Archiv für den Tag: 23. Juli 2019

Weiter überlegen in Grün: Sagan sprintet auf Rang vier in Nîmes

Etappenrennen, Teamnews, Tour de France, ,

Nach dem zweiten Ruhetag der Tour de France führte heute die 16. Etappe rund um Nîmes. Vor dem Finale in Paris war dies die letzte echte Sprintetappe, denn auf den 177 Kilometern war lediglich eine Bergwertung der 4. Kategorie zu bewältigen. Allerdings erschwerten heute Temperaturen von bis zu 39 Grad das Rennen. Gleich nach dem Start setzten sich fünf Fahrer vom Feld ab, dort arbeiteten die Sprinterteams, um den Abstand zu kontrollieren. Diese Rennsituation blieb über weite Strecken des Tages unverändert. Beim Zwischensprint holte Peter Sagan heute Rang vier aus dem Feld. Sonst blieb das Rennen weitestgehend ereignislos, bis auf den letzten 20 Kilometern, wo das Finale eingeläutet wurde. An der letzten Welle vor Nîmes musste man in den vorderen Positionen sein, denn nach der schnellen Abfahrt folgte eine enge und technisch anspruchsvolle Passage bei der Ortseinfahrt. Etwa fünf Kilometer vor diesem Punkt ereignete sich im Feld ein Sturz und J. Fuglsang musste die Tour aufgeben. Rund drei Kilometer vor dem Ende wurde die Spitze eingeholt und BORA – hansgrohe machte nun das Tempo für Peter Sagan. Dieser setzte sich auf den letzten 1000 m an das Hinterrad von E. Viviani. Als Viviani den Sprint anzog, kam C. Ewan mit Schwung von hinten, um einen ungefährdeten Sieg zu holen. Sagan wartete etwas zu lange mit seinem Antritt und erreichte heute als Vierter das Ziel in Nîmes. Damit führt der Ex-Weltmeister weiter überlegen in der Punktewertung, während Emanuel Buchmann auf Rang sechs der Gesamtwertung liegt.
Reaktionen im Ziel
„Das hat sich heute wie in einem Backofen angefühlt. Im Rennen war es wichtig, nicht zu viele Punkte gegenüber meinen Konkurrenten zu verlieren. Das Team hat wieder sehr gut gearbeitet, aber am Ende hat ich keinen Platz, um meine volle Geschwindigkeit auszuspielen. Mit Rang vier habe ich dennoch wieder einige Punkte sammeln können, um meine Führung zu behalten.“ – Peter Sagan

„Das war heute wieder eine gute Etappe für uns. Die Jungs haben Peter und Emanuel aus allen Schwierigkeiten rausgehalten, und es kam, Gott sei Dank, niemand zu Sturz. 50 km vor dem Ende waren wir geschlossen vorne, denn es kam Seitenwind auf. Der war aber dann nicht stark genug, um in die Offensive zu gehen. Am Ende haben alle noch einmal hart gearbeitet, um Peter in Position zu fahren. Im Sprint hat er vielleicht etwas zu lange gewartet, aber der vierte Rang ist gut, und damit haben wir wieder einige Punkte sammeln können.“ – Enrico Poitschke, sportlicher Leiter
© BORA – hansgrohe

CALEB EWAN MAKES IT TWO

Ergebnisse, Etappenrennen, Tour de France, , ,

July 23 rd 2019 – 17:50
Following the path of Mark Cavendish, the last u26 rider to win at least one stage in each Grand Tour (in 2010), Caleb Ewan won in Nîmes after Toulouse like the Briton in 2008. The Australian outsprinted Elia Viviani and Dylan Groenewegen despite suffering the heat of southern France. Julian Alaphilippe retained the yellow jersey.
Bak, Rossetto, Gougeard, Wisniowski and Ourselin in the lead
163 riders took the start of stage 16. Wilco Kelderman (Sunweb) was a non-starter due to back pain. Alexis Gougeard (AG2R-La Mondiale) and Stéphane Rossetto (Cofidis) attacked in the first kilometre of racing. They were reinforced by Lukas Wisniowski (CCC), Lars Bak (Dimension Data) and Paul Ourselin (Total Direct Energie) with 169km yet to be covered. Defending champion Geraint Thomas (Ineos) crashed by himself in the middle of the pack at Cavillargues (km 49) after the maximum time difference of 2’15’’ was recorded at km 41. The pace of the peloton was set mostly by three teams and three riders: Vegard Stake Laengen (UAE Team Emirates), Tony Martin (Jumbo-Visma) and Maxime Monfort (Lotto-Soudal). Bak was first at the intermediate sprint at Vallérargues with 112km to go. The oldest rider of the peloton also crested the côte de Saint-Jean-du-Pin, 81km before the end, in first position.
Jakob Fuglsang crashes out
53km before the end, the risk of splits in the peloton because of the wind blowing from the right hand side forced the teams of the GC riders to speed up and the time gap went down to 25’’ before going back up again. However, it didn’t exceed 50’’ as the same teams – mostly Jumbo-Visma – kept the situation under control. With 28km remaining, Jakob Fuglsang (Astana) crashed in the peloton and pulled out. He was ninth in the overall ranking.
Caleb Ewan, the fastest

Foto: Gerhard Plomitzer
With 20km to go, Gougeard, Wisniowski, Ourselin, Rossetto and Bak had 30’’ lead. Gougeard who initiated the move and kept it alive as long as possible was awarded the prize of most aggressive rider. The breakaway came to an end 2.5km before the finish. Deceuninck-Quick Step perfectly led Elia Viviani out but Caleb Ewan came from behind to pip the Italian on the line and become the first sprinter to win two stage of the Tour de France this year – Julian Alaphilippe and Simon Yates have also won two stages. The Australian was already the first Tour de France debutant to have collected five stage podiums in the first fifteen stages since Peter Sagan in 2012. He was also the youngest rider to have won at least one stage in every Grand Tour since Italy’s Nino Defilippis in 1956. After taking two stages in the Giro d’Italia this year, he has proven at the age of 25 that he’s now one of most consistent sprinters in the world.
@ASO
1 Caleb Ewan (Aus) Lotto Soudal 3:57:08
2 Elia Viviani (Ita) Deceuninck-QuickStep
3 Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) Team Jumbo-Visma
4 Peter Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe
5 Niccolò Bonifazio (Ita) Total Direct Energie
6 Michael Matthews (Aus) Team Sunweb
7 Matteo Trentin (Ita) Mitchelton-Scott
8 Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek-Segafredo
9 Alexander Kristoff (Nor) UAE Team Emirates
10 Andrea Pasqualon (Ita) Wanty-Gobert
GC:
1 Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Deceuninck-QuickStep 64:57:30
2 Geraint Thomas (GBr) Team Ineos 0:01:35
3 Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) Team Jumbo-Visma 0:01:47
4 Thibaut Pinot (Fra) Groupama-FDJ 0:01:50
5 Egan Bernal (Col) Team Ineos 0:02:02
6 Emanuel Buchmann (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:02:14
7 Mikel Landa (Spa) Movistar Team 0:04:54
8 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team 0:05:00
9 Rigoberto Uran (Col) EF Education First 0:05:33
10 Richie Porte (Aus) Trek-Segafredo 0:06:30

Geraint Thomas looking forward to Alps showdown

Etappenrennen, Teamnews, Tour de France, , , ,


Foto: Gerhard Plomitzer – www.plomi.smugmug.com

Geraint Thomas is relishing the challenge of the final week of the Tour de France, with the battle for the yellow jersey looking set to go down to the wire.
The Welshman retained second place overall following a tough pair of Pyrenean mountain tests and was buoyed by a strong finish to the Prat d’Albis climb. Thomas regrouped on the first-category slopes, eventually overhauling and putting time into race leader Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-Quick-Step).
With the general classification closing up ahead of a trio of mountain stages in the Alps, including team-mate Egan Bernal in fifth place overall, Thomas is keen to get back on the bike and put a self-confessed bad day behind him.
Speaking on the race’s second rest day he explained: “Obviously yesterday I said on the radio I didn’t feel great into the last climb. As it turns out I did feel great at the top. The main thing going into the Alps is that I feel motivated to get there and to try and finish this Tour off well. It’s been a slightly up and down year, and race, compared to last year. The main thing is that I finished strongly yesterday and I’m itching to go now. I much prefer the Alps and I’ve got a lot better memories there for obvious reasons. I’m just looking forward to it.”

“On the Tourmalet I wasn’t feeling 100 percent. Yesterday I finished really strongly. If that is my bad day, to lose 30 seconds on the Tourlamet is quite a good day really. As (Team Principal) Dave (Brailsford) says, you win a Grand Tour by being good all the way through and managing your effort, rather than going into that deep, deep red zone often – save that for the final day or two. I feel like I’ve managed that effort really well so far and I’m feeling good for it.
“Altitude-wise, in training in Tenerife the drop-off in watts is never really as much as most people. The heat is the same for everyone. I’ve ridden in that heat Down Under numerous times and over the years got used to it.”

With a tight battle at the top of the general classification and a number of teams looking to impose themselves on the climbs, Thomas is comfortable with the race situation and the differing way the team has approached the mountains thus far.
He added: “We’re second and fifth on GC. Okay we’re not in the yellow and we’re not riding on the front all day every day. There’s more than one way to win the Tour. This situation is completely different. We don’t have to pull when there’s other teams who want to do it as well. We’re in a super strong position. Everyone has ups and downs. It’s how you deal with that and I’m confident we’re all in great shape and in a great position – looking forward to some big Alpine climbs.”
@Team INEOS