Saturday 10th July 2021
Pogacar in yellow not endangered
14th stage goes to runaway Mollema
The first stage in the Pyrenees of the Tour de France offers many opportunities for outliers. So it is hardly surprising that a soloist actually decides the mountainous section for himself in the end. But although Bauke Mollema has a few minutes ahead, the yellow jersey remains in firm hands.
The Dutch professional cyclist Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo) won the first Pyrenees stage of the 108th Tour de France with a breakaway coup. The 34-year-old celebrated the second day tour success of his career on the 183.7 km 14th section to Quillan after a 42-kilometer solo ride. Defending champion Tadej Pogacar in the yellow jersey showed no weaknesses at the start of the Pyrenees showdown and crossed the finish line with the main draw.
Mollema started the decisive attack in the escape group on the penultimate descent. When the triumph could no longer be taken from him on the approach to the finish, he spread his arms cheerfully. His lead over runner-up Patrick Konrad (Bora-hansgrohe) was 1:04 minutes. Meanwhile, the 22-year-old Pogacar leads after the first of five stages in the Pyrenees in the overall standings with 4:04 minutes on the new overall runner-up Guillaume Martin (Cofidis). The French ousted the Colombian Rigoberto Uran (+ 5:18) to third.
In the, as expected, very hectic initial phase shortly after the start in Carcassonne, veteran Simon Geschke (Berlin / Cofidis) tried his luck twice on the outlier-tailored terrain, without success. Michael Woods (Canada / Israel Start-up Nation), Wout Poels (Netherlands / Bahrain Victorious) and Mattia Cattaneo (Italy / Deceuninck-Quick) only succeeded in the Col de Montsegur (2nd category), the second of five mountain classifications of the day Step) for the first time to easily separate yourself.
Up to the top of the pass at Col de la Croix des Morts, the escape group increased to 14 riders, who drove just under four minutes on the peloton around Pogacar to the fourth mountain classification on the Cote de Galinagues. Woods, who replaced the Colombian Nairo Quintana (Arkea-Samsic) at the top of the mountain classification, fell in a curve on the following descent, but was able to continue. Meanwhile, Mollema managed to break away from the group with his attack. On the final ascent to Col de Saint-Louis, the chasing group increased the pace, but Mollema withstood the pressure.
Pogacar’s talent has “no limits”
Pogacar acted just as confidently on the stage as before in the Alps and on Mont Ventoux. Only a fall or a miraculous break-in on the following four sections of the Pyrenees should prevent the Slovenian from becoming the youngest two-time champion in the history of the Grand Boucle. However, Pogacar is only really challenged after the rest day on Monday.
For five-time Tour Champion Eddy Merckx, Pogacar’s talent “seems to have no limits. With the right preparation and the right team, he can even do the double consisting of Tour and Giro. And he could be my record for most days in the yellow Improve jersey, “said the 76-year-old Belgian, who drove a total of 96 days in the Maillot jaune.
In part two of the Pyrenees Showdown, the Big Bow makes its only trip abroad on Sunday. The 191.3 km long 15th stage leads from Ceret to Andorra-la-Vieille, where the second day of rest is on Monday. Jan Ullrich’s triumphant trip to Andorra-Arcalis in the year of his tour victory in 1997 will not be forgotten.
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