On the back of his worst day at this year’s Tour de France, Michal Kwiatkowski had his best day, celebrating a solo stage 13 win atop Grand Colombier on Friday and declaring anything is possible in this year’s title fight.
The victory was unexpected for Kwiatkowski, who surged clear from a large breakaway that UAE Team Emirates could not fully bring back despite working all day.
The Polish national champion got in the break anticipating that by the time he reached the summit finish, he’d be on super domestique duties, supporting Carlos Rodriguez and Tom Pidcock in their respective bids to crack into the top three on general classification.
In the past, Kwiatkowski was only let off the leash at the Tour if his Ineos Grenadiers team had lost its GC leader. His last Tour stage win in 2020, memorably next to then-teammate Richard Carapaz, came after Egan Bernal abandoned what was his title defence, for example, and he had time to think about his victory salute.
But that wasn’t the case on Friday. Kwiatkowski won as the young pair held steady in the top 10 on general classification.
Speaking in a press conference after the race, Kwiatkowski was jubilant as he recalled then and now.
“The stage with Richard was pretty much full racing from the start to the finish apart from enjoying the last 15 kilometres, which we knew we’re going to win the stage, I’m going to win the stage,” he recalled.
“Today was completely opposite. I thought for the first 120km that I’m a passenger here and might support Carlos or Tom somewhere on the last climb, or maybe before. I should wait for them if they are there and think about bringing them some ice, bottles, and stuff like this.
“But then all of a sudden, I had four minutes and I said, ‘I’m feeling alright today, I will have a go, and pace myself from the bottom of the climb to the finish.’ It was just a euphoria coming when I heard the advantage when I caught the guys who rode away from me.
“It was intense to start realising actually I can win the stage,” Kwiatkowski continued.
“In half an hour completely different emotions. Crazy, crazy.
“I had probably the worst day on the bike yesterday this Tour, I was really suffering at the back, and today I had the best legs.
“It’s all upside down. It’s completely strange and different emotions.”
Stage 13 was the first of a triple-header in the high mountains, which will round out the second term of the Tour in which Ineos Grenadiers deputy team principal Rod Ellingworth has an open outlook.
“What to expect, I really don’t know. It depends on what [Jonas] Vingegaard and [Tadej] Pogačar want to do, to be honest,” he said.
“For us, we want to see Tom and Carlos pushing themselves and testing themselves. That’s our goal.
“The pair of them are feeling really good. They feel confident after the Puy de Dome, so I think they’re quite on for testing themselves against the best and that’s what we’ll be trying to set up for the next couple of days.”
Pogačar finished the stage third behind Kwiatkowski and Maxim Van Gils (Lotto Dstny) following a late attack that saw him reduce his deficit to race leader Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) by a further eight seconds on general classification.
The rest of the title contenders followed in ones and twos, defending champion and current maillot jaune Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma), then Pidcock, Jai Hindley (Bora-hansgrohe), who remains third on the overall standings, with Rodriguez coming in 12th.
Colombier was Kwiatkowski’s day, but it didn’t take long before the faithful servant, who was clearly enjoying the moment, was asked after his teammates again, with stage 14 anticipated to shake up the general classification more so.
“Everything is possible, even win the Tour. You never really know. So far, we’re doing a great race and we’re just going through the process,” Kwiatkowski said.
“Jonas and Tadej are at a really high level, but you never know, it’s bike racing, so you always aim high and so far, so good.”
