Bob Jungels

A stunning solo attack by Bob Jungels saw him claim his first Tour de France stage victory on the first Alpine finish of this year's race.

The Slovenian remained 39 seconds ahead of Vingegaard but increased his advantage to 1:17 over 2018 winner Geraint Thomas. The Slovenian remained 39 seconds ahead of Vingegaard but increased his advantage to 1:17 over 2018 winner Geraint Thomas. But Jungels was quicker on the descent and managed to drop his rival. The victory crowns a comeback for Jungels following a year to forget. “So I’m super happy, I saw the shape was getting better day by day but to do something like this... So I’m super happy and proud.”

Bob Jungels (AG2R Citroen) landed a sensational 63km solo break to win Stage 9 at the Tour de France in the first Alpine finish.

UAE Team Emirates were in for a day of obligations, and would make heavy work of controlling the break before reeling most of it in. The AG2R man pushed the envelope on the descent, cornering with the utmost skill, hitting speeds of over 80kph. The fourth longest stage of this year’s Tour looked, on paper, likely to go to a breakaway. It was Luxembourg’s first stage win at the Tour since Andy Schleck on the Galibier in 2011. Bob Jungels (AG2R Citroen) landed a sensational 63km solo break to win Stage 9 at the Tour de France in the first Alpine finish. After the road flattened out, with the shallower incline favouring him over the true climbers, the result did not look in doubt.

Bob Jungels (AG2R-Citroën) held off his breakaway companions to take a fantastic victory on stage 9 of the Tour de France, the first rider from Luxembourg ...

With the GC threats jettisoned, the stage was flipped on its head, and suddenly the breakaway was in with a chance. With UAE Team Emirates setting the pace in the peloton, Bob Jungels attacked the breakaway on the Col de la Croix and quickly found half a minute. The first Alpine stage of the Tour de France invited a serious battle for the breakaway early on, and it took about 50 km for a strong 21-man group to form.

The Luxembourger Bob Jungels missed the 2021 Tour and Tokyo Olympics with endofibrosis but UAE Team Emirates' Tadej Pogacar leads overall by 39 seconds.

Further down the climb, race leader Tadej Pogacar’s UAE Team Emirates controlled his main rivals, before the Slovenian accelerated hard in the closing kilometre to steal three seconds on Geraint Thomas. It’s my style of racing, my style of taking the victories.” His win will have also offered some comfort to a team shocked by the collapse in form of leader Ben O’Connor, who placed fourth overall in the 2021 Tour.

At the end of a mountainous stage from Switzerland back into France, there was a cat and mouse chase between Bob Jungels and Thibaut Pinot.

Since moving to Spain and finding out how to use a computer, he has gone from contributor of Daily Distractions at the 2002 Vuelta a España to editor at PezCyclingNews. The beginning was hard as a very strong breakaway group went away and it took many kilometres for it to conform, but later on It all went down to the plan. Thomas Pidcock (GB) INEOS Grenadiers at 1:46 8. On the following Col de la Croix (8.1km at 7.6%) the gap to the peloton narrowed. Geraint Thomas (GB) INEOS Grenadiers at 1:17 4. Geraint Thomas (GB) INEOS Grenadiers at 0:52 8. I took all the risks I could and it happened. From the start in Aigle the route was flat and there was a battle for the break, but no group could get away. Van Aert was able to pick up the 20 points in the intermediate sprint in Semsales. The difference to the peloton, where UAE Team Emirates were chasing, was at 2 minutes. In the peloton Daniel Felipe Martínez had problems early on due to Bennett’s pace and later Vlasov also cracked, while for Van Aert his day was over after he had given his leaders some water. The race passes the start and the UCI headquarters with about 40 kilometres to go. The 29-year-old Luxembourger of AG2R Citroën was the best from a large group in the Swiss-French mountain stage between Aigle and the ski resort of Châtel. In the final he held off the chasing Thibaut Pinot, who was eventually caught by Jonathan Castroviejo and Carlos Verona just before the finish.

The Luxembourg rider almost missed the Tour de France due to a late positive COVID test.

I was lucky enough to open a big gap and I just took it. I just asked them to keep me updated with the gap that I had to Pinot so I could manage my effort. I just found myself alone in front and on that last climb I had the manager Vincent [Lavenu] and the director Julien Jurdie behind me in the car. I think it’s not up to the riders and this is why we have experts, and we have doctors to make these kinds of decisions.” I just really tried to focus, keep my head and keep calm,” he said. Jungels was forced to skip last year’s Tour de France after he was diagnosed with an iliac artery endofibrosis a month earlier and had to undergo surgery to treat it.

AG2R Citroën rider has had artery issues for the past two years, but has now returned to be his old self.

I think it’s not up to the riders and this is why we have experts and we have doctors to make these kinds of decisions." However, that great hope disappeared, so it is warming to see the return. I had two surgeries and then it took a year to recover to be sitting here. "It was a very hard finish up here. Every morning, it is clear that Pinot is one of the most popular men in the peloton, if the cheers of French fans are anything to go by. Sadly for neutrals, there could be only one winner on Sunday, and it was the Luxembourger Jungels, who held off the chasers.

AG2R Citroen rider fends off determined counter-attack by Thibaut Pinot.

In the end it worked out and I didn't blow up, it was good." "I was afraid Thibaut would catch me, and I knew in an uphill sprint would be hard to beat him. "He took the points, because I told him I didn't want any and we could ride together towards the next climb. "I really trying to pace myself as well as possible up that 15-kilometre climb. That's not up to the riders, and this is why we have experts and doctors to make these kinds of decisions." "[Fellow breakaway Patrick] Konrad [Bora-Hansgrohe] accelerated a little bit on the first cat.

Bob Jungels clung on to win stage nine of the Tour de France in Chatel as a breakaway was allowed its fun on Sunday. Jungels went solo off the penultimate ...

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Bob Jungels won the ninth stage of the Tour de France at the end of a long solo mountain raid on Sunday after COVID-19 almost prevented the Luxemburg rider ...

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com It's a lot of emotions," Jungels said. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com "I had a test on the Thursday morning. This victory proves all those who doubted me wrong but I mostly grateful. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com