🚴🇫🇷 | Oei, Kevin Avoine... Deze moet pijn hebben gedaan! #TourDeLaProvence. 📺 Koers kijk je op discovery+
Mads Pedersen endures hellish weather conditions the best and secures back-to-back wins in Provence
CyclingFriday, 09 February 2024 at 12:35
Mads Pedersen continues to tear through the start of the cycling season. The 28-year-old Dane was the strongest in the second stage of the Tour de la Provence after winning the first, thereby further securing his lead in the overall standings.
On the second day, the route went from Aix-en-Provence to Martigues over a distance of 157 kilometers. The race started in the interior of the French department but included some stretches along the coast towards the finish. With the Col de Bonnieux (7.0 km at 2.7%) and the Col de Vernegues (6 km at 2.8%), there were a few hills scattered throughout the stage, but a sprint seemed the most likely scenario.
Unlike Paris-Nice (the 'Race to the Sun'), it was a day full of rain and misery. Right from the start, the heavens opened, and the gates did not close until the finish line. Six riders didn't let it dampen their spirits and sought to warm up by forming the day's breakaway. They were the Frenchmen Alexis Gougeard (Cofidis), Thomas Bonnet (TotalEnergies), Kévin Avoine (Van Rysel-Roubaix), Jonathan Couanon (Nice Métropole Côte d'Azur), Alexis Guerin (Philippe Wagner/Bazin), and the Canadian Robin Plamondon (CIC U Nantes Atlantique).
French escapee miraculously avoids crashing
The peloton, led by Lidl-Trek, didn't give the breakaway group much leeway, and as the finish line drew closer, Guerin and Couanon were completely chilled and had to let their fellow escapees go. Not much later, Plamondon also dropped back, both literally and figuratively, and Avoine was extremely lucky not to crash on the slippery road surface. The Frenchman slid on a bump in the road, ended up landing on the frame, and swerved from left to right but eventually managed to regain control of his bike. Avoine clearly has a guardian angel...
Driven by 'El Tractor' Tim Declercq, Pedersen and company allowed the escapees to flounder a bit more, but had they miscalculated? With eight kilometers to the end, the French trio still had almost a minute's lead, but then Groupama-FDJ moved to the front, quickly closing in on the breakaway.
Alex Kirsch entered the final straight with Pedersen, and the Luxembourgish champion launched his sprinter at the perfect moment, leaving Pedersen to only fend off Frenchman Axel Zingle (Cofidis) and the Brit Samuel Watson (Groupama-FDJ).
Results stage 2 Tour de la Provence 2024
Il Lombardia 2024
The Pogacar effect: How Tadej has shaped the career of Matthews in a crucial way
Can Decathlon AG2R's big budget strike back against the 'Big Four' this spring?
Iserbyt suffers from nerve pain in his leg every day: "This is not an injury, it is my way of life"
Preview World Cup Zonhoven 2024 | Watch and enjoy Mathieu van der Poel's return!
2025 Vuelta a España course: A climber’s feast... and an open invitation to Pogacar
Latest Cycling News
The Pogacar effect: How Tadej has shaped the career of Matthews in a crucial way
Can Decathlon AG2R's big budget strike back against the 'Big Four' this spring?
Iserbyt suffers from nerve pain in his leg every day: "This is not an injury, it is my way of life"
Preview World Cup Zonhoven 2024 | Watch and enjoy Mathieu van der Poel's return!
2025 Vuelta a España course: A climber’s feast... and an open invitation to Pogacar
Popular Cycling News
The world turned upside down: UAE's new prodigy wants to gain weight to become the Swiss Pogacar
Meanwhile in the peloton | Van Aert goes running in honor of late "emperor" Rik Van Looy, Vernon suffers fracture
New gear aims to make Vingegaard and Van Aert faster: "Perfectly suited to the riders' needs"
Cycling kits 2025: Movistar and Jayco AlUla embrace bold new designs
"New super team" XDS Astana has no room for Cavendish in management: "He didn’t want to just be an ambassador"
Latest Comments
- I wish we could have seen him try. He'd absolutely get dropped before Pogi overtakes his domestiquesVeganpotter10-12-2024
- Talk is cheap! Next year barring crashes with a healthy team... all well be on track! Some need to talk to make a headline!mootman27-11-2024
- I do not see this event listed on HBO Max Sports Online? Can anyone confirm? Thanks!
MrYuck23-11-2024 - It seemed that he was focusing forward at the time of the crash, after seeing a quick video snippet. But one thing I think he should focus on more intently is breaking a bad habit he has, right now. And that is his constant looking over his shoulders. He does that so much, that I am very sure it is not good for him. Simply watch videos of the greats of CX and you will see very little of that constant looking over their shoulders. That is a behavior that betrays a bit of insecurity on his part. He shouldn't be so concerned, incessantly, about what is over his shoulder. He needn't worry they didn't all disappear. He neds to keep his focus more ahead of himself, and he needs to pay a bit more attention to himself, in a confident manner. It is very frustrating to watch, because it is apparent that he has a lot of potential, and is in much better shape thwan many of his competitors, but the mental game needs to be sharpened more, because that part of strategy plays a huge part in the final results
reemmo022-11-2024 - hahahaha love this shit! I didnt even watched the race, but reading all the gossip articles of how stupid this is!Zatoichi19-11-2024
- Van Aert is really handsome. He can influence me all day! Ditto for Philipsen. Why do you think many of us love cycling?: to see heroic attempts at climbing mountains at high altitudes or to watch speedsters sprint for the finish line or to watch a human being ride at break neck speed down a tricky descent? No, it's all about their lean physiques and muscular legs. (apologies for objectifying these dedicated and amazing athletes).BarwonHeadsUp25-10-2024
- It is unfortunate that the author can't feel the joy that Pogacar brings to the sport and his fans who are legion and I for one feel lucky to have watched such a memorable performance and historic season From the Strada until yesterday with multiple wins in stages in both tours and beyond dominance in the World's. He is proud to wear the Rainbow stripes, shows his leadership to protect his fellows and is as courteous and sportsman-like as the sport allows. He goes early to not have to respond to each attack as all the rest would make him do it. Any racer who could would do the same. Don't "grow tired" of greatness as it is always fleeting.ccrider13-10-2024
- What load of rubbish. Pog is likely a once in a generation cyclist, the like of which hasn't been seen since 'the Cannibal '. How many people were complaining that Merckx was making racing predictable? I remember this year's World RR as one of the most exciting I've watched. Mainly BECAUSE Pog was the favourite and launched what everyone thought (Pog included) was a suicidal attack with 80km to go. For the next 2 hours, I was on the edge of my seat thinking "this is too much, even for Pog". Maybe Zonnefeld prefers the snooze-fest that is a bunch sprint? Like most people I know, I can't watch two hours of the bunch riding very fast... I wait for the final 5km and watch just the sprint. In any event, most races are won from a sprint or lone break. What difference does it make who makes the lone break? Ultimately, the other contenders will have to figure out a way to beat Pog. Even if that means collaboration between teams. It's going to be an exciting few seasons, until the next Pog arrives on the scene. If this is boring, heaven knows what exciting looks like!Michael513-10-2024
- This is not a gravel race. UCI fail, from the surface they are on to team tactics. In what country was the first "gravel race" in what country is the most popular gravel race? Go with the race model that created the discipline.
Barnes127411-10-2024 - And don't forget he has now won 4 of the big 10 races (Grand tours, Monuments and WC/OG) in one year with a chance to make that 5. (5 has only been done once before)Joostmehrtens05-10-2024