The French lastly obtained their first stage win as we speak by way of Valentin Paret-Peintre after an unlimited battle on the slopes of Mont Ventoux with Ben Healy. The stage featured some huge GC adjustments, factors battles and a well-known rider deserted earlier than the race even began on what was a really motion packed day.
A reasonably flat stage as we speak earlier than ascending to the legendary Mt Ventoux summit end
171.5km as we speak and a pair of,950m of elevation achieve earlier than ending on the HC class Mt. Ventoux. Is it a mountain stage or is it not? That’s the query and ASO truly categorised as we speak as a medium stage which meant there have been 30 factors to the winner within the inexperienced jersey competitors when usually it’s 20 factors for a mountain stage. Essential for Milan on 251 factors? His solely rival for inexperienced is now Pogacar (223) after Mathieu Van der Poel withdrew from the race this morning affected by pneumonia.
Mathieu needed to say au revoir to Le Tour as we speak, too sick to proceed
So Milan knew the stage was essential to take some factors on the intermediate dash of the day however the remainder of the peloton additionally knew that in the event that they didn’t resolve Ventoux with a minimum of a 5 minute break over Pogacar and co. then their probabilities of a stage victory have been non existent. Consequence? The tempo was on from kilometer zero with 50% of the peloton attempting to get within the break. Milan tried quite a few instances however he couldn’t get a bunch to stay and it was solely the trio of Xandro Meurisse (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Marco Haller & Marc Hirschi (Tudor) who have been in a position to get away.
The break of the day?
This trio’s lead hovered anyplace between ten seconds and two minutes for greater than 40km as assaults and counter assaults shook the peloton. UAE with Nils Polit have been controlling and didn’t desire a huge group to get away however the likes of Milan and non GC climbers have been determined to rise up the entrance.
Ultimately after greater than 70km of racing at 50kph the trio have been lastly introduced again and simply 2 kilometers later an enormous group of 36 riders solid clear and it was catastrophe for Lidl-Trek, Milan didn’t make the minimize!
Within the group there have been quite a few groups with a number of riders like, two UAEs (Sivakov, Soler), 2 Vismas (Benoot, Campenaerts), 3 Soudal Fast-Steps (Eenkhoorn, V. Paret-Peintre, Van Wilder), 2 Bahrains (Buitrago, Wright), 4 Tudors (Alaphilippe, Haller, Hirschi, Trentin), 3 Movistars (Mas, Barta, Muhlberger) and in kind indivduals like Arensman (Ineos) and Ben Healy (EF).
This group lastly obtained properly away from the peloton and we had our break of the day.
Right this moment’s breakaway – 36 riders robust
The break was huge and robust and pulling away from the peloton however earlier than the dash level with 100km nonetheless remaining the Tudor duo of Julian Alaphilippe & Matteo Trentin attacked and compelled a smaller group clear that additionally contained Enric Mas (Movistar), Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X), Simoni Velasco (XDS-Astana), Fred Wright (Bahrain) & Pascal Eenkhoorn (Soudal-Quickstep).
5 of the group labored properly however Wright & Eenkhoorn had their climbers left behind within the chasing group they usually quickly determined to drop again and attempt to convey their respective leaders again as much as the entrance earlier than Ventoux.
The 5 escapees have been decided to get to the climb with a most benefit although they usually arrived on the backside of Ventoux with simply over 1m30s lead over the Ben Healy group. After an assault or two on the decrease slopes from Julian Alaphilippe it was Enrique Mas who proved to be the strongest of the 5 and he rode away solo.
The peloton was being led by Visma they usually got here to the foot of the climb simply over six minutes behind Mas and with a plan in thoughts. With each Benoot and Campenaerts up forward Wout Van Aert & Sepp Kuss began the climb very onerous earlier than Vingegaard put in his first assault to attempt to eliminate Pogacar. He bridged as much as Benoot with Pogacar caught in his wheel, Jonas then rested for some time behind his teammate after which he went once more!
Pogi caught near him although however that didn’t cease Jonas from attempting repeatedly.
A really aggressive Vingegaard gave it his all as we speak
Pogacar couldn’t be unseated although and he even tried an assault of his personal however that was rapidly answered by Vingegaard.
Up within the break it was additionally an assault fest as Ben Healy, Santiago Buitrago and Valentin Paret-Peintre all tried to meet up with Mas with solo assaults however lastly it was the Irish/French duo of Healy and Paret-Peintre who have been in a position to bridge up with 3km remaining.
These 2 then continued to assault one another and saved dropping Mas with their fixed accelerations just for the Spaniard to return again at his personal tempo moments later. It seemed like it will be a dash between 3 riders on the prime of Ventoux however then Buitrago surprisingly made his manner again to the entrance and much more surprisingly, Paret-Peintre’s teammate Ivan Van Wilder.
Van Wilder had been dropped proper at first of the climb however paced himself all the best way up, to someway catch the leaders within the final kilometer! Van Wilder then did an altitude lead-out for Paret-Peintre for the dash but it surely was Healy who jumped first with 200m to go however coming across the final bend, Paret-Peintre made his transfer and he was simply too quick for Healy within the dash. An excellent attacking and gutsy journey by each riders however just one might win with Healy a minimum of getting the comfort prize of transferring up a bit of in GC.
Healy didn’t achieve an excessive amount of on Pogacar & Vingegaard although who got here in fifth & sixth on the stage simply 43 & 45 seconds behind Healy after a really quick ascension.
Pogacar obtained the higher of Vingegaard within the remaining dash for the road
Pogacar closed to simply 11 factors of Milan’s lead within the inexperienced jersey competitors because of his fifth place and the complete Lidl-Trek crew might be in search of redemption tomorrow after lacking out on placing Milan within the break as we speak. These factors misplaced as we speak could possibly be essential on the finish of the Tour.
Milan remains to be in inexperienced….for now!
After an attacking remaining climb carried out at a really excessive tempo, there have been some adjustments within the GC with it turning into clearer than ever that the battle for the ultimate yellow jersey in Paris is only a two horse race. Who will take the ultimate place on the rostrum?
Primoz Roglic labored for his teammate Lipowitz who conserved his third place on GC and even elevated his lead within the white jersey over his nearest rivals Onley & Vauquelin
Stage 16 Outcomes:
1 Paret-Peintre Valentin Soudal Fast-Step 4:03:19
2 Healy Ben EF Training – EasyPost
3 Buitrago Santiago Bahrain – Victorious @ 0:04
4 Van Wilder Ilan Soudal Fast-Step @ 0:14
5 Pogačar Tadej UAE Staff Emirates – XRG @ 0:43
6 Vingegaard Jonas Staff Visma | Lease a Bike @ 0:45
7 Mas Enric Movistar Staff @ 0:53
8 Alaphilippe Julian Tudor Professional Biking Staff @ 1:17
9 Roglič Primož Pink Bull – BORA – hansgrohe @ 1:51
10 Lipowitz Florian Pink Bull – BORA – hansgrohe @ 1:53
11 Mühlberger Gregor Movistar Staff @ 2:01
12 Arensman Thymen INEOS Grenadiers @ 2:15
14 Onley Oscar Staff Picnic PostNL 10 @ 2:29
15 Rodríguez Carlos INEOS Grenadiers @ 3:02
16 Aranburu Alex Cofidis @ 3:27
17 Gall Felix Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Staff @ 3:33
18 Yates Adam UAE Staff Emirates – XRG @ 3:38
19 García Pierna Raúl Arkéa – B&B Lodges @ 3:42
20 Vauquelin Kévin Arkéa – B&B Lodges @ 3:42
GC After Stage 16:
1 Pogačar Tadej UAE Staff Emirates – XRG 8:24:46
2 Vingegaard Jonas Staff Visma | Lease a Bike @ 4:15
3 Lipowitz Florian Pink Bull – BORA – hansgrohe @ 9:03
4 Onley Oscar Staff Picnic PostNL @ 11:04
5 Roglič Primož Pink Bull – BORA – hansgrohe @ 11:42
6 Vauquelin Kévin Arkéa – B&B Lodges @ 13:20
7 Gall Felix Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Staff @ 14:50
8 Johannessen Tobias Halland Uno-X Mobility @ 7:01
9 Healy Ben EF Training – EasyPost @ 17:52
10 Rodríguez Carlos INEOS Grenadiers @ 20:45
11 Jegat Jordan Staff TotalEnergies @ 23:10
12 O’Connor Ben Staff Jayco AlUla @ 31:08
13 Martin Guillaume Groupama – FDJ @ 35:14
14 Arensman Thymen INEOS Grenadiers @ 44:20
15 Kuss Sepp Staff Visma | Lease a Bike @ 47:59
16 Narváez Jhonatan UAE Staff Emirates – XRG @ 52:04
17 Rodríguez Cristián Arkéa – B&B Lodges @ 53:24
18 Mas Enric Movistar Staff @ 53:44
19 Higuita Sergio XDS Astana Staff @ 54:57
20 Jorgenson Matteo Staff Visma | Lease a Bike @ 57:35
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