The 7th stage of this 88th Switzerland Tour promised to be decisive! Indeed, before the final time trial this Sunday, a final mountain middle stage awaited the runners on the Helveto roads. And it is JOAO ALMEIDA which won at the top of the Emmetten. Despite many offensives, the win was played in the sprint between the strongest of this Switzerland Tour And it is the Portuguese of the training UAE Team Emirates XRG who lifted his arms in front Oscar Onley (Picnic PostNL) et Kevin Vauquelin (Arkéa-B & B Hotels). Impressive of termination, the French even tried a blow, launching the sprint from afar, but was overflowed in the final meters. However, he keeps his yellow jersey 33 seconds ahead of Almeida and 41 “on a Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor) Again very solid.
Video – Kévin Vauquelin, before this decisive 7th stage
The summary
A breakaway of seven runners formed in the first kilometers with Aleksandr vlasov (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe), Quinn Simmons (Lidl-trek), Tiesj Benoot (Visma | Lease a Bike), Hugo Houle (Israel-Premier Tech), Frank van den Broek (Picnic postnl), William Lecerf Junior (Soudal Quick-Step) et Felix Engelhardt (Jayco alula). The roads were generally flat throughout the day, which facilitated control of the group. The action really started in the final, with sharp attacks from the penultimate rise, the Bürgenstock (5.5km to 7.9%), launched by Felix Gall (Decathlon AG2R) twice, and only the leader in the general classification Kévin Vauquelin (Arkéa-B&B Hotels), JOAO ALMEIDA (UAE Team Emirates XRG), Oscar Onley (Picnic PostNL) et Julian Alaphilippe (Sudal Quick-Step) were able to follow.
The group had an important asset with Van den Broekwhich has resisted from the breakaway and ensured the pace to the final rise, now the gap with the prosecution group. Once again, it is Felix Gall (Decathlon AG2R) which attacked the Em Emontten slopes (3.9km at 8.1%) from the first slopes of the Em. JOAO ALMEIDA (UAE Team Emirates XRG) took full responsibility for the prosecution, all its rivals in the wheel. The pace imposed by the Portuguese was very sustained and he took over the Austrian at the entrance to the last kilometer. The runners then looked at … before Vauquelin does not launch a sharp attack 400 meters from the finish. It’s hard to take your wheel, but Almeida et Onlyy manage to come back. The Portuguese takes it back and deposits it in the last 50 meters to win. Onlyy Also pass French in the final meters. Gall et Alaphilippe have conceded a few seconds in the final. The Austrian finished at 4 “, the French at 8”.
In the general classification, Vauquelin So lose 6 seconds on Almeidabecause of bonuses and is only 33 seconds in advance. Alaphilippe He is now in 3rd place, at 41 “. Onlyy et Gall Complete the top 5, at 1'19 “and 2'28”.
