After Hauts-de-France and Normandy, Tour de France arrived in Brittany this Friday, on the occasion of the 7th stage between Saint-Malo and Mûr-de-Bretagne (197 km). And at the top of this legendary ascent, it is Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates XRG) which has established itself! In a final that was marked by a massive fall, where his teammate JOAO ALMEIDA was notably taken, the Slovenian managed to raise his arms, as a boss, in front of Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | Lease a Bike) et Oscar Onley (Picnic Postnl). Far from having legs as good as in 2021, Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) has finished much further and therefore gives up his yellow jersey to Pogacar.
Video – Tadej Pogacar … winner of this 7th stage
The summary
The departure was given on the 12:30 am at Saint-Malo, and as the day before, the first kilometers are very lively. Many runners want to integrate the breakaway of the day, since it has a good chance of victory. Problem, the course is much less difficult than on the 6th stage and on long flat portions, it is difficult to create a gap. Only a duo made up of Wout van Aert (Visma | Lease a Bike) et Mauro Schmid (Jayco Alula) manages to extricate himself for a few kilometers, before being resumed. The offensives are linked, but in vain. Training UAE Team Emirates XRG et Alpecin-DECEUNINCK are in particular very active to prevent the creation of a large breakaway.
But after 60 kilometers of battle, 5 men finally manage to create a beautiful gap: Geraint Thomas (INEOS Grenadiers), Marco Haller (Tudor), Alex Baudin (EF Education-EasyPost), Ewen costiou (Arkéa-B & B Hotels) and Ivan Garcia Cortina (Movistar). But the peloton, led by the teams UAE Team Emirates XRG et Alpecin-DECEUNINCK Do not leave them very little ahead, the gap never rises above 2 minutes. And as the first switch to Mûr de Bretagne, the pace is accelerating, the favorites want to place themselves at the front and the leading men are taken up one by one, alone Cost manages to make a little resistance. In this first ascent (2km at 7.1%), Simon Yates (Visma | lease a bike) imposes a very sustained rhythm and the peloton explodes. At the top, they are just thirty in this group. Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-deceuninck) is put in difficulty, but manages to switch.
The final
In the transition to the second ascent, Wout van Aert Try a shy attack, but in vain. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates XRG) still has many teammates, who drive strong and who resume Ewen costiou. But in a descending portion, a collective fall takes many runners in the group of favorites. Jack Haig et Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious) are the first to have fallen and seem the most affected. The Australian will not get up and abandoned. JOAO ALMEIDA (UAE Team Emirates XRG), Guillaume Martin-Guyonnet, Valentin Madouas (Groupama-FDJ), Enric Mas (Movistar), Eddie Dunbar (Jayco simple), Louis Barré (Intermarché-Wanty), Warren Barguil (Picnic PostNL) et Ben Healy (EF Education-Easypost) also fell.
But in front of the rhythm does not slow down. Tim Wellens (UAE Team Emirates XRG) begins the full ball ascent and Tadej Pogacar Go to the attack. Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | Lease a Bike) et Remco Evenepoel (Sudal Quick-Step) manage to follow. But behind it explodes everywhere. Mathieu van der Poel let go of the case, while favorites like Primoz Roglic, Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) ou Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek) are in difficulty. But 1 kilometer from the finish, while the slope will soften, the 3 titans look at each other, which allows a small group made up of Kévin Vauquelin (Arkéa-B&B Hotels), Oscar Onley (Picnic postnl), Matteo Jorgenson (Visma | Lease a Bike), Jhonatan Narvaez (UAE Team Emirates XRG), Felix Gall (Decathlon AG2R) and Axel Laurance (Ineos grenadiers) to return. Narvaez So takes the head of the group and imposes a big rhythm. The victory will be played in the sprint. Tadej Pogacar launches 200 meters and alone Jonas Vingegaard manages to take the wheel. But the Slovenian is too strong and wins in front of the Danish. Behind, a small gap of 2 seconds is created and it is Oscar Onley which completes the podium of the day, in front Gall (4th) and Jorgenson (5e).
The group Roglic–Lipowitz–Scold concedes 21 seconds. Mathieu van der Poel Has dropped the case and passed the line with 1'20 behind. Among the runners taken in the fall, Enric Mas is doing well, losing only 51 “. The addition is more salty for Guillaume Martin-Guyonnetwhich concedes 2'17 “. More severely affected, JOAO ALMEIDA et Santiago Buitrago have lost them all ambition in the general classification, since they spent the line with more than 10 minutes late.
