Mohoric takes pulsating 7th stage, Van der Poel retains yellow jersey
>>LE CREUSOT: Slovenia’s Matej Mohoric won stage seven of the Tour de France on Friday as leader Mathieu van der Poel kept the yellow jersey against the odds by leading a breakaway on an epic 249km run from Vierzon to Le Creusot.
Defending champion Tadej Pogacar limited his losses and remains a force to be reckoned with, while Ineos’ bestplaced rider Richard Carapaz wasted energy with a doomed late breakaway before being caught on the line as the British team continue to suffer.
A mass attack after 50km of the longest stage in 21 years stunned race favourite Pogacar, as over 20 riders got away after a 15km struggle to contain them wilted.
The large escape group, all working hard to maximise the damage, soon opened up a seven-minute lead, leaving a sense of confusion in those left behind including the UAE and Ineos teams.
It was to produce an unexpected day of drama to round off an eventful first week.
Ahead of two tough mountain stages in the Alps, the rookie Van der Poel, who took the lead on stage two, is a defendable 3min 43sec ahead of fifthplaced Pogacar.
“It was just a brutal day, I haven’t witnessed this often on the bike, or even watching a race on television,” said Van der Poel, who insists the Tokyo Olympics is his chief aim.
“I just wanted to protect the jersey and followed my rivals in the attack,” he said in reference to Jumbo’s Wout Van Aert, who is now second overall at just 30 seconds after the pair came home with six other riders, a minute and 40 seconds after the winner.
Stage winner Mohoric, climbed to fourth in the overall standings and claimed the King of the Mountains polka-dot jersey.
“It hasn’t sunk in,” said a visibly thrilled Mohoric. “This completes my set as I won at the Giro and the Vuelta,” he said. “But this is something else, this is the biggest race in the world.”
STAGE 7 RESULTS
1. Matej Mohoric 5hr 28min 20sec, 2. Jasper Stuyven (BEL/TRE) at 1:20, 3. Magnus Nielsen (DEN/EF1) 1:40, 4. Mathieu van der Poel (NED/ALP) 1:40, 5. Kasper Asgreen (DEN/DEC) 1:40
STANDINGS
1. Mathieu van der Poel (NED/Alpecin) 25hr 39min 17sec, 2. Wout van Aert (BEL/JUM) at 30sec, 3. Kasper Asgreen (DEN/DEC) 1:49, 4. Matej Mohoric (SLO/BAH) 3:01, 5. Tadej Pogacar (SLO/UAE) 3:43