Those favourites were pleased to view each other and keep their powder dry, however as Alaphilippe, Hirschi and Yates weighed each other up going under the red kite representing a kilometre to go, with a stage success and the race lead at stake, Van Avermaet and the chasers sniffed a chance, closing to within what was simply a couple of seconds on the line.
” It was a super-hard stage, but I had in my mind that I might take yellow and the phase win, so I was providing it everything, like it was a one-day race,” Van Avermaet said on his teams website.
” Unfortunately, 3 people remained in front and, of course, they were the best,” the ruling Olympic roadway race champion confessed. “In racing, anything can take place, and I played my cards, and its a huge dissatisfaction. If you come that close, if you survive those kinds of climbs, with those sort of riders, it would be nice to come closer to success, however it is what it is. I cant change it.”
4th on the stage and now 17 seconds down on brand-new race leader Alaphilippe, in the exact same time as some 30 other riders, Van Avermaet might have seen his opportunity to take yellow pass him by, but hes currently recognized other possible opportunities for phase wins.
Possibly on phase 5, with the uphill sprint, I can do well,” stated Van Avermaet, considering Wednesdays mainly downhill, 183km run from Gap to Privas. I hope this wasnt the last opportunity for me for a stage win.”
CCC Teams Greg Van Avermaet stated after stage 2 of the Tour de France in Nice on Sunday that he d ridden it “like a one-day race”, putting everything into trying to win the phase, understanding that it would likewise have actually netted him the yellow jersey. In the end, nevertheless, the Belgian had to go for 4th on the phase.
With over night leader Alexander Kristoff (UAE Team Emirates), second-placed Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) and third-placed Cees Bol (Sunweb)– who all took bonus seconds on the line on stage 1– having actually been dropped on what was a much tougher second stage of the race, whoever might win the day would likewise take the leaders yellow jersey.
Van Avermaet was one of lots of with a comparable plan in mind, however it was constantly going to be a select group that would overcome the days first-category climbs up of the Col de la Colmiane and the Col de Turini, before dealing with the Col dEze and the Col des Quatre Chemins later on in the stage, and it was on the last climb that eventual stage winner and now new race leader Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-QuickStep) made his relocation with 13km to go.
The Frenchman took first Sunwebs Marc Hirschi and then Adam Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) with him, and the trio quickly developed up a lead of almost 30 seconds over the chasing group, which included Van Avermaet and all the pre-race favourites for the general category.
Flight like Greg Van Avermaet with
” First, Ill recover, and then hopefully there are other excellent stages for me. Perhaps on stage 5, with the uphill sprint, I can do well,” stated Van Avermaet, considering Wednesdays mainly downhill, 183km run from Gap to Privas. I hope this wasnt the last chance for me for a phase win.”
Oakley Mens OO9406 Sutro …
