Tour de France - Bauhaus back among the greats - "Getting the best out of it"
Phil Bauhaus rode calmly one more lap on his racing bike after the high-speed finale in Dijon, then he found new hope for the Tour de France with a fourth place finish. "I gave my best. My legs were not good, so I'm very satisfied," said the German sprinter, who is gradually approaching the podium places at the world's biggest cycling race.
It's not quite enough to the front yet. A good sprint lane was missing for Dylan Groenewegen, who could be seen celebrating in the photo finish. The Dutchman, who was suspended for four years ago due to his rough riding style, raced to victory over 163.5 kilometers from Macon to Dijon. However, Jasper Philipsen was demoted to 107th place due to dangerous riding. As a result, Biniam Girmay from Eritrea and Colombian Fernando Gaviria moved up to second and third place. Mark Cavendish, the sprint king, was not present in the final. He took a small break after his record-breaking performance.
The sprints at the Tour are more open than in previous years. Everything seems possible. Bauhaus, who surprised everyone last year with three podium finishes, has not yet achieved the big coup. His German teammate Pascal Ackermann finished ninth.
Cavendish misses the momentum
Cavendish played no role in this race, finishing 19th. "I lost the momentum in the finale," said the record holder, who was welcomed at the team bus by his wife and children. The day before, he had made history with his 35th Tour de France stage win and surpassed Eddy Merckx's record of 34. "The last night was a bit strange. I was a bit shocked, but also happy," reported Cavendish.
Merckx couldn't resist from afar, congratulating his successor in the record books on Instagram. "What a great guy, who broke my record," wrote the 79-year-old.
A big winner in Dijon was Groenewegen, who secured his sixth Tour de France stage win. "It feels good to win here and in the Dutch champion's jersey. I had the right moment. I didn't know if it was enough," said Groenewegen, who was suspended for nine months after pushing Fabio Jakobsen into the barriers at the Poland Tour.
Pogacar continues to wear the Yellow Jersey
Tadej Pogacar continues to wear the Yellow Jersey on his shoulders. The two-time champion finished one day before the first time trial with the main peloton and still leads by 45 seconds over Belgian time trial world champion Remco Evenepoel. Defending champion Jonas Vingegaard from Denmark is third, 50 seconds behind.
The hot topic of conversation on Thursday was Cavendish's record-breaking win. "Mark Cavendish - the Cannibal," titled the Tour organizer "L'Equipe" in reference to Merckx's nickname and wrote further: "The homage of a king." The Briton had undergone a transformation "from Hooligan to Monk," from the hated driver to the peaceful family man.
Cavendish's colleagues congratulate him.
Accordingly great was also the recognition of the colleague drivers, who were still mostly children during Cavendish's Tour-Premiere 2007. "He told me not to take the record away from him so quickly. But I don't think I can do that. That's an incredible win", said Pogacar, who celebrated his twelfth stage victory on the heavy mountain stage over the Col de Galibier on the Tuesday.
"If there is someone who deserves this record, then it's him", said Evenepoel, a Belgian compatriot of Merckx. Wout van Aert was also fascinated. "I watched Mark still on the TV when I was not yet a pro. I have a lot of respect for him. He is a big champion", said the nine-time Tour-stage winner from Belgium.
On Friday, Cavendish must yield the stage to the stars of the industry again, when it comes to the next power struggle in the first Individual Time Trial. 25.3 kilometers lie between Nuits-Saint-Georges, where Marcel Kittel triumphed in the sprint in 2017, and Gevrey-Chambertin to be covered. Except for a small incline in the middle of the course, the entire route is completely flat.
Bauhaus's fourth-place finish in Dijon brings him closer to the podium in the International Tour de France, a testament to his improving form in the UCI WorldTour event. Groenewegen secured his sixth Tour de France stage victory in France, marking a significant comeback after his suspension for dangerous riding. Eritrea's Biniam Girmay moved up to second place due to Jasper Philipsen's demotion, while Colombian Fernando Gaviria took third. Despite his absence in the final, Mark Cavendish celebrated his record-breaking 35th Tour de France stage win, surpassing Eddy Merckx's long-standing record. Evenepoel, a Belgian time trial world champion, trails Pogacar by 45 seconds in the race for the yellow jersey. Cavendish's colleagues, including Belgian champions Van Aert and Pogacar, were quick to congratulate him on his remarkable achievement. The stage victory on Friday will be contested in the Individual Time Trial, a flat 25.3-kilometer race between Nuits-Saint-Georges and Gevrey-Chambertin. Merckx, the seven-time Tour de France champion and the record holder until Cavendish's extraordinary performance, acknowledged the new record holder on his Instagram.
