At the foot of the Hautacam climb, Jonas Vingegaard was preparing for Tadej Pogacar’s final assault. In front of him, two teammates were still riding.
Posted at 3:57 p.m.
Higher up, the inevitable Wout van Aert was waiting for him as reinforcements, under the watchful eye of President Emmanuel Macron, who was following the scene from the commissioner’s car.
In the yellow jersey group, veteran Geraint Thomas clung to his third place. Two or three supporting actors accompanied them, including Hugo Houle, who had taken the Briton’s wheel on the descent.
The outcome of 109e Tour de France was probably about to make up its mind. The 31-year-old Quebecer could not have dreamed of a better seat.
“I was really happy to be there, it was easier,” said the strongman of Israel-Premier Tech, Thursday afternoon. “I knew it was on TV, I’m not crazy either. This is the crucial moment of the Tour. There are five or six guys and I am there. It’s a bit special. »
4 km from the summit, Houle had been stalled for a while when the yellow jersey Vingegaard carried the K. -O. final in the white Pogacar jersey, after another huge stint in the green Van Aert jersey, a tricolor image probably unprecedented in the history of the Grande Boucle.
As in Spandelles, the previous pass, the native of Sainte-Perpétue climbed at his own pace, aware of his limits in this suffocating heat. This steady ascent took him to the 20e place of the 18e stage (+7 min 27), an unexpected result for those who had not considered slipping into the breakaway.
“At one point, I said to myself: ‘I have really good legs.’ I saw everyone around me suffering, I looked at the names: Enric Mas (19e), Bartet (17e). I didn’t expect that when I arrived at the Tour de France. I’m starting to realize a little the quality of form that I have. I am very happy with my Tour. It is beyond my expectations. »
With his performance, the winner in Foix, Tuesday, climbs to 25e rank in the general classification, he who has never done better than 47e in six major tours (France, 2020), in a domestic role.
“I’m on cloud nine right now with everything I’ve accomplished. A stage, a podium, four breakaways which almost all went to the end. I don’t realize it yet. »
With around 70km to go, Houle slipped into the breakaway on instinct, joining his teammate Michael Woods in the lead group at the foot of the first ascent, the Col d’Aubisque (hors category). The breakaway settled in Spandelles, an unprecedented first category climb. Woods, who was aiming for the stage, tried to hang on to the leaders, while Houle climbed the slope at his tempo.
“I used my head and I thought, ‘It’s almost impossible for me to get up there at this speed.’ So I got up because of the heat. I took a comfortable pace. Well, comfort is relative…”
At the top, Woods was gone. At 2 km, Houle was told in the headset that Pogacar (UAE), who had attacked Vingegaard (Jumbo) five times, was coming back to him with the yellow jersey. As they passed, he observed them, before clinging to Thomas a little later.
In the descent, they were joined by Tiesj Benoot and Sepp Kuss, two teammates of the leader, who shone after a certain disappointment the day before towards Peyragudes.
That’s how Houle found himself at the outposts at the base of Hautacam. “Right now, I’m not with the best, but I’m really not far off. Right after the guys who do the general classification. It allows me to have the latitude to follow the shots and to be able to undergo the changes of rhythm and to attack. But for that, it takes your legs. »
Houle intends to give everything for the 40 km time trial on Saturday, the day before the finish on the Champs-Élysées.
“As Mr. Guillaume Boivin said to me: ‘with the legs you have, you should do the clock at full speed’. We’ll see how I recover. I will admit that it is not every day that I have pushed like today. In theory, I should try to set a good time. »
For Vingegaard, second last year, this will be the opportunity to confirm his first title in the Tour de France at 25 years old. Put under pressure by Pogacar in the descent of Spandelles, the Danish yellow jersey got a little scared in a turn that was a little too tight, which forced him to unclip to keep his balance.
A little further on, it was Pogacar who lay down in the gravel after having badly negotiated a curve. He got back into the saddle almost immediately before returning to Vingegaard, who was waiting for him.
The Slovenian held out his hand to the yellow jersey, which shook it. The Tour was almost already sealed.
“Today, the best man won,” Pogacar bowed.
Gaudu forward
Among the main winners of the day, David Gaudu, fifth in the stage, made a toad leap above Nairo Quintana (Arkéa) to take fourth place in the general classification. The Frenchman from Groupama-FDJ received the support of his Quebec teammate Antoine Duchesne (45e), who was in the yellow jersey group in Aubisque. Even Thibaut Pinot, one of the three survivors of the breakaway, gave him a hand in Hautacam. Barring a failure, Gaudu should retain this rank after the Rocamadour time trial. It won’t be the podium hoped for, but a damn good ranking for the 25-year-old athlete, 11e last year.