With start in Morzine and finish in Mégève, the riders were given a so-called transition stage after the rest day. Ideal terrain for a group of refugees with a high chance of success. And so it happened: 25 riders were given a free pass, tastemaker Magnus Cort Nielsen sprinted after an exciting denouement to a deserved stage victory. Tadej Pogacar lost team mate George Bennett before the start after a positive corona test, but narrowly kept the yellow jersey.
How did the victory come about?
Catching the early flight: that was the first assignment. Philippe Gilbert was the author of a first timid attempt but the start in a descending line and with a headwind was not immediately inviting. Remarkable: Mathieu van der Poel stuck his nose at the window for the first time in this Tour. But he didn’t get any space either. Fortunately, the first modest climb of the day soon followed: the Col de Chevenoz. Would the early flight leave there? No! Until even Chris Froome tried to get away but couldn’t get the space.
The Col de Jambaz then? An experienced group of four seemed to close away on tight feet: Philippe Gilbert (40), Luis Leon Sanchez (38), Pierre Rolland (35) and ‘young’ Dylan van Baarle (30). But they also did not immediately receive a safe-conduct. In a number of slides, a leading group of 25 riders was eventually established. Before that it had been more than sixty kilometers of war. It was even yellow jersey Tadej Pogacar himself who came to the front of the pack to make it clear that the hatchet had to be buried.
The most important names up front: Lennard Kämna, the Ineos duo Van Baarle – Ganna, Philippe Gilbert, Jumbo pawn Christoph Laporte, stage winner Simon Clarke and the ever-present Magnus Cort Nielsen. The lead quickly rose to over two minutes so that it quickly became clear that the winner is at the front.
For Alberto Bettiol it wasn’t fast enough at the front. And suddenly the Tour came to a complete standstill with 35 kilometers to go. A group of environmentalists, with Bengali fire, pushed across the track. Alberto Bettiol and the rest of the leading group slipped past the protesters but race officials decided to neutralize the race for safety’s sake and remove the protesters. Striking: the activists had glued themselves to the asphalt and were therefore very difficult to remove. Leader Bettiol, the rest of the leading group and the peloton were brought to a halt. After a delay of about ten minutes, the riders could start again.
The final climb to the Altiport would not only decide the stage win, but also who would ride in yellow tomorrow. After all, the lead of the leading group was more than eight minutes, Lennard Kämna, as the best placed rider, was 8’43” behind Tadej Pogacar. The battle for the stage victory quickly claimed victims: Philippe Gilbert soon had to let the strongest ride, also for Christoph Laporte it went too fast.
Kämna smelled yellow and decided to accelerate herself. It would be a nice consolation for the German who, on top of La Planche des Belles Filles, was passed by the duo Pogacar – Vingegaard in the last hundred meters. The leading group at the front exploded and was soon reduced to a group of eight, with Bettiol but without Lennard Kämna who had been surprised by an acceleration from Van Baarle. At the front we got another attack from Alberto Bettiol again, the German Georg Zimmerman (Intermarché – Wanty Gobert) closed the gap on his own. In the pursuit, Kämna rejoined, after which the duo Bettiol-Zimmerman was quickly apprehended.
Luis Leon Sanchez then. The 38-year-old Spaniard seemed on his way to victory but was caught by the Jorgensen – Schultz duo, Dylan van Baarle also tried to make the crossing. That worked, the Dutchman played knight or wrong, but was seized. The foursome started looking at each other and suddenly the pursuers were there. Magnus Cort Nielsen was ideally placed in the wheel of Australian Nick Schultz and knocked him out on the line.
What did the favorites do?
With the prospect of two very tough Alpine stages, it was obvious that the favorites in the battle for yellow would be quiet for another day. Only the final climb towards the Altiport of Mégève could possibly cause separation: nineteen kilometers of climbing at a modest percentage of just over four percent. For trained pros that is false flat and so no one bothered to attack Tadej Pogacar’s position. Pogacar did lose teammate George Bennett as a result of a positive Covid test and that should really start to worry him.
What did the Belgians do?
Philippe Gilbert was the first attacker of the day, Tim Wellens also rode continuously in the first ranks in the hope of getting the right flight. Anyway, almost every fellow countryman rode at the front of the pack at least once in the hope that the right flight would leave with him. Only Oliver Naesen had a difficult day. The East Fleming felt sick and had to let the peloton drive straight away.
When the good flight had finally left, only one compatriot reported present: Philippe Gilbert, but he quickly had to release the role in the first kilometers of the final climb.
Anything else you should know?
In the test round on the eve of the rest day, no one tested positive, but two riders were no longer at the start this morning due to a positive corona test: Luke Durbridgde (Team BikeExchange) and George Bennett (Team UAE Emirates). The latter is a minor disaster, especially for Tadej Pogacar. After Laengen for the flat, he now loses an experienced pawn when climbing. Control is getting more and more difficult for UAE that only has six riders left and Marc Hirschi leaves a very poor impression.
The leading group was forced to stop at 35 kilometers from the finish by the activists. Seven climate activists had blocked the way by clinging to the road surface.
Lonely escapee Alberto Bettiol (EF1) could still pass them, and drive through the lit Bengal fire, the group of pursuers couldn’t anymore. The distances between Bettiol, the chasing group (just over half a minute) and the peloton (7m30 seconds) were recorded.
When neutralization was lifted, those differences were respected.
