The first stage of the Pyrenees in the Tour de France 2023 has left the first blow of impact in general. the danish Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) took the first duel against Tadej Pogacar (UAE Emirates) in Fifth stage of race, of 163 kilometers in between Pau and Laruns. It was on a day where last year’s Giro d’Italia champion triumphed Jai Hindley (BORA-hansgrohe), new leaderbut where the Dane appeared as a good reference in the fight for the general.
Hindley He was victorious on his own after being the strongest of many escapes that day. in the back, an attack by Vingegaard on the final climb saw him take 1:04 from an unresponsive Pogacar before the demarcation of his rival. In this way, Hindley leads the general classification with Vingegaard second, 47 seconds behind, while Pogacar is sixth, 1:40 behind the leader and 0:53 behind his great rival.
A start in the high mountains with a mirror of the 2022 Tour
Jonas Vingegaard’s first coup de effect against Tadej Pogacar was reminiscent of last year’s Tour development. So, the Dane went out on the first big mountain stage, then the eleventh with the finish in Granon, with 2:22 seconds behind Pogacar. So, Pogacar cannot recover that profit in the remaining ten periods. We will have to see what happens in a 2023 Tour where, with a lower return for the Dane (those 53 seconds), there are still many pages to rewrite.
It’s a day in style in the Pyrenees, with climbs to Soudet, (special), Ichère (third) and the final challenge of Marie Blanque (first), with 7.7 kilometers at 8.6% and a peak just eighteen kilometers from the finish line. This is the moment taken by vingegaard for his coup de effect, with a kilometer and a half attack that did not receive a response from Pogacar and that earned him to become the patron of the Tour among the favorites.
Ahead, another great winner of the day is Hindley, with a stage and general double after being the best in an immense escape tried his luck at the beginning of the stage. With the favorites at the time thinking about managing the force, the Australian was the best to regulate them afterwards, with a determined attack with Felix Gall (AG2R Citroën) 22 kilometers from the end. Hindley let go of the Austrian after two kilometers to set a steady pace that shot him alone towards him ninth victory in a dizzying record of winners, with the ‘pink jersey’ and two stage wins at the Giro in their showcases.
It is on a day where the expected scenario ofs two races, one for the stage and another with a point of view set in general. In that first battle, the first attacks didn’t take long to land on a platoon that saw how it was held together. a large group in front of the race. In it, at least thirty-six men and a very high level. Jumbo-Visma filtered to Wout van Aert, Tisej Benoot and Christophe Laporte to run, while UAE Emirates put in Marc Soler and Felix Grobschartner. A significant other wants a man Omar Fraile and Daniel Felipe Martinez (Ineos), Esteban Chaves and Rigoberto Urán (EF Education-EasyPost), Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal-Quick Step), Krist Neilands (Israel-Premier Tech), Juanpe Lopez and Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek), Felix Gall (AG2R Citroen), Victor Campenaerts (Lotto Dstny) or the Movistar Matteo Jorgenson and Gregor Mühlenberg they are also among the men in front.
Van Aert, Pedersen and Campenaerts they left in the lead after the only intermediate sprint of the day, half a minute ahead of the other escapees. But it is in the Soudet (special category located from kilometer 72, with 15.2 kilometers at 7.2%) when the cuts behind and in front follow each other. It was compiled before a group of fourteen runners in the lead with four minutes ahead of the peloton. After a long descent, we arrived ichère, third part of 4.2 kilometers at 7%. Within, Krist Neilands tried to leave, but slowly Van Aert and Alaphilippe they approached his wheel to begin to stand out as good candidates for success on the stage.
Nothing could be further from reality. Behind, the pace of the peloton quickens as Van Aert and Alaphilippe deflate. This allowed some of the day’s escapees to reach his wheel. After doing this, it is Felix Gall who attacked and managed to take his wheel to Hindley in the first bars of last ascent to Marie Blanque, a first class port with 7.7 kilometers at 8.6% called to decide the stage. Of course, twenty kilometers from the finish, Hindley was setting off alone which Hall cut.
A crushing attack from Vingegaard
The stage victory seemed decided due to the continued pace of the Australian, but the battle between the men in the general remained decisive. With Jumbo-Visma playing their cards forward and behind, the UAE Emirates rivalry was delivered. So, along with the mattress to carry some comrades in different groups armed ahead, Jonas Vingegaard decided to test Tadej Pogacar by attacking nineteen kilometers from the end, all the way up the Marie Blanque.
stayed nailed the slovenianunable to respond to the current champion, who gradually increased his income and took the survivors of the various escape groups. Vingegaard built a gap of more than a minute with Pogacar left alone, unaccompanied and with the Jumbo-Visma Sepp Kuss as an unwilling traveling companion. So, Pogacar was caught by a later group where, at least, he found the support of leader Adam Yates until this Wednesday to maintain his distance from Vingegaard.
In front, Hindley sealed the undisputed success of the stage, with 32 seconds on Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek), Gall and Buchmann (Bora-hansgrohe). Then, a released Vingegaard reached the finish line, riding alone in the final kilometers of the stage, aware of the damage he was doing to Pogacar in the battle for the Tour. The Dane crossed the finish line 34 seconds behind the winner, while the Slovenian came in at 1:38 in a group with other important men where he also came carlos rodriguez (INEOS-Grenadiers).
In this way, vingegaard He took a very juicy profit of 1:04 overall with respect to his great rival. yes ok Hindley leads, the Dane second in 0:47, with Ciccone third in 1:03 and Pogacar sixth in 1:40, with 53 seconds lost to the leader of Jumbo-Visma. There is still a long way to go in the Tour and the battle continues this Thursday with another great Pyrenean stage between Tarbes and Cauterets (144.9 kilometers), with climbing Tourmalet and high end on the first like Cauterets-Cambasque such as big challenges. however, the first big hit of the 2023 Tour is Jonas Vingegaard the star.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Robert Maynard, and I am a passionate journalist with experience in sports writing. For the last few years, I have been writing for Today Times Live. My main focus has been on sports-related stories and features. With my strong background in journalism and extensive knowledge of the industry, I am able to provide readers with well-crafted pieces that are both informative and engaging.
