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Tour de France: Jumbo-Visma has difficult day on the cobbles, Van Aert clings to yellow

Simon Clarke gets big win for Israel-Premier Tech

Photo by: Sirotti
July 6, 2022
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Jumbo-Visma had a wretched time on Thursday’s cobbled fifth stage of the Tour de France, having their two main GC hopefuls, Primož Roglič and Jonas Vingegaard, leak some time to reigning champion Tadej Pogačar. There were several GC favourites joining the Jumbo-Visma duo in their misery, but it could have been worse for of Pog’s rivals. However, Roglič’s GC bid really suffered. Wout Van Aert managed to keep his yellow jersey, and Simon Clarke earned a big win for Israel-Premier Tech from the breakaway. Once more, Hugo Houle was top Canadian.

Michael Woods hugs Simon Clarke after the line.

You can watch the 2022 Tour de France on FloBikes.

The Course
Wednesday was all about the 11 sectors of cobbles totaling 19.4 kilometres of the final 55 kilometers.

The action was frenetic right from the start in Lille. Even though there were no categorized climbs on Wednesday, KOM leader Magnus Cort went out in the breakaway by habit, this time with two others. Cort’s gang received three more reinforcements including his teammate Neilson Powless.

Suddenly Van Aert crashed. He was with teammate Steven Kruijswijk but had to make his way back to the pack. Then Van Aert almost crashed into the DSM team car.

On the way back, the yellow jersey passed Michael Woods, who was trailing the field. Both rejoined.

Van Aert passes Rusty Woods on the way back to the peloton.

By the time they hit the first piece of pavé, a three-star sector, the sextet had a 3:30 lead. Peter Sagan crashed just before the peloton reached the stonework. On the second, two-star sector, Quick Step applied some pressure. A puncture meant that last year’s fourth place rider Ben O’Connor had to chase back with teammates.

The dust was unreasonable.

Chaos: Mathieu van der Poel dropped away. Van Aert struggled. Vingegaard had a mechanical and had to ride an enormous machine until his team car came up.

Roglič crashed before Sector 5, the 2.8-km, four-star Erre à Wandignies-Hamage. Pogačar was still in the main peloton, with Van Aert and Vingegaard 45 seconds behind when it reached Erre à Wandignies-Hamage, the breakaway 1:45 ahead. Roglič was even farther behind.

Pogačar went to the front and hit the gas. Jumbo-Visma toiled to close the gap. Ineos Grenadiers also had Geraint Thomas and Adam Yates in the Van Aert-Vingegaard group. Roglič trailed.

Four-star Tilloy-lez-Marchiennes à Sars-et-Rosières saw Jasper Stuyven attack with Pogačar. Closing in on the finish line of Wallers-Arenberg, Ineos and Jumbo-Visma began to whittle away at the deficit.

There were four breakaways left and Neilson Powless thought he could bag the jersey. He attacked his breakmates late, but he was overcome by the trio. Clarke just pipped van der Hoorn for the victory.

In the end Pogačar only gained 15 seconds over his rivals except Roglič, who is now 2:17 behind his compatriot, and O’Connor, who lost a load of time.

Stage 6 has a few short climbs in the final 20 km and an uphill finish.

2022 Tour de France, Stage 5
1) Simon Clarke (Australia/Israel-Premier Tech) 3:13:35
2) Taco van der Hoorn (The Netherlands/Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert) s.t.
3) Edvald Boasson Hagen (Norway/TotalEnergies) +0:02
25) Hugo Houle (Canada/Israel-Premier Tech) +1:04
98) Michael Woods (Canada/Israel-Premier Tech) +4:12
106) Antoine Duchesne (Canada/Groupama-FDJ) +5:05
107) Guillaume Boivin (Canada/Israel-Premier Tech) s.t.

2022 Tour de France GC
1) Wout Van Aert (Belgium/Jumbo-Visma) 16:17:32
2) Neilson Powless (USA/EF Education-Easypost) +0:13
3) Edvald Boasson Hagen (Norway/TotalEnergies) +0:14
4) Tadej Pogačar (Slovenia/UAE-Emirates) +0:19
34) Hugo Houle (Canada/Israel-Premier Tech) +1:51
85) Michael Woods (Canada/Israel-Premier Tech) +5:41
114) Guillaume Boivin (Canada/Israel-Premier Tech) +11:48
131) Antoine Duchesne (Canada/Groupama-FDJ) +13:32