Home » Tour, Van der Poel takes stage and yellow jersey

Tour, Van der Poel takes stage and yellow jersey

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The Dutchman with his arms raised in front of everyone in the second stage: at the finish line the dedication to his great grandfather Poulidor

Mur-de-Bretagne (France)

Mocked on Saturday by Julien Alaphilippe’s paw, Dutch Mathieu Van der Poel took the victory and yellow jersey yesterday in the second stage of the Tour de France, the 183.5km Perros Guirec-Mur de Bretagne Guerledan.

A well-deserved success, and a tribute to his great grandfather, Raymond Poulidor, greeted under the banner of the finish line with a finger raised to the sky from where the former French champion – who died at 83 in November 2019 – who had never managed to wear the yellow jersey. In the Breton stage characterized by six gpm and an uphill finish similar to that of the debut, Van der Poel attacked twice: once to conquer the eight-second bonus at the top of the first climb to Mur de Bretagne, the other to achieve a historic and moving stage victory.

“Of course I thought about my grandfather when I crossed the finish line, I imagine how he would feel, but unfortunately he is not here,” he said in tears, his face in his hands. The French fans applauded him despite having snatched the leadership from Alaphilippe, a little for the accomplished feat, but above all for the affection they still feel for his beloved grandfather. Behind the Dutchman, some of the favorites for the final victory did not keep pace, from Tadej Pogacar to Primoz Roglic, from Wilco Kelderman to Alaphilippe, who arrived in the order behind him. The general classification, behind the Dutchman, sees Alaphilippe behind by eight seconds, Pogacar by 13 and Roglic by 14. Today there shouldn’t be any big shocks as the third stage, 183 kilometers between Lorient and Pontivy, also in Brittany, seems suitable for sprinters. The second stage yesterday was fortunately free from falls, which on Saturday had put the group at risk and already caused four retirements. –

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