Beautiful solo gives Patrick Konrad victory in soaking Pyrenees stage in Tour | Tour de France

sport">From the starting point of El Pas de la Casa it rained not only drops, but also attacks. Ultimately, this resulted in a leading group of 14 men, although they never really rode together, because riders kept trying to get away. The difference was made on the final climb, the Portet d’Aspet, where Konrad pulled away. David Gaudu and Sonny Colbrelli were late, but gave chase. But Konrad descended at least as well as the duo, who seemed to have lost their gun.

sport">Gaudu and Colbrelli were caught by seven other escapees, namely Franck Bonnamour, Jan Bakelants, Lorenzo Rota, Alex Aranburu, Toms Skujins, Michael Matthews and Pierre-Luc Périchon. But the Austrian bird had flown: Konrad soloed to a nice victory and is only the third Austrian to take a stage victory in the Tour. Colbrelli was second, Matthews third. For Konrad (29) it was his third victory as a cycling professional. He previously won two national road titles in his homeland: in 2019 and this year.

sport">The peloton seemed to have taken a ‘day of rest’, as Tadej Pogacar and his companions let the large breakaway group drive away until at some point above 14 minutes. Five kilometers before the finish, a small group of favorites – including Pogacar – remained towards the finish. Wout van Aert stoked the fire a bit on behalf of Jumbo-Visma, but this did not lead to shifts in the classification.

Konrad on his Mollema’s to stage win in Tour

sport">Konrad had already seen examples in the Tour de France this year of riders taking their stage victory after a solo. Slovenian Matej Mohoric did it in the first week, Bauke Mollema last Saturday. “They attacked early. I thought: if I get into such a situation, I’m the man”, said the Austrian from Bora-hansgrohe, who left his fellow refugees behind more than 30 kilometers before the finish. He was victorious in the sixteenth stage, a stage through the Pyrenees.

sport">Success dawned in Saint-Gaudens, although Konrad was still overcome with doubts a kilometer before the finish. “I saw the road in front of me going uphill for a while and thought: oh, I still have to get over that.” But 500 meters further, with a lead of more than 40 seconds over the first pursuers, the Austrian road champion knew that the stage victory was a fact. “My first win in the WorldTour, in the biggest cycling race in the world too. It makes me proud and speechless.”

sport">The 29-year-old Austrian dedicated his victory to his family and friends. “To everyone who believed in me. Including my team of course. They always have faith in me. I am super happy.”

Pogacar expects toughest day in Tour

sport">Tadej Pogacar called it a ‘tough day’, but also realized that the sixteenth stage of the Tour de France on Tuesday was just a taste of what is to come. “This was also a good test for the coming days. The legs are good for the ride to Saint-Lary-Soulan. That will be the toughest day in this Tour,” predicted the Slovenian jersey wearer of UAE-Team Emirates.

sport">On Wednesday, after the Col de Peyresourde, among other things, the finish will be at the top of the Col du Portet. It is a climb of the highest category. Thursday is the arrival in Luz Ardiden after an equally tough final climb. “I’ve explored both rides before. I know the climbs. Sometimes I think it’s better I hadn’t seen them yet,” said Pogacar with some fear in his voice. “But I’m not worried. It just gets tough.”

sport">Tuesday it seemed to be a quiet day for the yellow jersey wearer, with riders who are unimportant for the classification far ahead. Only in the final phase was the pace increased, especially by the Belgian Wout van Aert. Pogacar: “I honestly don’t know what they were planning. It may have seemed like a quiet day, by the way, but the first two hours certainly went fast. It was spicy. When they accelerated like that, I just followed. You see that something can always happen, in the mountains, but also if it doesn’t go up. I always have to be concentrated and focused. That is cycling.”

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