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It was a very good day for France, as Anthony Turgis (TotalEnergies) was the quickest in a breakaway dash to win the extremely anticipated gravel stage 9 of the Tour de France.
Turgis was a part of an all-day breakaway of 12 riders that set off inside the primary 50km of then practically 200km stage into Troyes. The breakaway caught late-race attacker Jasper Stuyven (Lidl-Trek) below the flamme rouge and raced a tactical closing few hundred metres as they sprinted for the stage win.
Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) led the group into the ultimate metres the place Derek Gee (Israel-Premier Tech) was the primary to open up his dash.
Turgis and Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) had been fast to react because the Frenchman stormed over the road to take his first WorldTour victory with Pidcock ending second and leaving Gee to accept third place on the day.
“It’s a yr since I’m on the Tour. At the beginning of the Tour I at all times noticed the cameras for the wins on completely different riders and at all times the massive favourites. I’ve at all times believed that if I am going to race, I am going to try to win,” Turgis mentioned.
“I’ve by no means received on the WorldTour. But now, to win on the WorldTour on the Tour de France? It’s unbelievable. It’s not any stage, it is one of many key phases. Stages like this are unbelievable.”
Of the unique 12-rider breakaway, solely seven succeeded to the end line: Turgis, Pidcock, Gee and Healy, together with Stuyven, Alex Aranburu and Javier Romo (each Movistar), Alexey Lutsenko (Astana Qazaqstan).
As the breakaway confirmed indicators of fatigue within the closing kilometres, Stuyven launched a late-race assault over the ultimate gravel sector, Saint-Parres-aux-Tertres, committing to an all-out solo effort, however the Belgian was caught with one kilometre to go.
“We have had a giant day. When I noticed this group, I assumed we may go a good distance on this stage. There had been a number of massive champions,” Turgis mentioned.
“I anticipated Jasper would have a giant assault. I used to be going to attempt to observe however not do an excessive amount of; at the back of my head, I used to be considering: Don’t do an excessive amount of and keep calm. If it comes again collectively, I may win the dash.”
It was a chaotic day for the general contenders, with a number of searing assaults coming from yellow jersey Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) and Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep).
However, there have been few adjustments to the highest 10 within the basic classification, with Pogačar sustaining his maintain on the yellow jersey.
He is main the race by 33 seconds forward of runner-up Evenepoel, 1:15 over Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) and 1:36 over Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe), who all completed within the diminished group that crossed the end line 1:46 behind the breakaway.
“It was enjoyable driving. I used to be not anticipating that the gravel could be so gravely. There had been a number of rocks and sand, and it was tough to experience on. It was fairly enjoyable, however I’d make that loop the other manner in order that we might have a tailwind to the end as a result of [the headwind] was not in favour of our assaults as we speak,” Pogačar mentioned.
“I used to be watching Remco, and he was watching me. We could not go collectively, nevertheless it was nonetheless a enjoyable day, and tomorrow is lastly a relaxation day. I had nice legs. I need to say that as we speak was one of many hardest of the Tour and I felt good. I am unable to wait to start out the correct mountains.”
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