When the goal was reached, Abrahamsen lifted his foot with 50 km to go until he reached another small town, Colombey-les-Two-Eglisesthis one with 700 inhabitants and 9 churches, and also famous. It is the small town where General De Gaulle had his retirement residence and where the remains of the founder of the Fifth French Republic rest. A monument-monument dominates the landscape with a large cross of Lorraine.
From that moment on, the fleeting colour of the Tour peloton stood out in the distance, ready to prepare for a more than likely sprint. The Alpecin of Jasper Philipsen and Van der Poel took matters into their own hands and opted for a victory that would calm the nerves in the team, still unprecedented.
Abrahamsen, who had a lead of almost 7 minutes, came down exhausted from the cloud 14.5 km from the finish. He covered the first 140 kilometers at an average of 44.6 km/h, impressive, but the peloton pursued their prey relentlessly.
The rain that spread through the Gran Este region, the nervousness of the approach and the speed of more than 70 per hour stretched the peloton so much that it caused problems for the leading team. leaving Pogacar isolated at the front again. The warning did not fall on deaf ears, with the UAE leading the race to avoid disappointment.
The phase ‘Be attentive’ was the message sent from the teams’ cars. It was useful to ‘be together’ to react to unexpected movements. The last km included some steep slopes and last-minute jumps were expected.
Once again it was an anarchic sprint, without control of any team, where everyone played their cards in their own way. On this occasion Philipsen launched himself from behind for his debut, opened up a few meters, but the slope at the finish sank the Belgian and emphasized the figure of Girmay. Another powerful voice from the figure of African cycling.
The fifteenth victory for Girmay, the fourth of the season for a runner who is a symbol of his continent. The man who won a stage in the Giro, the day he damaged his eye with the cork of the champagne bottle on the podium, and the one who made history by winning the Ghent Wevelgem. Now and for the time being he is the best sprinter of the Tour.
This Sunday the first week of the Tour will conclude with the ninth stage that starts and finishes in Troyes, 199 km long, the long-awaited “sterrato” day, since it includes as a novelty in its atypical route 14 sectors along dirt roads that will cover 32 km. The last of them at 6 km from the finish. Stressful day in which the favorites have to be attentive. It will be a small “Strade Bianche” in French style.
Source: El heraldo
I’m George Gonzalez, a professional journalist and author at The Nation View. With more than 5 years of experience in the field, I specialize in covering sports news for various print media outlets. My passion for writing has enabled me to craft stories that capture the attention of readers all over the world.
