The first week of the Tour ended on Sunday evening, after a successful start in the Basque Country and already a lot of movement in the general classification.
The Tour de France is taking a well-deserved break on Monday July 10. After 10 stages, most of which are already explosive, the Grande Boucle stops in Clermont-Ferrand to recharge the batteries. It’s time for us to learn the first lessons, from the thundering start in Bilbao to Michael Woods’ victory at the top of the Puy de Dôme on Sunday evening.
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Landscapes and fervor in the Basque Country
Between Copenhagen in 2022 and Florence in 2024, the Tour de France had chosen the Basque Country as its starting point this year. And the party was a success, despite the pouring rain during the presentation of the riders in Bilbao. The Basque public responded, giving the big difficulties of the first stages, the coast of Pike and that of Jaizkibel, the appearance of alpine peaks.
The route took advantage of this very hilly region to offer superb suspense from the start, with the number of the Yates brothers on the first day, before the exploit of Victor Lafay in San Sebastian the following day. In Denmark, the public had already responded, but the course had not had the expected effect. This time, the two were together to successfully launch this edition.
A very varied course for a first week
Beyond the Basque triptych, this first week pleasantly alternated between fireworks departures, calmer stages, and the Pyrenees from the…5th day! If the organizer ASO has been trying for several years to dust off the first week, long boring and dedicated to sprints, this year it has allowed all types of runners to express themselves in one week.
The puncheurs were the first to take action in Bilbao and San Sebastian (1st and 2nd stages), before the sprinters in Bayonne, Nogaro, Bordeaux and Limoges (3rd, 4th, 7th and 8th stages), and finally the climbers, in Laruns, Cauterets and Puy de Dôme (5th, 6th and 9th stages), they who normally have to wait a week before expressing themselves.
A rivalry with twists and turns that carries the Tour
Finally, it is impossible not to mention the duel between Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard. The two huge favorites of the Tour wasted no time in throwing themselves into battle from the first stage. They surrendered blow for blow, with the Dane unsheathing first before the Slovenian answered him the next day. Sunday, at the top of Puy-de-Dôme, Pogacar did not overthrow Vingegaard, but he took him back a handful of seconds before the break. “It’s great cycling, a great show. We had a fantastic first week, we saw two great champions battle it out every day”welcomed Mauro Gianetti, the manager of Pogacar, on Sunday.
Behind, it’s already safe who can, and apart from Jai Hindley, winner at Laruns and firmly on the podium, everyone already seems resigned to aiming for only third place, at best. “We still have cracks in front, I couldn’t do anything”had whispered Hindley at the microphone ofEurosport on the evening of Pogacar’s revenge in Cauterets-Cambasque.
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The unconscious behavior of some spectators
While a very large part of the Tour de France spectators ensured an excellent atmosphere during the first week, some distinguished themselves by their stupidity. During the second stage in particular, several riders noticed bedbugs on the road, which caused a few punctures, and angered Lilian Calmejane (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty) on Twitter. “Thank you for this kind of human bullshit. I don’t think I was the only victim of a puncture in the finale. Know that you can fall and get really hurt with your bullshit, bunch of morons”the rider tweeted, filming the tacks on his tire.
During the 8th stage, Steff Cras (TotalEnergies), also ranted after being forced to retire due to a fall caused by a spectator too close to the peloton. “When a spectator approaches more than a meter from the road and does not move when the peloton arrives, it is better to stay at home. This person has no respect for the riders. I hope you you really feel guilty. I have to give up the Tour de France because of you”, he got carried away on Twitter. Lilian Calmejane also fell because of a spectatorSunday, but was able to get back on his bike.
The discretion of French leaders
Unlike the 2022 edition, you won’t have to wait for the third week of the Tour de France to see a French victory. But, apart from Victor Lafay, the Habs were shy during the first week. David Gaudu did not attack and did not take advantage of good shots, as when arriving in Laruns and even gave the Pogacar-Vingegaard duo two minutes at the puy de Dôme. The first Frenchman overall, the Breton, who is aiming for the podium, is in 8th position on Sunday, 3’21 minutes behind third Jai Hindley. Romain Bardet closes the top 10.
Julian Alaphilippe himself tried more to show himself, starting regularly at the front in the Pyrenees, but the double world champion was not rewarded, just like Pierre Latour, second at the puy de Dôme. Alaphilippe could have been more to his advantage during the first two stages in the Basque Country, but did not find the legs to show off. Finally, on the side of Cofidis, the sensations of Guillaume Martin “were not exceptional” in the Pyrenees, and Bryan Coquard failed to reach the podium of a sprint stage, he who revolves around a first victory on the Tour since 2014.
The lack of suspense during the flat stages
“People are cushy for the siesta”, joked Adrien Petit (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty) during the stage between Dax and Nogaro. Like the runners, the viewers experienced a few boring afternoons during the stages intended for the sprinters. The big teams controlled the race, which discouraged more than one breakaway candidate. Between Dax and Nogaro (4th stage), there was absolutely no breakaway for a long time, prompting Anthony Delaplace (Arkéa-Samsic) and Benoît Cosnefroy (AG2R-Citroën) to try a lost shot in advance.
During the 7th stage, between Mont-de-Marsan and Bordeaux, several riders were still motivated to spend the day at the front, but some got up, on instructions from their team, so as not to lose energy unnecessarily. . Simon Guglielmi (Arkéa-Samsic) therefore set off alone in the lead, in a solitary raid doomed to failure, before being swallowed up by the peloton for a third victory for Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck), who, well helped by his team, leaves only crumbs to his competitors.