Australian Ben O’Connor (Team Jayco-Alula) made the perfect race this Thursday on the 18th stage of the Tour de Francetaking advantage of the marking between the leaders in the valley before the final climb. His sharp attack, first followed by A rubio (Movistar Team) et Matteo Jorgenson (Team Visma | Lease A Bike), allowed him to isolate himself with this small group before flying off in the first slopes of the Col de la Loze so as never to be revised again. If on the side of the favorites, Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) confirmed that he was the boss of this Tour de FranceFrench Kévin Vauquelin (Arkea-B & B Hotels) has proven once again that it is cut for the big towers. Indeed, despite the less good sensations on the queen stage of this 112nd edition, he never fell in love, and ends in the end in 12th place, less than three minutes from the yellow jersey Tadej Pogacar. If he loses a place to the general and decreases to the 7th row, he limits the breakage perfectly and keeps more than thirteen minutes ahead of the general's 10th and winner of the day, Ben O’Connor.
“I knew that I had to go at my own pace”
After the arrival, the Frenchman returned to this very difficult day and his average sensations: “It was hard, I managed to manage the first big ramps well at the beginning. But once Narvaez accelerated, I started to lose contact and I knew that I had to go at my own pace, as in the Madeleine pass. After frankly, I am happy with my performance, I managed not to flank at all. I made a very linear effort, and I did not have my arms. Bats.he concludes.
