The first week of the 2024 Tour de France was gripping and history-making in equal measure.
Mark Cavendish finally surpassed Eddy Merckx's record stage win tally, to everyone's delight. Biniam Girmay took a healthy lead in the points classification alongside two fabulous sprint stages and the Tour found its new hero. And the copious gravel sectors on stage 9 produced one of the most dramatic days of racing in recent history, with action from start to finish.
Could the second week live up to its predecessor excitement? Yes. And no. But it was an intriguing seven days either way.
La France profonde
Stage 10: Orleans - Saint-Amands-Montrond
Vintage Renault 4, check. Picnic table, complete with tablecloth, check. Box wine perched on car bonnet, check. Parked in a random driveway in the middle of nowhere far from the madding crowd, check. About as Tour de France as it gets, non? An unremarkable stage notable only for Jasper Philipsen breaking his 2024 duck having been the sprinter par excellence in last year’s edition.
Game on
Stage 11: Évaux-les-Bains – Le Lioran
Following an opening week when Pogačar seemingly eased his way into yellow and looked highly likely to retain it all the way to Nice, back comes Jonas Vingegaard, the man who seemed unlikely to even make the start line just a few weeks ago – a remarkable comeback from the two-time Tour winner.
Here the Dane sizes up the opposition with a hard stare worthy of Paddington Bear before beating Pogačar in a dramatic two-way sprint in Le Lioran. He may have gained little time on the leader but the psychological boost for the defending champion was there for all to see. The fight for yellow is alive and kicking.
Primož down and out
Stage 12: Aurillac – Villeneuve-sur-Lot
A 203km day in the saddle with little to report until the closing stages, where Mark Cavendish was relegated for deviating in the sprint, while Biniam Girmay took his third stage win to further cement Intermarché-Wanty’s remarkable haul thus far.
The big story became the crash, once again, of Primož Roglič, with around 10km remaining, leading to his subsequent withdrawal from the race the following day. A sad end to this Tour for the four-time Grand Tour winner.
Wild is the wind
Stage 13: Agen – Pau
Crosswinds! Echelons! A massive 20-plus breakaway! This is more like it. We cycling fans do, perhaps, get a little over-excited by the sight of a good echelon in action but, let’s face it, they are a bike racing work of art. One little mistake and you are spat out the back, never to return. The tiniest of gaps become yawning chasms in seconds. An excellent day of racing.
Carry on up the Pyrenees
Stage 14: Pau – Saint-Lary-Soulan – Pla d’Adet
Adam Yates attacked on the final ascent of the day, much to everyone’s surprise – including himself, seemingly. Pogačar tore up the racing tactics handbook, sent his lieutenant up the road, then bridged across before leaving all and sundry behind to add another 39 seconds to his lead over Vingegaard. If stage 11 was game on, then this was effectively game over.
Déjà vu
Stage 15 Loudenvielle - Plateau de Beille
Plateau de Beille is that way, guys… The five-man break gave it their best shot but once again, the day belonged to Tadej Pogačar. Vingegaard tried and failed to dislodge his adversary, and is surely now resigned to defending the runner-up position behind the Slovenian superstar.
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