Team Jumbo Visma’s attack pays off
Jonas Vingegaard of Team Jumbo-Visma rode away from his competitors on the Col du Granon on Wednesday during Stage 11 of the Tour de France. Five kilometers later, he arrived solo at the finish line and earned the yellow jersey after his resounding victory.
The peloton had to cross several alpine giants in the challenging 151.7-kilometer stage. After the Col du Telegraphe and the Col du Galibier, the subsequent Col du Granon was decisive. Team Jumbo-Visma perfectly dropped Vingegaard off at the foot of the final climb.
It was all part of the team’s plan, which gave the competition a hard time for hours.
“The team rode a fantastic stage,” Vingegaard said. The Dane was part of a plan in which his team tried to hurt the competition. It resulted in a man-to-man fight on the penultimate climb.
On the ascent of the Col du Granon, Vingegaard kept quiet for a while.
About 5 kilometers from the finish, however, the Dane turned the race on its head.
Vingegaard’s attack proved too much for his rivals.
“I felt the competition was struggling after my attack,” he said. “The moment I rode in front, I felt our plan worked well. I am so incredibly grateful to my teammates. When a great champion like Primoz sacrifices himself in service of me, I can only look at that with great admiration.”
Vingegaard was handed the yellow jersey after his third win of the season.
“This is what I dreamed of as a child,” he said. “It’s nice to be second in the general classification, but the podium’s highest step is the absolute goal. We now have the yellow jersey and will do everything we can to bring it to Paris. We will keep fighting until the last meter. Fortunately, I feel empowered by a powerful team.”
Team Jumbo-Visma’s Tour team has now recorded 29 victories this season.
Vingegaard won in 4 hours, 18 minutes and 2 seconds, 59 seconds ahead of runner-up Nairo Quintana of Team Arkea-Samsic. Tadej Pogacar of UAE Team Emirates went with Jumbo-Visma when it attacked, but showed weakness for the first time on the Tour and finished seventh, 2:51 after Vingegaard, to lose the yellow jersey. Pogacar is now third in the GC, trailing by 2:22. Romain Bardet of Team DSM moved up five spots into second (+2:16).
Wout Van Aert won the first sprint to grab another 20 points and extend his lead in the points competition.
Jumbo-Visma had six riders finish in the top 25 Wednesday, including Durangoan Sepp Kuss, who finished 19th (+11:31). Steven Kruijswujk (ninth, +3:59), Kuss, Primoz Roglic (20th, +11:31), Tiesj Benoot (22nd, +13:47) and Van Aert (25th, +17:27) also finished near the front.
Kuss moved up nine spots in the GC to 18th (+24:52).
Fellow Durangoan Quinn Simmons finished 89th on Stage 11 (+30:37) for Trek-Segafredo.
