Into the mountains with a parcours which featured a finish at the Super Planche des Belles Filles, which took the already formidable climb and added an extra bit at the top which has some 24% gradient on gravel. Tadej Pogacar won the stage up here in 2020, could he do it again?
Well, yes – and in what style! The entire UAE team played their part controlling the break and driving the chase up the final ascent before launching their man, with a perfect result. There was heart-break for brave bearded Lennard Kämna, caught on the last corner. Then it was advantage Vingegaard before the Slovenian’s will-power hauled him ahead on the line. Not quite a “bike throw” on the top of the mountain (calm down, Carlton Kirby!) but as close and exciting as you could wish for.
Team of the Day
Stage 7 was by a long way the most prolific day for velopoints so far with every team in the mini-league having at least one rider in the top ten today, with seven teams notching up three. Two teams had four: those Thin Fat Boys included Pogacar (1st), Thomas (3rd), Gaudu (5th) and Bardet (6th); while Team of the Day was Martin’s Le Tour for sure, with the Pog’s Banana Jersey in 1st and Vin’s Jumbo Yellow (with hints of Rembrandt, apparently) in 2nd, Kämna (BORA’s sage green, like I’ve just painted our lounge wall with) and Bardet in 8th and smart navy blue.
Stat du Jour
Today’s chart revisits the league standings as we have a new leader: Thin Fat Boys have leapt into the lead ahead of Team Ciclominaccia who had deposed Piles non comprises on Stage 6. Other big gains after the first mountain finish were Bad Knees.
Postcard from the Vosges
Vendredi 8 juillet Plancher-les-Mines
La Planches des Belles Filles evidently got its name from “a place with nice beech trees” but the wonders of folk etymology mangled the name into “beautiful girls” and grafted on a rather gruesome legend in which the girls in question threw themselves into a lake to escape the hands of marauding soldiers. Does the heat and high altitude affect the imagination?
St Thibault’s Day – so where was he? Pinot was yet again being talked up as a potential candidate for this stage, with the commentators getting excited every time he twitched in the peloton. With the weight of a nation on his shoulder and a camera following his every move, it can’t be easy when les jambes are just not up to it on the day.