Soudal Quick-Step’s Kasper Agreen escapes to victory in Tour de France’s Stage 18
Sign up now: Get the biggest sports news in your inbox
Soudal–Quick-Step's Kasper Asgreen celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win stage 18.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Follow topic:
BOURG EN BRESSE, France – Kasper Asgreen upset the sprint specialists when the Dane won the 18th stage of the Tour de France, a 185-km ride from Moutiers, at the end of a long breakaway on Thursday.
In the process, he gave his Soudal Quick-Step team their first victory in this season’s Tour, as Jonas Vingegaard retained his 7min 35sec lead over Tadej Pogacar atop the overall standings.
Asgreen, the 2021 Tour of Flanders winner, perfectly timed his final effort with the peloton breathing down the neck of the four breakaway riders.
He beat Lotto-Dstny’s Dutchman Pascal Eenkhoorn and Uno-X’s Norwegian Jonas Abrahamsen, who were second and third, respectively.
But their escape companion Victor Campenaerts, also of Lotto-Dstny, was engulfed by the peloton at the line in an illustration of what a close call it was after a 20km chase flopped badly.
A jubilant Asgreen said: “With the period I had since my crash at Tour de Suisse, and having to leave the Tour de France last year... I’ve come a long way, and to finish it with a victory like this...
“I’d like to dedicate it to all the people who have helped me, and also to (teammate) Dries (Devenyns), it’s his last Tour. I’d like to dedicate it to him, to his wife and his family, and to all the people who helped me in the last year.”
He added that the situation for the breakaway “was not ideal” as he would have preferred to go with six, seven or eight riders.
“But it’s the last week of Tour, we’re coming off some really, really hard weeks,” he continued. “We’ve seen it before, even a small group can manage to ‘cheat’ the sprinter’s teams.”
Crediting his team, he added: “They all did amazing out there. To be honest, we all deserved the win, with the work we put in, but I’m really happy to come away with it.”
Winner of all four previous sprints on this Tour, Belgian Alpecin-Deceuninck rider Jasper Philipsen was fourth on the day.
He had dominated the bunch sprints on this Tour, although two of his four triumphs were garnered with some wobbly manoeuvres that had to be validated by race officials.
Earlier on Thursday, Jumbo-Visma rider Wout van Aert left the Tour to be with his wife Sarah, who is set to give birth to their second child.
The Belgian’s absence is not expected to impact teammate and Danish race leader Vingegaard, who is on course for a second consecutive title after his Slovenian rival Pogacar of UAE Team Emirates lost time in Wednesday’s Stage 17.
“In consultation with the team, we have decided that my place is now at home,” van Aert said, adding that the family’s doctor had informed him his wife was expected to go into labour soon.
“I always thought that I would go home when my wife indicated that she needed me. That time has come.”
Friday’s Stage 19 is a hilly 173km ride from Moirans-en-Montagne. AFP, REUTERS
