Last departure this morning from Nice from Allianz Riviera heading towards Sisteron in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. A 198 km stage that eventually smiled upon the Australian sprinter from the Lotto-Soudal team, Caleb Ewan.
Short-lived battle for the polka dot jersey…
The riders left the Alpes-Maritimes at noon under nearly the same conditions as the day before. The wearer of the polka dot jersey, Benoît Cosnefroy (AG2R-La Mondiale), already at the forefront yesterday, was eager to defend his jersey and went after the seven points up for grabs in this stage. He was joined by Jérôme Cousin (Total-Direct Énergie) and Anthony Perez (Cofidis), his main competitor for the jersey ranking. As expected, the two competitors engaged in a fierce but short-lived battle. During the day’s first two climbs (Col du Pilon and Col de la Faye), Perez came out on top, discouraging Cosnefroy in his jersey defense. Eventually, the two riders mutually decided to give up, leaving Jérôme Cousin alone at the front in the last 100 kilometers.
… Then the withdrawal
Caught by the peloton a few minutes later, this battle ended in a more tragic way for Anthony Perez, the virtual leader of the best climber’s classification. After suffering a flat tire in the descent of Col de Lèques, the Cofidis rider crashed severely against his team director’s car, resulting in a rib fracture while he was trying to rejoin the peloton. This race incident worked in favor of Benoît Cosnefroy, who held onto the polka dot jersey for another day despite being beaten on the alpine roads.
As expected, the sprinters battled it out
Alone at the front, Jérôme Cousin was caught 16 km from the finish by the Deceuninck-Quick Step train, the team of yellow jersey holder Julian Alaphilippe and sprinter Sam Bennett, the predicted favorite for victory that day. Ultimately, in a fragmented sprint with a headwind, the Irishman was overtaken at the line by Caleb Ewan. The Australian surged 300 meters from the line, surprising everyone to claim his fourth victory in the Tour de France. Notably, the green jersey changes hands: Peter Sagan, fifth in the stage, reclaims it in front of Alexander Kristoff, who was a disappointing 15th in the stage.
Tomorrow, the riders will head to Orcières-Merlette for what will be the first summit finish of this Tour. After the battle for the polka dot jersey, Julian Alaphilippe will be fighting to defend his yellow jersey.
Reactions:
Caleb Ewan (AUS/Lotto-Soudal, stage winner): “With the headwind, I sought the best opportunity to break away. I had to take my chance at some point. Sometimes it doesn’t work out, sometimes it does like today, and in the end, it was a perfect move that allowed me to win. Having already lost two teammates made things more complicated, but all the others really gave their all, even more.”
Julian Alaphilippe (FRA/Deceuninck-Quick Step, yellow jersey): “We tried to win the stage with Sam Bennett, who finished second, so it’s not so bad. Personally, I’m happy to have gone through a day like this with the team controlling the entire day. I’m ready to defend the jersey tomorrow. It’s going to be a tough stage.”
Cédric Vasseur (Cofidis sports director for Anthony Perez): “The initial diagnosis indicates an open fracture of the 11th rib, a pneumothorax, and multiple bruises on the body. He is currently in the emergency department of Digne hospital, and we are waiting for further evaluation. It’s really a hard blow for him.”
Stage Ranking:
1. Caleb Ewan (AUS/Lotto-Soudal) in 5h17’42”
2. Sam Bennett (FRA/Deceuninck-Quick Step) s.t.
3. Giacomo Nizzolo (ITA/NTT Pro Cycling) s.t.
4. Hugo Hofstetter (FRA/Israel Start-Up Nation) s.t.
5. Peter Sagan (SVQ/Bora-Hansgrohe) s.t.
6. Edward Theuns (BEL/Trek-Segafredo) s.t.
7. Cees Bol (PBS/Sunweb) s.t.
8. Matteo Trentin (ITA/CCC Team) s.t.
9. Bryan Coquard (FRA/B&B Hotels-Vital Concept) s.t.
10. Niccolo Bonifazio (ITA/Total Direct Energie) s.t.
General Classification:
1. Julian Alaphilippe (FRA/Deceuninck-Quick Step) in 8h 41’35’’
2. Adam Yates (GBR/Mitchelton-Scott) at 4’’
3. Marc Hirschi (SUI/Sunweb) at 7’’
4. Tadej Pogacar (SLO/UAE-Emirates) at 17’’
5. Davide Formolo (ITA/UAE-Emirates) s.t.
6. Egan Bernal (COL/Ineos-Grenadier) s.t.
7. Tom Dumoulin (PBS/Jumbo-Visma) s.t.
8. Sergio Higuita (COL/EF Pro Cycling) s.t.
9. Guillaume Martin (FRA/Cofidis) s.t.
10. Esteban Chaves (COL/Mitchelton-Scott) s.t.
Additional Classifications:
Green Jersey: Peter Sagan (SVQ/Bora-Hansgrohe) 79 points.
Polka Dot Jersey: Benoît Cosnefroy (FRA/AG2R-La Mondiale) 21 points.
White Jersey: Marc Hirschi (SUI/Sunweb).
Best Team: Trek-Segafredo.
Most Combative Rider of the Stage: Jérôme Cousin (FRA/Total Direct Energie).
