Euskaraz irakurri: Victor Lafayk irabazi du Donostian, Van Aerten eta Pogacarren aurretik

The team’s French cyclist cofidis victor lafay ha cattle this sunday the second stage of the 2023 Tour de Francewhich started in Vitoria-Gasteiz and has ended in Saint Sebastianwhile the British runner of the UAE Emirates Adam Yates continue as leader of the general ranking. Lafay has launched, in the last kilometer, an attack that has surprised the group of the strongest in the race, made up of about 25 men, and has prevented all of them from risking the victory in the sprint; Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) has been secondand Pello Bilbao (Bahrain-Victorious) fifthunder the goal banner, in the Gipuzkoan capital, while Mikel Landa (Bahrain-Victorious)which has been, one more day, at the level of the best, has been placed in the tenth overall.

Lafay has ratified in San Sebastián that the excellent ascent to Pikebidea that he had made in the first stage of the Tour, on Saturday, was not a coincidence, but a consequence of his great moment of form. On the explosive climb the day before, he stayed in the lead with Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) and with Tadej Pogacar (UAE), and reached the banner of the mountain with them, before finishing the day in sixth position; now, in the Gipuzkoan capital, he has reached the last kilometer in the front group, and, with a brilliant attack that has not found an answer, he has claimed the most important victory of his career to date.

The stage, moreover, has once again provided a demonstration by the Euskal Herria fans, which has encouraged the Tour cyclists in every meter of the race and has completed the show offered by the riders in the best way. What remains to be remembered is what happened at the exit of Vitoria-Gasteiz, with thousands of people in the street, and in the decisive stretch of the day, like Jaizkibel, where the atmosphere has been, once again, very difficult to overcome.

Powless, to shore up his mountain jersey

The breakaway of the day took shape in the first kilometres, and was led by three men: the Frenchman from Soudal Quick-Step Rémi Cavagnaa classic of fugues, the American of the EF Education Neilson Powlessleader of the mountains classification, and the Norwegian of the TotalEnergies Edvald Boasson Hagen, a veteran with many prestigious wins to his credit. The breakaway was level, and that has been proven for many kilometres; It has not been fully neutralized until Powless, winner of the 2021 San Sebastián Classic, gave way in Jaizkibel, a handful of kilometers from the finish.

The effort made, yes, has earned the American from EF Education a good number of points, six, for the mountain jersey, since has been first in Udana, Aztiria, Alkiza and Gurutze, with which it is the leader of that classification. And, in addition, he has options to keep that jersey for several days, taking into account that the stages on Monday and Tuesday present, on their route, fewer scoring ports than the two disputed so far.

The peloton, thus, marched relatively calmly to Jaizkibel, where Vingegaard’s Jumbo-Visma, first, Simon Yates’ Jayco, then, and, finally, Pogacar’s UAE set a strong pace that he left behind to many runners, like Julian Alaphilippe, who has yielded two minutes and 25 seconds at the finish line. Pogacar has crowned the port in first place, with Vingegaard at his wheel; both started the descent ahead, but they were quickly caught up by their rivals, and the battle, at that point, was expected to be tough for the final kilometers of the day.

bilbao hair He has launched himself in the descent for the victory. The man from Gernika, however, was barely able to get away from his pursuers, who caught him as he entered San Sebastián. With the run launched and the sprint among the strongest already in preparation, he has reached the attack of Lafay, who has played his tricks better and has taken a spectacular victory.

stage classification

1. LAFAY Victor (Cofidis) 4:46:39

2. VAN AERT Wout (Jumbo) mt

3. POGACAR Tadej (UAE) mt

4. PIDCOCK Thomas (INEOS) mt

5. BILBAO Pello (Bahrain) mt

6. SKJELMOSE Mattias (Trek) mt

7. WOODS Michael (Israel) mt

8. BARDET Romain (DSM) m t.

9. TEUNS Dylan (Israel) mt

10. HINDLEY Jai (BORA) mt

General ranking

1. Adam YACHTS (UAE) 9:09:18

2. POGACAR Tadej (UAE) +0:06

3. YACHTS Simon (Jayco) mt

4. LAFAY Victor (Cofidis) +0:12

5. VAN AERT Wout (Jumbo) +0:16

6. VINGEGAARD ​​Jonas (Jumbo) +0:17

7. WOODS Michael (Israel) +0:22

8. SKJELMOSE Mattias (Trek) mt

9. HINDLEY Jai (BORA) mt

10. LANDA Mikel (Bahrain) mt

Source: Eitb

Kingston

Kingston is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his in-depth and engaging writing on sports. He currently works as a writer at 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the sports industry.