Tour de France Stage 3: Riders Enter France, Pogačar Takes Yellow
Tour de France Stage 3 was noteworthy because after starting the race with two stages in Spain, the riders entered France. Things in the overall rankings stayed the same, as the leaders consciously all rode together. It was another exceptionally hot day where the riders suffered.
Even though this stage featured a mountain in the middle of it and an uphill finish, uphill finishes provide an opportunity for the leaders to separate themselves. One of the interesting things in this stage was a tactical thing we see often. There was a breakaway, about 1:30 ahead. The chase was led by the team of Tadej Pogačar, UAE Emirates, a contender, in second place overall. Do you think the heat will continue all month long?
Tour de France Stage 3 July 6
The peloton, or pack, is the group in the Tour that contains the leaders of the race, their teammates, and usually some contenders. In most stages, there is a breakaway, usually of a handful of riders who are not in contention. The peloton is usually led by the teammates of the yellow jersey, or, like today, an aspirant to it. It was interesting to see Tadej Pogačar’s team frantically lead the charge on a hot day. Jonas Vingegaard rode right behind him, shadowing him.
When the racing is very close, as it was today, the time bonuses for the top three finishers are very important. Ten seconds for the winner, six seconds for second place, and four seconds for third place. They could decide the ranking in the overall standings. There was a chance that could have happened today, which is why Team UAE Emirates led the peloton in pursuit of the breakaway.
How Stage 3 Played Out
During Stage 3, Tadej Pogačar won, and Jonas Vingegaard was second. They sprinted furiously at the end. It was the 22nd stage win for Pogačar. Richard Carapaz was third, and Paul Seixas was fourth. With a virtual tie between Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard, Pogačar got the overall leader’s yellow jersey, the 27th of his Tour career.
Bicycle Racing Tactics
In the Tour de France, there is a leader who wears a yellow jersey. There are jerseys given out for best young rider, king of the mountains, and points (the top sprinter). These riders, as well as the top contenders for each jersey, tend to ride together in the peloton. There is usually a breakaway that rides anywhere from a minute thirty to thirty minutes or more ahead of the peloton. The team of the leaders, or an aspirant to the overall lead, tends to lead the peloton and the chase of the breakaway. How it usually goes is that the peloton is successful and catches the breakaway.
When this is about to happen, we see a strange phenomenon. Riders are followed by team cars; those cars have coaches and spare bicycles (among other things). When the team cars leave the gap between the breakaway and the peloton, we know they are about to get caught. The breakaway was caught today with 10.4 kilometers left in the race. It is good news if the riders who were in the breakaway stick with the peloton. The riders in the breakaway are likely recipients of the red numbers, or the most aggressive riders in the stage.
The Great French Hope
Paul Seixas is a big story in France. The 19-year-old could win the overall classification of the Tour. It was interesting to see today that he had teammates with him, taking care of him by pacing and being there in case of a mechanical failure. That was the same treatment that the other leaders and contenders of the race received. It is helpful if these stars have strong teammates to help guide them. These unsung heroes are called domestiques.
Stage 4 Tomorrow
The riders get ready for tomorrow’s fourth stage. This is a hilly stage from Carcassonne to Foix; it is 181.9 kilometers long, and the ups and downs point to another close race. There will probably be another breakaway, and it will probably get caught.
