Victor Campenaerts of Lotto-Dstny stunned spectators with a timely attack in the final sprint, earning him the victory in the 18th stage of the Tour de France. This 179.5km challenging stage was from Gap to Barcelonnette. The Belgian rider was part of a leading group alongside Michal Kwiatkowski and Matteo Vercher. He expertly held his position behind the pair prior to a forceful surge in the concluding 200 metres, marking his debut tour stage triumph.
Campenaerts, Kwiatkowski and Vercher broke away roughly 35km from the finish, maintaining relentless pressure as a quintet of cyclists sought to close the gap. However, they managed to keep the pursuing group at arm’s length, meticulously controlling the pace until the sprint finale. It was here that Campenaerts held back while Kwiatkowski took the lead, frequently checking over his shoulder.
Campenaerts at last accelerated, moving past his two competitors. His victory was futilely contested by Vercher, who finished second despite an earlier crash, and Kwiatkowski who came third. Following on, riders such as Jai Hindley and Wout Van Aert cleared the finish line 22 seconds later.
Tadej Pogacar and the group adorned in yellow ended nearly 14 minutes later. In a wise strategy, they preserved energy looking ahead at the ensuing two mountain stages. Pogacar, the Slovenian cyclist, remained in the yellow jersey, leading Jonas Vingegaard by 3 minutes and 11 seconds.
Ben Healy of Ireland finished in 110th place, slipping two ranks in the general classification to 19th. Following this action-packed race, the Tour advances into the Alps. The 19th stage, a 145km journey from Embrun to Isola 2000, is scheduled for Friday.