11:30 – Pinot needs a breather
“I missed a lot. It was a day in survival mode, I didn’t have a lot of cartridges today”, reacted Thibaut Pinot after his breakaway during the 15th stage between Les Gets les Portes du Soleil and Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc. “I’ve been in front for three days in a row, but I think today was the best opportunity for me. Unfortunately, it’s the day I’m the worst, that’s how it is,” said launched the overworked tricolor. “We’re really happy to be resting this evening,” admitted the Groupama-FDJ rider, who has been racking up the miles for nearly two months. Doing the Giro and then the Tour de France is tough.
The Franc-Comtois dreads the Loze stage which “scares everyone”. He considers it one of the hardest passes in France”. According to him, the gaps will be counted in minutes, so the places are not made” estimated the veteran of the French formation. For his last on the Grande Boucle, the 5th in the Tour of Italy hopes to shine in the Vosges which “will be his last mountain stage on the Tour. I will try to put everything in it” he warned.
10:30 – Vingegaard brushes aside doping questions
Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar dominate the Tour de France. At the slightest acceleration, the two rivals let go of everyone. Their performance, phenomenal, raises a priori, some questions. “I completely understand the questions about it because of the past of our sport. All I can say is that I’m not taking anything. It’s true that we are going fast, and even faster than some former runners convinced of doping. But everything has changed since. The equipment, nutrition and training are very different, and that explains why performance is improving. But it’s good to be skeptical, otherwise it could be reproduce” confided the current yellow jersey. The Dane who “felt more in control” on the last stage will start the third week with a defensive role. Tadej Pogacar is only ten seconds away.
09:30 – Pogacar starts the 3rd week with confidence
“We go into the third week with confidence at the zenith. Everyone is in great shape within the team. We will all enjoy the rest day, and the guys will also have a 2nd day of rest on Tuesday with the counter -the-watch. Only Adam Yates and myself will give our all. After that, there will only be two stages left to make the difference with the Col de la Loze during the queen stage and then stage 20 which promises to be “to be very explosive” announces the double winner of the Tour.
08:30 – Hello everyone!
No stage this Monday, July 17 on the roads of the Tour de France with a second day of rest particularly awaited by the riders, all very tired.