturn

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Then in a few minutes the turnaround. Ganna is the most in difficulty in the rain: he also has a more powerful physique than Van Aert, in the corners he risks nothing and then in the end he also punctures the rear wheel. Van Aert, this time he manages to overtake his Piedmontese friend, who had beaten him in the last two World Championships, he also manages to resist the assault of Pogacar, who dances between the curves and in the wet and in 13 km he already gains 9 ” on Roglic. But then Lampaert’s performance freezes him: the last Belgian in the yellow jersey was Philippe Gilbert in 2011. On Saturday the Tour continues in Denmark with the second stage, all along the North Sea: Velje-Nyborg, km 202, very dangerous for the wind, the rain and the fans. In the end you have to cross the Storebaelt, the 18 km long bridge that ends 3 km from the end. Opportunity for the first real attacks among the men of the table.