Michal Kwiatkowski won the 18th stage in the Tour, a mountain stage in the Alps. The Pole of Ineos Grenadiers was left with his teammate Richard Carapaz from an early break, after which they cross the finish line together. Wout van Aert won the sprint behind the duo for third place with the favorites group. Primoz Roglic was not threatened and remains the leader.
–
Gele troi: Primoz Roglic
Green jersey: Sam Bennett
Polka-dot jersey: Richard Carapaz
White sweater: Tadej Pogacar
How did victory come about?
Immediately after the start Thomas De Gendt attacked and 32 riders were able to break free. With a second Belgian in addition to De Gendt: Lotto-Soudal teammate Jasper De Buyst. The other escapees: Jonathan Castroviejo, Richard Carapaz, Michal Kwiatkowski, Dylan Van Baarle (Ineos Grenadiers), Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe), Nans Peters (AG2R-La Mondiale), Sam Bennett, Bob Jungels (Deceuninck-Quick Step), Rudy Molard, Sébastien Reichenbach (Groupama-FDJ), Pello Bilbao (Bahrain-McLaren), Alberto Bettiol, Tejay Van Garderen (EF Education First), Dayer Quintana (Arkéa-Samsic), Dario Cataldo, Nelson Oliveira, José Joaquín Rojas, Carlos Verona (Movistar Team), Simon Geschke, Matteo Trentin (CCC Team), Nicolas Edet, Jesús Herrada (Cofidis), Luis León Sánchez (Astana Pro Team), Krists Neilands (Israel Start-Up Nation), Michael Gogl, Michael Valgren ( NTT Pro Cycling), Nikias Arndt, Marc Hirschi, Soren Kragh Andersen and Nicholas Roche (Team Sunweb). Bora teammates Maximilian Schachmann and Lennard Kämna tried in vain to make the crossing.
On the first climb, the Cormet de Roselend (18.6 km at 6.1%), the leading group is thinned out: De Buyst, Bennett, Sagan, Trentin, Van Baarle, Rojas, Arndt, Kragh Andersen, Bettiol, Van Garderen and Dayer Quintana had to get off. Damiano Caruso (Bahrain-McLaren was able to make the crossing from the peloton. A group with Julian Alaphilippe also tried, but to no avail.
Just before the top, Carapaz went, but he was countered by Hirschi. In the descent they continued, which gave them half a minute ahead of the rest. Kwiatkowski, Edet and Bilbao joined the Côte de la Route des Villes (3rd category). At the start Col des Saisies (2nd category) the five had a minute ahead of the pursuers and 4’30 ”on the peloton, led by Jumbo-Visma. On that climb, Thomas De Gendt set the pace for the pursuers. They came a little closer, but at the top the gap had grown again to two minutes.
In the descent things went wrong for Hirschi. Pressured by Kwiatkowski, he hit the plain in a corner. The Swiss was able to continue, but had to make up for 45 seconds on the Col des Aravis (6.7 km at 7%). The Swiss went up and over the released Edet but did not get in the front anymore.
So they started with three on the Montée du Plateau des Glières, a col out of category (6 km at 11.2%). Michal Kwiatkowski took the lead before teammate Carapaz and Bilbao had to pass. The Ineos Grenadiers duo had left.
Mikel Landa attacked in the peloton. Jumbo-Visma, with again a very strong Wout van Aert, kept the pace tight and that was too fast for Rigoberto Uran, among others. Landa was seized and that was the signal for Pogacar to accelerate, just before the gravel strip. He continued there too, but Roglic took over quickly. Porte dropped out of the favorites due to a flat tire.
After the gravel strip, Carapaz and Kwiatkowski were about a minute and a half ahead of Bilbao and three minutes ahead of Hirschi. Roglic, Pogacar, Lopez, Landa, Mas and Kuss followed at 5’13 ”.
In the descent the two riders from Ineos Grenadiers increased and Bilbao let the favorites catch up to help Landa and Hirschi was also caught. However, Porte came back to Roglic and co, along with Tom Dumoulin. Thanks to Wout van Aert.
The big question: would the teammates of Ineos sprint for the victory or cross the finish line hand in hand? The answer: the last. Kwiatkowski won, Carapaz receives the polka-dot jersey as a consolation prize. In the pursuers, Wout van Aert won the sprint for third place.
Who else was in the spotlight?
Wout van Aert once again delivered preparation for Primoz Roglic and Tom Dumoulin on the Montée du Plateau des Glières and even joined the favorites group in the descent. He had to get off again for a while but still came back and easily won the sprint for third place (and took away bonus seconds). Third in a tough mountain stage in the Alps, with five climbs. And not by being in an early flight: incredibly strong.
What did the favorites do?
Rogmlic won a prestige sprint from Pogacar at the finish. the duo even took one second on the others. Big losers are Adam Yates and Rigoberto Uran. They lost 2’41 and dropped to seventh and eighth place. Mikel Landa is fifth and Enric Mas makes the jump from eighth place to sixth. Richie Porte had a flat tire on the gravel roads but was able to come back on the descent and remain fourth.
Anything else you should know?
Three times second after Hirschi and twice first: Richard Carapaz gathered a lot of points for the mountain prize and takes over the polka dot jersey from Tadej Pogacar. He is now two points ahead of Pogacar and seven over Roglic. The decision will be made on Saturday at La Planche des Belles Filles in the time trial.
Photo: Pool via REUTERS
The top three in the points classification was in the early breakaway. In the intermediate sprint, Sam Bennett took the full boot, ahead of Matteo Trentin and Peter Sagan. The Irishman increased his lead by five more points over Sagan and now has 52 points more than the seven-time winner.
He had hoped to sprint in the spotlight on Sunday on the Champs-Elysées, but that will not work. André Greipel, good for a total of eleven stage victories in the Tour, gave up on the Cormet de Roselend. A definitive goodbye to the 38-year-old German at the Tour? There is a good chance that he will have a contract with Israel-Start-Up Nation next year.
– .
