Jai Hindley won the fifth stage of the Tour de France alone on Wednesday July 5 in Laruns where the Australian took the lead in the general classification ahead of Jonas Vingegaard who took around a minute from his great rival Tadej Pogacar.
This first day in the mountains has already upset the hierarchy with the loss of the yellow jersey for the Briton Adam Yates (UAE), the takeover of Jai Hindley and the coup de force of Jonas Vingegaard who dropped Tadej Pogacar in proportions that we did not imagine given the profile of the stage.
The Dane placed a lightning attack just over a kilometer from the top of Marie Blanque to clinch the Slovenian, unable to follow and who is now 53 seconds behind the defending champion overall.
Jonas Vingegaard gradually extended his lead, including on the long descent to Laruns, taking over the day’s breakaways one by one. It was too late to catch up with Jai Hindley, who left in the morning breakaway made up of 36 riders.
At 27, the Australian, who is discovering the Tour de France after winning the Giro in 2022, has taken a significant advantage over all the other contenders for the podium and is 47 seconds ahead of Vingegaard overall.
For the rest, Jonas Vingegaard pulled off an excellent operation, well helped by his team-mates from Jumbo-Visma who, after a turbulent start to the Tour, were up front all day, like Wout Van Aert, fighter of the day.
At the end of Marie Blanque, it was Sepp Kuss, the Sherpa of Vingegaard, who blew up the group of favorites, including Adam Yates, by imposing a hell of a train. Once the boss flew away, the American still hung like a leech in the wheel of Pogacar which he marked until the finish.
The Slovenian, winner in 2020 and 2021, will have an opportunity to take his revenge on Thursday during the second Pyrenean stage, which notably passes through the Tourmalet. But the doubts surrounding his state of form, after his wrist fracture on April 23, were largely confirmed on Wednesday in Laruns.
► The classification of the 5th stage, Pau – Laruns, Wednesday July 5
1. Jai Hindley (AUS/BOH) under 162.7 km in 3h 57:07.
(average: 41.2 km/h)
2. Giulio Ciccone (ITA/LTK) at 32 s.
3. Felix Gall (AUT/ACT) 32.
4. Emanuel Buchmann (GER/BOH) 32.
5. Jonas Vingegaard (DEN/TJV) 34.
6. Mattias Skjelmose (DEN/LTK) 1:38.
7. Daniel Martinez (COL/IGD) 1:38.
8. Tadej Pogacar (SLO/UAD) 1:38.
9. David Gaudu (FRA/GFC) 1:38.
10. Carlos Rodríguez (ESP/IGD) 1:38.
► The general classification after the 5th stage
1. Jai Hindley (AUS/BOH)
2. Jonas Vingegaard (DEN/TJV) at 47 s.
3. Giulio Ciccone (ITA/LTK) 1:03.
4. Emanuel Buchmann (GER/BOH) 1:11.
5. Adam Yates (GBR/UAD) 1:34.
6. Tadej Pogacar (SLO/UAD) 1:40.
7. Simon Yates (GBR/JAY) 1:40.
8. Mattias Skjelmose (DEN/LTK) 1:56.
9. Carlos Rodríguez (ESP/IGD) 1:56.
10. David Gaudu (FRA/GFC) 1:56.
► The profile of the 6th stage, Thursday July 6
The profile of the 6th stage of the Tour de France 2023, Tarbes – Cauterets – Cambasque, Thursday July 6. / Visactu
« The Pyrenean challenge continues on a route that places the Aspin and Tourmalet passes on the path of the ambitiousunderlines Christian Prudhomme, the director of the Tour de France. However, the mountain program may arouse other desires. The fittest punchers can still aim for the Yellow Jersey, the climb to the Cambasque plateau not constituting an insurmountable obstacle, with 16 km at 5.4% average gradient. »
