In a surprising turn of events, Yves Lampaert (QuickStep-AlphaVinyl) took on all the GC favorites and won the time trial on Friday, 1st July. Lampaert took a lead on Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) by five seconds and earned the Maillot Jaune, the leader’s yellow jersey at the Tour de France. Wout van Aert, finished in second place, again.
Rumour has it @yveslampaert had one more double espresso than usual yesterday… boom, next minute he’s in yellow at @letourdefrance. Congratulations Yves and team partners @quickstep_alphavinylteam! With a Rocket Espresso machine in your kitchen you w… https://t.co/PD8IyzQEDP pic.twitter.com/dl389139hB
— Rocket Espresso (@rocketespresso) July 2, 2022
Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) closed in on the third position, seven seconds behind Lampaert while Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers) was only able to close in on the fourth position. While Ganna did finish the time trial with a puncture on the rain-soaked roads, he refused to put the blame on just that. He said while commenting on the events of the day:
It was supposed to be dry when I set off, but the roads were already wet and then it started raining. Like everybody, including Wout and Tadej, we set out early for that reason. We can’t have any regrets. There were just stronger riders today
On the other hand, Teammates Jonas Vingegaard and Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) reached the closing line way after Lampert. Landing 7th and 8th spots, the pair was still quite content with their performance as they took a more wary approach to the wet roads. They did not take any wild chances in order to avoid a crash. Vingegaard looked happy with his approach as he said:
I think it went really, really well. In fact, a little surprisingly well, I would say
The rain certainly did not provide a pleasant atmosphere to ride in, someone forgot to off their gilet and took on the corners in Copenhagen like their wife (who hasn’t been on a bike in 12 years). Geraint Thomas paid a heavy cost at the time trial due to his gilet gaffe. The Ineos Grenadiers rider talked about his situation:
Then it was in my head. The first few corners, I was cornering like my wife – she hasn’t ridden a bike in 12 years – it was unbelievable. Then I realized I had my gilet on – I zipped it up, it was nice and snug, and I didn’t realize
While 31-year-old Yves Lampaert was overjoyed with his win, he said:
My mind is exploding, a top 10 would have been great, now I beat all the best in the world, I never expected it
He cannot believe he has beaten the best of it to take the yellow jersey:
Everybody is free to pedal as hard as they can in the time trial but to beat Van Aert, Van der Poel, Ganna – it’s unbelievable for me
But the celebrations were cut short for QuickStep-AlphaVinyl, as there are new cases of COVID-19 amongst the key staff. The test was carried out late Friday night, and, as feared, many results came positive. Following positives from Cofidis and Israel Premier Tech, QuickStep-AlphaVinyl has suffered from seven positive tests so far.
🏆 STAGE 1
🇧🇪 @yveslampaert – @qst_alphavinyl #TDF2022 pic.twitter.com/RsXIosQucE— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 2, 2022
How It Happened
Despite the rain, a huge crowd was seen bordering the 13.2-kilometer route. Stefan Bissegger (EF Education-EasyPost) crashed twice in corners due to the wet, slippery roads. Bauke Mollema (Trek–Segafredo) delievered his best early time i.e. 15:34
Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers) suffered a puncture due to a glass shard and was seen visibly hating the weather situation. Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) finished four seconds earlier than his teammate.
Although Van Aert dashed past Ganna with six seconds ahead of him, still his yellow jersey dreams slipped right out of his hand. Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) took on a more cautious approach on the slippery roads. Lampaert’s ability to handle the bike along with his time-trailing skills won him the biggest win of his career so far.
Below are the results of the Top-10:
| POS | Rider | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yves Lampaert | Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team | 15:17 |
| 2 | Wout van Aert | Jumbo-Visma | + 05 |
| 3 | Tadej Pogacar | UAE Team Emirates | + 07 |
| 4 | Filippo Ganna | INEOS Grenadiers | + 10 |
| 5 | Mathieu van der Poel | Alpecin-Deceuninck | + 13 |
| 6 | Mads Pedersen | Trek-Segafredo | + 15 |
| 7 | Jonas Vingegaard | Jumbo-Visma | + 15 |
| 8 | Primoz Roglic | Jumbo-Visma | + 16 |
| 9 | Bauke Mollema | Trek-Segafredo | + 17 |
| 10 | Dylan Teuns | Bahrain Victorious | + 20 |
Also Read: Strong Winds Pick Up At Giro D’Italia Donne
Featured Image Via YouTube/ WielerFlits
