Another day, another war zone
Van der Poel takes the stage and the yellow jersey on a day that turned into the unofficial world championships of watt-pushing
The Tour de France had two goals with the design of this opening block: to make the most of the climbs and coastal winds of northern France to create tension, echelons and battles on the flat — often overlooked in previous editions; and to see the world’s top one-day riders contest stages as if they were Flemish Classics. Both objectives are coming to life.
It’s proving costly, as we’ve witnessed another tense stage full of crashes and splits, though with no withdrawals. Today’s action centred on the finale, where the succession of climbs and shifting winds set the scene for an exciting finish.
Van der Poel showed he doesn’t need teammates to win. On a slight uphill sprint, the Dutchman produced a stunning display of raw power. He looks like the only rider capable of challenging Pogačar on that kind of finish.
Vingegaard crossed the line in third and now we’ve got the first real time gaps in the GC because of the bonuses, with Pogačar 2 seconds ahead of Danish.
MVDP is not here just to animate the race. Today’s sprint was pure watts and muscle, riding solo in a group of 26 without team support. It says a lot about his form and mindset. He now has his stage win... and the yellow jersey, four years after he last wore it.
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