Megeve (France) (AFP) – The Dane Magnus Cort Nielsen (EF Education) won the 10th stage of the Tour de France, this Tuesday at the altiport of Megève, where the Slovenian Tadej Pogacar (UAE) kept the yellow jersey, on the eve of the arrival at the Granon, the highest of this edition (2,413 meters above sea level).
Denmark’s Magus Cort Nielsen narrowly edged out Australian Nick Schultz on the finish ramp. Spaniard Luis Leon Sanchez took third place in the stage, which ended with the climb to the altiport, 19.2 kilometers long (at 4.1%).
The peloton, with Pogacar, crossed the line almost nine minutes late at the end of the 145 kilometers.
Race interrupted
A breakaway of 25 riders took shape after about sixty kilometers. The Italian Alberto Bettiol broke away at 42 kilometers, but the race had to be neutralized due to the presence of nine demonstrators from the “Last Renovation” movement sitting on the road deploying smoke bombs. They were then arrested by the police.
In a press release and on social networks, “Last Renovation” claimed its action aimed at a new flagship event on the sports calendar, after the interruption of a match at Roland-Garros. ” We can no longer remain spectators of the ongoing climate disaster. We have 989 days left to save our future, our humanity “, explained the movement.
After the new start given 38 kilometers from the finish, Bettiol presented himself in the lead at the foot of the long climb towards the altiport. He was then caught by some of his breakaway companions before Sanchez went on the attack six kilometers from the finish.
Kämna fails to take the yellow jersey for eleven seconds
The Spanish veteran (38) was joined and a counter-attacking group returned to the altiport track to play for the stage victory.
The German Lennard Kämna, who was in a position to take the yellow jersey (8 min 43 sec in the standings), could not achieve the goal. However, he moved up to second place, eleven seconds behind Pogacar.
Cort Nielsen, 29, won the Tour for the second time, four years after his first success.
(With AFP)