Tour de France 2023 – LIVE: Adam Yates first yellow jersey, the classification

6:30 p.m. – See you tomorrow

Thank you all for accompanying us to follow the first stage of the Tour de France 2023. See you tomorrow for the second between Vitoria-Gasteiz and San Sebastian (208.9 km), the start of which will be given at 12:25 p.m. .

18:20 – The Yates fratricide, the summary of the 1st stage

The large crowd certainly thought they were seeing double when they saw two almost identical silhouettes tumbling through the streets of Bilbao, which only their respective jerseys distinguished. There in the middle of the tumult, the Yates twins had resisted their pursuers to offer themselves a fratricidal finale, a duel worthy of a tragedy of the old days. No question of arrangements between the two champions but an honorable duel where no attack was finally necessary, the youngest Adam managing to unclamp his elder Simon in the last 500 meters to offer himself a first victory on the Tour de France and endorse the yellow jersey, tunic that he had already had the honor of wearing for four days in 2020. This success, the Briton owes it to his tenacity but also and above all to his leader Tadej Pogacar.

A few minutes earlier, at the top of the Pyke hill where UAE Emirates shattered the competition, the Slovenian had signaled to his lieutenant to escape, making him understand that he would do what was necessary to create the break. He didn’t need to be asked and sped off in the English style, carrying his brother Simon on his luggage rack. The duo was going to get along and resist the few pursuers and the train of the Jumbo-Visma, just reformed after having derailed. Because before the winner of the Classica San Sebastian in 2015 raised his arms and crossed the line in an almost Christlike posture, the Emirati team had taken care to mark its territory.

If the day started classically with a breakaway of five men including Simon Guglielmi, who was celebrating his 26th birthday up front, and Valentin Ferron who was discovering the Grande Boucle in a great way, it was jostled 50 kilometers from the finish when everyone world gathered. The peloton which had never loosened the reins (the gap with the fugitives never exceeded more than 3 minutes, editor’s note), set in motion. In the coast of Vivero, Pogacar asked Bjerg to harden the pace. In the sprint, the Dane is responsible for putting everyone in tension. Conscious that other more favorable battles awaited them, the sprinters got up to finish at their own pace and watch the impending battle from a distance. In the last difficulty, the UAE Emirates gave a layer and this time Pogacar isolated himself with Vingegaard, screwed to his wheel, and Victor Lafay, surprise guest in this duel of favorites. The Cofidis rider had the luxury of attacking before sitting down. The double winner tickled his rival and executioner of 2023 who refused to enter his game, believing that it was better not to reveal himself so soon. As a good self-respecting glutton, he took malicious pleasure in taking the lead in the last difficulty before sending his lieutenant to victory, then regulating the group of pursuers, raising his arms on the line as if he had -even won. In a sense, it was. Arrived escorted by the uncertainty of two months without competition, after a broken wrist following a fall during Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the Slovenian showed that he was in full possession of his means.

Like Thibaut Pinot. Unable to hook Pogacar’s wheel on the climb, the Franc-Comtois was able to slip into the right group, just like David Gaudu and other outsiders (Skjelmose, Landa, Hindey, Woods). Released for his last professional season, the 5th of the last Giro is happy on his bike and it feels like his sprint to finish 4th of the day. Others have been less prominent. Claiming stage victory, Julian Alaphilippe did not have the legs to join the fight and finished third in the race, with van der Poel, Bardet, Bernal, Pidcock, Martin or Bilbao. Still others were less fortunate. In the descent of the Vivero hill, Enric Mas fell heavily and was forced to retire. Carried away by the Spaniard, Richard Carapaz took long minutes before getting up but gritted his teeth to get back in the saddle and finish the left kneecap in blood, at 15’34”, his ambitions as damaged as his articulation. Far, very far from the joy of Adam Yates and the UAE Emirates team which set the tone for this 110th edition.

18:05 – Adam Yates victory in video

Relive the final between Adam and Simon Yates in live conditions in the streets of Bilbao.

6:00 p.m. – Pogacar: “A team victory”

“It’s really a team win. It’s like I won. It’s even stronger. All year my teammates work for me and there Adam has an opportunity and seizes it , it’s a team dream”commented Tadej Pogacar at the microphone of France Television, who also said he was satisfied with his individual performance and the condition of his wrist, fractured at the end of April last during Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

17:55 – Adam Yates: “Really very special”

“It’s really very special. At the beginning, I asked on the radio if I should work with him (Simon) and Tadej told me to go for it so I went. It paid off”declared to France Télévision Adam Yates, on his descent from the podium, wearing the yellow jersey.

5:50 p.m. – Full house for Yates

In addition to the yellow jersey, Adam Yates also wears the green jersey and was named the most combative runner of the day.

17:45 – Powless takes the peas

Passed in the lead at the top of the Vivero hill, classified in the second category, Neilson Powless is the first wearer of the red polka dot jersey of the Tour de France 2023. The ranking: 1. Neilson Powless (USA / EF Education-EasyPost) – 5 pts / 2. Pascal Eenkhoorn (PBS / Lotto Dstny) – 3 pts / 3. Georg Zimmermann (GER / Intermarché-Circus-Wanty) – 3 pts / 4. Tadej Pogacar (SLV / UAE Emirates) – 2 pts / 5. Jonas Gregaard (DAN/Uno-X) – 2 pts.

5:35 p.m. – Yates in yellow, Pinot at the foot of the podium, the general classification

At the end of the first stage, Adam Yates, winner in Bilbao, grabs the first yellow jersey of the 110th edition. Here is the general classification at the end of this first act of 2023: 1. Adam Yates (GBR / UAE Emirates) in 4h22’49” / 2. Simon Yates (GBR / Jayco-AlUla) + 8” / 3. Tadej Pogacar (SLV/UAE Emirates) + 18” / 4. Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) +22” / 5. Michael Woods (CAN/Israel – Premier Tech) mt / 6. Victor Lafay (Cofidis) mt / 7. Jai Hindley (AUS/Bora-Hansgrohe) mt/8. Mattias Skjelmose (DAN/Lidl-Trel) mt/9. Jonas Vingegaard (DAN/Jumbo-Visma) mt / 10. David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ) mt

17:25 – The classification of the 1st stage

1. Adam Yates (GBR / UAE Emirates) in 4h22’49” / 2. Simon Yates (GBR / Jayco-AlUla) + 4” / 3. Tadej Pogacar (SLV / UAE Emirates) + 12” / 4. Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) mt / 5. Michael Woods (CAN/Israel – Premier Tech) mt / 6. Victor Lafay (Cofidis) mt / 7. Jai Hindley (AUS/Bora-Hansgrohe) mt / 8. Mattias Skjelmose ( DAN/Lidl-Trel) mt / 9. Jonas Vingegaard (DAN/Jumbo-Visma) mt / 10. David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ) mt

17:17 – Pogacar settles the lawsuit

Behind the Yates duo, Pogacar sprinted and managed to take third and the four bonus seconds, just ahead of an excellent Thibaut Pinot. Van Aert could not join the fight.

17:16 – Adam Yates wins in Bilbao and wears yellow!

At the pedals, Adam Yates cracks his brother Simon in the last 500 meters and comes to offer victory in Bilbao. At 30, he won his very first victory in the Tour de France and took the yellow jersey.

17:14 – The Yates hold on (2 km)

Two kilometers from the goal, the Yates brothers split the compact crowd in Bilbao and maintained a 19-second lead. The last mile is tough.

17:11 – Alaphilippe and van der Poel beaten

Alaphilippe and van der Poel are in a third group, among the beaten riders of the day, along with Bardet and Bernal too.

17:10 – A short advance (6 km)

The Yates brothers are about 8 seconds ahead of the group of favorites, led by the Jumbo-Visma train.

17:08 – Restart of the Yates (8 km)

In the descent that brings the runners back to Bilbao, the Yates brothers are all dressed up. Grouping behind with the return of several riders including van Aert, Pinot, Gaudu, Hindley, Landa, Woods, Skjelmose.