From our special correspondent in Le Grand-Bornand,
The media window promised to be optimal for this Tour de France, between a football Euro (now without the Blues) which will come to an end, and the Tokyo Olympics from July 23. Then Tadej Pogacar passed there, Saturday, on the road to Grand-Bornand. The Slovenian title holder dampened the excitement surrounding this 108th Grande Boucle by rolling all of his competitors, over two passes crossed at an average speed of 32.2 km / h.
Relegating everyone out of reach from the 8th stage, he pushed 20 minutes to tear yourself away to find five good reasons to follow the next two weeks of racing. Starting with the second alpine day, this Sunday between Cluses (Haute-Savoie) and Tignes (Savoie). Everything is guaranteed without a scenario of abandonment of the race caused by the essential Cochonou truck.
Problem on the Tour de France route, with a truck that has been stuck for several minutes in Mont Saxonnex. The summit of this difficulty is located 46km from the finish of this 8th stage.
Via @TeamIsraelSUN. # TDF2021 pic.twitter.com/v3C8r7lgJt
– The Gruppetto (@LeGruppetto) July 3, 2021
Towards the biggest gap in history between the yellow jersey and its dolphin?
We agree, it is not to witness such a record that we take place daily in front of the Tour de France. But admit that it would be symbolically strong to see a 22-year-old kid, unknown to the general public at his coronation in September 2020, crush the competition in an even more significant way than Indurain, Armstrong or Froome during their years of reign, right? After eight days of racing, the current gap (1’48 on his runner-up van Aert and 5 ‘on Vingegaard, 5th) is the largest since 2001, 2003 and 2004, three editions overflown by the sulphurous Lance Armstrong.
However, even the American runner never finished on the Champs-Elysées with ten minutes ahead of the general classification. Can Tadej Pogacar be tempted to make history by flying over the Tour at this point, at the risk of intensifying the doubts surrounding his performances? Not certain, especially since the absolute record is more than strong, with 28’17 between the Italian Fausto Coppi and the Belgian Stan Ockers in 1952. Good luck Tadej!
Geraint Thomas will he really strip himself to finish the Tour?
It takes a lot of humility, when we were second overall last year, and even winner in 2018, to resign ourselves to completing a mountain stage within the gruppetto, 35 minutes from Dylan Teuns. Hats off to Primoz Roglic and Geraint Thomas, companions of misfortune on Saturday for Cavendish, Sagan, Bouhanni… but also for quadruple Tour winner Chris Froome. Nevertheless, when we arrive as co-favorite and underdog for the final victory, it must be severely pitted to point to 45th and 51st place in the general classification, very very far from an untouchable Tadej Pogacar, at the time to attack the 9th stage between Cluses and Tignes.
Very diminished since their fall from the 3rd stage of the Tour, and a priori unable to sign the slightest breakaway in the next two weeks, we wondered all day if they were really going to fight to pass the Alps and the Pyrenees? It would have been all the more surprising that they both aspire to participate in the Tokyo Olympics this summer. This Sunday morning, Jumbo-Visma announced without much surprise the abandonment of its leader Primoz Roglic. Will it be the same from the next few hours for Geraint Thomas? “After my accident, it takes longer than I thought to get back to a good level,” said the Welshman on Saturday night. You always tell yourself that it will get better quickly, but it’s hard to finish this far today, it’s really not what I wanted. More than anything, it’s hard in the head… ”
After all the hard work I hoped to hit the first mountains in the Tour harder today. I’ve tried to ignore the effects of my crash but it’s taken more out of me than I thought. Today hurts, but tomorrow is a new day. Thanks to everyone back home for your messages 🙏🇬🇧🏴 pic.twitter.com/nlAYZPaA7y
– Geraint Thomas (@ GeraintThomas86) July 3, 2021
Wouldn’t our David Gaudu take the opportunity to aim for the podium?
Casually, the Groupama-FDJ rider fought hard on Saturday for this great first in the Alps. Completing the stage alongside tauliers like Richard Carapaz, Alexey Lutsenko, Enric Mas or Rigoberto Uran is not trivial. This rainy day between Oyonnax and Le Grand-Bornand allowed David Gaudu to jump from 19th to 9th place overall, making him the best-placed French driver. “It was a difficult stage from A to Z but I finished with the other favorites, so it was still a good day”, appreciates the 24-year-old rider.
When we see that the current third in the Tour, Alexey Lutsenko, is only 1’14 behind him before this 9th stage, we start to think that he has something to play for. “David is sure of his strength and his legs,” Groupama-FDJ sporting director Thierry Bricaud confirms for Eurosport. He follows the best and we see that the general is built quite naturally. This is his common thread for the next two weeks. “And the advantage of the outburst of madness achieved by Tadej Pogacar on Saturday is that it is hard to imagine his UAE Team Emirates team tearing themselves apart to annihilate every possible attack by David Gaudu, who is still not a threat for the Slovenian (at 5’52).
Alaphilippe in his dream configuration to scratch another stage victory?
What about Julian Alaphilippe, now light years away from the favorites for the final victory? 24th at 18’51 behind Tadej Pogacar, the world champion will be able to treat us for two weeks by trying all the attacks he wants, even the most unreasonable (especially them, yeah). History to complete its collection of pretty souvenirs after Landerneau, without alerting all those who aim for places of honor in the general on the Champs. The same could be said of the great story of this first week, namely the now ex-yellow jersey Mathieu van der Poel (23rd at 17’20), who could continue to enchant this Tour with his profile as a young puncher not customary stroke calculations. Finally, if the legs are back for both of us, what.
What if Guillaume Martin got caught up in the polka dot jersey game?
Côte de Domancy (cuckoo Bernard Hinault), Col des Saisies, Col du Pré, Cormet de Roselend and Montée de Tignes, there will be points to distribute for climbers this Sunday. This polka-dot jersey, which historically has a particular flavor in France, could become a major issue, now that the yellow is (almost) complete. On the shoulders of the Dutchman Wouter Poels, who escaped Saturday in the first ribs, he could even interest tricolors.
Surprising on Saturday, Aurélien Paret-Peintre (AG2R) is 7th in this ranking, just behind his compatriot Guillaume Martin. “It can be a handicap to wear the polka dot jersey if you are aiming above all for a stage victory as is my case,” said the latter before the big start. It will therefore be a secondary objective. “A title of best climber of the Tour, eight months after being crowned on the Vuelta, that would still have the mouth for the rider Cofidis, no?