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2020 Tour de France: another Sunweb masterpiece in Lyon

Hugo Houle in top-20 of seven of 14 stages

September 12, 2020
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Sunweb produced another masterpiece of teamwork on Saturday’s stage of the Tour de France, as Søren Kragh Andersen took the win in Lyon. On Thursday Andersen placed third after helping teammate Marc Hirschi to the victory. For most of the day, Peter Sagan’s Bora-Hansgrohe laboured for their Slovakian, not only in pursuit of a win, but also to close a 66-point gap to Sam Bennett in the green jersey competition.

You can find out where to watch the 2020 Tour de France here.

Late on Friday, AG2R announced that Romain Bardet, who dropped from fourth to eleventh after crashing along with Bauke Mollema and Nairo Quintana, had finished the stage with a concussion and would abandon the Tour de France.

The Course

Despite three early climbs to tempt a big breakaway, and two Cat. 4 bumps in the final 12-km, it seemed like one for the sprinters. But which sprinters? The odds were that Bora-Hansgrohe would once again drive the peloton with a mind to get rid of some of the fast men.

With 104 km to go, Stefan Küng was the lone escapee just over a minute ahead of the peloton. Bora-Hansgrohe had the whip hand, with CCC contributing. Green jersey holder Sam Bennett (Ireland/Deceuninck-Quick Step) was in a group 1:30 behind the peloton, double stage winner Caleb Ewan was back even further, and Sagan had picked up five more green jersey points than Bennett at the intermediate sprint.

AG2R received worse news: Pierre Latour had abandoned. General classification hopes thoroughly dashed, the team would have to be satisfied with Benoit Cosnefroy in the polka dot jersey and Nan Peters’ Stage 8 triumph.

With just under 80-km remaining and Küng lassoed, Deceuninck-Quick Step gave up in the Bennett group. Forty kilometres later the Irishman’s group was ten minutes in arrears.

Mad Action On the Hills

Surely riders would try to dash away on the Côte de la Duchère, peaking with 10-km to go, and Côte de la Croix-Rousse, cresting 4.8 km from the line in Lyon. Jumbo-Visma hauled the group to the foot of Duchère.

Tiesj Benoot (Belgium/Sunweb) bounced away on the Duchère but he came to heel on the descent. Bora rider Lennard Kämna was the next to go clear. Thomas De Gendt tried to bridge over before Croix-Rousse, drawing Alaphilippe. It came back together atop the climb before Hirschi attacked. Sagan brought him back.

Then Andersen flew away with 3-km to go. He powered away, winning by 15 seconds Sagan was fourth on the day, but he pulled back 23-points on Bennett.

Hugo Houle reestablished the balance of having finished in the top-20 in exactly half of the 14 stages.

Sunday will be another stage of GC haymakers: in the second half of 174 km, two Cat. 1 climbs lead to the HC summit finish on Grand Colombier, a 17.7 km monster of seven percent. Monday is the second and last rest day.

2020 Tour de France Stage 14
1) Søren Kragh Andersen (Denmark/Sunweb) 4:28:10
2) Luka Mezgec (Slovenia/Mitchelton-Scott) +0:15
3) Simone Consonni (Italy/Cofidis) s.t.
14) Hugo Houle (Canada/Astana) s.t.

2020 Tour de France GC
1) Primož Roglič (Slovenia/Jumbo-Visma) 61:03:00
2) Tadej Pogačar (Slovenia/UAE-Emirates) +0:44
3) Egan Bernal (Colombia/Ineos Grenadiers) +0:59
4) Rigoberto Uran (Colombia/EF Pro Cycling) +1:10
5) Nairo Quintana (Colombia/Arkea-Samsic) +1:12
6) Angel Lopez (Colombia/Astana) +1:31
7) Adam Yates (Great Britain/Mitchelton-Scott) +1:42
8) Mikel Landa (Spain/Bahrain-McLaren) +1:55
9) Richie Porte (Australia/Trek-Segafredo) +2:06
10 Enric Mas (Spain/Movistar) +2:54