Just a few meters after the official start of the Tour de France in Bilbao, Spain, five riders went ahead. Lilian Calmejane (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty), Simon Guglielmi (Arkéa-Samsic), Pascal Eenkhoorn (Lotto-Dstny), Jonas Gregaard (Uno-X) and Valentin Ferron (TotalEnergies) tried to fight for the stage win, or at least current possession of the polka dot jersey for the best climber.
However, neither of them succeeded. The escape was already 50 kilometers before the finish line and the necessary five points on the penultimate climb on the Cote de Vivero were grabbed by Nielson Powless from the EF Education-Easy Post stable, who will wear the dotted jersey tomorrow.
Photo: Benoit Tessier, Reuters
Richard Carapaz after a crash in the first stage of the Tour de France.
Just a few minutes later, however, the leader of Powless’s team was struck by sporting tragedy. Richard Carapaz, the third man of the Tour from 2021, fell on the descent from this climb and held onto his bruised left knee. He did get on the bike, but only after five minutes and his hopes for the overall position are in vain, because he finished with a loss of more than 15 minutes.
Movistar team leader Enric Mas fared even worse. He was involved in a fall with Carapaz and the Spanish cyclist never got back on the bike. The fifth Tour de France competitor from 2020 and the sixth a year later had to withdraw in the first stage.
Brutal pace for the last premium
Although the steep wall at Cote de Pike was only two kilometers long, an average ten percent grade separated the wheat from the chaff. And the prediction that classicists can rejoice was not confirmed. With exceptions, only the strongest riders in the overall standings survived.
The biggest favorites Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard competed for the first time. The Slovenian dictated the pace at the front, but the Dane stayed in touch.
An interesting pair then formed at the front after the last climb. The SAE Team Emirates took advantage of their numerical superiority and Adam Yates, Pogačar’s teammate, attacked. And only the competitor who knows him best was holding on to him. Twin brother of Simon from Team Jayco AlUla.
While Adam had already donned the yellow jersey three years ago, Simon had yet to know this feeling. On the other hand, he has already won a stage at the Tour de France twice. This time, however, Simon had to bow down to his twin.
Adam Yates broke the siblings in the short finish climb. SAE Team Emirates thus gets the yellow jersey already in the first stage. However, not for the leader Tadej Pogačar, who grabbed four bonus seconds for third place, but for the key domestic player Adam Yates.
Tour de France cycling race – 1st stage (Bilbao – Bilbao, 182 km): 1. A. Yates (Brit./UAE Team Emirates) 4:22:492. S. Yates (Brit./Jayco-AlUla) -43. Pogačar (Slovenia/SAE Team Emirates)4. Pinot (Fr./Groupama-FDJ)5. Woods (Can./Israel-Premier Tech)6. Lafay (Fr./Cofidis) all -12
