Description
July 23, 2022
Tour de France 2022 – Stage 20 – Lacapelle-Marival – Rocamadour : 40,7 km
For three weeks of the year cycling fans put their bikes away and root themselves to their sofas,
Show more...
July 23, 2022
Tour de France 2022 – Stage 20 – Lacapelle-Marival – Rocamadour : 40,7 km
For three weeks of the year cycling fans put their bikes away and root themselves to their sofas, eyes fixed on their television screens as they watch one of the greatest races of the season play out in front of them. We are, of course, talking about the Tour de France – the one bicycle race that nearly everyone on planet Earth has heard of. This three-week race is regarded by many as one of the toughest sporting events in the world. With 21 gruelling stages to complete over a 23-day period, adding up to around 3,500km in total, the Tour de France is a race of pure endurance. The winner isn’t necessarily the strongest rider, but rather the one who can survive the most suffering, day after day. Five-time winner of the Tour, Bernard Hinault, summed up just what it takes to win this great race: “You can’t win without suffering. Whether it’s in the mountains or in a time-trial, you have to spare no effort. You may feel drained at the finish, but the joy of winning helps you forget everything.” The 2022 route, which is due to start in Copenhagen, Denmark, and finish in Paris, France, is headlined by six summit finishes, two individual time trials and a high-mountain stage that will see the riders grovel their way to the the 2,413m-high summit of the Col du Granon. The rest of the route features hilly stages aplenty, but only a couple of flat stages for the fastmen. In place of sprinting opportunities this year, the organisers have opted for dynamic stages that will suit a wide array of riders and promote aggressive and entertaining racing.
On yet another glorious day for Jumbo-Visma at the 2022 Tour de France, Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) all but sealed overall victory, while teammate Wout van Aert won the stage.
Van Aert posted the fastest time in the 40.7km time trial to win his third stage of the race, 19 seconds ahead of Vingegaard, who placed third.
The Dane’s yellow jersey was never put under threat, and he gained another eight seconds on Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates), who placed third.
The victory continues an astonishing run for Jumbo-Visma, making it three stage wins in as many days following Vingegaard’s win at Hautacam on Thursday and Christope Laporte in the sprint at Cahors yesterday.
Usually such a calm and level-headed figure, Van Aert was welling up in the post-race interview.
‘I’m emotional. Going into this Tour de France with this team is really special. Today was like a dream scenario. Jonas [Vingegaard] is such a strong guy, but especially such a good guy. I want to thank all my teammates and the whole team for this special three weeks. It’s unbelievable,” the stage 20 winner said.
“I’m super-tired after three weeks, I gave it my all day. And actually, I want to win races and today I hoped to take the stage, and also that Jonas could secure his yellow.
“It was a really fast time trial, but you had to keep [something] left for the final 6km with two hard climbs. I think I based my effort really well, I could accelerate in the final. And technically I didn’t make any mistakes, and it was a special setting coming to the top of this pretty village [Rocamadour]. Again, it’s a great day.”
Yet more emotional was Vingegaard, who by getting through this stage all but sealed his first overall victory at the Tour de France.
Victory never looked in doubt, but there was one hairy moment on a descent towards the end of the course where he nearly lost his balance. He appeared to knock off the pace after that, slowing to finish 19 seconds behind Van Aert, having been ahead of him at each of the three previous time checks.
At 40.7km, this was the longest time trial at any Tour de France since 2014. And although that wasn’t long enough for any genuine chances of changes to the podium positions, with Pogačar sealing second and Geraint Thomas (who was fourth on the stage at 32 seconds) the final spot on the podium, it did prove long enough to cause changes further down the GC.
Aleksandr Vlasov (Bora-Hansgrohe) was the big winner of the day, leapfrogging both Nairo Quintana (Arkéa Samsic) and Louis Meintjes (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux) from seventh to fifth.
Meintjes also slipped a further place down to eighth, after Romain Bardet (Team DSM) gained enough time over him to move to seventh — surely the only time the Frenchman, notorious for his weakness against the clock, has actually moved up a place after the final time trial.
Results :
 all but sealed overall victory, while teammate Wout van Aert won the stage.
Van Aert posted the fastest time in the 40.7km time trial to win his third stage of the race, 19 seconds ahead of Vingegaard, who placed third.
The Dane’s yellow jersey was never put under threat, and he gained another eight seconds on Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates), who placed third.
The victory continues an astonishing run for Jumbo-Visma, making it three stage wins in as many days following Vingegaard’s win at Hautacam on Thursday and Christope Laporte in the sprint at Cahors yesterday.
Usually such a calm and level-headed figure, Van Aert was welling up in the post-race interview.
‘I’m emotional. Going into this Tour de France with this team is really special. Today was like a dream scenario. Jonas [Vingegaard] is such a strong guy, but especially such a good guy. I want to thank all my teammates and the whole team for this special three weeks. It’s unbelievable," the stage 20 winner said.
“I’m super-tired after three weeks, I gave it my all day. And actually, I want to win races and today I hoped to take the stage, and also that Jonas could secure his yellow.
“It was a really fast time trial, but you had to keep [something] left for the final 6km with two hard climbs. I think I based my effort really well, I could accelerate in the final. And technically I didn't make any mistakes, and it was a special setting coming to the top of this pretty village [Rocamadour]. Again, it’s a great day.”
Yet more emotional was Vingegaard, who by getting through this stage all but sealed his first overall victory at the Tour de France.
Victory never looked in doubt, but there was one hairy moment on a descent towards the end of the course where he nearly lost his balance. He appeared to knock off the pace after that, slowing to finish 19 seconds behind Van Aert, having been ahead of him at each of the three previous time checks.
At 40.7km, this was the longest time trial at any Tour de France since 2014. And although that wasn’t long enough for any genuine chances of changes to the podium positions, with Pogačar sealing second and Geraint Thomas (who was fourth on the stage at 32 seconds) the final spot on the podium, it did prove long enough to cause changes further down the GC.
Aleksandr Vlasov (Bora-Hansgrohe) was the big winner of the day, leapfrogging both Nairo Quintana (Arkéa Samsic) and Louis Meintjes (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux) from seventh to fifth.
Meintjes also slipped a further place down to eighth, after Romain Bardet (Team DSM) gained enough time over him to move to seventh — surely the only time the Frenchman, notorious for his weakness against the clock, has actually moved up a place after the final time trial.
<strong>Results : </strong>
<iframe width="100%" height="730" scrolling="yes" frameborder="0" data-lazy-priority="low" data-lazy-src="https://firstcycling.com/widget/?r=17&y=2022&s=20&lang=ENG&cn=1" src="https://firstcycling.com/widget/?r=17&y=2022&s=20&lang=ENG&cn=1"></iframe>)
