TOPS
Asgreen, the pride of Soudal-Quick Step. They left with three (Asgreen, Campenaerts, Abrahamsen) as soon as the curtain went down but it was nothing like a commercial breakaway. They had a maximum lead of 1’20” and kept a breather in advance in Bourg-en-Bresse where the Dane Kasper Asgreen sprinted ahead of the Dutchman Eenkhoorn, the Norwegian Abrahamsen and Jasper Philipsen (the first of the sprinters). His first victory on the Tour (in 5 appearances). Soudal-Quick Step will not finish the Tour fanny.
Lotto-Dstny, team spirit. Since the abandonment of Australian Caleb Ewan (13th stage), Stéphane Heulot’s team, deprived of its home sprinter, has been trying to distinguish itself. The Belgian Victor Campenaerts (member of the breakaway from the 1st km with the Dane Kasper Asgreen and the Norwegian Jonas Abrahamsen) struggled. Rewarded with the prize for fighting spirit, he was able to count on the support of his Dutch team-mate Pascal Eenkhoorn to defend the last hopes of the fugitives (42” at 19 km from the finish; another 23” at 6 km; 9” at 2.5 km)…
FLOPS
Philipsen, the king of the sprint in check. The green jersey reigned (almost) unchallenged in the sprint (with successes in Bayonne, Nogaro, Bordeaux and Moulins and a 2nd place in Limoges). He had to settle for 4th place at Bourg-en-Bresse. The peloton could not swallow the breakaways who were able to defend with heart a few frail seconds.
The Belgian also showed a questionable state of mind during the day when a rider tried to escape from the peloton. Unhappy because he wanted the victory to be decided in a sprint, Philipsen quickly came to his wheel before exchanging a few words to dissuade him from trying his luck. An obvious lack of class.
Groenewegen, the missed date. The Dutch sprinter’s Team Jayco has often positioned itself at the front of the peloton, vigilant to tie up the gap. Not enough to place Dylan Groenewegen’s burst of speed. The end did not go as he imagined. He had to settle for 17th place. 2nd at Moulins (author of 4 places in the Top 10), he is still chasing a success…
