Emphatic win
British rider Simon Yates (above), the reigning Spanish Vuelta champion, won the first stage in the Pyrenees mountains at the Tour de France on Thursday after holding off Pello Bilbao in the final sprint.
BAGNERES-DE-BIGORRE, France — British rider Simon Yates posted his first Tour de France stage victory on Thursday after a long breakaway in the Pyrenees mountains.
Yates, who won the Spanish Vuelta last year, launched a counterattack behind a group of fugitives in a technical downhill and was joined at the front by Gregor Muhlberger and Pello Bilbao.
The trio worked well together until the final sprint shaped up 219 yards from the finish line in Bagneres-de-Bigorre. Yates launched the sprint, was first into the last turn and held off Bilbao for the victory.
As the Tour hit high mountains with a stage featuring two first-category climbs, the main favorites closely watched each other and did not attack, saving strength for the super hard days still to come. The main pack of contenders crossed the finish line 9 minutes, 35 seconds behind the winner, with no major change in the overall standings. Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe kept the race leader’s yellow jersey ahead of Friday’s time trial in Pau, 1 minute 12 seconds ahead of defending champion Geraint Thomas.
Thomas’ teammate Egan Bernal, the Ineos co-leader, remained in third place, a further four seconds behind.
Yates is working in support of his brother Adam Yates at the three-week race and had kept a low profile until now.
The peloton rode at full speed in the first hour of racing and it took about 25 miles before a group of 40 riders managed to move clear of the pack. Sonny Colbrelli and Lilian Calmejane attacked from that group at the foot of the Col de Peyresourde, a classic twisting ramp at the Tour through a picturesque valley.
Simon Yates then made his move in the Peyresourde downhill, reaching a maximum speed of 58.6 mph. He was as impressive in the day’s final ascent, the Hourquette d’Ancizan, and was joined at the front by Muhlberger before Bilbao jumped across to them on the descent to Bagneres-de-Bigorre.