(Sonderborg) A child received a can thrown by Thibaut Pinot during the fictitious start in Nyborg, Sunday afternoon. They were still thousands wanting to see, if only for a few seconds, the riders of the Tour de France.
Posted at 3:53 p.m.
Updated July 4
The can wore the colors of the Israel-Premier Tech team. The star of Groupama-FDJ had stolen it from Hugo Houle’s bike…
After the stress caused by the Great Belt Bridge the day before, calm had returned to the peloton for the third stage leading to Sonderborg, in mainland Denmark, 200 km from Hamburg, where Scandinavia meets Europe.
Fortunately, Magnus Cort Nielsen (EF), the Dane in the polka dot jersey, continued to entertain the public by seeking points for the “mountain” classification, in this country as flat as a pancake.
Alone on the breakaway, the mustachioed had fun accelerating to pocket the third and last point available, celebrating as if he had just won a sign sprint with the friends.
In the press room, installed in front of the climbing wall of a gymnasium, the journalists passed the time tasting local pastries.
The peloton woke up when Nielsen was caught with about fifty kilometers to go. The trains have started to move up their leader in the general classification, in order to avoid damage.
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Antoine Duchesne (2e from the right) and Stefan Küng take the lead.
At the 25 km, Antoine Duchesne and the Swiss Stefan Küng showed up at the front with David Gaudu, leader of Groupama-FDJ, in the wheel.
“We expected it to be a lot calmer and less nervous today,” noted Duchesne. In the end, it was a little more tense. For us, it was to make sure we were in front so as not to risk falling. »
In fact, with about ten kilometers to go, a pileup on the width of the road cut the peloton in two. Duchesne had just recovered, but Gaudu was still at the forefront with a few teammates.
On the side of Israel-Premier Tech (IPT), Chris Froome and Krists Neilands visited the asphalt for the second day in a row. Similarly, Guillaume Boivin could not avoid the collision and found himself on the ground.
“There were a few cobblestones and it fell,” said the Quebecer. It was stress for nothing. I managed to stop, but I got stamped from behind. I couldn’t do much. I got a little grated, but nothing too serious. »
Only one member of IPT managed to pass, but it was the good one: Jakob Fuglsang. The 37-year-old Dane returned with the main peloton. It thus dates back to the 36e place in the general classification, 1 min 2 s from the yellow jersey, Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma).
Hugo Houle was able to get around the stack, but the gap was created. “At the speed it was going, we didn’t come back,” he explained. But as Jakob was in front, it was quiet for us. The important thing was that Jakob was in front. Otherwise, we would have had to drive. We were lucky. Me, I returned with the Bahrains at 30 seconds. It went. Finally, it was a quiet day. »
It was an opportunity to chat with friends. “Today, we just did that, chat,” joked Houle.
After the stage, at the foot of the bus, he continued the conversation with the little girl from Fuglsang, all embarrassed in her Israel-Premier Tech jersey. Before changing, the Dane chatted for a few minutes with his wife and kissed his daughter.
In the morning, Fuglsang answered a few questions about his relationship with Houle, whom he met at Astana in 2018. When the Quebecer left this formation to land with IPT, the winner of Liège-Bastogne-Liège in 2019 s is brought with him.
“Since joining Astana, we’ve become really good friends,” Fuglsang said. Hugo helped me come to Israel-Premier Tech. He’s a smart guy. He checks everything and knows every bump in the road. I can always count on him. We get along really well, and it’s normal to want to run with a friend. »
Does he ever see him win a stage on the Tour? “He definitely has the engine. Of course, it depends on how you spend your energy, but he definitely has the potential. We saw two years ago that he obtained very good stage results. »
A few buses away, Pinot spoke about his strong ties with Duchesne.
“We don’t hide it, he’s one of my best friends in the peloton and even in life, said the three-time stage winner. We are in contact almost every day. What I like about him is his natural side, his humor, his way of taking an interest in many things. He is someone who is really pleasant with a beautiful philosophy of life. »
Released for the first time from the overall challenge at the Tour, Pinot seems particularly in a good mood. A selfie here, an autograph there. The mask ? Okay. By the way, he gave Houle a bottle during the stage…
Air transfer
The riders did not hang out in the paddocks. At the end of this most northern passage in the history of the Tour, they returned to the north of France in the evening in chartered flights between Sonderborg and Lille. After a day of rest on Monday, they will resume the collar on Tuesday for the fourth stage between Dunkirk and Calais. “It’s still well organized, mentioned Hugo Houle. In theory, we are at the hotel in France at 10 p.m. With the bus, it’s quite simple and comfortable. It sure puts a little more stress on it, but it’s not that bad. »
Danish success
The big Danish start was a real success for the Tour de France. After two pandemic years, the cyclists savored this communion with the public. “The crowd made an impression, agreed Hugo Houle. It was impressive, the amount of people there were today on some climbs. They were stacked to the top. It wasn’t just one row, but sometimes eight, nine or ten. It really made everyone happy. Personally, I really enjoyed the experience, especially since it was sunny and not too windy. »
grated combination
Victim of a fall at each of the two stages on the road in Denmark, Chris Froome grated two combinations in the new colors of Israel-Premier Tech. “He has one left for 18 stages…” pointed out Hugo Houle.