Remco Evenepoel and Soudal-QuickStep did their utmost to dislodge Jonas Vingegaard from second place total within the Tour de France on Saturday, however their technique ran headfirst into the Dane’s fullscale bounce again from Friday’s defeat – and Evenepoel paid the value.
Dropped by Vingegaard after the second of his late assaults backfired, the Belgian champion completed fourth on the summit end of Col de la Couillole at 53 seconds on stage winner Tadej Pogačar and is now practically three minutes again on Vingegaard.
Soudal-QuickStep had tried their finest to place Vingegaard into difficulties from the Col de Turini onwards, persisting of their efforts on the second final climb, the Colmiane, and shutting in on the breakaway.
Evenepoel’s teammate Mikel Landa, particularly, put down a ferocious tempo on the Couillole, sacrificing any likelihood of bettering on his fifth place on GC to make sure his chief was in the perfect place attainable to launch a transfer on the larger prize of second total.
However, a primary assault by Evenepoel with some 7km to go remoted the Belgian from his key helper Landa, and his second then noticed Vingegaard launch a counter-move, taking Pogačar with him and leaving Evenepoel to run a lone chase to the end.
Evenepoel’s assault on second thus failed notably, however on the plus facet, his third place total stays greater than safe, together with his closest pursuer, Pogačar’s teammate João Almeida now practically 9 minutes adrift. His benefit in the perfect younger rider competitors too, has now stretched to over 13 minutes as provisional runner-up Carlos Rodríguez misplaced but extra time on the Couillole.
“Two riders had been higher than me and they’re the winners of the final 4 Tours. There is not any disgrace in that”, Evenepoel, fourth on the road behind Pogačar, Vingegaard and mountain classification chief Richard Carapaz informed Sporza.
“We tried to place Vingegaard below stress and see if his unhealthy day [on stage 19] would proceed. That was clearly not the case. We gambled and misplaced, however I’ve nothing to remorse and I’m happy we had been nonetheless in a position even to attempt to do that on the final mountain stage of the Tour.”
“I went for it twice, however the guys in entrance of me are two ex-Tour winners with much more expertise. Their engines are rather a lot greater than mine.”
Asked what he may do to shut the hole between himself and Vingegaard and Pogačar sooner or later, Evenepoel stated “I feel I nonetheless want lots of particular coaching to have the ability to observe or assault them. There is lots of work to be executed to shut that hole.”
After his excessive mountains assault didn’t work out, on Sunday Evenepoel shall be again on extra acquainted – and profitable – terrain, with a 33.7km time trial because the final stage for the 2024 Tour de France.
Evenepoel confirmed that he shall be concentrating on a second time trial victory on this 12 months´s race, however added ” If it does not work out, I shall be simply as glad.”
Congratulated for his all-but-certain third place total and with a second stage win maybe nonetheless to return, too, Evenepoel confirmed no signal of dropping his focus so near the grand finale by saying “Thanks, but it surely’s not over but. I nonetheless have to remain on the bike on Sunday.”
The finish, although, is most undoubtedly in sight.
