The Frenchman jumped out of the bunch in the final kilometer to steal an impressive solo win.
Wout van Aert won two stages during the second week of the race while Jonas Vingegaard took wins on the Col du Granon and the Hautacam, adding more than a minute to his lead in the overall classification with the latter. When he sensed that there was no immediate reaction, he paused for a moment to catch his breath before striking out again to drop the breakaway riders and take the victory. “The breakaway almost made it, but Christophe obviously had very good legs, he used the opportunity and he followed his instinct.
The last time Wout van Aert told Laporte the day was his was at Paris-Nice, and we all know how that ended. This time though, the Belgian's go-ahead was only ...
“I’m really pleased, I’m at a loss for words. “The breakaway almost made it, but Christophe obviously had very good legs, he used the opportunity and he followed his instinct,” Zeeman said. After successfully protecting Jumbo-Visma’s leader in yellow through the crosswinds, Van Aert was ever-present towards the front in the run-in as the peloton steadily ate into the gap of a late three-man attack. The last time Wout van Aert told Laporte the day was his was at Paris-Nice, and we all know how that ended. It was his own raw instinct and power that got Laporte the victory he so deserved. It was an exciting final,” team director Merijn Zeeman said at the finish.
Christophe Laporte surged out of the peloton in the finale of the 19th stage of the Tour de France to end a stage-win drought for the home country.
There was no significant change in the general classification. Just two days before the race ends in Paris, Laporte spared the blushes for French riders who had not tasted a victory all month. Wout told me, ‘Today is for you,’” Laporte said.
Jumbo-Visma's Christophe Laporte became the first French stage winner of this year's Tour de France, while Jonas Vingegaard was untroubled.
“The news that was spread in the media yesterday evening caught us by surprise, and at the moment we do not have any details,” the team said. However his agents, Javier de las Heras and Alfredo Gómez, then denied that Lopez is under investigation, and denied all reports of an arrest, claiming that he underwent only a routine search. A strong time triallist and sprinter, the Frenchman accelerated clear of the leading trio with only 400 metres left to race, and hard though Wright tried, he was unable to prevent the 29-year-old from taking the first Tour stage win of his career. “We are sorry for the inconvenience caused to this sporting event. It was the group’s third protest of the race. Right now, the omens are good and his team is flying.