Charly Wegelius, head directeur sportif at EF Education-EasyPost, was as stunned as anybody when Richard Carapaz rode his approach into the yellow jersey on a crash-heavy last on stage 3 on the Tour de France.
The Ecuadorian earned the coveted race lead on countback stage placings after he completed significantly higher, 24 spots or higher, than his nearest rivals within the GC standings: Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates), Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike), and Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep), who all began the stage equal on time within the GC standings.
“We did the mathematics final evening. We regarded on the outcomes. So, we made a plan on the way to get as many riders between these shut rivals of Richie’s as a result of the countback, if they’re on equal time, relies on stage placings,” Wegelius advised NBC Sports.
“We knew it was dangerous; first massive dash of the Tour. We knew that it was a little bit of a lottery as a result of loads of that was out of our fingers, however we went for it and everybody within the crew did a fantastic job … all of them. They did so nicely, and by chance it got here off.”
EF Education-EasyPost dedicated to protecting Carapaz in place and safely towards the entrance of the sector on the run-in to Turin, which paid off within the last chaotic kilometres. Carapaz, and about 60 riders, managed to keep away from a crash with 2.2km to go, which precipitated separations within the area.
He completed 14th on the day, whereas Pogačar completed thirty eighth, Evenepoel in fortieth place, and Vingegaard completed 68th, giving Carapaz the yellow jersey. Anyone caught up in or behind the crash was given the identical time because the stage winner, Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty).
“It was scary, however we had a plan, and we needed to make it work. At first, I used to be fascinated by sitting up and shedding time in order that I may go within the breakaway within the subsequent few days,” stated Carapaz’s teammate Neilson Powless in a post-race interview.
“In the top, we had a much bigger aim in thoughts, so I went again up entrance to wash Richie’s wheel and push some wind for him if he wanted it. We nonetheless had 4 guys round him with three Ks to go, so it was an ideal scenario for us.”
Carapaz, the reigning Olympic street champion and former Giro d’Italia winner, got here into the Tour de France with a query mark over his kind. He lately recovered from accidents sustained in a crash that pressured him to desert the Tour de Suisse after which took extra break day the bike as a result of sickness within the days main as much as the race.
“The situation that Richie is exhibiting is sort of a shock. He principally had 10 days off his bike within the run-up to the Tour, which is not actually excellent,” Wegelius stated. “He stunned us on the primary stage, shocked us within the second, and now he is in yellow. That’s biking, I assume.”
Carapaz, Pogačar, Evenepoel and Vingegaard stay on the identical time on GC after stage 3, with Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) at 21 seconds because the race heads into stage 4 from Pinerolo to Valloire. The 139km stage will embrace climbs over Sestriere and Galibier.
“We’ll maintain our ft on the bottom,” Wegelius stated. “Bologne is one factor; the Alps is one other. We are going to take pleasure in tonight and take tomorrow because it comes.”
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