Et was the tiny cycling distance of almost 100 meters that lay between Lennard Kämna and a great victory in the Tour de France. Up to 100 meters from the finish at La Super Planche des Belles Filles, the North German was close to a coup in the Vosges. But within sight of the finish line, Kämna was overtaken by the two top favorites Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard and ended up only fourth.
Defending champion Pogacar secured the second stage win in a row on the first mountain stage of this Tour of France and extended his overall lead to 35 seconds ahead of the Dane Vingegaard (Team Jumbo-Visma). In third place, Primoz Roglic reached the spectacular finish in an Alsatian ski area, which at the end offered the professionals an enormously steep ramp with an incline of up to 24 percent.
The unfortunate Kämna, who had won a tour stage in Villard-de-Lans two years ago and a stage of the Giro d’Italia on Mount Etna a few weeks ago, was placed on this by the favourites. “I knew that the small gap would be tight. I can’t blame myself and I didn’t really break in. But when it gets that steep, it becomes difficult to defend the gap,” said Kämna. “It is like it is.”
Alexander Vlasov suspended
In any case, the Bora-hansgrohe team leaves the Vosges badly shaken. In addition to the sporting drama surrounding Kämna, the German racing team suffered a severe setback for its class hopes.
Captain Alexander Wlasow, who fell the day before, was left behind on the final climb and conceded over a minute. The Russian, who was previously led by his teammates throughout the first week of the tour, is now well behind Pogacar after the first real exchange of blows between the favorites.
After the impressions of the 176-kilometer section on Friday, challenger Vingegaard, who attacked shortly before the finish, can keep up with the Slovenian dominator uphill. Even if Pogacar grabbed the win.
“It was really hard, especially the last piece. But my team worked so hard all day,” said Pogacar. “And my girlfriend finished, I couldn’t disappoint her. That’s why I really wanted to win. I wanted to win this a long time ago.” Geraint Thomas from Team Ineos, who was third overall, is 1:10 minutes behind.
