The Col du Granon stage, a wild ride that entered the legend of the Tour on Wednesday, was on everyone's mind at the start in Briançon.
She stayed in all legs for a long time.
The fireworks were twenty-four hours in advance and the festive atmosphere planted in the hairpin bends of Alpe d'Huez applauded the success of the Englishman Thomas Pidcock at the end of a less dizzying day.
Alpe d'Huez saw the first cyclists converge in the morning.
And the flow has never dried up.
For the greatest pleasure of the spectators-campers who had taken over the premises.
Disguised as British soldiers, painted orange in the Dutch turn or in the very festive turn n° 5 of the Danes and Norwegians.
Ready for the party.
After a long wait.
To discover
The route of the Tour de France 2022
The general classification of the Tour de France
Four years after Geraint Thomas' victory in yellow, Tom Pidcock extends the series of Ineos.
And offers himself, he who discovers the Tour, a first bouquet.
Like Belgian Wout Van Aert and Dutchman Mathieu Van der Poel, Thomas Pidcock is a diabolical all-rounder.
In a few months he became Olympic mountain bike champion in Tokyo and world cross-country champion.
Without forgetting to shine on the road (2nd in the Amstel Gold Race or 4th in the 6th stage of this Tour in Longwy).
Read alsoTour de France: the general classification
Read alsoTour de France: the calendar of stages
During this 12th stage, the Briton shared the stage with Christopher Froome for a long time.
The quadruple winner of the Tour de France (2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017) has been evolving for many months in the shadow of his legend.
The rider from the Israel-Premier Tech team embarked on an adventure in the Galibier behind the breakaways 113 km from the finish, before joining the group of eight riders.
He gave everything for this comeback in full light.
Flashed at 95 km / h in the descent of the Croix de Fer.
Before giving way 8 km from the finish.
Finally 3rd in the stage (his last victory dates from 2018, on the Tour of Italy), he signed the best day of his second career, he who, during the recognition of the time trial of the Critérium du Dauphiné in 2019, had been the victim of an extremely violent fall.
He had been relieved with a fracture to a cervical vertebra, fractures of a femur, an elbow, a hip and ribs.
His future on a bike seemed very uncertain.
The Briton slowly recovered, without managing to shine.
Often rejected far from the theaters of decision, quickly ejected.
Last year, joining Paris (133rd at 4:12 a.m. from Tadej Pogacar) was, for him, a victory.
Christopher Froome shows up again
In Copenhagen, at the start of his tenth Tour, Christopher Froome assured: “
I have just come back from a serious fall which took me three years to recover from.
And that's not how I wanted to end my career.
I thank again all the people who gave me the chance to ride, again, after this accident.
Thanks to them, I have an opportunity to get back to the top after my injuries.
And that's my driving force, my main goal, what gets me back in the saddle every day.
The objective is not to win the Tour de France but I still dream of it.
It's only been a few months, really, that I feel good again, without pain, nothing that prevents me from riding.
Over the last few months, I have overcome a lot of obstacles, I
“Behind his back, the explanation was muscular between Tadej Pogacar, the revengeful and Jonas Vingegaard, the yellow jersey.
The Slovenian, muzzled, reassured himself and relaunched: “
I could have been better but the road is still long.
I am confident for the future.
Jonas is one of the best climbers in the world, I have to find ways to make up time.
" The yellow jersey, which responded tit for tat to the three attacks of its rival in the last three kilometers, controlled its first day in yellow well: "
Tadej attacked me, I expected it, I think it was not is not the last time.
Whenever he gets the chance, he'll start again and attack me.
My main mission is to cling to him, to follow him,
I felt the heat coming over me, I had to slow down.
It was very, very hot at the foot of the Alpe.
Romain Bardet
Romain Bardet has long been able to keep pace with the best.
Before giving in.
And to achieve, with composure, to limit the gaps: "
Not a great day, I took a heat stroke in the middle of the Alpe, when I started to have Friesians, I preferred take my rhythm, otherwise it was a blow to explode completely, it's not what I wanted.
It didn't matter much, they weren't going faster in front.
I should have positioned myself a little better perhaps.
I felt the heat coming over me, I had to slow down.
It was very, very hot at the foot of the Alpe.
It went up quickly and I had to brake a bit to get to the right place.
I preferred to take my rhythm.
It's the Tour de France, the days when we are less well,