Wout van Aert, launched in a senseless last stand, gave up the yellow jersey of the Tour de France on Thursday to the defending champion, Tadej Pogacar, winner in the sprint of the sixth stage in Longwy.
Even before the first arrival at the top, Friday at the Super Planche des Belles Filles, the Slovenian, double winner of the Tour de France, took control of the race, until then under the control of the Belgian supercyclist. “But that was not the goal, said Pogacar, above all I wanted to win the stage. »
In this arrival for punchers, the leader of the UAE team found himself rid of who could have been his most formidable opponent. Author of an endless breakaway in the longest stage of the Tour (219.9 km), van Aert was overwhelmed eleven kilometers from the finish and finished more than seven minutes after Pogacar.
With an indisputable panache but of questionable tactical interest, van Aert multiplied the blows during an ultra-fast start to the stage (52.5 km in the first hour). At… 148 kilometers from the finish, he finally caused a three-way breakaway, with the American Quinn Simmons, the youngest of the Tour peloton (21 years old), and the Dane Jakob Fuglsang, one of the veterans (37 years old). ).
A burst of energy
Obstinate, van Aert then indulged in a rare burst of energy. “It was difficult for us to control. So I tried to be in the breakaway but three was not enough…”, then explained the Belgian, who justified his insistence on continuing a reckless raid. “I thought about enjoying my last day in yellow and giving something to the public. »
Fuglsang, reluctant, ended up getting up after the intermediate sprint (at the 145th km) and van Aert continued the crazy adventure with Simmons, who relayed him without a second thought before letting go when approaching the last 30 km . The yellow jersey then challenged the peloton launched after him. He only surrendered as he approached ten kilometers, the day after an exhausting (already!) cobblestone stage for him.
In the end of one of the fastest stages in history, at over 49 km/h on average, Alexis Vuillermoz tried his luck. His start on the penultimate climb allowed him to attack the finish climb in the lead (1.6 km at 5.8%) shortly before being caught by the peloton. “Behind, it was going strong”, then underlined the Frenchman, who had not been at such a party in the Tour since his stage success at Mûr-de-Bretagne in 2015.
Seventh stage victory, current series
In the sprint, launched by Slovenian Primoz Roglic, Pogacar gave his rivals no chance. Australian Michael Matthews took second place, several lengths behind the Slovenian, ahead of Frenchman David Gaudu, reassured if necessary about his fine form.
Pogacar (23) has increased the number of his stage successes in the Tour to seven since his first participation in 2020. Ongoing series for the Slovenian who, through bonuses, took first place in the general classification with four seconds ahead of American Neilson Powless and 31 over last year’s runner-up, Dane Jonas Vingegaard.
Asked about his intention to keep the yellow jersey, even if it means having to ask his team, Pogacar replied evasively: “We will see day after day. “But he recalled that the arrival at the Super Planche des Belles Filles, where he had dethroned Roglic in 2020, was very special, in a sibylline declaration of intent.
“We will try to control the race, announced the ultra-favorite of the Tour. It won’t be a disaster if the breakaway goes all the way. But I will try to win. »