The Tour de France's longest stage - 249.1km from Vierzon to Le Creusot - featured a hilly finale with small but tough climbs littering the last 90km. It saw a major breakaway get up the road, featuring 29 riders.
That group split to pieces after eventual stage winner Matej Mohorič (Bahrain-Victorious) went all-out on the first categorised climb. He then rode clear and was joined by three others from the breakaway. Closer to the finish, former junior and U23 road race world champion, Mohorič (26), forged clear alone.
He won the stage, took the climbers' jersey and is up to 4th overall. Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin Fenix) and Wout van Aert (Jumbo Visma) were also in the breakaway and they are now 1st and 2nd overall.
It was a day when the racing split to pieces - the peloton numbering just over 30 riders at the finish. Some big names lost time while others hung on while showing weakness. There was lots to talk about.
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UAE Team Emirates weak as a unit
UAE Team Emirates, the team of defending champion Tadej Pogačar, today let a 29-rider group go up the road to gain more than seven minutes at one point. While they rode for a prolonged period at the head of the peloton, on the Tour’s longest stage, many of the riders faded a long way from the finish. There were just over 30 riders in the Pogačar group – the remains of the peloton - at the finish today and Rafał Majka was the only team mate Pogačar had in that group. That’s a worry, especially as the race has not hit any high mountains yet. But Pogačar’s rivals have sustained crash injuries and lost time as a result. And that may insulate him against having a team that looks like it won’t be able to exert significant control when he takes yellow, as expected. The crazy tactics of other teams – who already seem to be defending places in the top 10 overall – may also play into his hands. TotalEnergies aided UAE Team Emirates very early in the chase today. And Movistar took it up late in the stage; putting in what looked like a revenge pursuit of Richard Carapaz (Ineos Grenadiers) when he attacked the remains of the peloton and got clear.
Roglič out of GC battle
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There’s a long way to go and anything can happen in cycling (and other clichés) but Primož Roglič is going to need a miracle on top of a miracle to get the yellow jersey now. His crash on stage 3 has clearly impacted him very significantly, despite a more than solid ride on the stage 5 TT. Today, when the race hit the climbs in the finale, he went backwards and lost 4:48 to Tadej Pogačar (UAE-Team Emirates). Roglič has slipped 10 places in the GG to 33rd and he’s now 5:28 down on Pogačar. Even a fit and healthy Roglič would find it very hard to make up that time. But for a wounded Roglič, it seems impossible. He can still try for the podium or top five, target stage wins or help his team mates, if they are in the GC hunt.
Big opportunity for Vingegaard (24)
When Roglič was dropped today on the cat 2 Signal d'Uchon with just under 20km to go, none of his team mates waited for him. Wout van Aert was up in the breakaway and he is now 2nd overall, just 30 seconds down on Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin Fenix). Jumbo Visma’s other GC rider – and who could do better than Van Aert in the high mountains – is Jonas Vingegaard. He was in the remains of the bunch when Roglič was dropped and he didn’t wait. It looks very much like the team has decided to allow Van Aert and Vingegaard ride their own race. Roglič, if he recovers, can still perform and even turn super domestique for Vingegaard, and possibly Van Aert. While Belgian champion Van Aert is a class rider who can do everything, there are a small number of climbs on this year’s route that look too big for him. However, with some of those stages finishing with descents, he may be able to cope. On paper, Vingegaard looks a much better bet. Opportunity is knocking for the 24-year-old Dane.
Ineos Grenadiers second rate (so far)
For all their success, including earlier this year, Ineos Grenadiers look like they lack a final gear on the Tour. That was very much in evidence today. Richard Carapaz went for broke in the finale; attacking hard and gaining over 40 seconds on the GC group before being caught on the line - chased down by his former team Movistar. The smart money at the start of the Tour was on Ineos Grenadiers accepting Pogačar and Roglič were stronger and so going on the attack; leveraged off the fact they had three genuine GC contenders. However, Carapaz, Geraint Thomas and Richie Porte would need to be stronger than they have looked so far for any attacks to add up to a credible challenge. And all three have already lost time to Pogačar. Porte is 3:50 down on Pogačar and the defending champion could probably let him go off up the road; maybe even let him go repeatedly. Aside from the time he has lost so far, Tasmanian Porte does not look near as strong as he was just weeks ago when winning Critérium du Dauphiné. Thomas is closer to Pogačar overall, at 1:46, but he has crash injuries. Furthermore, he does not look like a man who is going to turn the screw any time soon; briefly dropped today on the cat 2 Signal d'Uchon. Carapaz looks most likely of the trio to bring a real challenge to Pogačar and is closest to him overall; 1:36 off the defending champion. However, since he joined the team he has not recaptured the form that won him the Giro in 2019. And while he is full of fight he now needs to do something extraordinary to mount a real challenge.
Mark Cavendish all-in for green
Going into the Tour, winning even one stage seemed like a very big ask – even a dream – for Mark Cavendish. Even if he won one in the opening week, there were concerns he may not finish the race. However, now with two wins under his belt, Cavendish is back to his old behaviour of berating people on the bike and criticising people in his post-stage interviews. He is a far cry (pardon the pun) from the athlete who cried on TV last year for fear of drifting out of the sport. His wins have also put him in the green jersey and he has been competing, and scoring points, at the intermediate sprints. Today he went into the breakaway in search of the intermediate sprint points, and he got them. Clearly the Manx rider plans to make it to Paris, and target the green jersey. And has the full backing of the team to do that; Michael Mørkøv leading him out in some of the intermediate sprints so far. Cavendish now has a big lead already in the points classification, with 168 points. Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) is next on 103 points and his team mate Jasper Philipsen is 3rd with 102 points. All of a sudden, making it to Paris seems like a mere footnote for Cavendish, though the time cut on the hardest stages must still be dealt with.
Van der Poel and Van Aert up the road
They've been the centre of attention in cyclocross for years and they've lit up the road racing scene in recent seasons. Their stars have shone brightly long before this Tour. But the fact Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert are now 1st and 2nd overall at the Tour somehow confirms their superstardom - and it's an inseparable superstardom. Van Aert (Jumbo Visma) was up the road today in the big breakaway and so Van der Poel (Alpecin Fenix) had to be there too to defend his yellow jersey. It was fantastic to see them go head-to-head today at the Tour; one in the yellow jersey and the other in the Belgian champion's jersey - both wanted to hold/take yellow. In years to come the photos taken of them together today will be iconic. To top it off, they both got back on to the group they were chasing - a section of the breakaway - right at the finish. Van der Poel then immediately contested the sprint for 3rd, though missed the final time bonus when he got 4th. They are fantastic riders and very popular, both on and off the bike. Their rivalry has helped raise their profile and make them the riders they are today. It was great to see that rivalry on show up the road on the Tour today in two iconic jerseys.
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