carte blanche for Wellens in the black mountain

Faithful lieutenant of Tadej Pogacar Since the start of the Tour de France, the Belgian Tim Wellens seized an unexpected white carte on the demanding roads of the Black Mountain leading to Carcassonne to win a superb solo victory on Sunday.

After making sure that its Slovenian leader was warm in the peloton during this transitional stage, the Belgian champion slipped into the breakaway, on the eve of the rest day, and was opportunistic to offer the UAE armade his fifth victory on this big loop.

«Pogi»delighted for his 34 -year -old friend, spent a quiet day and still has 4 min 13 ahead of his runner Jonas Vingegaard, while Mount Ventoux is waiting for the peloton on Tuesday.

“He had an opportunity that he seized his body with his body”underlined Pogacar, who said he was “Even happier for him than when (he) wins a step”before joining Wellens for an exceptionally kept press conference.

Belgian fireworks

The world champion was able to take advantage of the calm of the second part of the stage to follow the impressive performance of his friend, with whom he often rolls near their Monegasque homes.

« Comment a l’air Tim? »questioned Pogacar in the middle of the race, ” Fabulous “replied its sports director to the headset, while Wellens spun straight towards an entrance with great fanfare in the closed circle of the 113 runners who raised his arms on the three large towers.

On the eve of the national holiday in Belgium, the fireworks could have been total since the roller of the Victor Campenaerts took second place, and his teammate Wout Van Aert almost completed the podium, preceded in the sprint by Julian Alaphilippe.

By adjusting the group of pursuers, the French also believed to sign the first French victory and even lifted his arms, not informed of the presence of the two Belgians at the front due to a “Radio problem” Following his fall in the first kilometers.

Three other tricolors are placed in the Top 10: Axel Laurance (5th), the 11th of General Jordan Jegat, still so restless (8th) and Valentin Madouas (10th).

With this success of Wellens at the foot of the medieval city, the Belgian runners are five successes in 15 stages, after the time won by Remco Evenepoel, forced to abandon on Saturday, the first stage set by Jasper Philipsen, and the two successes of Tim Merlier.

The native of Saint-Trond had already shown his dazzling form since the start of the Tour, tireless relay passer at the head of the peloton, an insatiable and fatal spinner for the general’s Cadors.

At the foot of the terrible climb to Hautacam on Thursday, he had disgusted his world by printing a tempo of hell, asphyxiating the pretenders to the general.

After another day in the role of the locomotive on the road to Mûr-de-Bretagne, Pogacar had praised the work of“A formidable road captain, a unique guy on the bicycle and outside”.

Dedication

“If a runner deserves victory in the Tour de France it is Tim Wellens. He is so devoted to Tadej, he is all the time with him, five centimeters from his wheel, to protect him in race, in training camp, all the time ”was delighted the manager of Uae Mauro Gianetti, about his runner who had done the necessary to put on the polka dot jersey at the start of the round and release his leader in protocol obligations.

“I had an opportunity, I seized it, and I had my legs to go to the end. But I would exchange my victory against the Tadej yellow jersey in Paris ”underlined Wellens after his victory, as if to illustrate this dedication.

Shortly after the departure of Muret, he first fulfilled his main mission by accompanying his leader in a peloton reduced to the congruent portion after a fall which has a delayed time the entire podium candidates including Jonas Vingegaard, while his Visma teammates tried to slip forward. Then he has “Followed a movement to be in the breakaway”.

Wellens then displayed his power in the black mountain, placing a sharp attack 43 km from the finish, which had to remind him of his Solitaire Triumphant at the end of June, during the Belgian championship, where he had taken off at … 42 km from the term.

Same process, and even final success thanks to a gap that has increased inexorably, allowing the Flemish to savor its day of glory.