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2017 Tour de France Stage 19: Boasson Hagen finally gets elusive victory

Norwegian wins from breakaway on Tour's longest stage

July 21, 2017
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After coming second twice in 2017 Tour de France bunch sprints, Edvald Boasson Hagen won from a Friday’s breakaway. The Norwegian from Dimension Data now has three Tour stage triumphs on his palmares, his last one six years ago. Yellow jersey holder Chris Froome rolled in ten minutes later with the pack.


The Course
At 222.5-km Friday was the longest stage of the 104th edition. An odd route to stick between the high mountains and the crucial final time trial, its rolling terrain featured three Cat. 3 climbs but a fairly flat run-in into the finishing town. Several teams were desperate for a win and would try hard to be represented in the breakaway.


The Breakaway
It took a while for the day’s break to establish itself, but a 20-strong group began to form between the first Cat. 3’s. It contained several protagonists from this year’s race: Thomas De Gendt, stage winners Lilian Calmejane and Bauke Mollema, and Boasson Hagen. After 88-km the gap was 8:00.


With the last Cat. 3 and a lot of ominous, dark clouds on the horizon, escapee Jens Keukeleire (Belgium/Orica-Scott) bolted on his breakmates. The other 19 fellows objected and then collaborated to bring him back.

On the Col du Pointu, a trio consisting of Croat Robert Kiserlovski (Katusha), Romain Sicard (France/Direct Energie) and Elie Gesbert (France/Fortuneo-Oscaro) shook loose, but just long enough for Sicard to add two KOM points to the two he took on the first Cat. 3. Forty kilometres remained.

The Conclusion
Attacks on the descent and flats failed, but an injection of pace from Keukeleire split the group. In this new decanted escape were fast men like Boasson Hagen, Nikias Arndt (Germany/Sunweb) and Movistar’s Italian Daniele Bennati. Surely the other six would try to shed them and stay away. Thrust after thrust was parried.

Finally, inside 3-km to the line, Boasson Hagen ripped free. Only Arndt could come close to containing him, but the German still came in five-seconds later.

Saturday in the penultimate stage, when the GC race will be finalized on a 22.5-km time trial in Marseille.

2017 Tour de France Stage 19
1) Edvald Boasson Hagen (Norway/Dimension Data) 5:06:09
2) Jens Keukeleire (Belgium/Orica-Scott) +0:05
3) Nikias Arndt (Germany/Sunweb) +0:17

2017 Tour de France GC
1) Chris Froome (Great Britain/Sky)
2) Romain Bardet (France/AG2R) +0:23
3) Rigoberto Uran (Colombia/Cannondale) +0:29

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