From our special correspondent in the Basque Country – Party in the last descent with his twin brother, Adam Yates (UAE Emirates) won the first stage of the Tour de France 2023 and won the yellow jersey. Behind, the duel in the Pike coast between Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar gave birth to a draw.
Published on: 07/01/2023 – 17:16Modified on: 07/01/2023 – 18:13
The Grand Départs of the Tour de France are always a matter of firsts. Disputed on the first day of July, this loop between Bilbao and Bilbao gave birth to an unprecedented final leaving for the first time in the history of the Big loop two twin brothers to compete for the stage victory.
And it was finally Adam Yates, UAE Emirates rider, who won ahead of his brother Simon (Jayco AlUla) and had the honor of wearing the yellow jersey. A tunic he had already worn in 2020. Behind, Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar neutralized each other.
2013 Tour of the Future Stage 5
Simon Yates 1st – Adam Yates 2nd
2023 Tour de France stage 1
Adam Yates 1st – Simon Yates 2nd pic.twitter.com/CE6nfdlwQp
— CafeRoubaix (@CafeRoubaix) July 1, 2023
First breakaway, first falls, first explanation
“Never has a first stage of the Tour been so demanding”, promised the organizer before the start. Contract respected with these 180 km with nearly 3,000 meters of elevation gain which left no respite for the runners.
In addition to this great first in terms of difficulty, there was the first breakaway of this 110th edition. Jonas Gregaard (Uno-X), Simon Guglielmi (Arkéa Samsic), Eenkhoorn (Lotto-Dstny) as well as the French Valentin Ferron (TotalEnergies) and Lilian Calmejane (Intermarché) composed it, even if the peloton never left them more than two minutes of field.
The five brave ones did not even have the honor of recovering the first best climber’s polka dot jersey. The award went to Nelson Powless (EasyPost Education) who survived the terrible train led by UAE Emirates in the second category Vivero coast.
Richard Carapaz (EF Education – Easy Post) sets off again but the Ecuadorian has already lost everything in view of the podium, his objective on this Tour de France. Enric Mas (Movistar) has still not returned to the road. #TDF2023 pic.twitter.com/PJGQMCcP6M
— Le Gruppetto (@LeGruppetto) July 1, 2023
The sad honor of the first fall is to be credited to Torsten Traen (Uno X) who ate some bitumen after 100 kilometers.
Another concerned two candidates for the general classification in the descent of the Vivero hill: Richard Carapaz and Enric Mas. If the Ecuadorian left with courage and conceding a lot of time, the Spaniard, he became the first abandonment of the Tour.
And, as expected by the organizers, the Pyke coast gave rise to the first explanation between the two favorites of the Tour: Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar. A duel in this climb nine kilometers from the finish which has given birth to a draw for the moment, benefiting the Yates twins.
The Slovenian, however, settled the small group of favorites in a sprint and raised his arms as he crossed the line, to salute his team-mate’s victory. Third in the stage, he also pocketed four bonus seconds.
