(Nyborg) Dutch cyclist Fabio Jakobsen surprised Wout van Aert at the finish line of the second stage of the Tour de France on Saturday, while van Aert seized the yellow leader’s jersey at the same time.
Posted at 12:28 p.m.
It was Jakobsen’s first stage victory in the Grande Boucle, and the second in as many days for the Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl team — after Yves Lampaert’s victory in the individual time trial the day before.
Van Aert, however, took the yellow jersey, along with a six-second bonus, after finishing second, moving him one second ahead of Lampaert in the overall standings.
PHOTO DANIEL COLE, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Wout van Aert
“It’s a great pleasure to wear this jersey. I tried many times to grab it. I am very happy, and very proud, said van Aert. It’s the biggest cycling race in the world, so for sure I would like to keep it. »
Van Aert also obtained the green jersey given to the best sprinter, and he is the teammate of Primoz Roglic within the Jumbo-Visma team.
“We have big ambitions,” van Aert said.
Tadej Pogacar, the two-time defending Tour de France champion, remained third in the standings, and he finished eight seconds behind van Aert.
Pogacar still has a cushion of nine seconds ahead of his eternal rival and compatriot, Roglic, who is eighth overall. They finished in the main peloton and couldn’t widen the gap between them. Roglic had finished second in the Tour de France in 2020, and he has won the last three Tours of Spain.
Hugo Houle (Israel-Premier Tech), from Sainte-Perpétue, stood out by finishing 21e of the step. His compatriots Guillaume Boivin, Antoine Duchesne and Michael Woods respectively finished 39e108e and 154e.
In the cumulative ranking, Houle is still the best Canadian cyclist by virtue of his 39e place, 48 seconds behind van Aert. Duchesne, Boivin and Woods follow at 102e125e and 130e rows, in order.
After the peloton had crossed a huge suspension bridge, several cyclists found themselves at the back of the peloton with two kilometers to negotiate before reaching Nyborg.
Van Aert appeared to be heading for victory after passing Danish prospect Mads Pedersen, but Jakobsen sprang right past him. Pedersen finished the stage in third place.
The start of the stage was slightly delayed after Tim Wellen suffered a puncture and Simon Yates suffered mechanical failure.
A large crowd gathered along the road, and many Danish flags were waved as the runners passed.
The third stage will take place on Sunday, and it will once again favor the sprinters. It will start in Vejle, on the Jutland peninsula, and culminate in Sonderborg, in southern Denmark, after a mostly flat course of 182 km.
After a day of travel, the cyclists will return to France on Tuesday and tackle a five-hill stage between Dunkirk and Calais.
The Tour de France will end on July 24 on the Champs-Élysées.