Best of the remainder. Remco Evenepoel conceded floor on the Tour de France’s opening day within the Pyrenees, however the Belgian has formally revised his ambitions for the race upwards after his resolute show on the slopes of Pla d’Adet on stage 14.
Not for the primary time on this race, Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) and Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease A Bike) have been working on a wholly completely different airplane from all people else within the closing kilometres. In his youthful and extra susceptible years, Evenepoel might need been tempted into reaching out to the touch the flame, however nowadays, he has developed the knack of meting out his effort sagely on ascents resembling this.
Rather than attempt to comply with Pogačar’s violent onslaught with 5km of the hors catégorie ascent remaining, Evenepoel delivered one other measured effort, initially monitoring Vingegaard earlier than settling right into a tempo that carried him to 3rd place on the stage, 1:10 down.
Although Evenepoel drops to 3rd general, some 2:22 off Pogačar, his maintain on a podium place seems ever tighter, provided that he now holds a buffer of three:39 over fourth-placed João Almeida. Having insisted a spot within the high 5 was the summit of his ambition earlier than the race started, Evenepoel can now not deny that he has a podium place in Nice in his sights.
“Yes, I feel that’s clear,” Evenepoel mentioned within the combined zone afterwards. “I’ve received 4 on fourth place, so it’s a pleasant benefit. But I’ve received to maintain my ft on the bottom, preserve working, preserve believing in my energy, in my legs. But I’m going to battle for this third place, that’s clear.”
Although Evenepoel gained the Vuelta a España two years in the past, he started his debut Tour insisting that he was not able to competing with Pogačar for the yellow jersey. That could be true, for this yr not less than, however the 24-year-old has nonetheless impressed at each main rendezvous up to now.
When Pogačar and Vingegaard escaped on the San Luca on stage 2, he successfully closed the hole by himself on the run-in to the end. He was, by a distance, the third finest man on the Col du Galibier two days later and he additionally restricted the harm sagely on the highway to Le Lioran on stage 11. In between, he claimed victory within the time trial within the opening week.
Saturday’s entry into the Pyrenees marked a distinct sort of check, and the stage introduced him over the Col du Tourmalet, the place his hopes of defending his Vuelta title evaporated in dramatic style final September. The key portion of stage 14, nonetheless, got here on the ultimate haul up Pla d’Adet, the place Pogačar soared clear with 5km remaining, with the entrance group fragmenting behind him.
“I’ve completed third on the stage, a superb minute down on Tadej however solely thirty seconds behind Jonas, so I’ve to be glad,” Evenepoel mentioned. “I additionally took time on the rivals behind me, so I’m very glad.”
Along with Primož Roglič, Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel, Evenepoel is often positioned among the many ‘Big Six’ of the modern peloton, males whose very presence in a race totally modifications its complexion. The Belgian conceded, nonetheless, Pogačar and Vingegaard are a number of rungs forward of him, not less than on this type of terrain on this particular race.
“I do know that Jonas and Tadej have extra expertise than me within the excessive mountains and so they even have a bit extra energy than me,” Evenepoel mentioned. “That means I’ve to attempt to comply with them so long as potential. Today I attempted to comply with Jonas as a lot as I may however in the intervening time when there have been assaults, I used to be a bit behind Matteo Jorgenson and Mikel Landa so I couldn’t reply straight.
“Maybe if I’d been faster to Jonas’ wheel, I may have adopted to the summit however that’s racing. I’ve to be proud of the outcome and hope I can do the identical tomorrow.”
The Tour’s second stage within the Pyrenees gives a distinct type of a check, with 4 class 1 ascents previous the powerful finale at Plateau de Beille. It is a day that can name extra for endurance than explosiveness.
“We nonetheless need to get by tomorrow’s stage properly after which we are able to relaxation once more,” mentioned Soudal-QuickStep directeur sportif Tom Steels. “We are getting nearer and nearer, the rostrum is unquestionably inside our attain.”
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