Nicolas Roche (Team Sunweb) was again on
the attack today at the Tour de France, going clear in a large breakaway to Gap
on stage 17.
There were 33 men in the group and it
built up a lead of over 20 minutes at one point.
As the group up front was so big, the
attacks began from it a long way out. And when about 10 men went clear from it
in the final hour, Roche was not one of them.
Up front Matteo Trentin
(Mitchelton-Scott) attacked over the final climb and rode flat-out solo for
most of the final 14km.
The European champion had plenty of time
to sit up and savour what was a fantastic victory over some of the best road
racers in the game.
Kasper Asgreen (Deceuninck-QuickStep), 2nd
in the Tour of Flanders this year, came home in 2nd place at 37 seconds.
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Olympic champion and classics specialist Greg Van Avermaet (CCC Team) came home in 3rd some four seconds later.
Nicolas Roche eventually finished in 16th
place some 1:44 down ahead of the final three mountain stages to come.
The bunch was led home by yellow jersey Julian
Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-Quick Step) just over 20 minutes after
Trentin took the stage.
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As none of the general classification
men was in the breakaway there was no change in the overall standings.
Alaphilippe still leads by 1:35 from
defending champion Geraint Thomas (Team Ineos), with Steven Kruijswijk (Jumbo-Visma)
3rd a further 12 seconds back.
Then comes Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ)
4th at 1:50 and apparently with the momentum as the race hits the Alps.
Perhaps the most fancied riders at high
altitude but who has so far looked a long way of his best is Egan Bernal; the
Team Ineos man 5th overall at 2:02.
In 5th is Emanuel Buchmann
(Bora-hansgrohe) at 2:214. And in 6th place, and probably the last of the Paris
podium contenders is Mikel Landa at 4:54.
The Movistar man is a long way back but has
looked very strong on the climbs at times.
Today Dan Martin (UAE Team Emirates)
finished in the peloton; placing 61st and retaining his 14th place overall at
11:39.
Tomorrow is the first of three back-to-back
stages in the Alps.
Stage 18 takes the riders 208km from Embrun Valloire, over the Col de Vars, Col d’Izoard and the Col du
Galibier; descending into the finish from the top of that last climb.
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