Bryan Coquard went after himself to save himself in extremis this Wednesday, in a terrible stage which got the better of his teammate Jens Debusschere.

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Christophe Petit-Tesson / AP / SIPA

  • Colombian Miguel Angel Lopez performed the great operation of the day by winning the 17th stage of the Tour de France at the top of the Col de la Loze.

  • Far from it, the Grande Boucle group had a hard time on Wednesday, like the “sacrifice” of Jens Debusschere in the B & B Hôtels-Vital Concept team.

  • 20 Minutes

    followed the lives of these runners who had experienced a great "hardship" to stay on schedule and make their way to the Champs-Elysées.

From our special correspondent at the Col de la Loze,

The favorites of the Tour de France are already slowly descending towards Méribel.

Dozens of spectators rush to join the gondolas and a police van with an overheating engine finds itself stuck on the side of the road.

However, the 17th stage of the Grande Boucle is far from over.

In the last section of the merciless Col de la Loze, the majority of the riders are fighting to reach the finish.

“I really had the impression that I was climbing today,” says Maxime Chevalier, 21-year-old runner from the B&B Hôtels-Vital Concept team.

The slopes were impressive with passages of over 20%.

I was afraid to be out of time today, and unfortunately we lose Jens.

”The Belgian Jens Debusschere is indeed the only one out of time in the Big Loop this Wednesday (42'43 with deadlines blocked at 37'35), at the cost of a" sacrifice "in favor of his teammate Bryan Coquard.

🗣 “A pain!

@jensdebus waited for me in La Madeleine and he drove the whole valley.

I didn't pass him a stint and did the last climb as best I could.

I picked up so much ... »Exhausted, @bryancoquard answers the journalists. # TDF2020 l #ThereIsNoTry pic.twitter.com/VDwe38pvOX

- B&B HOTELS - VITAL CONCEPT P / B KTM (@BBHotels_VC) September 16, 2020

"I even wondered what the hell I was doing here"

“Jens waited for me in the Col de la Madeleine,” says the French sprinter.

I didn't pass him a stint, then I did the last climb as best I could.

I picked up so much, it was a pain.

When Jens Debusschere saw on a big screen at the side of the road, 9 km from the summit, that Miguel Angel Lopez had already arrived, he understood that he would not take the start of the 18th stage on Thursday.

"I wanted to stay with Bryan, but I could not anymore, I was dead", summarizes the Belgian, deprived of Champs-Elysées.

Many riders feared the same outcome and had to dig deep within themselves for something to finish, tongue hanging out, staring into space, and jerky pedal strokes on a bike pitching across the width of this interminable ascent.

“The final was really tough,” confirms Geoffrey Soupe (Total Direct Energie), who finished in 86th position more than 26 minutes behind Miguel Angel Lopez.

It was a bit of a savage, everyone ended up snatching, in a daze.

I even wondered what the hell I was doing there as I no longer had a single dose of lucidity in me.

"

🤩 Relive stage 17 between Grenoble and the terrific Col de la Loze from inside the peloton.



🤩 Relive stage 17 between Grenoble and the terrible Col de la Loze from inside the peloton.

# TDF2020 #TDFunited pic.twitter.com/vOZMdfGFzL

- Tour de France ™ (@LeTour) September 16, 2020

"I was a little hallucinated to see Quintana among us"

“The slope is so irregular and steep here that after five hours of racing, moving our body and our bike seems difficult as ever, adds Cyril Barthe of B & B Hôtels-Vital Concept.

We just think about doing what it takes to cross the line.

He was still in the imposing gruppetto of the day alongside a former double runner-up from the Grande Boucle, a certain Nairo Quintana.

“I was a little hallucinated to see him here today,” smiles Geoffrey Soupe.

And this even if we already found ourselves with Julian Alaphilippe and even Egan Bernal on Tuesday [before his retirement].

We realize that sometimes it's not just us who suffer.

"

Nairo Quintana: “I am suffering, but I represent a great team, great partners.

It is pride that drives me, even if it hurts.

I want to finish this Tour de France 2020, and see Paris on Sunday.

»Pic.twitter.com/BzDau8HiIt

- Team Arkéa Samsic (@Arkea_Samsic) September 16, 2020

A meager satisfaction which does not compensate for these symbolic moments during which our regulars in the gruppetto cross paths with the leaders who have finished their day of racing.

"It really gives a damn, admits Geoffrey Soupe.

It puts us in front of the crazy differences that there are between them and us.

Like what, it is still quite the life of a climber.

»Discovering the statements of the day of the so serene Primoz Roglic yellow jersey could annoy the Total Direct Energie rider.

“The last four kilometers, it was completely crazy, it was even hell,” he says.

What does Primoz Roglic know in hell?

🗣 “A pain!

@jensdebus waited for me in La Madeleine and he drove the whole valley.

I didn't pass him a stint and did the last climb as best I could.

I picked up so much ... »Exhausted, @bryancoquard answers the journalists. # TDF2020 l #ThereIsNoTry pic.twitter.com/VDwe38pvOX

- B&B HOTELS - VITAL CONCEPT P / B KTM (@BBHotels_VC) September 16, 2020

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