today 16:46
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Tadej Pogačar, the two-time defending champion, triumphed in Thursday’s 6th stage of the Tour de France cycling race and got to the top of the overall standings. The Slovenian rider of the UAE Emirates team won ahead of Australian Michael Matthews (BikeExchange-Jayco) and home Frenchman David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ). Slovakian Peter Sagan did not repeat his victory from 2017 in Longwy, finishing in 74th place with a deficit of over five minutes.
UPDATED 17:44 FOR SAGAN’S RESULT AND OVERALL RANKING
You could watch the sixth stage of the Tour de France 2022 ONLINE at Šport.sk >>>
Although the longest stage in the 109th edition of the race was 219.9 km, there was a real attack right from its start in Binche. It was mainly on the “conscience” of the previous leader of the provisional classification Wout Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma), who in the yellow jersey rode at the head of the peloton from the beginning and dictated a high pace. Several groups of cyclists used the moments when the Belgian allowed himself to relax for a while to try to escape.
Van Aert “caught” all the leavers until he himself, with the help of teammate Steven Kruijswijk, made the most important escape of the day. He got into it 147 km before the finish together with Quinn Simmons (Trek-Segafredo) and Jakob Fuglsang Israel-Premier Tech). Other Jumbo-Vism drivers were spoiling the work of the main pack, in which Sagan also figured.
Later, the peloton stopped chasing the leading three, with a technical problem affecting Van Aert at the front. Two points on the Côte des Mazures mountain premium (2 km, 7.6%) went to Simmons, one point to Fuglsang. Van Aert managed to change his bike and immediately returned to the breakaway.
Just before the speed premium, Sagan also had a technical problem that prevented him from fighting for points in the competition for the green jersey. Van Aert achieved the full score and increased his lead to 61 points ahead of Fabio Jakobsen (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl). The Slovak dropped to fifth position, he was overtaken by Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Magnus Cort Nielsen (EF Education-EasyPost).
Shortly after the premium, Fuglsang finished in the breakaway and only the pair continued in front. The latter stayed together after the finish line 30 km to the finish line, when Simmons dropped out and Van Aert’s lead was rapidly decreasing. At the top of the Côte de Montigny-sur-Chiers climb (1.9km, 4.4%), where he gained one point for the hillclimb competition, he was only fourteen seconds ahead of the fast-approaching main field.
The previous leader of the overall standings was swallowed up eleven kilometers before the finish line. Van Aert had already run out of energy and began to lag behind the peloton, so there was also competition for the new wearer of the yellow shirt. Sagan’s team-mate Alexis Vuillermoz was first on the final categorized climb, Côte de Pulventeux (0.8km, 12.3%), claiming two points.
But then he “dropped out” and Pogačar had an advantageous position in the short but intense finish climb. The biggest favorite for the overall championship also confirmed it, he didn’t give his opponents a chance in the sprint up the hill, and he won the undulating stage sovereignly.
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“Every time I win at the Tour, it’s a better and better feeling. It was crazy from the beginning of the stage, there were strong riders in the breakaway, the peloton had to control it. But at the finish, the peloton was stronger, I still felt good. Before the final sprint, they took excellent work by my teammates, especially Rafal Majka, they got me into the ideal position. It wasn’t a thoroughbred sprint, because we already pedaled hard on the previous two peaks. It was extremely difficult and hectic, but I probably had the best legs at the end and the last lunge, “ said the 23-year-old Slovenian in the first televised reaction.
In the fight for the yellow jersey, he leads by four seconds ahead of the American Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost), while the third place Jonas Vingegaard from Denmark (Jumbo-Visma) is 31 seconds behind. “I am extremely happy to have won, everything else is a bonus. I will deal with the yellow jersey in the coming days.” added Pogačar.
Results of the 6th stage (Binche – Longwy, 219.9 km):
1. Tadej Pogačar (Slovenia/UAE Team Emirates) 4:27:13 h,
2. Michael Matthews (Aus./BikeExchange-Jayco),
3. David Gaudu (Fr./Groupama-FDJ),
4. Thomas Pidcock (V. Brit./Ineos Grenadiers),
5. Nairo Quintana (Kol./Arkea-Samsic),
6. Dylan Teuns (Belg./Bahrain Victorious),
7. Jonas Vingegaard (Dan./Jumbo-Visma),
8. Daniel Felipe Martinez (Kol./Ineos Grenadiers),
9. Primož Roglič (Slovak/Jumbo-Visma),
10. Romain Bardet (Fr./DSM) all the same time as the winner,
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74. Peter SAGAN (SR/TotalEnergies) +5:23 min
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Overall ranking:
1. Pogačar 20:44:44 h
2. Neilson Powless (US/EF Education-EasyPost) +4 s
3. Vingegaard +31
4. Adam Yates (V. Brit./Ineos Grenadiers) +39
5. Pidcock +40
6. Geraint Thomas (V. Brit./Ineos Grenadiers) +46
7. Aleksander Vlasov (Rus./Bora-Hansgrohe) +52
8. Martinez +1: 00 min
9. Bardet +1: 01
10. Gaudu +1: 02
…
111. SAGAN +17:49
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Ranking of the scoring competition:
1. Van Aert 198 points
2. Fabio Jakobsen (Hol./Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) 137
3. Jasper Philipsen (Belg./Alpecin-Deceuninck) 89
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5. SAGAN 86
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Ranking of the mountain climbing competition:
1. Magnus Cort Nielsen (Dan./EF Education-EasyPost) 11 bodov
2. Alexis Vuillermoz (Fr./TotalEnergies) 2
3. Wout van Aert (Belgian/Jumbo-Visma) 2
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