Impresa al Tour de France quella inventata oggi dal francese Julian Alaphilippe nella 3a tappa pianeggiante BINCHE > ÉPERNAY di 215 Km, con bellissimo finale comprendente una serie di Côtes l'arrivo in salita. 

Alaphilippe ha anticipato tutti scattando a 16 km dall'arrivo sulla Côte du Mutigny, creando il vuoto come solo al campione della Deceuninck-Quick riesce ed andando a prendere l'ultimo dei fuggitivi Tim Wellens ed ha guadagnato in pochi km fino ad 1 minuto e mezzo, contenendo il contrattacco del gruppo mosso prima dai compagni di squadra della ex maglia gialla Teunissen, poi Landa della Movistar ed infine Bernal edi compagni della INEOS, chiudendo in solitaria la sua impresa con un vantaggio sufficiente a fargli indossare sul palco di Éparnay una maglia gialla che vale oro.

 

Alaphilippe leads the Tour de France after magnificent solo win  An all-out attack with 16 kilometers to go paved the way for a memorable victory in the land of champagne 08-Jul-2019: Exhausted, overcome with emotion and in seventh heaven – this is how Julian Alaphilippe crossed the finish line of the 215km-long Tour de France stage 3, after uncorking a tremendous attack on the last classified climb of the day and keeping the chasers behind on the rolling terrain taking to Épernay, a stage finish for the first time in 56 years.  The win, his 11th of a stellar season, that includes triumphs also in Milano-Sanremo, Flèche Wallonne and Strade Bianche moved Alaphilippe into the yellow jersey, as he became the first Frenchman to wear the prestigious garment in the year it celebrates a century, closing a five-year gap, the longest in the history of the race without a home rider in the iconic yellow jersey.  “It’s an incredible feeling. Before the Tour I was dreaming of this scenario, to take the win and the yellow jersey here, so I was really focused, although I knew it was going to be difficult. I rode full gas and gave everything, and to take also yellow together with this victory is definitely one of the best moments of my career”, a delighted Julian said after being congratulated by the Deceuninck – Quick-Step teammates and staff.    Monday’s stage was one of the longest at this year’s edition, but that didn’t bother our squad, who duly took the front of the peloton and cut a significant chunk of time from the escapees’ six-minute advantage by the time they entered in the final 50 kilometers. Another injection of pace further shrunk the gap and resulted in four of the five leaders being brought back before the 900m Côte de Mutigny, a short but nasty and narrow climb averaging 12.2%.  That’s where Deceuninck – Quick-Step’s 27-year-old rider launched an explosive burst as soon as Dries Devenyns finished his top job at the head of the pack and rode away from the thinned-out bunch, catching the last survivor of the breakaway over the top of the hill and powering clear on the descent, where he nudged out his lead to 50 seconds. The long roads didn’t quite play into his favour, but Alaphilippe was unfazed by this and continued to push the pedal to the medal, riding at a 47.2km/h average through the famous vineyards of the Marne department.  Going into the closing kilometer, Julian possessed a 20-second margin over the chasers, which proved sufficient for him to notch up with panache a third career stage victory at the Tour de France and ensure a spell in the maillot jaune – the sixth different Deceuninck – Quick-Step rider since 2003 to pull on the famous jersey.  “The team protected me throughout the day and I tried to save energy before the final kilometers. Then, on the Mutigny, I asked Dries to up the tempo so I could assert the situation on the climb, before going full gas and never looking behind. I didn’t plan to go solo, but I continued to push and stretched out my advantage to nearly one minute. I knew the finale, I knew that it suited me, but it’s always difficult to meet the expectations when you are the favourite”, said Julian after becoming the 85th Frenchman to wear the leader’s jersey. “I am speechless, I am living a dream in this moment and all I want to do now is savour this unbelievable moment together with my team.”   Available Images to download Julian-Alaphilippe-Tour-de-France-Stage-3-Yellow-Jersey---_Tim-De-Waele---Getty-Images.JPG - Julian Alaphilippe Tour de France Stage 3 Yellow Jersey / All pictures attached can be used for editorial and non commercial usages only and are copyright protected - © Deceuninck - Quick-Step - ©Tim De Waele / Getty Image - Photo credit: ©Tim De Waele/ Getty Images Julian-Alaphilippe-Tour-de-France-Stage-3-Victory---_Tim-De-Waele---Getty-Images.jpg - Julian Alaphilippe Tour de France Stage 3 Victory / All pictures attached can be used for editorial and non commercial usages only and are copyright protected - © Deceuninck - Quick-Step - ©Tim De Waele / Getty Image - Photo credit: ©Tim De Waele/ Getty Images Julian-Alaphilippe-Tour-de-France-Stage-3-Podium---_Tim-De-Waele---Getty-Images.JPG - Julian Alaphilippe Tour de France Stage 3 Podium / All pictures attached can be used for editorial and non commercial usages only and are copyright protected - © Deceuninck - Quick-Step - ©Tim De Waele / Getty Image - Photo credit: ©Tim De Waele/ Getty Images

 Lotto Soudal: Tim Wellens takes the polka dot jersey!

Tomorrow, Tim Wellens will start the fourth stage of the Tour de France as the leader in the King of the Mountains classification. The Belgian already attacked after three kilometres and got, partly due to a flat tyre, caught at fifteen kilometres from the finish. He punctured on the last climb and therefore could not join Julian Alaphilippe, who attacked from the bunch and went on to win the stage. Wellens was rewarded with the most aggressive rider award and the polka dot jersey. Tiesj Benoot was the first Lotto Soudal rider on eleventh place.

Tim Wellens: “It wasn’t the initial plan for me to go on the attack. Thomas De Gendt would try to go in the breakaway, but he doesn’t get a lot of space.  After all those years, the other teams of course have come to know him. I only had to move along once and I was already in the right breakaway of the day. The cooperation with my fellow escapees went very smoothly and we built up an advantage of six minutes quite easily, but when the peloton started accelerating, I noticed I had to attack because the tempo in the breakaway wasn’t high enough. So I attacked at 45 kilometres from the finish line, because I knew I was the strongest rider up front.”

“Initially I attacked because I wanted to take the points for the polka dot jersey, but at one moment I started believing there could be more. Immediately thereafter, the peloton started picking up the pace and winning became a lot more difficult. At the foot of the last climb, I had a flat tyre, so I had to stop. Luckily, I was able to get those last two points for the polka dot jersey, but following Alaphilippe and going for a better result was no longer possible.”

“Beating Alaphilippe would be very difficult, but you never know. Maybe I could keep up with him and get a better result. That being said, I am very happy with the polka dot jersey. There will be no danger of losing it tomorrow. On Wednesday and on Thursday, there are a lot more points to win and then it will depend on the shape of the day if I can be in the breakaway again and keep the jersey a bit longer.”

Tour de France #3: Main group finish for Boasson Hagen & Kreuziger Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-Quickstep) raced to the stage 3 victory at the Tour de France, taking the yellow jersey too. Michael Matthews (Team Sunweb) was 2nd and Jasper Stuyven (Trek-Segafredo) 3rd.  Today's stage 3 of the Tour de France took in 215km of France's best champagne vineyard countryside. The final 45km of the stage was where all the action was predicted for, as 5 short steep climbs was the sting in the tail.  Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka was looking to Edvald Boasson Hagen for today's finale but were at the mercy of how the stage favourites attacked the final climbs.  As expected, the pace was fierce from the first climb, and immediately the peloton began to thin. Edvald Boasson Hagen, Roman Kreuziger and Michael Valgren were focused at the job at hand and hung near the front, even when only 60-odd riders remained.  On the penultimate climb, Alaphilippe made his move, attacking over the summit and nobody could follow the Frenchman. It was a 12km solo effort for the Deceuninck rider and he was able to hold off the main chase group to take the stage and the yellow jersey.  Valgren worked to position Boasson Hagen and Kreuzier in the sprint for 2nd place, but the sharp climbing final 500m saw our riders finish within the group but outside of the top stage placing's.  " It was really fast in the start and and also lumpy so that made it quite hard. It was also really hard in the final climbs but Michael and Roman did a good job. We were actually always positioned pretty well for the final but my legs were not so good today, we will try again the next time" - Edvald Boasson Hagen  While Alaphilippe leads the race overall, for Team Dimension Data, Boasson Hagen (35th) and Kreuziger (37th) are our two best placed riders on the GC, at +1'19".  Image: Getty Images

Ordine d’arrivo 3a tappa del Tour de France
1    Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Deceuninck-QuickStep    4:40:29     
2    Michael Matthews (Aus) Team Sunweb    0:00:26     
3    Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek-Segafredo          
4    Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) CCC Team          
5    Peter Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe          
6    Matteo Trentin (Ita) Mitchelton-Scott          
7    Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Bahrain-Merida          
8    Xandro Meurisse (Bel) Wanty-Gobert          
9    Wout Van Aert (Bel) Team Jumbo-Visma          
10    Thibaut Pinot (Fra) Groupama-FDJ          
11    Tiesj Benoot (Bel) Lotto Soudal          
12    Egan Bernal (Col) Team Ineos          
13    Geraint Thomas (GBr) Team Ineos    0:00:31     
14    Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Astana Pro Team          
15    Guillaume Martin (Fra) Wanty-Gobert          
16    Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale          
17    Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) Team Jumbo-Visma          
18    Alexey Lutsenko (Kaz) Astana Pro Team          
19    Rudy Molard (Fra) Groupama-FDJ          
20    Michael Woods (Can) EF Education First          
21    Rigoberto Uran (Col) EF Education First          
22    Giulio Ciccone (Ita) Trek-Segafredo          
23    Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Bahrain-Merida          
24    Patrick Konrad (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe          
25    Adam Yates (GBr) Mitchelton-Scott          
26    Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Dimension Data          
27    Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Team Sunweb          
28    Emanuel Buchmann (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe          
29    Mikel Landa (Spa) Movistar Team          
30    Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team          
31    Daniel Martin (Irl) UAE Team Emirates          
32    Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Dimension Data          
33    Warren Barguil (Fra) Arkéa Samsic          
34    Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek-Segafredo          
35    Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar Team          
36    Fabio Felline (Ita) Trek-Segafredo          
37    Richie Porte (Aus) Trek-Segafredo          
38    Enric Mas (Spa) Deceuninck-QuickStep          
39    Maximilian Schachmann (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe          
40    David Gaudu (Fra) Groupama-FDJ          
41    Rui Costa (Por) UAE Team Emirates          
42    Jack Haig (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott          
43    Tejay Van Garderen (USA) EF Education First          
44    Nicolas Roche (Irl) Team Sunweb          
45    Jesus Herrada (Spa) Cofidis Solutions Credits          
46    Nicolas Edet (Fra) Cofidis Solutions Credits          
47    Rein Taaramäe (Est) Total Direct Energie          
48    Alexis Vuillermoz (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale          
49    Gregor Mühlberger (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe          
50    Luis León Sanchez (Spa) Astana Pro Team          
…. 


Classifica generale al termine della 3a tappa del Tour de France
1    Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Deceuninck-QuickStep    9:32:19     
2    Wout Van Aert (Bel) Team Jumbo-Visma    0:00:20     
3    Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) Team Jumbo-Visma    0:00:25     
4    George Bennett (NZl) Team Jumbo-Visma          
5    Michael Matthews (Aus) Team Sunweb    0:00:40     
6    Egan Bernal (Col) Team Ineos          
7    Geraint Thomas (GBr) Team Ineos    0:00:45     
8    Enric Mas (Spa) Deceuninck-QuickStep    0:00:46     
9    Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) CCC Team    0:00:51     
10    Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Team Sunweb          
11    Michael Woods (Can) EF Education First          
12    Thibaut Pinot (Fra) Groupama-FDJ    0:00:52     
13    Rigoberto Uran (Col) EF Education First    0:00:53     
14    Tejay Van Garderen (USA) EF Education First          
15    Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Bahrain-Merida    0:00:56     
16    Rudy Molard (Fra) Groupama-FDJ    0:00:57     
17    David Gaudu (Fra) Groupama-FDJ          
18    Peter Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe    0:01:00     
19    Nicolas Roche (Irl) Team Sunweb          
20    Matteo Trentin (Ita) Mitchelton-Scott    0:01:01     
21    Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Bahrain-Merida          
22    Adam Yates (GBr) Mitchelton-Scott    0:01:06     
23    Alexey Lutsenko (Kaz) Astana Pro Team          
24    Daryl Impey (RSA) Mitchelton-Scott          
25    Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Astana Pro Team          
26    Luis León Sanchez (Spa) Astana Pro Team          
27    Pello Bilbao (Spa) Astana Pro Team          
28    Patrick Konrad (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe    0:01:11     
29    Maximilian Schachmann (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe          
30    Gregor Mühlberger (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe          
31    Sébastien Reichenbach (Swi) Groupama-FDJ          
32    Emanuel Buchmann (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe          
33    Nicolas Edet (Fra) Cofidis Solutions Credits    0:01:18     
34    Jesus Herrada (Spa) Cofidis Solutions Credits          
35    Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Dimension Data    0:01:19     
36    Tiesj Benoot (Bel) Lotto Soudal          
37    Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Dimension Data          
38    Daniel Martin (Irl) UAE Team Emirates    0:01:28     
39    Rui Costa (Por) UAE Team Emirates          
40    Jack Haig (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott    0:01:29     
41    Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar Team    0:01:30     
42    Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team          
43    Mikel Landa (Spa) Movistar Team          
44    Marc Soler (Spa) Movistar Team          
45    Alessandro De Marchi (Ita) CCC Team    0:01:31     
46    Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek-Segafredo    0:01:34     
47    Giulio Ciccone (Ita) Trek-Segafredo    0:01:43     
48    Richie Porte (Aus) Trek-Segafredo          
49    Fabio Felline (Ita) Trek-Segafredo          
50    Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek-Segafredo          
51    Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale    0:01:44     
…