© ASO / Pauline Ballet

At the end of a thrilling edition that will go down in history, Jonas Vingegaard won the Tour de France 2023. Long harassed by Tadej Pogacar, who ultimately took 2nd in Paris, the Dane won a second consecutive Grande Boucle.

The constant thread of this 110th edition remained the thrilling and exhilarating tug of war between the two men who remained in an epic fight separated by just a matter of seconds. It was extremely close until the leader of the Jumbo-Visma imposed his law in the third week, first during the time trial in Combloux, then on the Col de la Loze.

This Tour de France has been marked by a very high sporting level with 17 different stage winners, which was the most since 2019. From the revelation Felix Gall, winner in Courchevel, to the domination of Jasper Philipsen in the bunch sprints, and especially the farewell tour of Thibaut Pinot, who exited the race through the front door by being at the head of the race during the 20th stage which took place on his training routes, this 110th edition offered a succession of images that will long be remembered.

The results : 1. Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) ; 2. Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) ; 3. A. Yates (UAE Team Emirates)… 

Stages won by: A. Yates (UAE Team Emirates), Lafay (Cofidis), Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe), Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates), Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Pedersen (Lidl-Trek), Woods (Israel-Premier Tech), Bilbao (Bahrain-Victorious), Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Izagirre (Cofidis), Kwiatkowski (INEOS Grenadier), Rodriguez (INEOS Grenadier), Poels (Bahrain-Victorious), Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma), Gall (AG2R Citroën Team), Asgreen (Soudal-Quick Step), Mohoric (Bahrain-Victorious), Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates), Meeus (Bora-Hansgrohe). 

*****

Upcoming races:

July, 23-30 : Tour de France femmes avec Zwift, https://www.letourfemmes.fr/fr

July, 26-27 : Vuelta a Castilla y Leon, https://www.vueltacastillayleon.es/

July, 27-30 : Sazka Tour, https://www.czechtour.com/

July 29 – August 4 : Tour de Pologne, https://www.tourdepologne.pl/en/

July 29 : Classica San Sebastian, https://klasikoa.eus/en/

July 30 : Circuito de Getxo, http://www.puntagalea.com/puntagalea/

© ASO / Charly Lopez

Tour de France: the Victor Lafay revelation

Surprise winner of the 2nd stage in San Sebastián, Victor Lafay’s (Cofidis) own road among the pros has had a profile that resembles the Basque mountains where he made his mark this past weekend at the start of the Tour de France. Accident-prone. Punctuated by very highs and therefore very lows. The 27-year-old from Haute-Savoy did not dream of being a professional and made the move somewhat late after suffering from an injury that could have ended his career when still a junior. 

On Saturday, he was the only one who could hold the wheels of Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar in the final of the first stage. Then on Sunday, Cédric Vasseur’s protégé attacked in the final kilometer to achieve the greatest success of his career. “I was super frustrated on Saturday, I got it all a bit wrong,” he admitted. “Anthony said to me: ‘It’s great what you did’, but I was frustrated. I replayed the film of the race. If I had attacked, would Pogacar have let me go with Yates? As a result, I missed the opportunity. Not only that, but there was the yellow jersey at the end on Saturday. I was not happy with myself; I had the legs and I did not take advantage of it. So Sunday, for once, I had a plan. We were really rolling fast. So I said to myself: “as soon as the pace drops a little, I attack”. It happened about a kilometer from the finish. I didn’t ask myself any questions. I tried my best. I took off to the left, leaning over the bike as much as possible. I was a little lucky, it worked out well for me.”

In the race for the yellow jersey, Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard have already launched hostilities, multiplying the banderillas. After two days of racing, advantage to Pogacar’s UAE team, which wears the yellow jersey thanks to Adam Yates after his victory on the first stage in Bilbao. This 110th edition promises to continue to be thrilling after returning to France this Monday in Bayonne.

Stages won by: A. Yates (UAE Team Emirates), Lafay (Cofidis).

*****

Giro d’Italia Donne: Van Vleuten already impressive

After the cancellation of the prologue (4.4 km individual time trial in Chianciano) on Friday due to heavy rain and strong winds, the Dutch rider Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) hit hard on Saturday in the 2nd stage between Bagno a Ripoli and Marradi.

The 40-year-old world champion won solo, posting the 100th victory of her career.

Above all, the Dutchwoman defeated all her main opponents by 45 seconds. The Danish Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (FDJ-Suez) won the sprint for 2nd place ahead of the French Juliette Labous (Team DSM-Firmenich). 

Van Vleuten (Movistar), winner of the event last year, is 49 seconds ahead of Ludwig overall and 51 over Labous. On Sunday, the 3rd of nine stages, 118.2 km long, between Formigine and Modena was won by her compatriot Lorena Wiebes (Team SD Worx).

Stages won by: prologue cancelled, Van Vleuter (Movistar), Wiebes (Team SD Worx).

*****

Upcoming races:

Until 9 July: Giro d’Italia Donne, https://www.giroditaliadonne.it/

9 July: Axion Swiss Bank Gran Premio Citta di Lugano, https://gplugano.ch/

Until 23 July: Tour de France, https://www.letour.fr/fr/

© Tour de Suisse

Tour de Suisse: Skelmose in Mäder’s honor

Following the death of Gino Mäder, after his crash during the 5th stage, no one really had their minds on cycling at the Tour de Suisse. But since the race had to come to completion, in memory of the late Bahrain-Victorious rider, it also needed a winner. And it was finally the Dane Mattias Skjelmose Jensen (Trek-Segafredo) who won the general classification of the event ahead of Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates) and Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-Quick Step).

Although this is his first overall victory in a WorldTour-classified stage race, the promising Danish climber obviously did not overflow with joy at the finish of the 8th stage. Second in the final time trial between St. Gallen and Abtwil (25 km), Skjelmose held his nerve in what is not his favorite discipline to resist being overtaken by his two pursuers. At 22, he took the sixth professional victory of his career, two weeks before the Tour de France, during which he is expected to be the leader of the Lidl-Trek team.

Since the crash of Gino Mäder during the descent of the Albula Pass on Thursday, the Tour de Suisse has shifted into another atmosphere. Found motionless in the water and resuscitated on the spot, the Swiss died the next day in a Chur hospital. The strong emotion aroused by this tragedy led to the neutralization of stage 6, which turned into a commemorative procession in his memory, in agreement with his family.

Friday evening, while the rest of the race was essentially on hold, the organization announced that the Tour de Suisse would go to its end “in consultation with Gino Mäder’s family” and “after consulting the teams and riders as well as all the staff of the Tour de Suisse.”

It is therefore by finishing that the Tour de Suisse wanted to honor the memory of Màder, who was a native of the canton of St. Gallen. The organization had also decided to freeze the timing of Saturday’s stage 25 km from the finish, at the top of the last climb of the day. This did not prevent Remco Evenepoel from escaping alone 17 km from the finish to win the stage. He didn’t take the yellow race leader’s jersey at the end, but he showed his class by honoring Mäder, pointing index finger skyward. 

The results: 1. Skjelmose (Trek-Segafredo) ; 2. Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates) ; 3. Evenepoel (Soudal-Quick Step)…

Stages won by: Küng (Groupama-FDJ) ; Girmay (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty) ; Skjelmose (Trek-Segafredo) ; Gall (AG2R Citroën Team) ; Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates) ; Étape neutralisée après le décès de Gino Mäder ; Evenepoel (Soudal-Quick Step) ; Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates).

*****

CIC Mont Ventoux: Martinez gets his first win in style

At only 19 years old, Lenny Martinez found himself a luxury setting to win the first victory of his young professional career: the Groupama-FDJ climber, son of Miguel (Olympic and world mountain bike champion in 2000) took the victory at the CIC Mont Ventoux. The race was forced to be extensively shortened (by 55 km with only one ascent of the mythical pass instead of the planned double ascent) because of the risk of severe thunderstorms.

Martinez, a protégé of Marc Madiot’s and 18th in the recent Critérium du Dauphiné, became the first Frenchman to win this event, crossing the line one second ahead of a group of three riders made up of Michael Woods (Israel Premier Tech), Simon Carr (Education First) and Cristian Rodriguez (Arkéa-Samsic). “I am the first Frenchman to win here? I didn’t know that,” Martinez said. “That’s great. For a climber like me, it’s the highest pass in France so it’s symbolic. I thought the shortening of the race would put me at a disadvantage since the climb was less steep. We managed to adapt.”

The results: 1. Lenny Martinez (Groupama-FDJ) ; 2. Michael Woods (Israel-Premier Tech) ; 3. Simon Carr (EF Education-Easy Post)…

*****

Baloise Belgium: Tour Van der Poel is gaining momentum ahead of the Tour de France

Mathieu van der Poel won the fifth stage race of his career. The Dutchman won the general classification of the Tour of Belgium after the last stage was won by Fabio Jakobsen in the streets of Brussels.

Winner of the fourth stage the day before on a very hilly course in the Belgian Ardennes, the leader of the Alpecin-Deceuninck team perfectly managed his advantage of 40 seconds in the general classification. He finished in the overall ahead of Soren Waerenskjold (Uno-X Pro Cycling) while Casper Pedersen (Soudal-Quick Step) completed the podium, 53 seconds behind.

“I wasn’t at my peak a week ago. I was just coming back from a training camp, and I lacked freshness. But I feel that the form is on the right track for the Tour de France,” said a happy van der Poel, the winner of Milan-Sanremo and Paris-Roubaix this season. His last overall victory in a road stage race was in September 2020, at the BinckBank Tour.

The results: 1. Van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) ; 2. Waerenskjold (Uno-X Pro Cycling) ; 3. Pedersen (Soudal-Quick Step)…

Stages won by: Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) ; Jakobsen (Soudal-Quick Step) ; Waerenskjold (Uno-X Pro Cycling) ; Van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) ; Jakobsen (Soudal-Quick Step). 

*****

Tour of Slovenia: Zana and the Jayco-AlUla take it all

The Jayco-AlUla won just about everything at the Tour of Slovenia in 2023. After the two initial victories of Dylan Groenewegen and that of Jesus David Pena on Saturday, Filippo Zana finished the work of his team by winning the general classification.

The Italian finished second in the fifth and final stage between Vrhnika and Novo Mesto behind Matej Mohoric (Bahrain-Victorious), a sufficient result to stay in the lead of the general classification, 18 seconds ahead of the Slovenian.

The two men made the difference in the last ten kilometers. Mohoric attacked in the Trska Gora (1.7 km at 9.8%) and only Zana was able to follow him. In difficulty against the power of the Slovenian, the rider from Jayco-AlUla resisted until the finish line so as not to lose time on his opponent.

Teammate of Gino Mäder, who died after a terrible crash in the Tour de Suisse, Mohoric paid tribute to the Swiss after the finish. “We all rode together as a team for Gino,” he said. “We wanted to give it our all. I obviously dedicate this victory to my friend Gino. I think he would be happy for us.”

Overall winner, Filippo Zana succeeds Tadej Pogacar as the winner of the event. The Slovenian had largely dominated his home race last year, ahead of his teammate Rafal Majka in the overall.

The results: 1. Zana (Jayco AlUla) ; 2. Mohoric (Bahrain-Victorious) ; 3. Ulissi (UAE Team Emirates)…

Stages won by: Groenewegen (Jayco AlUla) ; Groenewegen (Jayco AlUla) ; Schelling (Bora-Hansgrohe) ; Pena (Jayco AlUla) ; Mohoric (Bahrain-Victorious).

*****

Route d’Occitanie : Woods confirms his good form 

Canadian Michael Woods (Israel-Premier Tech), winner of the queen stage in the Pyrenees, perfectly managed his lead on Sunday during the last stage to win the Route d’Occitanie for the second consecutive year.

Woods is the first rider since Alejandro Valverde (2018 and 2019) to achieve the double. He finished ahead of the Spaniard Cristian Rodriguez and the German Georg Steinhauser, the best young rider in the event. “I am very proud, very happy to win here again. I’m even happier than I was the first time because my family is here. I understand the record is three. We’ll see, hopefully I can match it.”

Franco-British Simon Carr (EF-Education), who grew up in Occitania, won at the end of the fourth and final stage of this 47th edition of the race.

The results: 1. Woods (Israel-Premier Tech) ; 2. Rodriguez (Arkéa-Samsic) ; 3. Steinhausser (EF Education-Easy Post)…

Stages won by: Van den Berg (EF Education-Easy Post) ; Tesson (TotalEnergies) ; Woods (Israel-Premier Tech) ; Carr (EF Education-Easy Post).

*****

Upcoming races

National championships (individual time trials on Wednesday and road races Saturday and Sunday)