Anthony Turgis thwarted Tom Pidcock’s triumph attempt in Troyes, at the conclusion of Tour de France’s tumultuous ninth stage that took place on the gravel-laden paths of Champagne district. Part of a cycling contingent that involved Ireland’s Ben Healy, Turgis and Pidcock were prominent in the 199km stage, running almost entirely in a breakaway. It led to a condensed sprint, leaving Pidcock metres away from a second Tour stages win, causing him to lash out in disappointment. Healy finished at fifth, sky-rocketing by eight positions to the 20th spot in the general classification, thus enhancing his impressive Tour de France maiden appearance.
Meanwhile, Tadej Pogacar, the race front-runner, tested his main competition in the general classification all through the 14 gravel segments that emphasised the day, causing Jonas Vingegaard, Remco Evenepoel and Primoz Roglic to confront problems at various intervals. Nevertheless, the closing episodes saw no disparities in time among the predominant contenders as they finished, slightly short of two minutes subsequent to Turgis.
Unanimously, the integration of a stage showcasing about 32 kilometres of gravel division, laying a risky pathway for the yellow jersey aspirants, sparked heated debates in the Tour’s anticipation. However, the entertainment quotient remained indisputable. An intense struggle to break away marked the start, and the sparks flying situation persisted through the next few hours.
Pidcock initially failed to make the cut but soon collaborated with Healy, catching up after the first gravel partition, forming a leading group of twelve. Their lead leapt to two-and-a-half minutes initially, which swiftly declined when Roglic trailed behind the splits at the rear of the main peloton in the initial gravel segments. This stimulated Pogacar to intensify his attacks, aiming to corner his Slovenian counterpart.
A technical glitch compelled Vingegaard to switch bikes with his team mate, Jan Tratnik. The race’s momentum was such that he could not swap back before the conclusion. The final 100km saw continued attempts from Pogacar and Evenepoel, who at one point, joined the breakaway group.
Vingegaard consistently managed to counter every advance, although he did not willingly contribute himself, essentially putting the moves on hold. The notable competitors withdrew, offering Roglic a chance to regain strength and leaving the remnant of the breakaway to go head-to-head for the stage.
In a late push, Jasper Stuyven attempted to break away but got overtaken in the concluding kilometre before Turgis clinched victory in the sprint. Pidcock has previously seen success on the gravel roads of Strade Bianche, although he conceded this stage was significantly challenging.
“The fact is I was under 57 kilos this morning which is substantial when you’re maintaining an average power of 280 watts for over four hours,” stated the native of Yorkshire.
“I was in pretty much the best possible position knowing that Stuyven would pose the biggest threat if he made a move. I was relying on the others’ reaction from the rear. It’s always tricky to predict how such moves will end, but one must always remember that anyone in that group is there to claim victory.”
Following the rest day on Monday, Pogacar is in the lead by 33 seconds over Evenepoel, Vingegaard trails behind in third, one minute and 15 seconds behind and Roglic is a further 21 seconds back at fourth place.
“I didn’t anticipate the gravel to be this uneven,” commented Pogacar. “There were many stones making it a challenge to ride on… It was interesting because I was keeping an eye out for Remco and he was doing the same, so we were member by member, but aside from the competition, it was an enjoyable day.”
Before the stage commenced, there was a minute’s silence at the start line, honouring Andre Drege, the Norwegian cyclist who tragically died in a crash at the Tour of Austria on Saturday, at the age of 25.
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