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2018 Tour de France Stage 9: Degenkolb triumphs, Van Avermaet pads lead in Roubaix

Porte crashes out, time loss for Uran in cobbled mayhem

John Degenkolb took one of the biggest wins of his career on Sunday as he proved strongest and fastest on the 2018 Tour de France’s dreaded cobbled Roubaix stage, while yellow jersey Greg Van Avermaet pulled his lead out to 43-seconds. For the GC men it was a day of survival as wrecks and mechanicals put many of the Heads of State in trouble, with the biggest loss Richie Porte crashing out for the second consecutive year. Rigoberto Uran lost time to his rivals.

The Course

The day was dominated by the cobbles, 15 sectors for 21.7-km of pavé over 156-km. Most of the sectors were ones used in the Hello of the North. It was the most cobbled stage since 1983.

Porte Crashes Out

It would be another disappointment for Richie Porte at this year’s Tour. Soon after a breakaway had begun to form, with the cobbles still in the distance, Porte was involved in a crash and had to abandon the race with what looked like a broken collarbone. He also crashed and abandoned on last year’s ninth stage.

https://twitter.com/BMCProTeam/status/1018452491619319809

Early Cobbles

Two quintets formed a 10-man escape up front, one that never took more than 4:00 over the nervous field. The first cobbles, Sectors 15 and 14, didn’t come until the 47.5-km mark, and they were uneventful except for a puncture suffered by one of the escapees and multiple bike changes for Romain Bardet back in the peloton. Double stage winner Dylan Groenewegen biffed at the end of Sector 13.

The final 70-km of the route held 12 sectors, and the breakaway hit it with a 2:25 gap. A peloton crash in Sector 12 delayed Astana’s Jakob Fuglsang, who did very well on the pavé in 2014. A split formed in the peloton, putting Vincenzo Nibali and Rigoberto Uran in the second group, with Sky driving the first 30-rider bunch that contained Van Avermaet, Peter Sagan, Bardet and plenty of Movistar riders.

Fuglsang, Uran, Nibali and Adam Yates made it back, but third place American Tejay van Garderen struggled, more bad news for BMC.

Sector 9 was the longest at 2.7-km and it was here that Van Avermaet tried to turn it around for BMC, going on the attack. Bardet was host to more bad luck as he had to change a tire, putting him far in arrears.

Several Sky riders crashed on the start of Sector 8, and it was Froome having to catch up.



Endgame

Bardet had teammates trying to haul him back, as Fuglsang led the yellow jersey group onto Sector 7. Before Sector 6, two escapees bolted on their breakmate, 40-seconds in front of the peloton. Gilbert dashed away again and Sagan was able to follow, but Gilbert punctured. Mikel Landa and Rigoberto Uran crashed on the way to Sector 6.

The final 24-km contained 4 sectors of three to four sectors. Landa and Uran both had teammates trying to drag them back, while Bardet finally made contact with the yellow jersey group.

A move from Jasper Stuyven (Trek) on Sector 4 brought the remnants of the breakaway to within touching distance. Between Sectors 3 and 2 was the day’s time bonus sprint and before that point the breakaway surrendered.

On Sector 2, specialists Yves Lampaert, Van Avermaet and Degenkolb roared away from the others, pulling out a 35-second gap with 10-km and the last sector remaining.

Bardet’s misfortune wasn’t over, as he flatted with 6-km to go and latched onto the Landa chase. Incredibly, the two only lost seven-seconds on the GC, while Uran lost 16 places on GC and sits 2:53 behind Van Avermaet.

With the last sector cleared, was clear that the day’s winner was going to be one of the Belgians or the German. The cat and mouse started 2-km before the finish in Roubaix. The German went early and held off Van Avermaet. It was Degenkolb’s first Tour de France victory–he has won a Paris-Roubaix and ten stages of the Vuelta a España.

Monday is a much needed rest day before the race heads into the Alps.


2018 Tour de France Stage 9

1) John Degenkolb (Germany/Trek-Segafredo) 3:24:26
2) Greg Van Avermaet (Belgium/BMC) s.t.
3) Yves Lampaert (Belgium/Quick Step) s.t.

2018 Tour de France GC

1) Greg Van Avermaet (Belgium/BMC) 36:07:17
2) Geraint Thomas (Great Britain/Sky) +0:43
3) Philippe Gilbert (Belgium/Quick Step) +0:44