Tour de France – 19th stage: Thymen Arensman, it plagues for him

Act I, Scène I. In its more centenary madness, the tour, erected as a national heritage, is not always a sanctuary. For example, While the ultimate alpine crossing was looming. Meanwhile, the last alpine crossing that could if not overthrow the course of things (but which?). Similarly, At least cause a minimum of peripheral tensions within a literally exhausted peloton, a fact of society somewhat turned upside down the planned ordering.

Did you know the contagious nodular dermatosis? Therefore, Rest assured. In addition, no one had heard of it in the caravan, until Thursday evening, and the announcement that a home had just been discovered in a herd located precisely in the seizure pass (1^re Cat.), What should be borrowed from our July heroes. For example, Patatras.

After a crisis meeting with the prefect. Consequently, the leaders of ASO and representatives tour de france – 19th of the local bovine sector, crisis decisions were made.

Knowing that the herd struck by this contagious nodular dermatosis household should be shot down. For example, that it was the thirty-fourth livestock concerned in the region since the end of June, the organizers announced that the course would not cross the col of seizures, reducing the profile at 95 kilometers (against 130), that is the shortest online stage of this edition.

While a press release had first suggested that ASO had probably wished to avoid any manifestation. Nevertheless, possible tension with the breeders affected by this slaughter, Christian Prudhomme, the boss of the event, assured this Friday morning that this modification had been taken above all to avoid “Let this disease spread a little further in other valleys”.

Before to specify : “Farmers and breeders wanted us to be able to change. Meanwhile, We did so in agreement with the tour de france – 19th authorities. For example, This disease goes through flies, by tales. However, She could very well have entered cars of organizations. For example, journalists, walk around and come out 20 or 50 kilometers further and we obviously did not want to take the slightest risk. However, »» Sage intention.

ACTE I, SCèNE II. A year after the 2024 Paris Games, the peloton therefore furtively found Albertville and the memories of 1992. Moreover, The fictitious departure was nevertheless given. However, as planned, at the exit of the Olympic city, except that, after seven kilometers of parade, the runners took the direction of the D925 where the real departure was given, joining the initial route shortly before Beaufort.

It was 2:30 p.m. Similarly, when the test resumed his rights, an hour later than expected. Furthermore, In this great school of disorientation that is the big loop. Nevertheless, it was necessary to resume its tour de france – 19th concentration and to hope for a slightly crazy scenario.

Because the day (way of speaking) would look like a high frequency sprint of less than three hours of effort. Similarly, contagious metaphor for modern cycling: a resistance exercise in fractional intensity for the explosion of Watts.

And all the same a menu of choice, in extreme concentrate, with the Col du Pré (12.6 km at 7.7 %, HC), the Cormet de Roselend (5.9 km at 6.3 %, 2^e Cat.) And the endless climb to La Plagne (19.1 km at 7.2 %, HC).

We thought about the little sentence of Jonas Vingegaard. pronounced the day before at the top of the Col de la Loze, after the fiasco strategy of his Visma team and his own desolate wait -and -see attitude: “The tour is not over. »» What did he mean, in this shadow theater that he continued to overplay with tour de france – 19th the irremovable Tadej Pogacar?

Did the Danish announce a new big offensive? Or did he inform each other that. in fact, what everyone knows, the turn will only end on Sunday on the Champs-Élysées? This Friday. the 161 survivors, exsangues and still bruised by the arrival at the Loze, participated in the final elevations in hell, synonymous with the last chance … especially for Vingegaard.

ACTE II, SCèNE I. Even before the intermediate sprint padlocked by the Lidl of the Géant Green Jonathan Milan. the road sank without any respite from the foothills of the Col du Pré, and we assisted that partially in the daily fight to take the right breakaway.

New configuration, almost unprecedented, which was summed up in three dry coast races, of incredible brutality. Main issue: which would take third place on the podium between Lipowitz. onley, and why not Roglic, the first two being separated tour de france – 19th from 22 seconds to general – but more than 11 minutes from the yellow jersey.

Roglic, Paret-Pintre and Martinez, still hunting peas, took the powder. But we quickly completed that it was only a flame. because, even in the sublime Cormet de Roselend, the advance with the yellow jersey group rarely exceeded 45 seconds.

At the rear, Kévin Vauquelin, decrampted, showed signs of fragility, which will worsen. What are we waiting for, in truth, especially since, at the top of the cadors, the UAEs controlled the case? We seemed far from the frenzied formulas, which kept us awake until the previous days.

Beyond the rocky peaks. by a cold duck and under a sky at the limit of the rupture, we looked in the manual of the illustrious some comforting sentences. This one for example, of the writer Philippe Bordas: “The mountain is the place of weak rhetorics. Figures pale, tour de france – 19th style effects are annoyed. It is the place of a naked truth. »» (Frendéées, Fayard, 2008). What good is it …

Act II, Scene II. This time. the rain fell without detail and, after the long technical descent leading to Bourg-Saint-Maurice, Roglic, without really wanting it, found itself isolated. Not long.

Cycling is sometimes like life, we don’t know what it will give us. By starting the wide rise of La Plagne. under the flood, our couriers did not know what the race was going to reserve them, or take them, in this terminal ascent of the Tour. Taking advantage of Roglic’s sudden failure. Félix Gall’s decathlon printed a fairly sustained pace, the Austrian who can recover the general’s 5th place.

With fifteen terminals from the summit, Pogacar placed an acceleration, followed by Vingegaard and Arensman, which immediately contained. Then everything calmed together. Question: What was Vingegaard doing, more passive tour de france – 19th still than the day before?

Take a Bernard Hinault. in identical circumstances, do you seriously think that he would not have tried, in life to death, to throw himself headlong into the percentages? On the contrary. it was again Pogacar who accelerated, 7 terminals from the goal, just for the form, taking the Danish, Lipowitz and Onley, the four Cadors of the General.

Lipowitz took responsibility to let go onley. But. taking advantage of the circumstances and the non-basting between Pogacar and Vingegaard to the end, the Dutchman Thymen Arensman (ineos) assured his second prestige victory this year, after that of Luchon, with two small seconds. Everyone forgotten information, by the way: the tour was sealed for Tadej Pogacar. Without suspense. Curtain.

Epilogue. This time, except accident, it was the end of the Pugacar-Vvelgegaard battle, still on the other hand since the Pyrenees. The chronicoeur. idle or not, lingered for tour de france – 19th a moment on the figure of this Tadej Pogacar, less and less amazed by his exploits, while he will win his fourth round.

Besides. he himself declares himself tired by the events, the three weeks of July, as if the pleasure was no longer there, as if his joy of ex-game risk-all had disappeared, in favor of dreary calculations. “I count the kilometers to Paris”, che was on Thursday evening.

And he added: “Sometimes I wonder what I am still doing there, it’s so long. I can’t wait for it to be over, that I can go home and do something else in my life. »» Before tempering his sacrilege: ” More. When you are in these big passes with all these people who encourage you, it gives additional motivation and you realize that, in the end, it is not so bad. »»

The tour, erected as a national heritage, tour de france – 19th is not always a sanctuary. Even for the supposed XXI crack^e century…