The Dane allows his team to chain an eleventh Tour de France crowned with at least one success per edition, thanks to his victory in Bourg-en-Bresse on Thursday.
No Fabio Jakobsen to offer a stage victory to Soudal-Quick Step on a stage promised to sprinters? No problem, for Kasper Asgreen. The Dane took responsibility for bringing his team a first success in the Tour de France 2023, Thursday July 20, in Bourg-en-Bresse, at the end of a victorious breakaway which boosted the morale of his teammates.
The Wolfpack (“the pack of wolves”, nickname given to the Soudal-Quick Step team) can finally howl in a pack, after the victory of one of its own on the Grande Boucle. Frustrated since the start of the race, the riders of the Belgian formation let out cries of joy and surely of relief, when they returned to their bus on Thursday evening in Bourg-en-Bresse.
A team accustomed to victory, the Soudal-Quick Step had only four chances to raise their arms on this Tour de France, including a certain arrival in the sprint, Sunday, without a sprinter in its ranks, since Fabio Jakobsen was forced to retire before the 12th stage, not sufficiently recovered from his fall in Nogaro a few days earlier.
“It’s true that the Tour was a bit difficult for us with Fabio’s retirement. We fought really hard the last two weeks, we were still not very far away, but we were never able to grab a victory. I had a little ticked off today’s stage, and even tomorrow’s stage. I was really motivated to try to give something back to the team, to my teammates and to all those who help us”says Kasper Asgreen. “We hadn’t won yet, we were under a bit of pressure, recognizes his teammate Rémi Cavagna. It’s a great victory, it boosts the morale of the team.”.
Like the classic season, a Tour de France narrowly saved
Accustomed to victories in the Tour de France, the Belgian team has won at least one stage in each of the last ten editions of the Grande Boucle. Failure to do so this year would have been a failure. “Of course, this Tour de France at the moment is not what we had planned in the objectives. But it’s a team that always wins on the Tour and they proved it again today”rejoiced Franck Alaphilippe, trainer. “I’m very happy for Kasper, we saw him improve every day. Spring wasn’t perfect, but he showed a lot of character”adds Tom Steels, sporting director.
The spring had indeed already not been brilliant for the Belgian formation, whose season of the Flanders and Ardennes classics had been saved by the victory of Remco Evenepoel over Liège-Bastogne-Liège.
Once again, the team saved its Grande Boucle on Thursday, rewarded for its initiative. “I must say that Julian Alaphilippe had a very big part in this victory, because like Kasper, he kept trying to break away, and that kept the spirit of the team high.continues Tom Steels, It’s a day that will be remembered”.