Jonas Vingegaard keeps Tour lead as Michael Woods climbs to victory on volcano
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Canada's Michael Woods won stage 9 of the Tour de France to the Puy de Dome from a breakaway that went from the gun.
PHOTO: REUTERS
ORCINES – Jonas Vingegaard held on to the Tour de France overall lead on the Puy de Dome volcano on Sunday, as Canada’s Michael Woods took a prestigious Stage 9 win for his Israel Premier-Tech team.
France’s Pierre Latour crossed in second place with Slovenian Matej Mohoric rounding out the podium, as the attention switched to the key fight between the favourites several minutes down the steep slopes.
“I didn’t think I could make it, it was so silent up there,” said the 36-year-old Woods, who overtook American Matteo Jorgenson in the home straight with the Movistar rider wilting.
“(The crowd) was deafening until I got to 4km to go and my ears were still ringing and I had a lot of time to think and suffer.
“I’m not getting any younger and I’ve finally achieved it (a Tour de France stage win) and I feel so fortunate to have so many great people behind me – my family, my team, my wife, my kids.
“I wish I could tell you it was all planned – I wanted to be with Jorgenson out front but I didn’t play my cards right.
“I had to be patient but, with 40 to go, I didn’t think of going for the win, but just set a time trial for myself.
“It’s super special to win at the Puy de Dome and I hope we get to come here in years to come.”
Jorgenson, meanwhile, said: “I had to play my hand a bit early. I knew I wouldn’t be able to match Woods and Neilson (Powless) in the climb and I had to get away in a small group or go solo.
“In the end, I had to hope others blew up because it wasn’t quite enough.
“Radio didn’t work on the climb so the only time gap I had was the motor and I was being told (my lead was) a minute, then 35 seconds and 35 was the last I heard. Before I knew it, Mike was there and passing me and there was absolutely nothing I could do.”
It certainly was quite the setting for a stage finish. Two-time Tour champion Tadej Pogacar launched an attack from 600m on the baking slopes, but defending champion Vingegaard followed him over the summit finish line just seconds adrift.
Dane Vingegaard, from Team Jumbo-Visma, still leads UAE Team’s Pogacar by 17sec ahead of Monday’s rest day, as the expected fireworks never materialised on a hot July day.
An early escape raced over 16 minutes ahead of a peloton more concerned with how they could cope on the tough slopes than harbouring hopes of a win.
Pogacar was a full 8min 19sec slower than Woods at the finish of the 182km stage.
Jai Hindley, Carlos Rodriguez and Adam Yates round out the top five of the general classification standings. AFP
