With the exception of Tadej Pogacar, all the favorites of the 2024 Tour de France have entered the running in the Tour of the Basque Country, which takes place until next Saturday. This Monday 1er April, it was a compatriot of the absentee who made an impression during the first stage, in Irun (Spain). Slovenian Primoz Roglic was the fastest to complete a 10-kilometer time trial. He beat the Australian Jay Vine (2e at 7 seconds) and the Dane Mattias Skjelmose (3e at 10 seconds). But Roglic was above all ahead of his two main rivals, the Belgian Remco Evenepoel (4e) and the Dane Jonas Vingegaard (5e), who finished respectively 11 and 15 seconds late. Kévin Vauquelin, 22, French hopeful for the Arkéa-B & B Hotels team, finished in a good sixth place.
Leader this year of the Bora-Hansgrohe team, Roglic nevertheless gave himself a scare by taking an escape route rather than the official route a few dozen meters from the finish line, which cost him a few seconds. This is his first victory under his new colors, after his departure from Visma-Lease a bike, where Vingegaard, winner of the 2022 and 2023 Tours, is now the only head ahead.
“It was great to be here again, the legs felt good, explained the Slovenian to Eurosport. I made a small mistake at the end by missing the finish line. When I was driving reconnaissance, I always went to the right so I missed the line and had to turn around. »
Evenepoel falls
Evenepoel, world time trial champion, lost time by falling at the first tight turn. The Belgian, furious at this mishap, got back into the saddle quite quickly, without appearing affected. “I made a bit of a stupid mistake, I perhaps leaned the bike too much in the turn and I slipped. These are things that happen on city roads. I was hoping to be in front after today, but I had no luck with this crash.”, said Remco Evenepoel. The Belgian expects a close race ” tomorrow “with “a good opportunity to save time” in a first hilly stage between Irun and Cambo-les-Bains (Pyrénées-Atlantiques).
Tadej Pogacar, who is preparing for the Giro (from May 4 to 26), will have plenty of time to appreciate the battle that lies ahead…