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Massive day for Slovenia at Tour de France as Pogačar wins and Roglič seizes yellow

Pogačar the youngest stage winner since 1993

September 6, 2020
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The last day in the Pyrenees before the first rest day of the 107th Tour de France was a gripping one, with Tadej Pogačar victorious, Primož Roglič pulling the yellow jersey from Adam Yates’ shoulders, and Sunweb’s Marc Hirschi, one of the revelations of Week 1, rolling a long, solo effort that ended up with third. Roglič leads Egan Bernal by 21-seconds and Guillaume Martin by 28-seconds at the top of the general classification.

You can find out where to watch the Tour here.

The Course

The second day in the Pyrenees–Pau to Laruns–resembled Saturday’s in that there was no summit finish, but a tough mountain close to the finish. The last of the five categorized climbs, Cat. 1 Col de Marie-Blanque, offered bonus seconds at the peak.

Early in the stage polka-dot jersey holder Benoît Cosnefroy took maximum KOM points on Cat. 3 Côte d’Artiguelouve. Soon after, Hirschi, Sunweb’s Swiss rider who was second on Stage 2, lit out on his first breakaway attempt. Several other moves were neutralized. Before the Cat. 1 Col de la Hourcère, cameras picked up Fabio Aru suffering, and eventually the Italian winner of the 2015 Vuelta a España abandoned.

Hirschi went clear and by the next Cat. 1, Col de Soudet, Yates was isolated by Jumbo-Visma’s searing pace. Hirschi kept sopping up the KOM points on the way to Col de Marie-Blanque, and is now only 10-points behind Cosnefroy.

Col de Marie-Blanque

On one of the steeper grades of the final climb, Pogačar attacked, and when Bernal, Mikel Landa and Roglič found his wheel, it was the Colombian who tried a surge. Richie Porte made the junction. Yates was in a third group on the mountain. Pogačar kept throwing haymakers. Hirschi had a 52-second gap with a kilometre to climb and 19 km to race.

Roglič and Pogačar almost crashed racing for the bonus seconds at the top of Marie-Blanque. Hirschi wasn’t far away, but the Swiss opened up the gap on the descent. Bernal, Roglič, Pogačar and Landa laboured to stay ahead of Rigoberto Uran, Porte, Nairo Quintana, Martin and Bauke Mollema. Yates, Alejandro Valverde, Angel Lopez and Enric Mas were a minute behind Roglič and company.

Hirschi decided to wait for the high-octane quartet and they came together with 1.4 km to go. Roglič led under the kite. Hirschi attacked from the back, but it was Pogačar sprinting down the right hand side for his first career Tour stage victory. Bonus seconds also went to Roglič and Hirschi.

Pogačar earns the sprint win in Laruns.

Yates sifted down to 8th, +1:02, Pogačar popped up two spots to 7th, Mas dropped out of the top 10 and Mikel Landa joined it. Mas can take heart: with three riders in the top 27, Movistar is leading its beloved team classification competition.

After the much-deserved rest day, the Tour returns on Tuesday with a flat island to island route on the Pertuis d’Antioche strait that looks like one for the sprinters but winds could make it a GC scramble.

2020 Tour de France Stage 9
1) Tadej Pogačar (Slovenia/UAE-Emirates) 3:55:17
2) Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) s.t.
3) Marc Hirschi (Switzerland/Sunweb) s.t.
52) Hugo Houle (Canada/Astana) +12:04

2020 Tour de France GC
1) Primož Roglič (Slovenia/Jumbo-Visma 38:40:01
2) Egan Bernal (Colombia/Ineos Grenadiers) +0:21
3) Guillaume Martin (France/Cofidis) +0:28
4) Romain Bardet (France/AG2R-La Mondiale) +0:30
5) Nairo Quintana (Colombia/Arkea-Samsic +0:32
6) Rigoberto Uran (Colombia/EF Pro Cycling) s.t.
7) Tadej Pogačar (Slovenia/UAE-Emirates) +0:44
8) Adam Yates (Great Britain/Mitchelton-Scott) +1:02
9) Angel Lopez (Colombia/Astana) +1:15
10) Mikel Landa (Spain/Bahrain-McLaren) +1:42
72) Hugo Houle (Canada/Astana) 1:15:29