Frenchman Victor Lafay snatches the 2nd stage ahead of the favorites

Tricolor surprise in San Sebastian! Lyonnais Victor Lafay (Cofidis) snatched victory in the 2nd stage of the Tour de France by beating the favorites, including Belgian Wout Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) and Slovenian Tadej Pogačar (UAE-Emirates). The Frenchman broke away from the leading group a kilometer from the finish and resisted the sprint until the last meters to pocket the victory.

Full of confidence after his solid first stage the day before, where he had accompanied Pogačar and Vingegaard during their duel at altitude on the Pike coast before finishing 6th in Bilbao, Lafay did not hesitate to seize his chance this time. ” When I made my effort, I wasn’t even thinking about winning, just about making my effort to the maximum. I saw the line, I looked at the counter, 500 meters, 400 meters, and I believed in it until the end, it’s crazy. Yesterday, I was a little frustrated at the finish, I made it happen today from the 2nd stage, it’s great “, he savored after his success.

Last year, we had to wait for the 19th stage to see Christophe Laporte win the first and only tricolor success. Lafay also brings the first Tour de France victory to his Cofidis team since Sylvain Chavanel in 2008.” It’s a deliverance because it’s been 15 years since we won a stage in the Tour de France. We came several times to flirt with victory. Yesterday, we felt that Victor was in exceptional shape, he was the only one capable of accompanying the last two winners of the Tour de France. This morning, I told him that with legs like that, he had to win a stage. Today Victor was amazing, he surprised me and a lot of the team “, confessed Cédric Vasseur, the general manager of Cofidis after the race.

New Pogacar-Vingegaard duel

For their part, the headliners Pogačar and Vingegaard explained themselves in the Jaizkibel, the mythical climb of the Basque Country, by first creating a huge gap with the leading group in their duel for the bonuses. At the top, shrouded in fog, the Slovenian used his superior punch to scrape eight bonus seconds past Vingegaard, who took five. With 16 kilometers still to go, Pogačar led the descent ahead of his rival who did not take over.

But that was not enough to outrun the group from which Lafay would then emerge. ” It was a good day, a difficult stage, with a lot of attacks at the end. We felt good in the Jaizkibel, the team did a very good job. In the end I tried but it was a bit difficult, (Victor) Lafay really deserves it Pogacar commented. The Frenchman also upset Belgian Wout Van Aert, favorite for victory with his sprint quality, who slammed his handlebars in rage after crossing the finish line in second position.

In the general classification, Victor Lafay pockets the green jersey after this 2nd stage. With 65 points, he is ahead of Tadej Pogačar (42 points) and Wout van Aert (36 points). Arrived in the leading peloton, the Briton Adam Yates keeps his yellow jersey ahead of the Slovenian and before the 3rd stage, Monday July 3, which will enter French territory.

(with AFP)