The fact of the day
Tour de France
Alaphilippe, still missed: “I missed 2 kilometers…”
AN HOUR AGO
The name on everyone’s lips at the time was that of Wout Van Aert, favorite for a small group sprint finish. To tell the truth, a victory for the Belgian was expected and would in no way have overshadowed the two favorites of the Tour. Yes, but the Jumbo-Visma was overwhelmed by the plan of one man: Victor Lafay. The French took advantage that the best yellow and black riders were not there to go out for the kilometer. Van Aert was then alone to lead the hunt while having to prepare his sprint. A mission too complicated, even for one of the best runners in the world.
Lafay, the perfect timing: his shot of the kilometer in video
It took a lot of determination for Lafay to resist the Belgian, Tadej Pogacar and the whole group of favorites who were coming back full force. Ten meters further and the Lyonnais would have joined the long list of disappointed Tour. On the contrary, he comes out of a weekend which first saw him counter “Pogi” and Vingegaard on Saturday before, on Sunday, raising his arms for the first time in the biggest race in the world. A sacred revelation for the general public, superb emotions for him.
The big loser
Without insulting the future, we can reasonably think that Mathieu van der Poel will not win one of the first seven stages of the Tour de France 2023. To tell the truth, he was playing everything in the Basque Country to make a success of his start to the Tour de France and in two days he accumulated a 37th and a 107th place as well as, no doubt, a good big dose of frustration.
Mathieu van der Poel, July 1, 2023
Credit: Getty Images
How far away the Mûr-de-Bretagne of 2021 seems when, untouchable, he attacked twice to steal the yellow jersey from Julian Alaphilippe and offer himself a memorable and moving success since he had dedicated it to his grand- father, Raymond Poulidor, who died a few months earlier.
After a disappointing 2022 Tour, we thought we would find a “MVDP” more than motivated to respond to his great rival Wout Van Aert. nothing happened on this Basque weekend, which he went through like a ghost. The question is to know what this Van der Poel can hope for in this Tour de France, given the form he is showing.
We liked
The fact that there was no breakage this time. The Tour had already lost two podium contenders with Enric Mas and Richard Carapaz. For a first day, it was quite catastrophic. Nothing like this this time. There were indeed one or two falls in the peloton, in particular that of Ben O’Connor, 4th in the Tour 2021, but without major consequences a priori.
That Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard showed themselves again this Sunday on the second stage. Of course, we are still far from the big battles but after two days of racing, we have already seen them a lot at the front, which has made this first weekend exciting.
Pogacar still takes time at Vingegaard: their sprint to the top of Jaizkibel
The success of the Grand Départ in the Basque Country. For the second time in a row, before a third in 2024 with Florence, the Tour de France started from abroad. The bet is successful both from the point of view of the fervor and the spectacle offered. And the icing on the cake, a Frenchman won there.
We didn’t like
See once again Julian Alaphilippe unable to follow the tempo, it is true very high, in the Jaizkibel. He is clearly missing something and if he wants to smash one in the next three weeks, he will really have to start from afar and be smart. On the pedal, it will probably be too hard…
That the breakaway of the day is formed by only three riders. Neilson Powless, Rémi Cavagna and Edvald Boasson Hagen were not unworthy, especially the American, but a larger group could have created more suspense in this 2nd stage.
The disorganization of the Jumbo-Visma. How could they have been trapped in the kilometer when they had the favorite in their row with Wout Van Aert? The Belgian had to manage the kilometer on his own and we doubt he liked it.
“I think there will be a little settling of scores between Van Aert and Vingegaard”
The declaration: Anthony Perez
“1 km from the finish, the guys asked me: ‘Who won?’ I tell them: ‘It’s Victor’, but I’m screwing up. And there, I see that he wins, this idiot! This guy is crazy. I’m in the room with him, I don’t know why, for two days, he’s been telling me: ‘Damn I’m fine, I’m going to try it. I was like ‘yeah yeah, that’s it’. With him, you can never know if he will win or finish last. Hats off to him, he is amazing, he has enormous talent. He’s crazy, sick. He has a problem in his head (he’s laughing). ”
Pérez on the “crazy” Lafay: “With him you never know, he can be first or last”
The stat: 5,455
Just to know…
How was the day for Groupama – FDJ on Sunday? Certainly not “almost perfect”, unlike the day before…
How far can Neilson Powless take his polka dot jersey? Obviously, the American made it a very big goal…
Why did Jonas Vingegaard try to make the bonuses to Tadej Pogacar at the top of the Jaizkibel, he who ensures that they will weigh nothing in Paris?
The quiz of the day
The answer to Saturday’s question was: Andy and Frank Schleck, authors of a double at the Galibier in 2011. They were, before the Yates in Bilbao, the last siblings to have achieved this feat on the Tour.
Here is Sunday’s question: The Tour de France returns to Bayonne for the first time in 20 years. Who is the last to win there?
Answer in Monday’s “Le Tour du jour”.
The poll
Tour de France
Lafay, clever and mischievous: “Like what, I lied”
AN HOUR AGO
Tour de France
“I think there will be a little settling of scores between Van Aert and Vingegaard”
AN HOUR AGO