Asgreen and the agonizing triumph of a leak that Philipsen tried to torpedo with the most controversial maneuver
In the first of the transition stages on the way to the Vosges, from the end on Saturday in Le Markstein, an outcome to the sprint was heralded. But it wasn't going to be like that. As a punishment of fate for the dishonorable gesture of Jasper Philipsen, what never happens happened: the escape succeeded. Kasper Asgreen won in Bourg en Bresse, just a few meters ahead of the wolves in the peloton. [Narration and ratings]
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It is the third stage victory of the Dane in the Tour, expert in classics, winner in Flanders two years ago. And the first of this edition of a Soudal Quick Step in the doldrums. He led a quartet of heroes in which he highlighted the always tireless work of Victor Campenaerts. The peloton, confused and poorly organized -there the work of Alaphilippe and LeClerq, Asgreeen's teammates, was key- was left with honey on their lips, led by Philipsen.
His had been the horrible movement that marked the day and that deserves sanction. It happened after the equator of the race, with already two breakaways ahead. The duo that formed Kasper Asgreen and Jonas Abrahamsen tried to join other brave ones, but that did not seem to convince the sprinter teams, who wanted a controlled day. The Dutchman Pascal Eenkhoorn was looking with his teammate Campenaerts, from a Lotto that has not yet won on this Tour, to link up with those in front and then, shamefully, Jasper Philipsen himself in green, jumped for his rival with the manner of a thug.
He joined him and came to intimidate him, trying to get him to abort the mission, blocking him. The sad image of the day. He was not going to make it (nor after his fifth stage of this Tour), because shortly after, together with the Norwegian Abrahamsen, they joined the race couple and had a nice fight with the peloton. Always moving with short advantages, they entered the last five kilometers with 14 seconds, 11 to four from the finish line, eight to three…. there was no way. This time the brave won, with Asgreen in the lead, followed by Eenkhoorn and Abrahamsen.
“It's been like a team time trial all day. My breakaway companions have been phenomenal”, confessed the Dane, who suffered a hard fall in the last Tour of Switzerland.