Mont Ventoux does not forgive.
The Giant of Provence made Julian Alaphilippe bend, although he took the lead during the first passage at the top, caused no less than 7 retirements, and confirmed the immense all-terrain talent of Belgian Wout Van Aert.
Update on this queen stage which allowed Tadej Pogacar to maintain a large lead in the general classification, despite a surprising drop in speed in the last hectometers of the “Bald Mountain”.
The winner of the day: Wout Van Aert, prestigious success
His tenacity is finally rewarded.
His talent allowed him to do the rest.
Several times on the attack in the first week to conquer the yellow jersey, close to victory in the massive sprint in Valencia on Tuesday (2nd behind Cavendish), Wout Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) won a magnificent solo victory on Wednesday in Malaucène, the end of the 11th stage of this Tour de France.
At 26, the Belgian champion responded to his rivals classic hunters Julian Alaphilippe and Matthieu Van Der Poel, winners of the first two stages, and in what way: by releasing alone his companions of breakaways 15 km from the summit.
🇫🇷 # TDF2021
BOOM! 💣 pic.twitter.com/SK1SO1wMMv
- Team Jumbo-Visma cycling (@JumboVismaRoad) July 7, 2021
The Milan-San Remo 2020 winner, three-time cyclo-cross world champion, has shown that he can also be comfortable in the high mountains, leaving virtually nothing to the group of favorites during the terrible climb of Ventoux.
"It's a legendary climb, it is perhaps my best victory", admitted the Belgian, winner for the 4th time on the Tour.
The general classification: titillated Pogacar, the podium jostled
Behind the fiery Belgian, the group of favorites first seemed to fall asleep in the train curiously led by Richard Carapaz's Ineos.
The Ecuadorian however never went on the attack, and it was the surprising 24-year-old Dane, Jonas Vingegaard, teammate of Van Aert, who let everyone go in the last two kilometers of the second ascent of Ventoux. .
VINGEGAARD FALLS POGACAR!
# TDF2021 pic.twitter.com/cJqzbWnu7L
- Dans la Musette (@DansLaMusette) July 7, 2021
For the first time, the yellow jersey seemed to show signs of weakness, losing more than 40 seconds on the Dane in a few hectometers.
Pogacar, helped by Carapaz and Uran on the descent, will finally come back to Vingegaard just before the finish in Malaucène.
The Dane consoles himself by climbing on the podium of the general classification (3rd at 5'32), after the failure of the Australian Ben O'Connor (AG2R Citroën), who downgraded to 6th place.
Uran is second, Carapaz 4th.
These three should fight for the place of dolphin of Pogacar.
The French: Alaphillipe on the attack, Gaudu let go, Elissonde second
Deux Ventoux was one too many for Julian Alaphilippe.
The world champion spent a lot of energy at the start of the stage to slip into the right breakaway, then to attack and take the lead for the first time at the top of “Mont Chauve”.
But the second ascent, by Bédoin, the hardest face, sounded the death knell for his hopes.
Alaphilippe could not keep pace with Van Aert and finished by hand.
More surprisingly, David Gaudu, leader of Groupama FDJ and 10th overall at the start of the stage, gave up on the first climb of Ventoux and undoubtedly said goodbye to his last dreams of the podium, spending more than 20 minutes.
Guillaume Martin (Cofidis), he limited the damage (12th to 4′05) and remains 9th overall.
On the attack in the right breakaway, the French of Trek Segafredo impressed.
Julien Bernard first, driving a hell of a lot, then Kenny Elissonde then, the only one able to keep pace with Van Aert.
He was rewarded with a fine second place at the finish, 1′14 behind the Belgian.
# TDF2021
Here we go !!
🗻Ventoux 𝘅 2️⃣
Come on Julien, 👑 Kenny and Bauke !!!
📸 ASO / Pauline Ballet pic.twitter.com/CIkQiDFIAO
- Trek-Segafredo (@TrekSegafredo) July 7, 2021
Thursday's program: the Gorges de l'Ardèche and the return of the sprinters
Thursday, the sprinters return to the field in the 12th stage, 159.4 km long between Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux (Drôme) and Nîmes. The relatively flat course will offer a nice passage through the Gorges de l'Ardèche. For the Briton Mark Cavendish, it is the first opportunity to equal the record of (34) stage victories of the legend Eddy Merckx.
