First Pyrenean stage and first surprises on the Tour: the French Nans Peters (AG2R) concluded a long escape on stage eight victorious, this Saturday in Loudenvielle, where Britain’s Adam Yates (Mitchelton) kept the yellow jersey and Thibaut Pinot (FDJ-Groupama) lost almost all his chances of victory in the general classification.
Among the favorites, the trend of recent days was confirmed in the mountain range that separates France from Spain. The current winner of the Tour, the Colombian Egan Bernal, was vulnerable on the Peyresourde, the last climb of the day. But the Slovenian Primoz Roglic, who was more comfortable as well as the Colombian Nairo Quintana, preferred to show a conservative profile.
In the general, Adam Yates, struggling on the last climb, was able to maintain yellow jersey on his torso. Even so, he gave up forty seconds compared to the Slovenian Tadej Pogacar and also gave up time with the French climber Romain Bardet.
But if French cycling can congratulate itself on the stage triumph of Peters, who signed the second French victory after that of Julian Alaphilippe last Sunday in Nice, the Pinot collapse, his main starting option for the general classification.
At the finish line, in the presence of Prime Minister Jean Castex, Peters beat Latvian Toms Skujins and Spaniard Carlos Verona in 47 seconds. The 26-year-old Frenchman, already a winner last year on a mountain stage in the Giro d’Italia, attacked 9 kilometers from the summit of Port de Balès, the first special category port on this Tour, and left behind in the descent to the Russian Ilnur Zakarin. “I knew I was going down like a goat,” smiled the winner of the day over the Russian.
Peters adds a stage win at the Giro and another at the Tour, both achieved in his first appearances in both prestigious races. His trick? «I run without complexes. I try things. You have to try.
In the favorites group, the Slovenian Tadej Pogacar attacked three times in the last ascent and received the green light from Roglic, who was content to neutralize Quintana’s attempt near the Peyresourde peak.
But for the powerful Jumbo team it was not all smiles. His starting number 2, Dutchman Tom Dumoulin, left about two minutes with the rest of the strongmen of the race, paying dearly for his previous efforts to lead the leader Roglic.
Pinot sinking
Pinot, meanwhile, lagged 45 kilometers from the finish. Suffering from back pain since his crash on the first day in Nice, the Frenchman, surrounded by his teammates, came more than seven minutes behind his rivals at the top of Balès. The loss reached 20 minutes at the finish line.
If the French hope started the stage in 9th place in the general classification, they finished it in 30th. “On the flat we managed to hide our misfortunes, but in the mountains it becomes more difficult”, acknowledged the head of his team Marc Madiot. “We have well understood that we are not at the same level as in the Dauphiné”, where Pinot was second.
“We will try to recover, and fight for challenges that may interest us, a stage, the polka dot jersey (for best climber) perhaps,” he added. «I had so much pain in the back I didn’t have the strength, I couldn’t pedal, ”Pinot confessed for his part.
But even worse was the European champion, the Italian Giacomo Nizzolo, who left in this eighth stage, as did his compatriot Diego Rosa and the French William Bonnet and Lilian Calmejane.
On Sunday, the eve of the first rest day, the ninth stage of the Tour, second through the Pyrenees, with 153 kilometers of route between Pau and Laruns. On the menu are two first-class ports, Hourcère and Marie-Blanque.
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