the essential
Even before the Grand Départ this Saturday, June 29, the runners had discovered an extreme temperature, not even cooled by the descent towards the sea during the inaugural route in Italy (Florence-Rimini).
At the entrance to the departure village, a spectator collapses. Not because of the emotion of the Grand Départ but because of the heat! He is immediately taken care of by the emergency services but will miss the beautiful brand new “tricolor” of Alberto Bettiol who passes right by on his way to sign at the control with his little pink army.
Well before noon and the start of the monumental parade of the fictional (poor Jan Hirt, one of the pillars of the Wolfpack, will leave three teeth!), a tropical storm crushes the site of the Visarna racecourse. Italy, already on vacation (and not yet eliminated from the Euro, it won’t be long and it will spoil the party a little in Rimini…) begins an impressive exodus towards the beaches causing stifling traffic jams swollen by the s restrictions linked to the route of the first stage.
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VIDEO. Tour de France 2024: “It’s crazy!” The happiness of Romain Bardet, yellow jersey and winner of the first stage for his last Grande Boucle
The Bahrains advance covered in an armor of ice cubes, Primoz Roglic too, Quentin Pacher takes down a bottle of mineral water while he joins the bus, Inauguration of his Belgian champion jersey, Arnaud de Lie finds a friend, greets him quickly before apologizing. “It’s really too hot, I’m going to the bus for the air conditioning…” Bernard Thevénet is looking for a shady spot to enjoy his morning Senseo…
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VIDEO. Tour de France 2024: superb Romain Bardet who wins the first stage and wears the yellow jersey
The heat stroke will not only affect spectators. At the foot of the podium in 2022, David Gaudu will have difficulty doing as well. He disconnected 73 terminals from the beach and lost practically… half an hour! Same price for Lenny Martinez who announced that he wanted to waste time to gain his freedom a little later. It succeeded ! Also successful was the rescue of Mark Cavendish, towed by his teammates after being released very early.
Cavendish beats Jacobsen for… penultimate place, Pogacar misses the bonus
The former world champion finished 39’12 behind Bardet. Vinokourov gave him four “firemen” and his favorite Englishman managed to beat Jakobsen for… the penultimate place. His Italian teammate Michele Gazzoli didn’t see all this, he withdrew along the way, winning the uncoveted prize of first abandonment of the event.
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Tour de France 2024: “Three broken teeth!” Remco Evenepoel deplores the mishap of a precious teammate just before the start of the 1st stage
The rest of the race is looking quite tricky for all those who rode while overheating yesterday and we’re going to approach 35 degrees again. As the big guys are planning to fight it out between Cesenatico and Bologna (see opposite) with the double and formidable climb of San Luca in the finale, the more fragile ones had nightmares last night.
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Tour de France 2024: “Life has taken another turn”… Yoann Offredo, ex-rider now consultant for France Télévisions, reveals his illness
Tadej Pogacar, very discreet during the first hours of the Tour (he had nevertheless given Politt, Soler, Sivakov and company a run), tried for the bonus seconds in Rimini without being able to get ahead of Van Aert sent by Vingegaard.
