Frenchman Nans Peters, winner of the eighth stage of the Tour de France between Cazères-sur-Garonne and Loudenvielle, this Saturday.
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Stephane Mahé / AP / Sipa
The first stage of the Pyrenees between Cazères-sur-Garonne and Loudenvielle gave rise to a superb spectacle.
If Pinot sank, other French people ensured, the stage winner Nans Peters in the lead.
After a tasteless start, this so special Tour de France is gaining momentum.
From our special correspondent in Loudenvielle,
Béarn is under pressure.
Because the ninth stage of the Tour de France 2020, Sunday between Pau and Laruns, will have to work hard to exceed the intensity of that experienced on Saturday between Cazères-sur-Garonne and Loudenvielle.
This is not always the case in the Grande Boucle, especially in the first week, but the three passes picked up (Menté, Port de Balès, Peyresourde) in less than 100 km during this first Pyrenean getaway did the job ...
And the French, with one (big) exception, ensured, with a second victory in eight days thanks to Nans Peters, successor to Julian Alaphilippe winner Sunday in Nice, but much more discreet this Saturday.
Nans Peters, the newbie winner
Of course, on a symbolic level, it was not worth Laurent Brochard's success when the tour first arrived at Loudenvielle on July 14, 1997. But Nans Peters has already left his mark on this hidden Tour in September.
Already, let's clear up a misunderstanding among the general public, who might believe that we are talking about a Flemish or Dutch adventurer.
The AG2R-La Mondiale rider certainly has origins in the Netherlands via his paternal grandparents, but the 26-year-old native of Isère flies the blue-white-red flag.
🚴 "I saw he was going down like a goat", Nans Peters unfiltered about his opponent of the day Ilnur Zakarin.
The Frenchman made "a dream" by winning his 1st stage of the Tour de France # TDF2020
▶ Follow the race live: https://t.co/FXbMjUcgXu pic.twitter.com/c9M57JRLXf
- France tv sport (@francetvsport) September 5, 2020
And he learns quickly.
Last year, he won a stage of the Giro, at the Anterselva biathlon stadium, for his first participation.
This time, this "loose nothing", as he defines himself in agreement with his sports director Vincent Lavenu, struck from his debut on the Tour.
“I'm not going for two or three shots on a flat stage,” he explains.
I know how to put my energy in when there is a chance to go to the end.
"
Ilnur Zakarin can attest to this.
Released in the descent of the Port of Balès, the Russian got closer for a time to a handful of seconds, but he never saw the Frenchman again who "slightly" chambered him on arrival, a caprine comparison to the 'support.
Two French in the Top 4
"When you've won a stage, you breathe better".
Even with a mask, could say Vincent Lavenu, boss filled after the victory of Peters, but not only.
The polka-dot jersey thus remained on the shoulders of Benoît Cosnefroy at the end of this first mountain stage.
And then Romain Bardet, tenth in Loudenvielle, jumped overall by jumping over Quintana, Dumoulin and Bernal to settle in fourth place, 11 seconds behind the yellow jersey Adam Yates.
Strong, but there is a big downside, because of a fall in the Col de Menté.
“It's a great day for the team, reacted the Auvergnat, second in 2016 and third in 2017. As for me, it's much more mixed.
My knee is really sore and I'm going to get treatment quickly.
"
On the attack to try to put on a beautiful jersey ... First Pyrenean stage concluded among the best ✅.
Still 3rd in GC after the first mountain test in the Pyrenees.
Happy with the legs.
@TeamCOFIDIS @LeTour
📸 James Startt - Zoom pic.twitter.com/FtAlXnwTIF
- Guillaume Martin (@GuilmMartin) September 5, 2020
The best Frenchman at the start of the Tour remains the astonishing Guillaume Martin (Cofidis), 15th in Loudenvielle and third overall, nine seconds behind the fragile leader Adam Yates and six behind the Slovenian favorite Primoz Roglic.
Roll on Sunday, as the other would say.
Pogacar, the TGV from Peyresourde
Let us get out of our chauvinistic prism.
Side favorites, Primoz Roglic, whose Team Jumbo has again shown its power, did not seem to force too much while Egan Bernal, winner last year, did not necessarily reassure.
On the other hand, Tadej Pogacar was amazed, the day after a rotten day between Millau and Lavaur, where he had been trapped in a curb and had to drop 1 '21 ”.
🚨 Tadej Pogacar set today a historic NEW RECORD on Col de Peyresourde: 24 min 35 sec.
He improved Vinokourov and Mayo's time from 2003 by 45 seconds!
One of the highest performances of the last two decades: ~ 6.8 w / kg!
# TDF2020 https://t.co/TlToW2Nh4i pic.twitter.com/ZOfBvrFhIV
- Mihai Simion (@ faustocoppi60) September 5, 2020
This time, the very young Slovenian (21 years old) exploded everything in the Peyresourde pass.
"I saw that the others were looking at each other and that everyone was at the limit, I had the opportunity to attack and I went all the way for the last five kilometers to the top."
Said like that, it looks simple… And as he kept the tempo going on the descent towards the finish, Pogacar took 40 seconds off the other big names.
People and enthusiasm
If we want to disregard the masks on the faces, we would sometimes have thought we were back in the world before the Covid-19, on this thrilling Saturday of the Tour de France.
With a crowd often dense as in the climb of the Col de Peyresourde, who howls and grazes (almost) without touching their heroes ... On arrival in Loudenvielle, there was also a crowd (including some Colombian jerseys) and not lack of enthusiasm despite being "parked" in enclosed enclosures to avoid crowds as much as possible.
A sign of the times, the “Tour de France” mask distributed free of charge by security guards to distracted people who have forgotten theirs, seems to have become a “goodie” as popular as the bob Cochonou of yesteryear.
With the sun long present above the enchanting setting of Loudenvielle and its Neste du Louron river, flowing 20 meters from the finish line, it was almost like a normal July.
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