Adam Yates takes opening stage victory as 2023 Tour de France opens with a bang
Cycling
Adam Yates has won the opening stage of the 2023 Tour de France after an enthralling day of racing that saw the biggest race of the year open with a bang.
The 2023 Tour de France starts on one of cycling's sacred lands, the Basque Country. The opening day is 183 kilometres in length and suits the puncheurs, and of course the climbers. It will be a day when the overall classification battle could be commenced, a different scenario for a Tour de France Grand Depart.
The pace was high right from the flag drop. A strong, five-rider breakaway rode clear that included Lilian Calmejane (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty), Simon Guglielmi (Team Arkéa Samsic), Pascal Eenkhoorn (Lotto Dstny), Jonas Gregaard (Uno-X Pro Cycling Team) and Valentin Ferron (TotalEnergies).
The break was never allowed off the leash though, with the gap never extended to more than two minutes.
At the intermediate sprint, the breakaway took the first five positions. Behind though, those riders keen on taking the Green Jersey in Paris began to make themselves known. Mads Pedersen and Peter Sagan taking the first two places from the peloton at the intermediate sprint.
With just over 50km and three categorised climbs to go, the breakaway was caught by the raging peloton.
The pace at the front of the peloton remained incredibly high as multiple teams tried their hardest to get to the ideal position.
Mikkel Bjerg was setting an infernal pace for UAE Team Emirates at the front as they ascended the Côte de Vivero with Tadej Pogacar looking to send an early message to his rivals as plenty of riders began to struggle at the back of the bunch.
Among those dangling at the back were Alexey Lutsenko and Pello Bilbao, two rather surprising names to be struggling so early.
On the descent two further riders were then seemingly ruled out of GC contention as a crash brought down both Enric Mas and Richard Carapaz. Mas sadly being forced to abandon.
Then on the final categorised climb of the day, the race ignited. Adam Yates setting up an attack from Tadej Pogacar. Unsurprisingly, Jonas Vingegaard was glued to his wheel. More surprisingly perhaps, Victor Lafay was the only other rider alongside them.
As they entered the final 3km, there was a leading duo of both Adam Yates and Simon Yates with a lead of around 16 seconds ahead of a small group of favourites including Pogacar and Vingegaard.
Onto the final, brutal, kick up to the line and Adam was leading with Simon unable to hold his wheel. Victory it was for the UAE Team Emirates rider, living up to his billing as joint leader of the team with Tadej Pogacar.
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- Does everything need to have a point? If so, 99% of the internet should be wiped away. In relation to recent articles with quotes from other riders, my statement points to the ever more obvious reason why they are asked to comment on the effect of his return.Mistermaumau22-12-2024
- If anyone would be interested enough to launch an official survey as to who out of these three should shut up, I don’t know who’d win but I’m due Boonen would be way back in 3rd place.Mistermaumau22-12-2024
- And your point is what exactly?vappaxbipmv22-12-2024
- MVDP dominates this sport even more than Pogaçar dominates road racing. Also he can beat Tadej on the road quite regularly, the opposite is unlikely.Mistermaumau22-12-2024
- If you listen to team radios you'll hear each DS telling their riders to ride faster, fight their way to the front, and all occupy the same 8 places.Sweep22-12-2024
- You're talking about a sport where equipment and clothing is measured in grams.Sweep22-12-2024
- “During a TT, I am basically blind”. That was his quote after crashing into the barriers in a TT. The problem isn’t the UCI, radios or air bags. The problem is the riders and their teams.JoeyB22-12-2024
- I think you overestimate scientific knowledge and for sure the spreading of it. There are huge numbers of people in similar situations, if there were an easy solution somebody would be making big money out of it. Nerve pain can have many complex origins or be due to complex combinations of reasons. Even if you discover a reason there is not always a solution. Migraines haven’t been solved either. I have had lower back/hip nerve pains on and off for over 30 years, no kind of doctor has ever found a way to reduce, prevent or solve the problem. It may just be that some people are born with nerves that are too short or get twisted out of position during certain movements.Mistermaumau22-12-2024
- Amazing ride by her and very promising for her future. On a side note, it’s a bit worrying all these wins riders have after emotional moments in their lives, someone will come up with emotional doping at some point. Maybe give them fake news just before a big race to get hormones pumping.Mistermaumau22-12-2024
- I doubt he will have the energy to do that if he continues to do leadout for Phillipsenabstractengineer22-12-2024