Tour de France 2023: Jonas Vingegaard freed, Tadej Pogacar affected in the first mountain stage

Special Envoy to Laruns

The first mountain stage of the Tour always carries a part of the unknown. That attached to the body's ability to digest the change of gears. The peloton, impatient, tense, sets off in search of sensations, hoping to succeed in assembling certainties. The dizzying exercise was heightened by the entry ascent of a non-category pass for the first time since 1981. The Col de Soudet (1,540 m; 15.2 km at 7.2 %), coated with t a wide swath of clouds provided the first highlight in a majestic setting. Thirty-six riders had hooked up to the right breakaway wagon. Among them, three riders from the Bora-Hansgrohe team, the German Emanuel Buchmann, the Austrian Patrick Konrad and the Australian Jai Hindley, ready for a crazy day. Solo winner in Laruns, the 27-year-old Australian, who is discovering the Tour, collected all the pleasures by donning, incredulous, the yellow jersey (the last Australian yellow jersey dated from Simon Gerrans, in 2013).

“I have been watching the Tour since I was 6 years old, I would never have imagined myself with the yellow jersey. A dream comes true…” Jai Hindley’s dazzling smile almost overshadows the yellow jersey. He, who was among the outsiders for the general classification at the start of Bilbao, did not take long to shine. The winner of the Tour of Italy 2020 (2nd in 2022) had spotted the first stages, he who lives in Andorra. His last weeks were studious at the pace of training camps. He says: "I lived like a monk, I lived in my suitcase, I hardly saw my family, who were at the foot of the last pass to share this with me..."

An ascent that will have seen a rocket named Jonas Vingegaard pass. Confined to a defensive role since leaving Bilbao, glued to the movements of his rival Tadej Pogacar, the winner of the 2022 Tour suddenly came out of his reserve. One mile from the summit, he placed a slashing attack with the impassive face of a poker player, his gaze hidden behind large sunglasses.

Pogacar, stunned, summed up on France Télévisions: “He was too fast in the ascent. I tried to hold on to the top, but it was not possible. He was too strong. What an attack! Nothing can be done in these cases. It's a tough blow, but it's only the first mountain stage. All is not lost, we will fight. Day after day. Hoping that the legs turn better during the third week…” His smooth face, emptied of its colors, of its carelessness, bore the brutality of the blow received after a perfect day for Jumbo-Visma. Jonas Vingegaard summarizes: “The plan was to put guys in the breakaway, we had three. On paper, it was not a stage that suited me very well. But, in the last climb, I felt that I had good legs. I told Sepp (Kuss) to go forward, and I attacked. I was surprised that Pogacar couldn't follow me. I wanted to test it out a bit. Am I now the big favorite of the Tour? I don't know. We just keep doing our best and we'll see where it takes us."

Vingegaard, Pogacar, Hindley and the main protagonists (David Gaudu, 9th in the stage and 10th in the general classification) have an appointment this Thursday for the exit from the Pyrenees, marked by the always symbolic passage of the Col du Tourmalet, before launch an assault on the first summit finish, in Cauterets-Cambasque. A long-awaited meeting. To mark bodies and minds. Resting on Tuesday, between Dax and Nogaro, the Tour quickly resumed its mad cavalcade…

CLASSEMENT 5th stage: 1. Hindley (Aus/BOH) 3 h 57' 07''; 2. Ciccone (Ita/LTK) à 32''; 3. Gall (Aut/AG2R) 32'' ; 4. Buchmann (All/BOH) 32'' ; 5. Vingegaard (Dan/TJV) 34''... 8. Pogacar (Slo/UAD) 1'38 ; 9. Gaudu (Women/GFC) 1'38...

OVERALL: 1. Hindley 22:15:12; 2. Vingegaard at 47”; 3. Ciccone 1'03''; 4. Buchmann 1’11”; 5. A. Yates (GB/UAD) 1:34; 6. Pogacar 1’40’’… 10. Gaudu 1’56…

6th stage, this Thursday: Tarbes-Cauterets-Cambasque (144.9 km), start at 1:10 p.m.