Carcassone to Foix – 181.9 km
Photos: Courtesy A.S.O.
Mads Pedersen showed the world his stuff today, surviving a long breakaway over a long course in grueling heat, to sprint to the win in the final meters of the stage.
Quinn Simmons came in second in the stage, a double win for the LIDL-Trek team that is managed now by Thor Hushovd, himself a previous champion from the Tour de France.
The break stayed away long enough, and put enough distance from the Peloton–more than 7 minutes– to deliver a new Yellow Jersey, which is now held by 30-year-old Torstein Traeen (Uno-X) with the second place now held by Sean Quinn (EF Education), and third place for Mathias Vacek (LIDL-Trek).
“It feels unreal and you really don’t understand what is going on,” said Traeen after the stage when asked about his Yellow Jersey. “I was not believing until we came to the last climb and I said ‘the legs are good.'”
“My DS told me eat and drink, eat and drink.”About the Yellow Jersey, he added, “There is hope you can wear it as long as possible.”
The Green Jersey was presented to Mads Pedersen with a lead of 48 points. Alex Baudin was in Polka Dots for the second day in a row. Mathias Vacek was the new holder of the White Jersey for best young rider.
Whether it was the weather –104 degrees on average– or the hubris of the peloton for not paying attention, the break at the front started with an average 3 minute gap, which soon yawned to more than 7 minutes. Those conditions allowed for the break rider Traeen Torstein to become virtual, then actual, Yellow Jersey winner.
The Details:
An impressive 34-man breakaway
Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek) sets off as soon as the flag was dropped. He was quickly reeled in and a fierce battle for the break followed
Alex Kirsch (Cofidis) was then the first rider to get away, from kilometer 2. Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) rapidly reacted and brought a dozen riders with him. Eventually, a group of 34 attackers formed after 16 km.
There were three former winners of the points standings at the front: Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Premier Tech), Biniam Girmay (NSN), and Michael Matthews (Jayco AlUla). Along with them and Pedersen, Kévin Vauquelin (Netcompany Ineos) and Ion Izagirre (Cofidis) were the other two Tour stage winners in the breakaway. Torstein Træen (Uno-X Mobility) was the best placed rider in the breakaway on GC (24th, +5’06’’).
Fight at the intermediate sprint
Alex Molenaar (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) was also up there to try and reclaim the polka-dot jersey he lost to Alex Baudin (EF Education-EasyPost) on day 3. The Dutchman took 3 KOM points across the ascents of Bedos (cat. 4, summit at km 48.2) and Paradis (cat. 3, km 64.9). Meanwhile, UAE Emirates-XRG controlled the gap at around three minutes and a half.
The peloton’s pace eased up en route to the intermediate sprint (km 93.4), where Girmay took 25 points ahead of Philipsen and Pedersen. Onto the climb up to Col de Coudons, Jan Tratnik (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) accelerated at the front of the race. Mathias Vacek (Lidl-Trek) followed him but didn’t cooperate. They were joined by Alex Kirsch (Cofidis) after the summit. At that point, the gap to the bunch is already up to over 7 minutes, and Træen led in the virtual standings.
A dominant Lidl-Trek
With Michael Valgren and Georg Steinhauser to support Sean Quinn, EF Education-EasyPost drove the chase. The leaders were caught on the final ascent of the day, Col de Montségur (cat. 2, km 146.7). The best climbers at the front, such as Movistar’s duo made of Pablo Castrillo and Raul Garcia Pierna, give it their all to distance Mads Pedersen. But the Dane survived the climb with two teammates: Vacek and Simmons.
Despite a flurry of attacks, mostly from Castrillo and Garcia Pierna, Pedersen’s domestiques controlled the stage all the way to the sprint. Kévin Vauquelin tried to attack at 350 meters but nobody could react when Pedersen took off. Simmons completed a dominant 1-2 for Lidl-Trek.
The peloton finishes 13 minutes behind. For the third year in a row, Tadej Pogacar loset the Maillot Jaune on the first day he wore it.
