Yates stage joy after furious Dennis quits
THE race for the big prize might have failed to ignite here on the first day in the Pyrenees but there was no shortage of fireworks, first in the form of Rohan Dennis’s sudden abandonment and then a most unexpected sprint victory for Simon Yates.
Last year’s winner of the Vuelta says he is at the Tour to assist his twin brother, Adam, but he was part of a three-man breakaway who were first to attack the final descent into the beautiful town of Bagneres-de-Bigorre and a burst of acceleration into the final corner proved a masterstroke.
With less than 200m to go Yates had the momentum and the strength to hold off the challenge
of Pello Bilbao and Gregor Muhlberger to take stage 12, no doubt lifting the Englishman’s spirits after what proved a difficult Giro in May.
A good while before Yates became the 14th different Brit to win a Tour stage, Dennis, the world time trial champion and favourite for today’s individual time trial (TT) in Pau, had something of a meltdown, climbing off his bike 80km from the finish after apparently rowing with the occupants of a team car.
Bahrain- Merida officials suggested in a social media post that they were unaware of the reasons and were investigating, although there were mutterings afterwards that he was unhappy with his TT bike and the skinsuit he was due to wear.
A team official said he was unaware of any problem, claiming the whole team were ‘confused’.
So confused, it turned out, they then crashed their bus into a rival team vehicle.
It leaves today’s 27km race against the clock wide open and all the more intriguing given the performance of the main overall contenders here yesterday, a lack of attacks leaving Julian Alaphilippe in yellow for the 100th anniversary of the maillot jaune.
Clearly they were saving themselves for the TT as well as the rather more gruelling mountain stages that follow it.
‘Now it’s about the next big three days,’ said Geraint Thomas. ‘Everyone is mindful that they are going to be significant and they were waiting for that.’ It will be interesting to see just how committed Thomas and his Ineos team-mate, Egan Bernal, are today.
‘Dennis and Van Aert are my favourites,’ said Thomas, only to then be told about Dennis. ‘Ah OK, Van Aert then.’