You should never listen to Julian Alaphilippe when he says he is coming to the foot of a climb just to test himself and produce a sustained effort.
The day before the ascent of Mont Ventoux, certainly halfway up to the Reynard chalet, the world champion was just talking about this pass, which he had not climbed for five years, like a launching ramp to perfect your physical condition.
But for this third of the four stages of the Tour de La Provence, Alaphilippe tried to win this Saturday.
And it took a Colombian duo wearing the Ineos colors to prevent them from offering themselves a prestigious victory in a high place of cycling.
If the previous night, snow had fallen on the top of the Vaucluse, for a moment to fear a reduction of the stage, the road was finally passable.
And Alaphilippe felt good throughout the course, even telling his teammates from Deceuninck - Quick-Step to print a steady pace.
Colombian Egan Bernal, winner of the 2019 Tour de France, also wanted to shine for his comeback.
His team-mate and compatriot Ivan Sosa launched an attack 4.8 km from the finish to take a 20-second lead.
The time to gauge which was in good shape and Alaphilippe, 3.3 km from the line, was in turn eradicated.
Bernal took his wheel, but obviously without helping him get back to Sosa.
"I didn't think I would hold out to the top"
For several minutes, the mano à mano, Alaphilippe - Bernal, took on the air of a duel on the Tour, to around thirty degrees.
The temperature at Chalet-Reynard does not exceed zero.
Sosa was finally able to keep his first place and, in passing, takes a huge option on the final victory.
In the last hectometers, Bernal, cooler, validated the Colombian stranglehold on the event.
Alaphilippe, 3rd at 18 seconds, wants to be positive.
“The condition is there and I'm still happy.
I didn't think I could get to the top.
I couldn't do much when the two Ineos took off.
I was on the block.
It's already good to have stayed with them and it bodes well for the future.
"
In the general classification, Alaphilippe is third, 21 seconds behind Sosa.
The second Frenchman, Aurélien Paret-Peintre (AG2R-Citroën), is only twelfth at 1'28 ".