Evenepoel misses yellow jersey, but especially sees key domestique fall away heading into 'first climbing test'
Evenepoel misses yellow jersey, but especially sees key domestique fall away heading into 'first climbing test'
At Soudal-Quick Step, things just didn't fall into place Monday in the third stage of the Tour de France. Remco Evenepoel might have had his ears on the yellow jersey, which he would take if he finished a certain number of places ahead of Tadej Pogacar, even if in the same time. However, it was Richard Carapaz who ran away with this plan. Evenepoel was behind a crash in the closing stages, but will be especially bummed that Casper Pedersen has to go home.
Pedersen did not make it through the massive crash 2.5 kilometers from the line. The Dane had already crashed on his own at a traffic circle earlier and then stayed put for a while. Pedersen eventually rode out the stage, but did so - as it turned out - with a broken collarbone. 'He will undergo further examination at the hospital in Herentals, where a rehabilitation plan will be made,' The Wolfpack said via its official channels.
Evenepoel was thus also unable to go for yellow moments later because he was held up by the fall. At Sporza, the Belgian reported that he hadn't cared about the leader's jersey at all either. 'I didn't have to do anything today. I wanted to come in at ease. Well, figuratively then. That succeeded. The mission of the day has succeeded. No, I didn't think about yellow. I am here without injury and hopefully it will stay that way. Others did fall seriously and that's not nice to see.'
Evenepoel and Landa prefer to look ahead to first mountain stage in Tour
Perhaps Evenepoel can still take the yellow on Tuesday, when the Tour de France presents a first mountain stage. Among others, the Galibier, at more than 2,600 meters, will be conquered. Evenepoel, however, thinks it is. 'Important, but it's not the most important day of the Tour. It won't be the toughest stage. There might be differences, but not the biggest differences. We have to be ready for the war and then we'll see what can come out.'
'It will be the first climbing test,' Mikel Landa also agreed at Cyclingnews. 'It's a short and tough stage, with a fast finish at the bottom. I assume UAE-Team Emirates will control and then we will have to follow them. It won't be decisive, but it will be an important day,' said Evenepoel's Spanish servant.