photo credits @ ASO
Yves Lampaert (QuickStep-AlphaVinyl) won the opening time trial of this year’s Tour de France today, after the French rider set the fastest time of 15:17 along the 13.2 kilometer course in Copenhagen.
Earlier, Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) looked poised for victory, after he edged-out pre-stage favorite Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers), only for Lampaert to bring the curtains down on his Belgian rival with a new benchmark.
“I was hoping to make the top 10 and that would already have been great but now I beat all the best in the world. I’m just a farmer from Belgian and I do this, it’s unexpected. I cannot believe it. I knew I was in good condition, but to win stage in the Tour de France, especially stage 1 is something I never could dream of. To beat van Aert, van der Poel and Ganna, it’s unbelievable for me. The roads were still very wet when I rode so I think I had the same conditions as the favourites and yet I finished 5’’ in front of van Aert. I will have the yellow jersey on my shoulders at least for one day. I will only be able to realise when the Tour will be over, or maybe on Monday when I’ll see my girlfriend and my son. I want to share this moment with Tim Declercq who is one of my best friend and couldn’t ride the Tour because of Covid.”
Meanwhile, defending champion Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) bumped Ganna off the podium to take third, seven seconds back, with early leader Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix). Primoz Roglic (+16”), Adam Yates (+23”) and Geraint Thomas (+25”) all placed well ahead of the first road stage tomorrow.
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