Ben Healy gives you the first stage triumph in this Francia Tour to EF Education-Easypost, in Normandía. The Irishman was the strongest of a getaway that formed when a stage of stage had passed, leaving with a group in which he appeared Mathieu van der Poel. Precisely, the Dutch took advantage of the flash of the platoon to put four minutes in the favorites, recovering yellow only one day after losing it.
Caen's counterreloj was the first fire test among the favorites, leaving as leader of the race a Tadej Pogacar. The Slovenian became leader of the general, of regularity and mountain, after finishing in second position in the stage, only behind Evenepoel, that he fulfilled the forecasts and confirmed his domain in the discipline against the chrono.
This Thursday, the race reached Normandy vire, In a very misleading stage, since there were no important dimensions to rise, but it did add an unevenness of more than 3,500 meters. The end was the most explosive, with a small fourth port in the absence of four kilometers of finish and a chopped end.
Ideal scenario for Pogacar o Van der Poel, But also to triumph for the first time in this tour the escape of the day. And the one who was encouraged was Ben Healy. The EF Education-Easypost made a failed attempt to leave after the first flying goal and then that he could open a hole, forming a headboards with Tejada, Van der Poel, Simmons y Barta when they were reaching kilometer 60. They joined them later Simon Yates, Storer y Dunbar.
The group was opening hollow, adding almost four minutes of advantage as it passes through the fourth ascent of the day. And it was 42 kilometers from the finish line when the race began to be defined. The platoon did not react and the movements began in the race. Ben Healy He tried it and nobody followed him. The Irish cyclist managed to leave alone in search of stage triumph. He managed to open a definitive hole, more than two minutes with the rest of the escape.
In addition, the difference with the squad was still increasing, touching the seven minutes. Van der Poelwhich was part of the getaway, aimed to become a leader, reaching a difference in the general during the final stretch of the almost three minutes stage compared to Pogacar. It was then that UAE Emirates reacted. They began to pull the platoon, reduced the difference and the Slovenian was even about to save the yellow, something unthinkable in the absence of 10 kilometers of the finish line.
In fact, Van der Poel Healy entered the goal of 3:58 and put a squad where Pogacar He was the first to pass a difference of 1:29. In the counterreloj, Alcione was left with the current Tour champion a 1:28 income, so only one day later he recovered the leadership for a single second.
