Wout van Aert finally in control! The Belgian was overtaken in the sprint by the Dutchman Fabio Jakobsen in the second stage of the Tour de France, Saturday in Nyborg, but donned the yellow jersey.
Second for the second time in 24 hours, van Aert took the yellow jersey through bonuses. Without his happiness being completely complete since the Belgian from the Jumbo team lost half a wheel in the first massive sprint of the Tour.
“I end up saying it’s better to finish second than nowhere,” smiled WVA, one of the strongmen of the peloton since its first participation in the Tour in 2019. “This weekend, my second places are worth the reward yellow jersey”.
The stage, feared by many, ended with an almost complete peloton (169 out of 176) classified at the same time. Because the wind slowed the race and deterred the attackers on the double bridge of the Great Belt, connecting two of the large islands of Denmark.
Even the big fall in the final, which delayed Slovenian favorite Tadej Pogacar and part of the peloton, had no chronometric consequences. At less than three kilometers, the gaps are neutralized according to the usual cycling regulations.
– Favorite over Cavendish –
“To be honest, it was pretty boring. The headwind was quite strong. After 180 kilometers, it felt like training. It’s due to the circumstances, the weather conditions,” van Aert said in response to a question about crossing the Great Belt strait, a visual treat for viewers.
The first massive sprint of the Tour 2022 therefore ended in favor of the favorite of the exercise, winner for the eleventh time of the year and invested with full responsibilities in his Quick-Step team. Jakobsen justified the choice of his boss Patrick Lefevere, who preferred him to the Briton Mark Cavendish, holder with Eddy Merckx of the record for stage victories (34).
Less than two years after his very serious accident in the Tour of Poland, the Dutchman made his debut in the Tour brilliantly at the age of 25. On August 5, 2020, he was between life and death on the Katowice road after a monumental fall, caused by the Dutchman Dylan Groenewegen, who would then be suspended.
After several surgeries, Jakobsen returned to competition the following April, a first resurrection. He then accumulated victories, another performance: nineteen out of the 24 massive sprints contested!
– Between sky and sea –
“I have come a long way”, admitted the Dutchman, moved, after his 36th success which continues the series of his Belgian formation since the Belgian Yves Lampaert had won Friday during the time trial in Copenhagen.
“It’s a shame to lose the yellow jersey but the most important thing is to win,” said Lampaert, who did his job as a teammate throughout this 202.2 kilometer stage.
The Belgian also defended his yellow jersey: caught in a collective fall shortly after entering the double bridge of the Great Belt, between sky and sea, he took his place in the peloton. Just like, subsequently, the Colombian Rigoberto Uran (second in the 2017 Tour), delayed a few moments earlier.
In this stage, the Danish public, who came en masse but wisely lined up on both sides of the road, celebrated the passage of the Tour peloton. Without causing the slightest fall until the approach of the more agitated finale.
On Sunday, the Tour spends its last day in Denmark in the 182 kilometer long third stage between Vejle and Sönderborg, before the evening transfer to France.
