Three weeks of obligatory racing, there can’t be only exhilarating days at the Tour de France. After a weekend traversing Spain’s Basque country, the peloton returned to France on Monday 3 July, thanks to a 194-kilometre third stage on relatively flat terrain, despite four listed climbs. A route promised to “pure sprinters” which without too many surprises… concluded with the first massive sprint of this 110And editing.
Upon arrival in Bayonne (Pyrénées-Atlantiques), Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) was fastest, ahead of the German Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain Victorious) and the Australian Caleb Ewan (Lotto Dstny). The Belgian signs his seventh victory of the year and the third in the event, after the two successes of last year, in the last two group sprints.
“The profile of the final [de cette troisième étape] it will give the crews the ability to maneuver to assemble the cars of their train”expected, before the start, the boss of the Grande Boucle, Christian Prudhomme. Ideal therefore for Alpecin-Deceuninck, who built his squad for the Tour with this ambition. “What happened today will give us confidence for the future”exulted Philipsen.
Monday, “everyone did their job to perfection”, added his teammate Silvan Dillier. Starting with the Dutch star Mathieu Van der Poel, who brilliantly launched the winner of the day. “It’s not easy being behind the wheelacknowledged the Belgian at the press conference. When Mathieu takes us to the sprint, we have to win. »
Equipped with a rich curriculum, with four monuments in particular (a Milan-San Remo, a Paris-Roubaix and two Tours of Flanders) in his backpack, the Dutchman does not disdain the task of transforming himself into a “pilot fish” “luxury” . “Since Jasper’s been on the team [en 2021]there is less pressure on him, explains Adrie Van der Poel, her father, at the foot of the Belgian training bus. When they arrive together in the sprint, Mathieu is invaluable. »
This victory also helps to raise the morale of the troops, a little damaged, by their own admission, after the first two days, when better results were expected from Raymond Poulidor’s nephew (37And SATURDAY ; 107And Sunday).
“It was quite calm, up until the last 40 kilometres”
In a postcard setting, largely along the northern coast of Spain, the riders managed to recover from the emotions of a nervous weekend, accelerating just a few tens of kilometers from the finish. . Once is not customary, they even crossed the finish line later than the less optimistic hourly estimates set by the organizers. “The first two stages were tough, the peloton rode at a fast pace. The battle was intense up front, but we also suffered a lot at the rear.”Fabio Jakobsen (Soudal Quick-Step) slipped before the departure of Amorebieta-Etxano.
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