Just yesterday had jostled with Cavendish at the finish line in Valence and it was clear that it wasn't enough for him. Where do you find someone who sprints with the sprinters and then the next day goes on the breakaway on the Ventoux? In the previous days, Van Aert had complimented Van der Poel in a tight-lipped toneThe Dutchman had won a stage and worn the yellow jersey for a long time, and even this couldn't go down well with the Belgian champion. Then Mathieu left, and their joint presence in this Tour risked being limited to the breakaway towards Le Creusot, when the objectives had portrayed them to the attack with the taste of challenge in the smileBut it was clear that even this wasn't enough for him. And so today the Belgian champion, appointed to be Roglic's domestique and hampered in his preparation by an appendicitis operation, he invented another giant day by deciding to challenge Mont Ventoux. The Belgian giant against the Provençal giant. And he pulled off a day he won't soon forget. Which he called the most beautiful since he started cyclingPutting it ahead of the cross-country world championships, the classics and all the other successes of a prodigious career.
The most beautiful
«I'm speechless – he continued to repeat after the victory – At the beginning of the Tour I would never have dared to dream of winning this stage. But yesterday I suddenly felt like giving it a try. I asked the team if I could join the day's breakaway. I knew I didn't have the characteristics to challenge a mountain like this. (Van Aert is 1,90 m tall and weighs 78 kg, ed.) Instead, what came out was what could be my best victory ever, because Mont Ventoux is one of cycling's most iconic climbs.I believed in it along the way, and with faith, anything is possible. The public support was also overwhelming. It was an honor to climb Ventoux wearing the national champion's jersey».
Vingegaard attacks and turns, Pogacar is with him But the defense of the yellow jersey does not last long: the Dane soon finds himself alone Welcome back, the crowd: decent fans who cheered us on and even sheltered us from the wind…
Vingegaard attacks and turns, Pogacar is with him But the defense of the yellow jersey does not last long: the Dane soon finds himself alone Welcome back, the crowd: decent fans who cheered us on and even sheltered us from the wind…
Pogacar in defense
It was supposed to be the stage of the turnarounds, and yet the only one who tried to do something is another terrible kid, who We discovered Coppi and Bartali Week. When the Team Ineos he finished the work and Carapaz understood that he didn't have the legs to make sense of his teammates' fatigue, Vingegaard did what you would expect from a 24-year-old rider in good condition. He attacked, regardless of the consequences. And at least on the climbs he created a gap..
Pogacar has given inIt's true that he had and still has a crazy advantage. It's true that he says he wasn't surprised by the Dane's attack, which he's been following with interest all year. Yet for a few kilometers he felt the bitter taste of fatigue and the more subtle one of anxiety..
«I couldn't follow him – he said immediately – he started off super strong. He put the big report, too much even for meI gave up in the last few kilometers, so I tried to get to the top as quickly as possible, but given the heat it was a really tough day. So in the end I'm satisfied. As for Ineos, I think they wanted the stage victory, but the escape still had too much of an advantage to hope to catch them».
Appendicitis is a fatality
The breakaway was Van Aert, who for this day on the edge of madness really studied everything, including the use of an unauthorized wheel pair, as he had also done Van der Poel to save the yellow jersey in the time trial. And so, by spinning the pair of Metron wheels by Vision very quickly, The Belgian also overtook Elissonde and despite his size, he attacked the Ventoux with a cadence close to 85 pedal strokes..
«It was difficult for me to start this Tour at the highest level – he said when the emotion had partially left him – due to appendicitis surgery (The surgery took place in mid-May and prevented him from racing in the Dauphiné, ed.) Furthermore, in the first week we had really bad luck. With Primoz Roglic we lost our leader and with Robert Gesink our super domestiqueUnfortunately, we also lost Tony Martin today. Fortunately, everything fell into place in the final. It's a matter of moving forward and being able to set new goals each time. This motivates me even more. I will continue to help Vingegaard, just like the whole team. It's very strong, but today was my day."
Cavendish made it
In the scorching heat of Malaucene, Even today the challenge of the maximum time kept the sprinters on edgeCavendish, this time accompanied by the whole team, entered well inside the boundary, crossing the finish line 7 minutes earlyLuke Rowe, however, didn't make it, after pushing hard for Carapaz. Seven others withdrew. It's a demanding Tour. Who knows if Roglic managed to watch the stage or is still at home cursing the bad luck that took him out. For his challenge against Pogacar, Even without Dumoulin, he would have had superlative companionsVan Aert says this as he waves goodbye. Meanwhile, he wonders if Van der Poel also saw the race. In its own way, this victory is also for the eternal rival.
