We’ve been talking about this step since the presentation last October. Think about it, a finish at the top of the Puy de Dôme, a place of great exploits in black and white and which we thought we would no longer be able to admire one day, would necessarily be the event of this Tour de France 2023. We will not say that this 9th stage kept all its promises, with a river break away from kilometer 0 and contenders for the general classification simply in survival mode under the pressure of the Jumbo far behind, but it was clearly worth a look, just for that singular final, without any audience, where you could almost hear the runners breathing. “It was very special, said Jasper Philpsen on arrival. There were a lot of people at the bottom of the climb, and then suddenly just the wind in your ears. »
Because the peloton’s return to the top of the most famous volcano in Auvergne was not without concessions from the organizers. Labeled Grand Site de France and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2018, it is subject to drastic specifications to limit human activity there. No need for a drawing to see the contradiction with the arrival of the Tour caravan. So go for the prohibition of the public on the last four kilometers, and a number of vehicles reduced to the strict minimum.
Jorgenson close to the perfect shot
In this cathedral silence, far from the usual arrivals at the top where the white-hot spectators step aside at the last moment to free the road for the runners, it is the Canadian Michael Woods who finally won and who will see his name remain in the history books. A victory that seemed totally improbable at the foot of the climb, when he was still two minutes behind Matteo Jorgenson, who had given way to his 13 breakaway companions 45 kilometers from the line.
The American resisted, alone, and even widened the gap during the first two thirds of the Puy de Dôme, before getting stuck in these famous last four kilometers, like the trio of runners who were on his heels. Woods, starting from a second hunting group whose existence we had almost forgotten, swallowed up the fugitives one by one, until he dropped poor Jorgenson 400 meters from the line to steal this prestigious victory from him.
“I have to pinch myself, I find it hard to realize. Myself at the start of the climb I did not think I would be able to win. But I told myself that we had to give the maximum and see what happens, he debriefed a few minutes later. It’s always better to be in my place than in Jorgenson’s place. When you can see someone in front of you, you always think it’s possible. The Canadian was indeed served by the particular profile of this pass, which includes few turns. Having the leading man in the line of sight helped him to press a little harder on the pedals, if not feeling pushed by the public, and allowed him to go and get at 36 “the greatest victory ” of her career.
Far, very far behind after having left a good quarter of an hour of margin to the breakaway, the leaders discovered in their turn this ascent made mythical by the duel between Anquetil and Poulidor in 1964, the victories of Ocana, Merckx, Zoetemelk, until that of the unknown Dane Weltz in 1988 during the last passage of the Tour. The yellow jersey team sorted from the back in the first part, before leaving the field to the image that everyone was waiting for, the explanation between Vingegaard and Pogacar on the 12% slopes, with option “view of the chain of puys”.
As in Cauterets on Thursday, it was the Slovenian who went on the attack first and who still managed to let go of his rival. But no big difference this time. We will remember this vision of the two men at the maximum of their effort, one kilometer from the summit, only separated by about ten meters which seemed like an abyss at that time. If Vingegaard finally conceded only seven seconds on the line, keeping his jersey, Pogacar once again undeniably scored points.
“Jonas was strong, but the legs were turning well and I was able to send. I’m very happy to be able to take some time off and put him under pressure”, savored the double winner of the event. Despite the phlegm displayed on arrival, we imagine that it must start to bubble under the helmet of the Dane, who sees his best enemy gaining momentum with each new day. Not sure that the magnificent 360° view that was offered to him when he got on the podium to receive his new yellow jersey was enough to soothe his torments before descending towards Clermont.